Journalist

Yoo Joonha
  • K-pop OST Golden wins Grammy, marking first victory for K-pop songwriters
    K-pop OST "Golden" wins Grammy, marking first victory for K-pop songwriters SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -“Golden,” an original soundtrack from Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards, marking the first-ever Grammy win for K-pop songwriters and producers. The award was announced during the Premiere Ceremony of the 68th Grammys held in Los Angeles. Unlike performance-based categories, Best Song Written for Visual Media is awarded to songwriters and producers, recognizing excellence in composition for film and television. With the win, all creators involved in “Golden” are officially credited as Grammy Award winners. Riding on the global success of K Pop Demon Hunters, “Golden” also achieved a rare chart milestone, becoming the first K-pop song to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach in major Western markets. The track was co-written and produced by EJAE (Lee Jae), Teddy, 24, and producer collective IDO, which includes Lee Yu-han, Kwak Jung-kyu and Nam Hee-dong. Additional credited writers include Park Hong-jun, Seo Jung-hoon and Mark Sonnenblick. While Korean engineer Hwang Byung-joon and Korean-American engineer Youngin have previously won Grammys in technical categories, this is the first time K-pop songwriters or music producers have received the award for their creative work — a milestone signaling a shift in how K-pop is recognized within the global music industry. “Golden” led the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack as a self-empowerment anthem performed in character by EJAE as a member of the fictional girl group Huntr/x. The song topped the Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks in 2025 and received four Grammy nominations this year, including Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. In the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, where “Golden,” Rosé’s “APT.” and KATSEYE’s “Gabriela” were nominated, the award went to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. K-Pop Demon Hunters was one of Netflix’s most-watched films in 2025 and a standout piece of global pop culture. With “Golden’s” Grammy win — along with its Golden Globe victory and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song — the film has now delivered K-pop its first Grammy triumph. 2026-02-02 09:28:36
  • Asian Culture Calendar
    Asian Culture Calendar SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea Feb. 13 – 22 Daegwallyeong Snow Festival Feb. 2 – 4 Tamnaguk Ipchun Gut Nori Feb. 4 – 8 Gongju Gunbam Festival Japan Feb. 7 – 27 As The Sun Rose at UltraSuperNew Kura Feb. 3 Setsubun Festival Japan Jan. 20 – Feb.8 Kobe Luminarie Thailand Feb. 21 – 22 Chiang Mai Flower and fusion Festival Feb. 11 – 15 Singha Park chiangrai International Ballon Fiesta Feb. 15 Kyoto Marathon Singapore Feb. 27– Mar. 2 HSBC Women’s World Championship Feb. 11 Thaipusam 2026 Taiwan Feb. 25 – Mar. 15 Taipei Lantern festival 2026-01-30 14:54:40
  • Korean stocks remain turbo-charged, local won returns to year-end level
    Korean stocks remain turbo-charged, local won returns to year-end level SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - Korean markets are on a roll, refreshing new heights, with traction added by overnight news from Washington hinting at room for compromise before it moves to slap higher tariffs on Korean exports. As of 10:30 a.m. Seoul time, the benchmark KOSPI jumped 1.6 percent to 5,165.03, extending its advance into uncharted territory. The KOSPI 200 climbed 1.6 percent to 757.5, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ surged 3.2 percent to 1,116.7, marking another strong push toward higher valuation ground. The Korean won strengthened, with the U.S. dollar falling 2.20 won to 1,433.3 won. The currency briefly revisited the sub-1,430 level for the first time since late last month, when authorities went all-out to stabilize the local currency toward year-end. Sentiment was lifted by comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would “work something out with South Korea” before departing for a campaign-related trip to Iowa. The remarks followed a social-media post a day earlier threatening to raise tariffs on South Korean automobiles and other products from 15 percent to 25 percent, citing delays in the Korean legislature’s ratification of a trade agreement. Investors interpreted the latest comments as a sign that negotiations, rather than unilateral tariff action, are likely to continue. Retail investors stepped in aggressively, absorbing selling by institutions and foreign funds. On the KOSPI, foreign investors sold a net 378.9 billion won ($264.6 million), while institutions offloaded 354.1 billion won. Individual investors bought a net 757.3 billion won. On the KOSDAQ, foreign and institutional investors led buying, adding 252.2 billion won and 859.1 billion won, respectively, while individuals sold a net 1.044 trillion won, suggesting a rotation by retail investors toward the larger bourse. Sector performance was broadly strong, led by wholesale and distribution-related shares and electrical equipment names. Battery stocks drew particular attention, with LG Energy Solution rising 4.4 percent to 426,500 won. The gains came after local media speculated the company is in talks with Tesla and several Chinese humanoid robotics firms over battery supply and joint development, while robust operating profit growth reported earlier this month continued to support sentiment. Large-cap technology shares also advanced. Samsung Electronics climbed 1.6 percent to 162,000 won, while SK hynix surged 5.5 percent to 843,000 won, extending gains on optimism over sustained demand for high-bandwidth memory. Elsewhere, EcoPro jumped 13.2 percent to 156,900 won, while Hyundai Motor added 1.1 percent to 494,000 won. Among laggards, Doosan Enerbility slipped 1.3 percent to 92,400 won, while LG CNS fell 3.0 percent to 69,800 won, reflecting profit-taking in select recent outperformers. Across the region, markets were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.5 percent to 53,068 as investors locked in gains after recent advances, while China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.07 percent to 4,142.7. 2026-01-28 11:54:59
  • Remembrance as obligation: where Koreans, Germans and Israelis find common ground
    Remembrance as obligation: where Koreans, Germans and Israelis find common ground SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - Skeletons dance across the ruins of civilization, fiddling among the wreckage of Western art, science and technology. Human life has vanished into ash and rubble. Only kites drifting overhead retain faint traces of emotion, their faces suspended between innocence and despair. Painted in hiding in Brussels and dated April 18, 1944, Death Triumphant is believed to be the final work of German-Jewish painter Felix Nussbaum. Often described as a modern danse macabre, the painting confronts the collapse of human values at a moment when the artist himself was living under constant threat. “If I perish, do not let my paintings die,” Nussbaum wrote. “Show them to the people.” “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness,” Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel would later say. More than eight decades on, Nussbaum’s works have traveled to an unlikely place to fulfill that charge: a museum dedicated to democracy in downtown Seoul. The exhibition, jointly organized by the Israeli and German embassies, presents his art not merely as historical record but as testimony — an insistence that memory endures beyond annihilation. In Self-Portrait with Jewish Identity Card (1943), Nussbaum depicts himself branded by the Star of David and an identification document imposed by Nazi authorities. While red lettering on the card defines him as Jewish under racial law, his birthplace, Osnabrück, is deliberately blurred, signaling the erasure of home and legal identity. Facing the viewer directly and wearing a bourgeois hat, Nussbaum clings to his identity as an artist even as persecution tightens. That intimate defiance expands in The Damned, completed on Jan. 5, 1944. The painting shows persecuted figures waiting in hiding, their gestures and expressions suspended between fear, resignation and quiet endurance. Nussbaum places himself among them, echoing earlier self-portraits while replacing symbols of autonomy with imagery that suggests the inevitability of death. Speaking at the opening ceremony, German Ambassador Georg Schmidt warned against reducing the Holocaust to abstraction. “The Holocaust is often reduced to numbers that defy comprehension,” Schmidt said. “Six million is a figure that goes beyond human imagination. It is much easier to connect with individuals. That is why we are telling the story of the German-Jewish painter Felix Nussbaum.” Schmidt pointed to Germany’s postwar constitutional commitment — that “human dignity shall be inviolable” — as a direct response to the crimes of the Nazi era, rooted in the recognition that unchecked nationalism and racial fanaticism lead to catastrophe. Israeli Ambassador Raphael Harpaz cautioned against treating the Holocaust as a closed chapter of history. “The Holocaust is not a tragedy of the past. It is painfully relevant today,” Harpaz said, pointing to the persistence of antisemitism and its amplification through social media and digital platforms. “Remembrance is not only a responsibility. It is an obligation.” The ceremony was held at the National Museum of Korean Democracy, formerly the Namyeong-dong Anti-Communist Investigation Office — a site once associated with torture, state violence and political repression during South Korea’s authoritarian period. Lee Jae-oh, chairman of the Korea Democracy Foundation, said the transformation of the site itself mirrors the purpose of remembrance. “This place was once deeply marked by the scars of state violence,” Lee said. “Today, it stands as a space where we record and reflect on that painful history in order to learn the value of human rights and democracy.” Lee stressed that the Holocaust offers a universal warning about the consequences of abandoning human dignity and failing to restrain state power. “When past suffering is ignored or erased, history regresses,” he said. “By examining Felix Nussbaum’s desperate artistic records and bearing witness to the tragedy of Auschwitz, we awaken our society’s awareness of human rights and strive to build a democratic community where discrimination and exclusion have no place.” Asked what message he hopes visitors will take from the exhibition, Harpaz emphasized the danger of silence. “The message is about refusing silence in the face of hatred directed at people for who they are,” he said. “Recent years have shown how easily antisemitism resurfaces when individuals are targeted not for their actions, but for their identity. There must be zero tolerance for such hatred.” Harpaz noted that the exhibition has drawn strong public interest in South Korea. Since 2017, the German and Israeli embassies have jointly marked International Holocaust Memorial Day in Seoul, pairing official ceremonies with exhibitions and educational programs aimed at younger generations. The exhibition, titled Remembering for the Future, runs from Jan. 27 to March 15, 2026. 2026-01-27 18:08:21
  • KOSDAQ steals the day in subdued Asian markets
    KOSDAQ steals the day in subdued Asian markets SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Korea’s secondary KOSDAQ stole the spotlight Monday, surging more than 7 percent as most Asian equities retreated, in a striking display of risk appetite concentrated in higher-beta names. The tech-heavy index jumped 7.09 percent — its biggest daily gain in more than two years — to close at 1,064.4 and return to 1,000-mark in four years. The sharp advance triggered a temporary trading halt under the sidecar mechanism at 9:59 a.m., as program buying accelerated early in the session. Institutions led the charge, snapping up a net 2.6 trillion won worth of shares, while foreign investors added 431.4 billion won. Retail investors were net sellers of 2.91 trillion won, underscoring a rapid rotation of capital out of large-cap defensives and into growth-oriented names. In contrast, the main KOSPI fell 0.8 percent, or 40.5 points, to 4,949.6. The benchmark briefly touched an intraday record high of 5,023.8 before selling pressure intensified in the afternoon, dragging the index below its session low. The pullback followed a short-lived rally that had carried the market higher over the previous week. The KOSPI 200 slid 1.0 percent to 720.04, weighed down by heavy losses in automakers and semiconductor stocks. On the main board, foreign investors sold 158.7 billion won ($110 million), while institutions offloaded 1.54 trillion won. Retail investors absorbed the selling, buying 1.72 trillion won. Currency markets added another layer of volatility. The dollar fell sharply against the won, sliding 14.1 won to 1,441.2, tracking gains in the Japanese yen amid reports that Washington is increasingly tolerant of stronger currencies among key East Asian allies, including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Sector performance reflected the risk-on tilt. Non-ferrous metal stocks led gains, rising 11.9 percent. Korea Zinc surged 14.4 percent to 1,807,000 won on rising global silver prices and expectations of stronger earnings, while Sam-A Aluminum climbed 12.8 percent and Hyundai BNG Steel advanced 11.0 percent. Battery and platform stocks also posted strong gains. EcoPro soared 23.0 percent to 130,200 won, while Naver rose 2.4 percent to 272,500 won. Samsung SDI added 3.8 percent to 387,000 won. By contrast, logistics and transport-related shares lagged, with the sector falling 3.2 percent. CJ Logistics dropped 3.5 percent, and Hyundai Glovis slipped 3.4 percent. Among large-cap losers, Hyundai Motor fell 3.4 percent, while SK hynix declined 4.0 percent. Elsewhere in the region, markets were broadly weaker. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 1.8 percent, while China’s Shanghai Composite edged down 0.09 percent, reinforcing the contrast between Korea’s speculative surge and a cautious regional backdrop. 2026-01-26 17:19:10
  • For K-pop fans, star pets — and even plants — draw equal attention
    For K-pop fans, star pets — and even plants — draw equal attention SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - As the countdown begins for the long-awaited comeback of South Korean superstar BTS, every small detail surrounding the seven-member group captures fans’ attention — even the fate of a struggling houseplant. V, known in Korean as Kim Tae-hyung, has long been open about the quieter attachments in his life. His black-and-tan Pomeranian, Yeontan, first appeared in 2017 via BTS’s official X account and later alongside V during a VLIVE broadcast in December 2018. Over time, Yeontan surfaced regularly in social media posts, livestreams and even photo content for V’s solo album Layover. No explanation was ever needed. His presence simply became part of V’s offstage world. Lately, that world has included something more fragile: a pot of leaves that refuses to thrive. In short captions and fleeting posts, V shared the small frustrations of plant care — wilting leaves, uncertain watering, modest hopes. He referred to himself as a “shik-rinni,” a Korean portmanteau combining sikmul (plant) and eorini (child), commonly used to describe a plant-care beginner. Instead of performance updates or studio hints, fans were given imperfect moments of daily effort. They did not overanalyze. They recognized a shift in rhythm. On Instagram Stories and Weverse, fans offered gentle encouragement. V replied with equally simple honesty: “I brought it home three days ago,” and later, “I’ll do my best as a beginner.” There was no dramatic conclusion — only a quiet exchange that revealed care without certainty, effort without polish. This attention to the small and personal is hardly new in K-pop fandoms, where companion animals often achieve celebrity status of their own. Rosé’s dog Hank, for instance, maintains a social media presence followed by roughly 4.5 million users. Though the account is run independently, a single image is enough for fans to identify whose dog it is. In August 2025, Hank appeared in Vogue’s pet-focused digital special edition DOGUE, introduced as a rescue dog turned global favorite. The recognition did not arrive suddenly; it accumulated over years of casual photos, short videos and consistent visibility. Other examples are familiar through television. SHINee member Key’s dogs, Comme des and Garçons, became recognizable through repeated appearances on the variety show I Live Alone and YouTube’s Kang Hyung-wook’s Bodeum TV. Scenes of daily life — meals, walks, birthdays — unfolded without fanfare. Over time, the dogs were no longer guests but fixtures. Jennie’s dog Kuma followed a similar path. Introduced through a Vogue Korea YouTube feature and the 2020 photo spread “Jennie and Kuma,” Kuma now needs no introduction within the fandom. The name alone evokes an image — quietly settled beside Jennie’s own. What links these cases is not spectacle, but continuity. Being there. Being seen often enough that explanation becomes unnecessary. Pets — and now even plants — do not serve as narrative devices, but as background details that show how a star’s life keeps moving forward. V’s plant now occupies that same space. It has no name. It does not flourish easily. Its care remains tentative and openly imperfect. Still, the process is shared. Life continues — and for K-pop stars, it continues in public, one small, ordinary detail at a time. 2026-01-26 15:48:30
  • Asian markets end week upbeat as KOSPI, KOSDAQ hover near milestones
    Asian markets end week upbeat as KOSPI, KOSDAQ hover near milestones SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - Asian equities finished the week on a firm footing Friday, with South Korea’s main stock indexes hovering near key psychological thresholds amid brisk sector rotation and steady foreign inflows. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.7 percent to close at 4,990.10, after briefly breaking above the 5,000 mark earlier in the session. Gains were capped by profit-taking near the milestone, though demand for large-cap shares remained intact. The KOSPI 200 also advanced 0.7 percent to 727.30. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ moved even closer to a landmark of its own, jumping 2.43 percent to finish at 999.93, just shy of the 1,000 level. Institutional and foreign investors absorbed retail selling around record highs. Foreigners posted net purchases of 133.3 billion won ($91 million) on the KOSPI, while institutions added 491.1 billion won. Retail investors sold a net 725.6 billion won, extending a pattern of profit-taking near peak levels. Sector performance highlighted a sharp rotation. Healthcare services led gains, surging 9.4 percent, followed by IT services, up 7.2 percent. Among major movers, Kakao Pay soared 29.9 percent to 67,800 won, while NAVER climbed 8.4 percent to 266,000 won. LG CNS rose 8.4 percent to 73,700 won. Semiconductor shares remained resilient, with SK hynix gaining 1.6 percent to 767,000 won. Automakers and select battery stocks lagged. Hyundai Motor fell 3.6 percent to 510,000 won, while Samsung SDI slipped 3.0 percent to 373,000 won. Samsung Electronics was little changed, edging down 0.13 percent to 152,100 won. Market attention increasingly shifted toward the KOSDAQ, which investors see as offering greater upside potential than the KOSPI at current levels. Foreign investors bought a net 86.7 billion won of KOSDAQ shares, while institutions added 987.4 billion won. Retail investors sold a net 1.0359 trillion won, underscoring rotation out of smaller names following the recent rally. In currency and bond markets, signals were mixed. The won stabilized around 1,465.7 per dollar. Government bond yields rose, with the three-year yield at 3.14 percent and the 10-year at 3.59 percent. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.29 percent to 53,846.87 after the Bank of Japan left its policy rate unchanged at 0.75 percent, easing concerns over faster tightening. Regional sentiment was further supported after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would not proceed with additional tariffs linked to Greenland-related trade disputes, helping temper global risk aversion. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.3 percent to 4,136.20, reinforcing the broadly positive tone across Asian markets. 2026-01-23 17:49:30
  • In BTS spring comeback season, even birthdays become world tours
    In BTS' spring comeback season, even birthdays become world tours SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - The return of BTS as a full seven-member group this spring is dominating headlines, charts and countdown clocks. But for fans, the calendar holds more than just album drops and stage schedules. In the BTS universe, every detail matters — including birthdays. SUGA turns 33 on March 9, and long before the candles are lit, the celebration has already spilled into cafes, timelines and city streets. For fans, this is not a side event. It is the event. To become a fan in Korea is not simply to admire from a distance. It is to enter a parallel world — one built on devotion, design, logistics and an almost ceremonial sense of care. Fandom here demands labor and money, yes, but also creativity, community and a distinctly Korean flair for making affection visible. That spirit is on full display this month through the now-familiar ritual of the “birthday cafe.” A birthday that doesn’t stay in one city Fan-organized birthday cafes honoring SUGA will run from March 6 to March 9 at L’ombre 378, according to organizers. The event announcement ricocheted across social media, inviting fans to document their visits using hashtags such as #탕이아빠생축, #HBD_to_our_black_kitty, and #Happy_black_kitty_day — affectionate nicknames that need no translation within the fandom. Inside, visitors will receive a carefully curated set of fan-made gifts: photo cards, postcards, stickers and a key ring. Those who complete a full set can expect additional items, including a shopping bag and pin badge. Organizers have teased further perks — from first-come giveaways to lucky draws — to be announced closer to the date. The planning, notably, is not confined to Seoul. BTS birthdays rarely are. What looks like a cafe event is, in practice, a coordinated global gesture — replicated, localized and shared across borders in real time. From letters to LED lights — and then to tables you can sit at Birthday cafes did not appear overnight. They are the latest chapter in the long evolution of Korean fandom culture. In the early generations, celebration was largely indirect. Fans mailed handwritten letters and postcards to broadcast stations or entertainment agencies. Support arrived in bulk rice wreaths, snack deliveries to music show waiting rooms, or congratulatory ads placed in newspapers and magazines. As online platforms expanded in the 2000s, fan cafes and message boards became the main stage. Digital banners, collective letters and charity donations made in an artist’s name flourished. The affection was visible — but mostly on screens. Then came the era of scale. LED billboards in subway stations, bus stop ads and even city buses wrapped in idols’ faces turned birthdays into urban landmarks. They were impressive, but untouchable. You could see them — not enter them. Birthday cafes changed that. Emerging in the early 2010s, often near entertainment company offices, they began as modest gatherings. A few printed photos taped to walls, handwritten notes, fans lingering over drinks. The shift was subtle but profound: celebration moved from being displayed to being shared. How a fan ritual became a format Over time, birthday cafes became standardized. Dates, locations and themes now circulate primarily on X (formerly Twitter), where fans exchange maps, schedules and visual guides with near-professional precision. What began as informal meetups evolved into a recognizable format — complete with themed interiors, curated visuals and coordinated merchandise. A fan of rookie group ZEROBASEONE (ZB1), Kim So-jun, remembers when proximity mattered most. “They were often held near the company building,” Kim said. “Sometimes there were rumors that idols stopped by. I never saw it myself, but I heard that an idol I liked had visited a birthday cafe once.” As the scale grew, some cafes began incorporating small exhibitions or concepts tied to albums and performances. Still, fans are careful not to treat birthday cafes as a hierarchy. “I think a birthday cafe is just one of many ways to celebrate an artist,” Kim said. “There are also LED billboards, bus ads and other methods. This is simply one option.” Offline affection in a hyper-online world Promotion happens online, but the ritual is completed offline. Fans gather to meet others who share the same affection, trading conversations, stories — and fan-made goods. Foreign fans are increasingly visible. “It’s both,” said Lee Jun-su, a fan of fromis_9, when asked whether people come for interaction or the cafe experience itself. “Some come to connect with other fans, and some come because birthday cafes feel uniquely Korean. But everyone comes with the same intention — for the artist.” Official merchandise is not sold, but fan-made items circulate freely. “There’s a lot of fun in seeing each item,” Lee said. “You can tell they were made with care.” Artists themselves rarely appear at these events, though rumors occasionally swirl. Yet the absence hardly diminishes the meaning. “Wanting to celebrate the artist’s birthday is the biggest reason,” Lee said. “Even if the artist doesn’t come, that doesn’t change.” From idols to icons What began with global superstars like BTS has now expanded far beyond K-pop. Birthday cafes are now organized for rookie idols, television producers — and even historical figures. Fans have commemorated scientists such as Isaac Newton and figures like King Sejong, the creator of the Korean alphabet, using the same format. The cafe has become less about celebrity and more about remembrance — a way to mark significance through space, repetition and presence. Asked to define birthday cafes in one sentence, one fan offered a modest reply. “They’re just one of many ways to celebrate an artist.” Yet taken together — from handwritten letters to billboards, from bus ads to cafes — birthday cafes reveal something larger. In Korean fandom, celebration has evolved from being seen, to being shared, and finally, to being lived. And in the world of BTS, even a birthday is never just a date on the calendar. 2026-01-23 17:16:16
  • BTS Jin thanks fans after receiving Golden Disc upbit popularity award
    BTS' Jin thanks fans after receiving Golden Disc upbit popularity award SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - BTS member Jin thanked fans on Thursday after receiving his plaque for the "Upbit Male Popularity Award" at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, sharing a message on Weverse, a global superfan platform operated by HYBE that enables direct communication between artists and fans. “The precious award that ARMY gave us. It’s been delivered to me now. Thank you. I’ll cherish it,” Jin wrote, expressing appreciation for his fan's support. The Golden Disc Awards select winners based primarily on annual album sales and digital streaming performance, combined with evaluations by industry experts. Jin has continued to receive strong listener response with “Don’t Say You Love Me,” the title track of his second mini album Echo, as well as “Running Wild,” “I’ll Be There,” and “Super Tuna.” Meanwhile, BTS announced on Weverse that the group will return on March 20 with its fifth full-length album ARIRANG, a 14-track release that reflects the group’s Korean roots and shared emotional identity. 2026-01-23 11:14:35
  • Stocks at record highs, growth at 1%: Koreas market–economy divide widens
    Stocks at record highs, growth at 1%: Korea's market–economy divide widens SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) -Korean stock market pushed deeper into uncharted territory Thursday, with the KOSPI briefly climbing over the 5,000 mark before closing just below the milestone, a historic high unfolding even as economic growth remains stuck near 1 percent, highlighting a widening gap between buoyant asset prices and a fragile real economy. The growth outlook marks the weakest performance since the economy contracted 0.7 percent in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lowest growth rate on record outside the pandemic period since GDP data collection began in 1954. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.9 percent to finish at 4,952.5 after hitting a historic high of 5,019.54, extending its rally and reinforcing views that the market is entering a higher valuation regime. The KOSPI 200 gained 1.03 percent to 722.3, reflecting renewed demand for heavyweight stocks, even as trading showed clear signs of sector rotation rather than broad-based risk-taking. On the main board, foreign investors and institutions were major sellers, offloading 297.2 billion won ($202 million) and 102.8 billion won, respectively, while retail investors bought in 155.6 billion won. Investors increasingly view the advance toward — and brief move above — 5,000 as more than a liquidity-driven rally. Expectations of improved corporate governance following revisions to commercial law, a recovery in the semiconductor cycle and ample liquidity have helped lift the market’s valuation range. Hopes that long-standing governance concerns could be addressed have also fueled expectations of a narrowing “Korea discount,” drawing sustained interest toward large-cap stocks. Gains were led by technology and electronics shares. Samsung SDI surged 18.7 percent to 384,500 won, lifting the broader electrical equipment sector by 8.4 percent. Semiconductor heavyweights also advanced, with Samsung Electronics rising 1.9 percent to 152,300 won and SK hynix gaining 2.03 percent to 755,000 won. Internet stocks outperformed as well, with NAVER up 2.9 percent at 245,500 won. Not all sectors participated. Automakers and heavy industry shares lagged, with Hyundai Motor falling 3.6 percent to 529,000 won. Energy and shipbuilding names also weakened, as Doosan Enerbility slipped 1.42 percent to 90,000 won and Hanwha Ocean dropped 2.7 percent to 137,700 won. In the secondary market, the KOSDAQ outperformed. The index climbed 2.0 percent to 970.4, supported by individual and selective foreign buying. Foreign investors purchased a net 66.1 billion won worth of shares, while institutions sold 138.6 billion won and retail investors added 104.6 billion won, underscoring continued appetite for growth-oriented names despite elevated volatility. Currency exchange rate and bonds sent mixed signals. The won weakened slightly, with the dollar closing at 1,469.6 won, up 1.9 won, or 0.13 percent. Government bond yields edged lower, with the 10-year yield around 3.06 percent and the 3-year at about 2.98 percent, reflecting lingering expectations for future rate cuts alongside a cautious growth outlook. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.73 percent after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would not proceed with additional tariffs linked to Greenland-related trade disputes, easing risk aversion. 2026-01-22 17:46:33