AJP Briefing

  • Foreign Sell Korea tops $30 bn in May, 10 times 25 outflow
    Foreign 'Sell Korea' tops $30 bn in May, 10 times '25 outflow SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) — Foreign investors sold a record 47 trillion won ($30.5 billion) worth of Korean stocks in May, pushing their net sales in the first five months 10 times their 2025 annual outflow and explaining the stubbornly weak won versus the U.S. dollar, data showed Friday. Despite their heavy selling, their holdings in Korean shares and share in market cap surged to a record high to reflect their cherry-picking in heavyweight blue chips. According to data released Friday by June 26, 2026
  • Kazakhstan and China target $100bn in trade
    Kazakhstan and China target $100bn in trade SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - More than eight in every 10 containers shipped overland from China to Europe pass through Kazakhstan. That single statistic, more than any diplomatic formula, explains why the two countries spent this week in Urumqi pressing to deepen a commercial relationship already generating record numbers. On the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo on Thursday (local time), Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met with Ding Xue June 26, 2026
  • KOSPI, Nikkei 225 refueled by revived chip fever
    KOSPI, Nikkei 225 refueled by revived chip fever SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) — The KOSPI moved to the brink of reclaiming the 9,000-point milestone amid a tense market rivalry between the country's two chip heavyweights, while the junior KOSDAQ sank further as bets narrowed on chip infrastructure. The benchmark KOSPI closed up 5.42 percent at 8,930.30 after briefly climbing above the 9,000-point threshold during afternoon trading. Trading was volatile throughout the session. A buy-side sidecar was triggered shortly after the open amid a r June 25, 2026
  • Korea loses to South Africa, left waiting on third-place ranking
    Korea loses to South Africa, left waiting on third-place ranking SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea failed to secure automatic qualification for the Round of 32 after losing 1-0 to South Africa in their final Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday in Korea. South Korea lost at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico after conceding midway through the second half. In the other Group A match played at the same time, Mexico beat Czechia 3-0. The results sent Mexico through as Group A winners and South Africa as runners-up. South Korea finished third with th June 25, 2026
  • World Cup 26: Korea held by South Africa after disjointed first half
    World Cup 26: Korea held by South Africa after disjointed first half SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea went into halftime scoreless against South Africa on Thursday after a disjointed first half in which they struggled to beat pressure, move the ball through midfield and turn possession into meaningful chances. South Korea kicked off their final Group A match at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico knowing a draw would be enough to secure second place and a spot in the Round of 32. Opta’s pre-match model had given South Korea a 59.2 percent chance of winning, mor June 25, 2026
  • Chip rally resumes on hynix ADR news and Micron earnings, KOSPI up 5%
    Chip rally resumes on hynix ADR news and Micron earnings, KOSPI up 5% SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) — South Korean stocks surged toward reclaiming the 9,000 milestone as chip stocks were refueled by multiple catalysts, from Micron Technology's blowout earnings to SK hynix's Nasdaq listing plan and Samsung Electronics' massive buyback program. The benchmark KOSPI opened 5.55 percent higher and was up 5.61 percent at 8,946.02 as of 9:36 a.m. The junior KOSDAQ opened 1.10 percent higher before easing to 913.47, up 0.46 percent. Samsung Electronics and SK h June 25, 2026
  • KOSPI rebounds day after record crash
    KOSPI rebounds day after record crash SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rebounded 3.3 percent to close at 8,471.02 on Wednesday, standing apart from a mixed regional session a day after its record crash. The index rose 267.18 points, recovering less than a third of the 910.71 points it lost on Tuesday. The junior KOSDAQ gained 2.0 percent to 909.31. Samsung Electronics powered the bounce, jumping 9.8 percent after it was reported to be mulling a record buyback of $65 billion buyback scheme, while SK hynix ro June 24, 2026
  • Foreign visitors card spending in Korea tops $1.4 billion
    Foreign visitors' card spending in Korea tops $1.4 billion SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Foreign visitors spent a record 2.12 trillion won ($1.4 billion) on credit cards in South Korea in May as cumulative arrivals surpassed 10 million nearly a month earlier than last year, government data showed Wednesday. The May figure, which includes online purchases, marked the first time monthly card spending by foreign visitors exceeded 2 trillion won since data collection began in 2018. Card spending from January through May reached 7.98 trillion won, up 47.3 perce June 24, 2026
  • World Cup 26: Ronaldo returns as Colombia advance, England held by Ghana
    World Cup 26: Ronaldo returns as Colombia advance, England held by Ghana SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to revive Portugal’s World Cup campaign, Colombia secured a place in the knockout stage and England were held by Ghana as Groups K and L moved closer to their final-round showdowns on Tuesday local time. Croatia also beat Panama 1-0 to stay alive in Group L, eliminating the Central American side after two straight defeats. Portugal produced the statement performance of the day, beating Uzbekistan 5-0 in a Group K match in Houston. Ro June 24, 2026
  • Teach You a Lesson tops Netflix for 3rd week; Husbands in Action No. 2
    'Teach You a Lesson' tops Netflix for 3rd week; 'Husbands in Action' No. 2 SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Korean drama series "Teach You a Lesson" remained No. 1 on Netflix's non-English TV chart for a third consecutive week, while action comedy "Husbands in Action" debuted at No. 2 among non-English films, according to data released by Netflix on Wednesday. Teach You a Lesson drew 11.8 million views and 126.2 million viewing hours during the latest tracking period. Netflix calculates views by dividing total viewing hours by a title's running time. June 24, 2026