New U.S. envoy meets Seoul's national security adviser SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) -South Korean national security adviser Wi Sung-lac met United States Ambassador Michelle Steel on Aug. 4 in their first encounter since she took up the post in Seoul last month, the presidential office confirmed Friday. The two exchanged greetings and views on ways to advance the alliance, according to the office. Wi heads the National Security Office, the body inside the presidential compound that coordinates foreign policy, defense and intelligence for President Lee Ja August 7, 2026

Hanwha Solutions and OCI shares benefit from U.S. solar curbs SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) —Shares of South Korean solar producers gained upside momentum after the United States erected new price and tariff barriers against low-cost polysilicon and solar imports, raising expectations that Korean producers could gain ground as Washington pushes more of the solar supply chain onto U.S. soil. As of 10:56 a.m., Hanwha Solutions was trading at 32,750 won, up 7.73 percent from the previous session. The stock had surged as much as 26.81 percent to an intraday hi August 7, 2026

Naver's Q2 operating profit misses consensus as costs outpace sales SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - Naver's second-quarter operating profit fell short of market expectations despite stronger-than-expected revenue, as spending on artificial intelligence, marketing, sports broadcasting and payment infrastructure squeezed margins. Operating profit for the April-June period came to 520.3 billion won ($346 million), down 0.2 percent from a year earlier and 4 percent from the previous quarter. It was 8.1 percent below the FnGuide consensus of 566.2 billion won. The op August 7, 2026

Seoul rebound fragile on SK hynix lag SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) -The KOSPI struggled to claw back into positive territory Friday as heavyweight SK hynix remained under foreign attack, leaving the market's rebound on shaky footing. By 9:45 a.m. the KOSPI was 0.20 percent lower at 6,284.46 after opening higher. Samsung Electronics rose 2.82 percent to 237,000 won ($166), double the 1.40 percent gain that lifted SK hynix to 1,516,000 won ($1,064), even though SK hynix fell far harder on Thursday. Foreign investors turned buyers at t August 7, 2026

T'way Air begins new chapter as Trinity Airways SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - T’way Air has rebranded as Trinity Airways, unveiling a new service model, brand identity and employee uniforms as it seeks to position itself as a global carrier. The airline presented the changes at a brand launch and uniform runway event in Seoul on Aug. 6, its first official event since changing its corporate name. Cabin crew, pilots and other employees modeled the new uniforms during the event. Trinity Airways introduced “Relaxed and Reliable” a August 6, 2026

SK hynix plunge sinks KOSPI despite broader gains SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) -The KOSPI on Thursday reversed, weighed down by two heavyweights - SK and Samsung. The KOSPI, the main board of the Korea Exchange, closed at 6,296.4, down 4.6 percent, after SK hynix fell 10.4 percent to 1,495,000 won ($1,050) and Samsung Electronics dropped 6.3 percent to 230,500 won ($161.90). SK, the de facto holding company of the memory chipmaker, also lost 9.4 percent. The two chipmakers are worth roughly half the main board between them, and a weaker than expec August 6, 2026

Korean Inc. doles out over $5 bn in July cash dividends SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) — South Korean companies doled out more than 7.4 trillion won ($5.3 billion) in cash dividends in July, led by Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, as businesses stepped up shareholder returns under the government's drive to improve corporate value. According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) on Thursday, 90 listed companies, including 58 on the main KOSPI market and 32 on the junior KOSDAQ market, announced cash dividend payments totaling about 7.4 trillion won du August 6, 2026

Kakao picks Coupang Eats as first AI agent partner SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Kakao announced it has chosen Coupang Eats as the inaugural partner for its artificial-intelligence agent, allowing users to receive food recommendations and complete orders and payments without leaving a KakaoTalk chat window. The tie-up announced Thursday marks the first concrete step in the South Korean internet giant's push to turn its dominant messaging app, used by about 50 million people, into what it calls an "acting AI platform" that links everyda August 6, 2026

KOSPI heads back south on overnight Wall Street tech retreat SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) — The roller-coaster ride in Seoul headed back south Thursday, as South Korean stocks tracked an overnight pullback in U.S. tech shares that spread across the region's semiconductor sector. The KOSPI fell 4.13 percent to 6,325.82 as of 10:08 a.m. local time, with losses deepening as the session wore on. Foreign investors were the biggest sellers, offloading a net 1.14 trillion won ($798 million) in shares. Retail investors bought a net 995.6 billion won, while i August 6, 2026

Seoul to rewrite public wealth rulebook to include cypto and AI assets SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - South Korea will rewrite the rules governing nearly 1,403 trillion won ($985 billion) of public assets by bringing cryptocurrencies, intellectual property and financial holdings under a unified national wealth framework, marking the country's biggest overhaul of state asset management since the State Property Act was enacted more than seven decades ago. The Ministry of Economy and Finance unveiled the blueprint Thursday at an emergency economic ministers' meet August 6, 2026