KRX to halt overnight derivatives trading over Chuseok SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - Overnight trading for derivatives will be suspended during Chuseok or Korean thanksgiving, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said on Wednesday. The suspension, which comes to reduce risks for investors, will be effective from 6 p.m. on Sept. 23 to 6 a.m. the following day. Overnight transactions are normally settled together with the ones from the following day's regular session. However, because the market will be closed for one of the country's biggest September 9, 2026

Xi, Putin send congratulatory messages as North Korea marks 78th anniversary SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - North Korea unveiled congratulatory messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with both leaders pledging to strengthen ties with Pyongyang, as the reclusive country marked the 78th anniversary of its founding on Wednesday. The messages sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the anniversary were featured on the front page of the state-run Rodong Sinmun, commemorating the country's establishment on Sep September 9, 2026

Smilegate divorce may top Chey's as Korea's costliest at $1.79 bln SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A Seoul court ordered Smilegate founder Kwon Hyuk-bin to pay his estranged wife roughly 2.4 trillion won ($1.79 billion) in stock, the largest divorce settlement in South Korean history. The Seoul Family Court granted the divorce petition filed by the wife, surnamed Lee, and ordered that the award be paid in shares rather than cash. "The marriage has broken down to a point beyond repair," the court said, adding that both spouses bore equal re September 9, 2026

Samsung partners with Mistral AI to develop semiconductor-specific AI SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has formed a strategic partnership with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI to jointly develop AI models tailored to semiconductor design and manufacturing, according to the company on Wednesday. The partnership, reached around the time of a South Korea-France summit, will combine Samsung's semiconductor technology and manufacturing data with Mistral AI's AI models to improve productivity and precision across ch September 9, 2026

Korea picks 32 startups for cross-ministry finals SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korea's startup ministry named 32 early-stage companies to advance to the cross-ministry finals of its flagship entrepreneurship contest. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced Tuesday that 32 firms emerged from its two preliminary leagues, 10 from the artificial intelligence league and 22 from the innovation startup league. The firms were drawn from about 344 and 630 applicants respectively. This year nine ministries including the sc September 9, 2026

Chip stocks pull KOSPI above 7,000 SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rebounded Wednesday morning, with the KOSPI climbing back above 7,000 as gains in chip heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK hynix outweighed lingering pressure from higher oil prices and Middle East tensions. The benchmark stood at 7,039.16 as of 10:54 a.m., up 1.22 percent from the previous session. The KOSPI opened 0.26 percent higher at 6,972.87 and briefly slipped to 6,968.06 before turning higher as buying strengthened in September 9, 2026

Aju chairman joins Shenzhen media forum ahead of APEC summit SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korean media executives joined more than 400 delegates at a Chinese government-organized media forum in Shenzhen on Sept. 5, two months before the city hosts this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting. The Asia-Pacific Media Forum drew representatives from over 40 countries and regions, along with United Nations agencies and other international bodies. It was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party September 9, 2026

Outgoing defense minister heads to Croatia on final trip for Chunmoo deal SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - Outgoing Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is heading to Croatia this week, the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday. Ahn is scheduled to meet Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday and attend a signing ceremony for Hanwha Aerospace's export deal for its Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher. The deal covers the supply of an integrated system including 18 Chunmoo launchers and guided missiles under a contract worth about 435.2 milli September 9, 2026

Coupang users and spending stronger than pre-data leak SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) -Coupang’s grip on South Korean consumers appears largely intact despite a massive personal-data leak and regulatory crackdowns, as shoppers continue to choose speed and convenience over lingering privacy and ethical concerns. Estimated credit and debit card payments on Coupang reached 4.930 trillion won in August, up 12.6 percent from 4.378 trillion won a year earlier, according to Mobile Index operated by AI data technology company IGAWorks Wednesda September 9, 2026

'Dave the Diver' tops 10 million in a Korean first SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korean studio Mintrocket said that its diving-and-sushi adventure "Dave the Diver" has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, the first domestic single-player packaged game to cross that mark. The milestone announced Tuesday comes as Korean developers, long dominant in free-to-play online titles, increasingly bet on premium single-purchase games for console and PC. "Dave the Diver," released in full in mid-2023, casts pla September 9, 2026