President Yoon Proposes U.S.-Korea Startup Alliance, Signs MOU with Six VCs President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed expanding U.S.-Korea cooperation beyond security to include technology, innovation, and startups during a meeting with prominent venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. The National Pension Service (NPS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six major U.S. VCs to establish a framework for supporting domestic startups in attracting overseas investment and entering the U.S. market.Speaking at the 'Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup' on July 25, Yoon July 26, 2026

President Lee Proposes U.S.-Korea Startup Alliance, Signs MOU with Six VCs President Lee Jae-myung proposed on July 25 that South Korea and the United States expand their cooperation beyond security to include technology, innovation, and startups during a meeting with leading venture capitalists in San Francisco. The National Pension Service signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six major Silicon Valley VCs to establish a framework for supporting domestic startups in attracting overseas investment.At the 'Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup' held at a ho July 26, 2026

KOSPI leads Asian retreat on oil jitters, capping sidecar-ridden week SEOUL, July 24 (AJP)— South Korean stocks suffered another sharp selloff Friday as surging oil prices driven by escalating Middle East tensions and mounting interest-rate concerns fueled broad risk aversion, sending both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ into sell-side sidecars for a fifth consecutive trading session. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,690.62, down 5.72 percent, and the junior KOSDAQ fell 5.32 percent, to 748.22, as foreign and institutional investors accelerated selling despite heavy bu July 24, 2026

Reality bites as Korea's retail investors struggle to escape leverage trap SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Reality bites, and it takes a strong stomach to survive the KOSPI reality show, where billions of won in retail wealth disappear every trading day. Panic flashes across online stock forums. "Save me. I'm trapped at 22,000 won," one investor wrote, unsure whether to sell or keep holding a Samsung Electronics 2x leveraged exchange-traded fund bought near that price. The desperation reflects what is becoming a familiar pattern. According to the Korea Financ July 23, 2026

Hyundai Engineering Selects 12 Startups for AI and Future Housing Collaboration Hyundai Engineering has selected 12 startups to collaborate on construction AI transformation and future housing, in partnership with the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency.On July 23, Hyundai Engineering announced that it has finalized the selection of 12 promising startups through the '2026 Hyundai Engineering x Seoul Startup Open Innovation' competition, co-hosted with the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency.This year's competition, now in its fifth iteration, received applications from a total of 1 July 23, 2026

Korea's SME loan delinquencies hit 11-year high SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) —South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are falling behind on bank loan repayments at the fastest pace in 11 years, further exposing an economy heavily dependent on large chipmakers and a few big manufacturers. According to data released Wednesday by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the delinquency ratio, the share of bank loans that were more than one month overdue, rose to 0.67 percent at the end of May from 0.61 percent in April and 0.64 per July 23, 2026

Ministry of SMEs and Startups Holds Meeting on Startup Regulations The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held a meeting and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony on July 22 at the Startup Venture Campus (SVC) in Seogyo-dong, Seoul, to identify and alleviate regulations affecting startups in new industries.Seventeen organizations attended the event, including the Korea Startup Forum, the Venture Business Association, the Korea Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the Korea Smart Data Association, the Korea AI and Robotics Industr July 22, 2026

Samchundang Pharm shares surge on hopes for diabetes generic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - KOSDAQ-listed drugmaker Samchundang Pharm saw its shares soar on Monday amid expectations that its diabetes drug would move a step closer to entering the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Its shares surged 29.82 percent to close at the daily trading limit of 239,000 won after the drugmaker said it had received a written response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its oral semaglutide generic, a pill for Type 2 diabetes, although the approval process rema July 20, 2026

Kwon Hyung-taek, Chairman of the Korea Technology Finance Corporation, Commits to Supporting SMEs Kwon Hyung-taek, Chairman of the Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC), stated on July 20, "I will do my best to ensure that the benefits of industrial transformation reach small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)."During a meeting with reporters at the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses in Yeouido, Seoul, Kwon assessed that major industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and defense are undergoing rapid changes simultaneously.He emphasized his commitm July 20, 2026

Bio, fashion IPOs seek to inject life into subdued KOSDAQ SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) — South Korea's KOSDAQ, which turned 30 this month but has fallen 14 percent this year while the KOSPI has surged more than 60 percent, will look to a handful of biotechnology and fashion IPOs this week to revive its subdued listing market. The listings come as the KOSDAQ's fundraising market remains sluggish. Only 25 companies debuted on the exchange in the first half, down from 37 a year earlier, while total IPO proceeds fell to 740 billion won ($534 million July 20, 2026