KOSPI leads Asian rally on institutional buying SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark stock index surged Wednesday on institutional chase after a potential generous payouts by chip bellwethers. The KOSPI gained 233.51 points or 3.68 percent to 6,579.04 as Samsung Electronics climbed 16,000 won, or 6.7 cent, to 255,500 won and SK hynix 5.5 percent,to 1.504 million won. The advance far outpaced gains across the region, where Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.8 percent to 67,524.06 and Shanghai's composite index 0.4 percent August 12, 2026

Hot Stock: LG Electronics fly on hopes for deeper Nvidia ties SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - Shares of LG Electronics jumped nearly 13 percent on Wednesday, fueled by expectations that an anticipated meeting between LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang could lead to deeper cooperation in robotics and artificial intelligence infrastructure. LG Electronics closed at 205,000 won ($148), up 12.82 percent from the previous session, after climbing as high as 212,500 won during trading. Koo is visiting Nvidia's headquart August 12, 2026

Daegu named first hub for South Korea's AI drug-discovery drive SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - South Korea has designated the southeastern city of Daegu as the first innovation hub for artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery under "K-Moonshot," the government's flagship program to embed AI across national science and technology research. The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Wednesday it had held a launch ceremony in Daegu for a pilot project to build an "AIxBio" research base focused on synthetic new drugs, drawing together univer August 12, 2026

LG Elec rolls out FDA-cleared diagnostic monitor SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - LG Electronics has launched a new diagnostic monitor cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, expanding its medical display lineup as the South Korean electronics maker targets the business-to-business healthcare market. The 40-inch monitor, model 40HT513D, features a 21:9 curved IPS Black display with a resolution of 5,120 by 2,160 pixels and 11-megapixel support. Its three-way picture-by-picture function allows medical professionals to view three separate August 12, 2026

Samsung Elec payout hopes lift KOSPI more than 2% SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) -Seoul's main index jumped more than 2 percent in early trade Wednesday as foreign and institutional money returned to large-cap stocks on speculation that chip bellwethers could sharply increase shareholder payouts. The KOSPI traded at 6,484.59, up 2.2 percent from Tuesday's close of 6,345.53, while the junior KOSDAQ reversed course and fell 1.5 percent to 845.18. The rally was narrow. Decliners outnumbered advancers 473 to 357 on the main board, while the large August 12, 2026

Youth job drought deepens, fall largest in 5 years SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) -South Korea's youth employment fell for a 45th straight month in July and the youth jobless rate posted its sharpest rise in more than five years, as hiring droughts in manufacturing and professional services deepened despite booming exports, government data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people aged 15 to 29 fell by 191,000 from a year earlier to 3.44 million, while their employment rate dropped 1.6 percentage points to 44.2 percent, according to the Minis August 12, 2026

KOSPI closes higher as record August exports lift chip stocks SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed higher on Tuesday, buoyed by record exports in early August that lifted semiconductor shares, although lingering uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz limited gains. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.73 percent to 6,345.53, extending gains for a second straight session. The index opened 0.95 percent lower at 6,240.06 before reversing course, though gains remained limited through much of the session. The turnaround came after stronger export figures August 11, 2026

Samsung brings cross-device gaming lineup to Gamescom 2026 SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will showcase a gaming lineup spanning PCs, consoles and mobile devices at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, as the South Korean tech giant seeks to connect its hardware portfolio across gaming platforms. The world's largest gaming exhibition will run from Aug. 26 to 30, with about 1,500 software, hardware and game content companies expected to participate. Last year's event drew 360,000 visitors, according to Samsung. Samsung's booth w August 11, 2026

Chip surge drives Korea's record early-August exports SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - South Korea's exports jumped 45.3 percent from a year earlier to $21.29 billion in the first 10 days of August, the highest for any Aug. 1-10 period, customs data showed Tuesday. The figure surpassed the previous early-August record of $15.6 billion set in 2022. Both periods contained seven working days, with average daily exports also rising 45.3 percent to $3.04 billion. Semiconductor exports soared 155.4 percent to $9.95 billion, marking a record for the early- August 11, 2026

KOSPI reverses early losses as KOSDAQ extends recent rally SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - South Korean stocks reversed early losses Tuesday morning, with the benchmark KOSPI edging higher and the junior KOSDAQ gaining more than 1 percent as buying in construction and semiconductor equipment shares offset pressure from higher oil prices and renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The main index traded 0.3 percent higher at 6,321 as of around 10:30 a.m., after falling more than 1 percent earlier in the session. It moved between a low of 6,213.78 and a high August 11, 2026