From BTS to kimchi, Korea publishes first English Encyclopedia on Hallyu SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) -South Korea has released the world’s first English-language encyclopedia devoted entirely to Hallyu, offering global readers a systematic and in-depth guide to Korean popular culture and everyday life, the National Folk Museum of Korea said Monday. The Encyclopedia of Hallyu is the English edition of a Korean-language reference work first published in 2024. Compiled to help international audiences better understand the cultural context behind the global rise of Korean culture, the volume brings together 347 key entries spanning K-content, lifestyle and traditional culture. The encyclopedia features 347 entries that trace the evolution and breadth of Hallyu, from globally influential K-pop artists such as BTS, BLACKPINK and BoA to landmark works including Squid Game and Parasite. Beyond pop culture exports, it also documents everyday Korean life — spanning food, fashion, housing, leisure and social practices — to help readers understand how contemporary Korean culture is formed and experienced. More than 600 photographs are included to aid understanding, and 129 Korean and international scholars participated in the project to ensure academic rigor. To improve accessibility, each entry is presented in English alongside its Korean name. Rather than translating terms into approximate English equivalents, the editors adopted Romanized Korean spellings — such as gimbap, tteokbokki and ramyeon — to preserve original meanings. Brief explanations are also provided to help readers grasp unfamiliar concepts at a glance. Special care was taken to adapt culturally specific expressions for foreign readers. Concepts that are difficult to translate directly, such as jeong (a form of emotional bond), oppa and unni, are explained with cultural context rather than literal definitions. All translations underwent cross-review by native English-speaking editors and Korean specialists to minimize cultural misunderstanding. The encyclopedia is also designed as a companion guide for global fans of Korean content. Entries range from folklore figures like the dokkaebi (goblin) and jeoseung saja (grim reaper) to contemporary cultural markers such as mukbang, idol fandoms and official light sticks, which are explained not merely as merchandise but as symbols of Korea’s participatory fan culture. Both English and Korean tables of contents are provided, and an expanded visual index combining original terms, Romanization, definitions and representative images allows users to browse the book intuitively. The English edition is available online for free download via the National Folk Museum of Korea website and the Korean Folk Encyclopedia portal, and is also sold at the museum’s gift shop for visitors interested in Hallyu and Korean culture. Cultural officials said the publication is intended to go beyond explaining trends, serving instead as a bridge for global readers to understand Korean culture within the broader context of world heritage and shared human values. 2026-02-03 07:53:49

KOSPI shatters records in historic January rally SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI delivered one of the most explosive monthly rallies in the history of the local stock market in January, with virtually every major indicator posting record or near-record figures. According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the KOSPI closed January at 5,224.36 last Friday, up 1,010.19 points from the previous month-end. The index gained 23.97 percent over the month, marking its strongest monthly performance since October 1998. Since the early 2000s, the KOSPI has recorded a monthly gain exceeding 20 percent only twice, including this January. The rally was accompanied by extreme intramonth volatility. The index climbed as high as 5,321.68 during the month, repeatedly setting new highs, while the January low stood at 4,216.68 — a swing of more than 1,100 points within a single month. The sharp rise translated directly into a surge in market capitalization. Total KOSPI market value stretched to 4,319 trillion won at the end of January from about 3,478 trillion won at the end of last year, adding roughly 840 trillion won in just one month. Heavy liquidity inflows underscored the market’s momentum. January trading turnover on the KOSPI reached 568 trillion won, the highest monthly total on record, nearly double the 302 trillion won recorded in the previous month. Trading volume also jumped sharply to 11.55 billion shares from 8.4 billion shares, signaling a clear increase in investor participation. Investor interest intensified further as sidelines cash flowed back into equities. As of Jan. 29, investor deposits stood at 103.7 trillion won, having surpassed the 100 trillion-won mark earlier in the week. Margin trading also hit an all-time high, with outstanding credit loans exceeding 30 trillion won for the first time. The number of active stock trading accounts reached 100.2 million as of Jan. 29, up about 1.73 million from the end of last year. Active accounts refer to those holding at least 100,000 won in assets and having traded at least once in the past six months. Given South Korea’s population of roughly 50 million, the figure implies that each citizen holds, on average, more than two active trading accounts. Despite mounting concerns over valuation and leverage, securities firms remain broadly constructive on the medium- to long-term outlook, citing earnings improvement and favorable liquidity conditions. “Leadership centered on artificial intelligence-related stocks is likely to persist,” said Na Jung-hwan, an analyst at NH Investment and Securities Co.. “From a return enhancement perspective, gradually increasing exposure to cyclical sectors as economic indicators improve remains a valid strategy.” 2026-02-01 18:39:47

'Bedford Park' Wins Sundance Special Jury Award for Debut Feature SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -"Bedford Park", a romance starring Korean actors Son Suk-ku and Moon Choi, won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, marking a strong showing for Korean-led storytelling at the world’s leading showcase for independent cinema. The award, which recognizes a first-time feature director, was presented during the festival’s closing ceremony in Park City, where the film had its world premiere last week. The jury cited the film “for inviting us into a world we’ve never seen depicted on film, and daring to share the very personal,” adding that the filmmaker “upended all of our assumptions of a story told with depth and skill.” Written and directed by Korean American filmmaker Stephanie Ahn, Bedford Park follows Audrey (Moon), a Korean American woman in her 30s haunted by childhood abuse. After her mother is injured in a car accident, Audrey returns to her parents’ home in New Jersey, where she meets Eli (Son), the man responsible for the crash. As the two confront their pasts as children of immigrants, a fragile romance takes shape. The film was produced by Gary Foster, Chris S. Lee, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Theresa Kang and Son, and features a supporting cast that includes Won Mi-kyung, Kim Eung-soo and Jefferson White. The title screened at Sundance as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition and is available online to festival audiences. Moon, known in Korea as Choi Hee-seo, has built a career across film and television, with credits including "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet", "Mistress and Now", "We Are Breaking Up". Her breakout role came in the 2017 historical drama "Anarchist From Colony", for which she won both best actress and best new actress at the Grand Bell Awards. Son has emerged as a fan favorite through television dramas such as "My Liberation Notes" and "D.P.", as well as the 2022 action hit "The Roundup," which drew more than 12 million admissions in Korea. Bedford Park marks the first U.S. production for both actors, who previously worked together in Korean projects including "Unframed" and "Night Fishing." Widely regarded as the most important launchpad for independent American cinema, Sundance has a growing history of spotlighting Korean and Korean American stories. Recent titles include "Past Lives" by Celine Song and "Minari" by Lee Isaac Chung, both of which went on to gain major awards recognition. Many of these films, like Bedford Park, explore themes of identity, generational tension and the immigrant experience. Separately, the Sundance Institute announced this week that the festival will relocate to Boulder, Colorado, beginning in 2027, ending its long run in Utah after the 2026 edition. According to industry publication Variety, Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Bedford Park. A release date has not yet been announced. 2026-02-01 15:56:57

Grammy night nears, Korean artists await the anticipated call SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -As Grammy night nears in Los Angeles, anticipation is building around high-profile Korean artists and Korean-led content that could set historic records at the world’s most prestigious music awards. The 68th Grammy Awards will be held at the Crypto.com Arena, hosted by the Recording Academy. In South Korea, the ceremony will be broadcast live and exclusively on Mnet, with streaming available via Mnet Plus. Rosé, who entered the ceremony nominated in three categories for her collaboration APT. with Bruno Mars, will take the stage as the first K-pop solo act appeared in a live Grammy performance. Previous Korean appearances were limited to group stages, most notably by BTS between 2020 and 2022. The track is competing in Song of the Year and Record of the Year—the Grammys’ most prestigious general-field awards—along with Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, placing Rosé within reach of becoming the first K-pop solo artist to win a Grammy in a top category. Another strong Korea-associated contender is Netflix’s animated series K-pop Demon Hunters. Its original soundtrack track Golden is nominated in multiple categories, including Song of the Year, placing a Korean-created animated project in direct competition with the biggest global pop releases of the year. Music industry analysts say the nomination itself represents a structural shift, as Korean creators are now being recognized not only through idol acts but also through cross-platform storytelling that blends music, animation and global streaming distribution. A win for Golden would mark a first for a Korean-origin animated soundtrack at the Grammys. Even without a trophy, its presence in the general field is widely seen as confirmation that K-content is no longer confined to genre labels. The Korean footprint at this year’s Grammys also includes rising global girl group KATSEYE, nominated for Best New Artist, further broadening Korea’s presence across the ceremony’s core categories. Competition remains intense, with artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny seen as strong contenders across multiple races. 2026-02-01 12:41:08

Korea's Jan exports up 34% on doubled chip shipments, trade surplus streak for 1-year SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -South Korea’s exports jumped more than 30 percent in January from a year earlier, extending their on-year growth streak to eight consecutive months, driven by steamy semiconductor shipments. Exports totaled $65.85 billion, up 33.9 percent from a year earlier, marking the highest January figure on record, according to data released Sunday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Semiconductor exports, the country’s top export item, more than doubled from a year earlier to $20.54 billion, surpassing the $20 billion mark for a second straight month. The 102.7 percent on-year jump reflected surging demand for AI server chips and sustained gains in memory prices. January chip exports ranked as the second-highest monthly total on record, following December’s $20.8 billion, and extended a streak of 10 consecutive monthly record highs for the period. Average daily exports rose 14.0 percent to $2.8 billion, also the highest ever for January. The ministry attributed the strong performance to robust semiconductor demand and an increase in working days, as the Lunar New Year holiday fell in February this year, compared with January a year earlier. Monthly exports have remained on an upward trajectory since June last year. In January, exports increased across 13 of the country’s 15 major product categories. Automobile exports climbed 21.7 percent on year to $6.07 billion, the second-highest January figure on record, supported by strong sales of hybrid and electric vehicles and the longer factory schedule. Other sectors posting solid gains included wireless communication devices ($2.03 billion, up 66.9 percent), displays ($1.38 billion, up 26.1 percent), petroleum products ($3.74 billion, up 8.5 percent) and bio-health products ($1.35 billion, up 18.3 percent). By contrast, exports of petrochemicals ($3.52 billion, down 1.5 percent) and ships ($2.47 billion, down 0.4 percent) edged lower. By destination, shipments to the United States rose 29.5 percent on year to $12.02 billion, setting a new January record despite ongoing tariff concerns. Exports to China also rebounded sharply, jumping 46.7 percent to $13.5 billion. Imports increased 11.7 percent from a year earlier to $57.11 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $8.74 billion for the month. South Korea has now posted a monthly trade surplus for 12 consecutive months, starting in February last year. 2026-02-01 11:01:03

Seoul confident but cautious as Canada submarine bid turns into Korea–Germany contest SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -South Korea has mounted a full-court, government-led push to win Canada’s next-generation submarine program, but Germany’s entrenched role within NATO and its long-standing engineering ties with Ottawa remain formidable obstacles, said a senior presidential official. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Saturday that Seoul remains confident in its technological edge, even as it competes against Germany for what is widely regarded as one of the world’s largest defense procurement projects. “Our submarine technology is significantly better, and we believe any remaining issues can be addressed through long-term industrial cooperation with Canada,” Kang told reporters at Incheon International Airport upon returning from back-to-back visits to Canada and Norway, where he led a senior “Team Korea” delegation. The delegation included officials and executives from a South Korean consortium led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, alongside representatives from Hyundai Motor and Korean Air. Seoul is pitching the bid as a broad industrial package rather than a stand-alone weapons sale. Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) is estimated at up to 60 trillion won ($41.4 billion), including decades of maintenance, repair and overhaul. The Korean consortium was recently shortlisted as one of two final contenders, alongside Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. While South Korea has emphasized its shipbuilding capacity, missile integration and faster delivery timelines, Kang acknowledged that Germany enjoys structural advantages. Canada and Germany maintain close security cooperation under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and German technology underpins parts of South Korea’s own submarine development. Competing against Germany — which provided original technology for Korea’s submarine capabilities and shares NATO membership with Canada — "will not be easy to crack,” Kang said. The stakes are high because Canada has made clear that submarine performance alone will not decide the winner. According to bidding instructions issued late last year, only 20 percent of the evaluation is based on platform capability. Half of the score is tied to long-term sustainment, with the remainder split between financial capacity and economic benefits to Canada. That weighting has transformed the competition into what officials describe as a de facto industrial partnership contest. Seoul has positioned the submarine bid as a national strategic export project, promising investment across defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, automotive supply chains, energy and critical minerals — sectors that could generate tens of thousands of Canadian jobs over several decades. Kang said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed strong interest in South Korea during meetings that included corporate leaders, though he cautioned against reading too much into diplomatic signals at this stage. Asked about the timeline, Kang said a final decision could come “as soon as six months” or take “up to a year,” adding that Canadian officials are expected to visit South Korea as part of the evaluation process. Kang’s trip yielded more tangible results in Norway, where South Korea signed a 1.3 trillion won contract to export its Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system. He said Norway’s decision could encourage neighboring countries such as Sweden and Denmark to consider South Korean defense systems, potentially expanding Seoul’s footprint in Northern Europe. 2026-02-01 09:11:43

Seoul stays on U.S. currency monitoring list, FX intervention "broadly symmetrical" SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) -South Korea remained on the U.S. Treasury Department’s currency Monitoring List in its latest semiannual report, on widened external surpluses and sizeable bilateral trade imbalance with the United States, while finding the Korean won's weakness "not in line with" the country's "strong fundamentals. In its January 2026 Report to Congress on the Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States released on Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said no major trading partner met all three statutory criteria for designation as a currency manipulator during the review period, covering the four quarters through June 2025. “Treasury concludes that no major trading partner of the United States engaged in conduct of the kind described in Section 3004 of the 1988 Act,” the report said, referring to the law governing findings of currency manipulation for competitive advantage. Still, South Korea was kept on the Monitoring List because it met two of the three thresholds set out under the 2015 Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act: a material current account surplus and a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States. Countries meeting two criteria are subject to enhanced scrutiny for at least two consecutive reports to ensure improvements are durable rather than temporary. Along with South Korea, the Monitoring List includes China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. South Korea returned to the list in November 2024 after a brief leave in 2023 for the first time in seven years. According to the report, Korea’s current account surplus rose to 5.9 percent of GDP over the review period, up from 4.3 percent a year earlier, driven almost entirely by goods trade — particularly semiconductors and other technology exports. Korea’s goods and services surplus with the United States also expanded sharply, reaching $52 billion, more than double its pre-pandemic high of $18 billion in 2016. Despite these strong external positions, the Korean won came under sustained depreciation pressure in late 2024 and 2025. Treasury noted that the won’s weakness was “not in line with Korea’s strong economic fundamentals,” attributing much of the pressure to private-sector capital outflows rather than policy actions. Retail investors and institutional funds accelerated overseas equity purchases, while the National Pension Service (NPS) continued large-scale foreign investment as part of its diversification strategy. Treasury described these outflows as a key factor behind won depreciation. The report said Korean authorities sold $7.3 billion in foreign exchange reserves on a net basis during the review period — about 0.4 percent of GDP — primarily to smooth excess volatility rather than to push the currency in a particular direction. Treasury assessed Korea’s foreign-exchange intervention since 2016 as “broadly symmetrical,” marking a departure from earlier practices aimed at resisting appreciation. The Bank of Korea has reported net sales in most quarters since it began regular disclosure in 2019, largely during periods of dollar strength. The report also highlighted expanded transparency commitments made in a September 2025 joint statement between Seoul and Washington, including monthly disclosure of intervention data and more detailed reporting of foreign-exchange reserves and forward positions in line with International Monetary Fund standards. Treasury pointed to demographics and savings behavior as structural drivers of Korea’s persistent surplus. Rapid population aging has raised precautionary savings, while households and institutions channel funds overseas in search of higher returns, reflecting limited dividend payouts and low valuations in domestic equity markets. In its most recent assessment, the IMF judged Korea’s external position to be broadly in line with medium-term fundamentals, estimating the won to be undervalued by about 2.4 percent on a real effective basis in 2024. An updated IMF assessment for 2025 has yet to be released. While Korea avoided any escalation toward enhanced enforcement, Treasury said it would continue to closely monitor the country’s exchange-rate practices and macroeconomic policies, particularly as large trade surpluses persist alongside currency weakness. 2026-01-30 07:36:15

Samsung defends record results for 2025, but falls behind local rival in chip profitability *Updated with additional earnings details and stock quote SEOUL, January 29 (AJP)-Samsung Electronics, South Korea's No. 1 tech behemoth, raked in strong operating income and record sales in the final quarter and full year of 2025, but fell short of expectations and in the memory race versus local rival SK hynix, which shifted faster toward an AI-centric architecture and client base. According to its finalized results disclosed Thursday, for the quarter ended December the company reported 16.4 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in chip (DS) operating profit, up as much as 9.4 trillion won from the previous quarter and 13.5 trillion won from the same period a year ago. Its staggering performance however has been paled by its rival. On the previous day, rival local pure-play memory maker SK hynix delivered 19.17 trillion won in operating profit on sales of 80.8 trillion won during the same period, flashing an operating margin of 58 percent — the industry's highest — due to the company’s fab concentration on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that powers multi-functional AI accelerators and hyperscale data centers. Chip sales reached 44 trillion won in the fourth quarter, up 33 percent on year and 46 percent on quarter, and 130 trillion won for full-year 2025, up 17 percent. Of that, memory sales totaled 37 trillion won for the fourth quarter and 104.1 trillion won for full-year 2025. Mindful of its lateness in the HBM race, Samsung Electronics said in its earnings statement that it will address “customers' demand by timely shipment of competitive HBM4” and continue expanding AI-related product sales while “proactively addressing AI-related NAND demand.” For full-year 2025, the company generated 24.9 trillion won in chip operating profit, up 9.8 percent on year. SK hynix reported operating profit of 47.2 trillion won on sales of 97.15 trillion won for full-year 2025, underscoring the gap in profitability driven by its focus on AI-related and other high-margin chips. Beyond chip sector, Samsung’s smartphone operation - Device eXperience (DX) division - posted an operating profit of 1.3 trillion won ($963 million) for the fourth quarter, nearly halved from 3.5 trillion won recorded in the previous quarter as new model launch effects fizzed out. The figure also fell significantly from the 2.3 trillion won earned in the same period of 2024, highlighting a year-on-year drop of over 40 percent. The display panel business maintained its earnings stability, reporting an operating profit of 2.0 trillion won. This remained flat compared to the 2.0 trillion won posted a year earlier, as robust demand for high-end smartphone panels and automotive applications offset broader market volatility. Samsung’s audio-and-automotive unit Harman recorded 0.3 trillion won in operating profit, due to increased in-vehicle product supply in Europe and seasonal strength in audio products. Looking ahead, Samsung said global tariff risks and geopolitical uncertainty are expected to persist in 2026. It said the DS division plans to leverage its strength as an integrated “one-stop solution” provider spanning logic, memory, foundry and packaging to secure leadership in AI semiconductors, while DX will respond by diversifying its supply chain and optimizing operations, expanding AI-enabled products and delivering more seamlessly integrated AI experiences. Net cash amounted to 100.61 trillion won at the end of December, compared with 93.32 trillion won a year-ago period. Shares were down 0.7 percent at 161,300 won as of 10:30 a.m. 2026-01-29 08:47:17

Trump says Washington will "work something out" with Korea over tariff issue SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to reinstate “reciprocal tariffs” on South Korean exports, hinted at a possible compromise on Tuesday before departing for Iowa on a campaign-style trip focused on the economy. “We’ll work something out with South Korea,” Trump said when asked about his earlier remarks suggesting tariffs on Korean products — including automobiles — could be raised to 25 percent from 15 percent. He had cited delays in South Korea’s legislative procedures to approve a trade framework tied to $350 billion in investment pledges from Korean companies. An anonymous White House official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump was frustrated by what he views as Seoul’s failure to deliver on its commitments. “While the president lowered tariffs on Korea, the Koreans have made no progress on fulfilling their end of the bargain,” the official said. “Other alleged issues in the U.S.-Korea relationship are not pertinent to the president’s decision here.” The report however said the Trump administration has warned Seoul against targeting U.S. technology companies through what it views as discriminatory regulations or investigations. Concerns over South Korea’s broad probe into Coupang — which brands itself as a U.S. tech company while providing platform services primarily to Korean consumers — were raised during a meeting last week between U.S. Vice President JD Vance and visiting South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. The latter had explained that the ongoing investigation probes a massive data breach, regardless of where it is based. 2026-01-28 09:27:30

Trump threatens to raise tariffs back to 25%, blaming Seoul for delaying tariff deal SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is raising tariffs on a wide range of South Korean goods from 15 percent to 25 percent, citing delays in South Korea’s National Assembly approving a bilateral trade agreement reached last year. “Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. It was not immediately clear when the higher tariffs would take effect. Trump said the decision followed South Korea’s failure to ratify a trade package he described as a “Great Deal” reached with President Lee Jae Myung on July 30, 2025, and reaffirmed during his visit to Korea late October. The White House has yet to confirm Trump's remark. Seoul also has not responded. The October understanding was billed by the White House at the time as a sweeping $350 billion trade and investment framework, aimed at expanding U.S. exports and investment flows while easing tariff and non-tariff barriers between the two allies. The package reportedly covered market access in autos, pharmaceuticals and industrial materials, alongside commitments related to supply chains, energy cooperation and long-term Korean investment in the United States. “South Korea’s Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States,” Trump wrote, questioning why the agreement had yet to be enacted despite what he called repeated reaffirmations at the leadership level. The tariff hike directly affects key Korean export sectors. Autos are expected to be among the hardest hit, with Hyundai Motor Group the largest importer of South Korean-made vehicles into the U.S. market. Pharmaceuticals and industrial materials such as lumber were also singled out in Trump’s post. A senior-level U.S. delegation is expected to visit Seoul to negotiate the details to the factsheet released in November that differs in some areas with Seoul's separate announcement on the deal. 2026-01-27 07:34:29