Korean stocks lead Asia as chip rally sends KOSPI above 7,000 SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Korean stocks led Asian markets by a wide margin Wednesday morning, driven by heavy foreign buying in semiconductor shares after a sharp overnight rally in U.S. chipmakers revived expectations for continued artificial intelligence infrastructure investment. The benchmark KOSPI was trading 5.6 percent higher at 7,125.8 as of 10:30 a.m., outperforming Japan's Nikkei 225, which gained 1.9 percent to 67,512.1. China's Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng July 22, 2026

Korea's manufacturing share hits 10-year high on chip power SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Manufacturing accounted for 27.2 percent of South Korea’s real gross domestic product last year, the highest share in a decade, as the country’s industrial growth became increasingly concentrated in semiconductors and other electronics. Real value added generated by manufacturers rose 2.3 percent, or 14.5 trillion won, ($10 billion) from a year earlier to 632.4 trillion won in 2025, according to the National Assembly Budget Office’s Economic Overview of July 22, 2026

HMM Q2 profit seen jumping 80% on higher container freight rates: report SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - HMM is expected to report a sharp improvement in second-quarter earnings as stronger container freight rates offset higher fuel costs, Shinhan Investment & Securities said Wednesday. The brokerage estimated HMM’s second-quarter revenue at 3.28 trillion won ($2.21 billion), up 25 percent from a year earlier, and operating profit at 420.6 billion won, up 80.4 percent. The estimate is also higher than the market consensus of 346.3 billion won in operating profit. July 22, 2026

AI-theme stocks turbocharge KOSPI above 7,100 mark SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - AI-theme turbocharged South Korean chip and robotics stocks on Wednesday, sending both the main and secondary market indices well above 5 percent as big-tech earnings reaffirmed AI demand and investment. A buy-side sidecar was triggered on the KOSPI at 9:06:02 a.m., halting program buying for five minutes after the KOSPI 200 futures index surged 5.40 percent. As of 9:06 a.m., the KOSPI was up more than 6.1 percent at 7,155.5, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ had climbed 4.2 July 22, 2026

KOSPI rebounds over 3% as chipmakers lead broad rally SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark KOSPI advancing more than 3 percent as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led a rebound in semiconductor shares. The KOSPI rose 231.68 points or 3.56 percent to close at 6,747.95 as a buy-side sidecar was activated on the main bourse after the index's gains accelerated. It opened 0.58 percent higher at 6,553.88 and fell to an intraday low of 6,429.03 during early volatile trading before climbing as high a July 21, 2026

KAI pitches TF-50 for British trainer contract SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea's aerospace contractor Korea Aerospace Industries is pitching its TF-50 trainer jet for a Royal Air Force competition that has not yet formally launched, using this week's Farnborough International Airshow in Britain to make its case against rivals with a significant head start. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Tuesday it is showcasing next-generation air combat systems and aerospace solutions at the airshow, running July 20 to 24, as part of a pu July 21, 2026

Lawmaker Kim Gunn seeks legal mandate to shield companies abroad SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A former diplomat turned lawmaker introduced legislation Tuesday that would give South Korean embassies and consulates an explicit legal mandate to help Korean companies navigate sudden regulatory changes and other obstacles overseas. Rep. Kim Gunn of the main opposition People Power Party proposed the bill, tentatively titled the Act on Support for Overseas-Expanding Companies by Diplomatic Missions, aiming to turn South Korea's overseas missions into more systematic July 21, 2026

Lee orders review of leveraged chip ETFs after retail investor losses SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) — President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered financial authorities to draw up "swift and thorough" stabilization measures for controversial single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), saying the government must address mounting losses suffered by retail investors who piled into the products after regulators approved their launch. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Lee pointed to the divided views over leveraged ETFs linked to Samsung Electronics and SK July 21, 2026

South Korea sees 'no immediate oil supply disruptions' SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea has enough crude oil supplies to last through September and expects no immediate disruption even if shipping through the Red Sea is halted, the government said on Tuesday, as lingering tensions in the Middle East put another major energy shipping route at risk. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said refiners had secured crude for July and August equivalent to more than 110 percent of last year's average import volume. Bookings for September hav July 21, 2026

BOK governor joins Asia-Pacific policymakers amid AI and inflation risks SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) -Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song will join Asia-Pacific central bankers and financial regulators in Singapore this week for talks on inflation, financial stability and the economic risks posed by intensifying artificial intelligence competition and escalating tensions in the Gulf. Shin will attend the 31st Executives' Meeting of East Asia-Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP) Governors and a separate gathering of central bank governors and financial supervisory chiefs fro July 21, 2026