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 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 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

KOSPI snaps back from record crash SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - The KOSPI snapped back at Wednesday's open, following a script Korean investors have come to expect, the market's worst one-day crashes are almost always met by a rebound, as retail buyers piled in even while foreign and institutional investors kept selling. The benchmark rose 3.5 percent, recovering roughly a third of the 910.71 points it lost in Tuesday's record plunge. Samsung Electronics led, jumping 7.4 percent to 333,000 won ($217), while SK hynix ro June 24, 2026

Korea launches specialized copyright police division SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea will launch a permanent law enforcement division on June 30 specifically designed to investigate international copyright infringement and protect its rapidly growing digital export economy. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that a cabinet-approved decree officially upgrades its existing anti-piracy task force into the permanent Copyright Special Judicial Police Division, reinforced by eight newly assigned investigators. The overhaul is June 23, 2026

Won weakens on Fed jitters, bond yields fall as safety bid offsets FX pressure SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - The Korean won weakened against the dollar on Monday as the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance kept pressure on Asian currencies, while government bond yields fell as a sharp stock selloff pushed investors toward safer assets. The won ended the daytime session in Seoul at 1,538.90 per dollar, weakening by 1.90 won from the previous session. The currency came under pressure as investors reassessed the Fed’s policy path after its June meeting delivered a more haw June 23, 2026

KOSPI crashes nearly 10 percent amid broad Asian retreat SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI crashed nearly 10 percent, far outpacing declines in Japan and China as investors rushed to unwind positions after record-setting streaks. The KOSPI fell 9.99 percent or record 910.71 points to 8,203.84, instantly wiping out gains of last seven trading sessions. The junior KOSDAQ plunged 7.94 percent to 891.52. Foreign and local institutions offloaded more than 4 trillion won worth on the KOSPI while retailers scooped them up with purc June 23, 2026

World Cup 26: Messi breaks record as Argentina, France, Norway advance SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - Lionel Messi became the most prolific scorer in men's World Cup history, France overcame a long weather delay and Norway survived a late Senegal fightback as Argentina, France and Norway all advanced to the knockout stage on Monday local time. Jordan were eliminated after another comeback defeat in Group J, joining Turkiye and Haiti among the teams already out, while Senegal and Iraq were left with only a narrow third-place route in Group I. In Group J, Messi scored June 23, 2026

Luxembourg looks to deepen partnership at National Day celebrations in Seoul SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - Luxembourg marked its annual National Day at a reception in central Seoul on Monday, highlighting the country's deepening partnership with South Korea across various sectors including finance, advanced technology, and green growth. In his opening remarks at the reception which was held at The Hotel Shilla, a day ahead of the country's public holiday on June 23, Luxembourg Ambassador to Seoul Jacques Flies said the occasion provided an opportunity to reflect on the June 23, 2026

Netflix takes up nearly 60% of Korean mobile view time SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - Netflix accounted for 57.7 percent of the time South Korean smartphone users spent on major streaming apps in May, far exceeding its 37.8 percent share of users, according to data released Tuesday by app and payment data provider Wiseapp Retail. The gap suggests Netflix users spent considerably more time on the platform than users of rival services. The combined monthly active user count for major over-the-top video streaming apps reached 22.09 million in May, up 4 perce June 23, 2026