BOK hints at intervention as USD/KRW hits above 1,500 after Fed hold SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea (BOK) vowed to take "stabilization actions" upon signs of volatility in domestic financial markets in renewed interventionist rhetoric Thursday after the local currency's spiral past its de facto defense line of 1,500 versus the U.S. dollar. "Uncertainties in the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy path have escalated," said BOK senior deputy governor Ryoo Sang-dai during an emergency Task Force (TF) meeting addressing the fallouts from the Fed’s FOMC meeting and the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the third emergency session this month since the launch of U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran in late February. The won’s weakness has intensified as hopes for a narrowing interest rate differential faded with the Fed's latest hold. The dollar has shot up to 1,505.9 in early Thursday session in Seoul, up sharply from 1,483.1 previous close. Since the rhetoric, the dollar has eased to 1,499.2 won. Market volatility has been exacerbated by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Crude oil prices have surged by over 40 percent in March, fueling inflationary pressures and weighing heavily on the trade-dependent South Korean economy. As of Thursday 9:40 a.m., Brent crude reached $110.6 per barrel, a surge of more than 52 percent compared to February 27, just before the conflict erupted. This comes amid escalating fears of actual disruptions in production and supply, following Israel's bombardment of South Pars, Iran’s largest gas field, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against facilities across the region, including in the UAE. "With external risks such as the persistent instability in the Middle East remaining high, the central bank is closely monitoring the situation" and "will take timely stabilization measures" when deemed necessary, he said. 2026-03-19 10:30:02

North Korea's growing weapons programs pose 'significant threats,' US report warns SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - North Korea "remains committed to expanding its strategic weapons programs, including missiles and nuclear warheads, and to solidifying its deterrent capability," posing a threat to South Korea and its allies, a U.S. report said. According to the annual report of threat assessment released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday, North Korea's weapons of mass destruction along with its "conventional military capabilities, illicit cyber activities, and demonstrated willingness to use asymmetric capabilities to attack South Korea and the U.S. pose significant threats to the U.S. and its allies, particularly South Korea and Japan." Pointing to North Korea's deepening military ties with Russia, the report wrote, "Increased trade after the pandemic, income from selling munitions to Russia, and illicit cyber activities including cryptocurrency thefts have boosted North Korea's foreign currency revenue generation to its highest levels since before extensive sanctions were imposed in 2018." "The benefits that North Korea receives for its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine have increased North Korean capabilities. North Korean military forces have gained valuable combat experience in 21st Century warfare along with equipment," it said, but added, "North Korea is likely to remain deterred by U.S. and allied forces." The report, however, warned that China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been "developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads," capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, and that these threats are projected to more than quadruple from the current roughly 3,000 missiles to over 16,000 by 2035. The report also said North Korea's traditional ally, China, remains its most important trading partner, though the bilateral relationship "has cooled due to Beijing's earlier opposition to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests." 2026-03-19 10:04:11

E1 Chairman Koo Ja-yong Takes Office as Head of Korea Invention Promotion Association Koo Ja-yong, chairman of E1, took office Thursday as the 21st chairman of the Korea Invention Promotion Association, an affiliate of the Korean Intellectual Property Office. At an inauguration ceremony at the Korea Intellectual Property Center in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Koo said he has “personally experienced how good ideas in the corporate field become new technologies and lead to national competitiveness.” He said he would “actively communicate with the field” based on 47 years of management experience and be “a reliable partner” so the association’s executives and staff can fully demonstrate their capabilities. The Korea Invention Promotion Association is a public institution specializing in intellectual property, established in 1973. It runs programs including invention education, strengthening companies’ intellectual property capabilities, startup support and intellectual property finance. Koo’s appointment also extends ties between the association and the LG and LS groups. Koo Ja-kyung, honorary chairman of LG Group, previously led the Korea Patent Association, the predecessor to the Korea Invention Promotion Association, and Koo Ja-yeol, chairman of LS Corp.’s board, has also served as chairman of the association.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 10:03:32

SK AX launches 'AXgenticWire' brand to drive agentic AI transformation in enterprise operations SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - SK AX unveiled a new integrated brand called "AXgenticWire" on Thursday, signaling a push to accelerate agentic artificial intelligence adoption across corporate operations. The brand name combines "agentic AI" — systems capable of autonomous judgment and execution — with "Rewire," reflecting the company's ambition to fundamentally redesign how enterprises operate. SK AX said the platform is built to coordinate multiple AI agents across business functions, filling a gap left by piecemeal AI deployments that boost isolated task efficiency without lifting overall productivity. At its core, AXgenticWire runs on what SK AX calls "AI-readable data," a structured data format that AI models can process and learn from immediately. The platform layers in the company's accumulated AI Ops capabilities — which automate and intelligentize IT systems — to deliver a stable operating environment tailored to each enterprise's infrastructure. "The competitive edge in the agentic AI era lies not in model performance alone, but in the architecture that makes AI judgment actually function within real business operations," said Cha Ji-won, Chief AI Innovation Officer at SK AX. "We will expand our end-to-end enterprise AI full-stack execution framework — validated on the ground in real industries — to maximize corporate decision-making and operational efficiency." 2026-03-19 09:56:30

Majesty Golf launches Prestigio 14 flagship clubs, touting new Hyperion Titanium II Majesty Golf has released the Prestigio 14, the 14th model in its premium Prestigio club line. Marketed under the slogan “Quality Reinvented,” the company described the Prestigio 14 as a flagship that brings together 55 years of craftsmanship and technology development, aiming to improve distance, forgiveness, feel and design. At a new-product launch media day held March 18 at Club D Cheongdam in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Majesty Golf CEO Jeong Byeong-ho said the company has “devoted itself to making the best golf clubs for 55 years” and is “redefining what quality means in the golf world” with the Prestigio 14. “This product is the result of our team’s relentless pursuit of perfection,” he said. A key element of the new model is a premium material the company calls Hyperion Titanium II. Majesty Golf said its strength and rebound performance allow an ultra-thin face design, creating a wider, lighter area for higher ball speed. Kimura Hideki, the company’s chief product officer, said the design focused on boosting distance and making the clubs easier to hit for the South Korean market. He said Hyperion Titanium II was used to maximize high-rebound performance. Kimura said all clubs share an “Optimal Core Impact” design, with a precisely tuned sweet spot in the center of the face to produce a clear impact feel. He said it also limits performance loss on off-center hits, balancing distance and forgiveness. Majesty Golf highlighted model-specific designs across the lineup. The driver uses a “wing tail” design inspired by a phoenix’s tail feathers to increase moment of inertia and improve straight-line stability, the company said. For fairway woods and hybrids, it said a structure using tungsten across the sole places 40% to 60% of the head’s total weight in the sole to lower the center of gravity more efficiently. For irons, the company said it applied its most extensive nine-layer laminated badge to absorb noise at impact for a softer feel. The exterior adopts a “kirigane” style inspired by traditional decorative techniques, with fine laser-etched lines on a gold-colored head, it said. Kim Ja-young, a former professional golfer who serves as a Majesty Golf ambassador, said she trusts the brand because it “keeps striving and growing” to make better clubs. She said once golfers have a stable swing, getting help from equipment can be a smart choice, adding that in that sense the Prestigio 14 could be an innovative club for golfers. Majesty Golf said it will run a purchase promotion through June 30 to mark the launch. Buyers of a Prestigio 14 driver will receive logo balls and a ball case, while buyers of an iron set will receive a carrier. The company said it will also select 14 buyers by drawing and invite them to the “Majesty Invitational” tournament.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 09:48:00

National Library to Open Interactive Media Art Exhibit on Modern Korean Poetry The National Library of Korea said Thursday it will open a new exhibition, “Artist’s Note,” on Friday at its “Path of Knowledge” gallery space in Seocho, Seoul, turning modern Korean poems that represent the four seasons into interactive media art. The exhibition features four well-known poems adapted into hands-on content: Kim Yeong-rang’s “Until the Peonies Bloom” for spring, Lee Yuk-sa’s “Green Grapes” for summer, Yun Dong-ju’s “Boy” for fall, and Jeong Ji-yong’s “Windowpane 1” for winter. As visitors touch walls and floors or move through the space, sensors trigger different effects for each work, including peonies blooming in vivid color and clusters of green grapes appearing on branches. “Green Grapes” is rendered in a digital ink-wash style, using dynamic lines and open space to form a single completed image. “Boy” uses calligraphy to highlight the visual beauty of Hangul and convey the poem’s lyrical emotion in a more three-dimensional way. The library said “Artist’s Note” was designed to help audiences accustomed to digital video engage more easily with modern and contemporary Korean literature. After experiencing the media art, visitors can read the original texts in print at a bookshelf set up in the “Path of Knowledge” area. The library will also display “BTS’s Bookshelf” from Friday through April 12, introducing Korean literature read by the global pop group BTS. A related event will run from March 20 to 31: an “SNS visit verification” promotion that will give small souvenirs to 100 participants. Admission is free. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 09:37:16

Kookmin University study explores shifts in Chinese monetary policy amid global uncertainty SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - A research team led by Kookmin University Professor Oh Eun-young has published a study analyzing the evolution of China's monetary policy regimes, the university said Wednesday. The research specifically examines how the country has adapted its financial strategies in response to increasing global policy uncertainty. The paper, titled "Dynamics of monetary policy regimes in China under rising global uncertainty: A time-varying approach," was featured in the international journal Finance Research Letters. The publication is highly regarded in the financial field, ranking within the top 5% of journals with an impact factor of 6.9. Professor Oh Eun-young, the lead and corresponding author from the KMU International Business School (KIBS), conducted the research alongside Professor Georgios Magkonis of the University of Portsmouth and Professor Shuonan Zhang of the University of Southampton. The team utilized a specialized statistical model to track how global economic shocks influenced China’s production, prices, and central bank decisions over time. The findings reveal a distinct shift in how the People's Bank of China (PBoC) responds to international instability. During the 2000s, global uncertainty often led to sharp drops in production and prices, which the PBoC countered with aggressive interest rate cuts and stimulus measures. In contrast, the researchers found that policy responses have become more stable and moderate since the 2010s, a period often referred to as the "New Normal." The study confirms that China has shifted its primary focus toward maintaining price stability rather than simply reacting to fluctuations in industrial production. This transition indicates that China is moving toward a more forward-looking policy framework. By prioritizing long-term inflation control, the Chinese economy has demonstrated increased resilience and an improved ability to absorb external economic shocks. "This study empirically demonstrates that the responses of the Chinese economy and monetary policy to global policy uncertainty vary depending on policy regime changes," said Professor Oh Eun-young. "It shows that as China's monetary policy has developed into a forward-looking policy framework centered on price stability, the stability and resilience of the economy against external shocks have increased." The research is considered significant for its analysis of how emerging economies adapt their monetary strategies to survive a volatile global environment. It provides a new academic and practical perspective on how central banks can refine their responses to international economic shifts. 2026-03-19 09:30:27

Solus Advanced Materials Opens New OLED Plant in Iksan, Doubling Capacity Solus Advanced Materials has built a new production base for organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, materials in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, as it moves to strengthen its OLED business. The company said March 19 that it held a completion ceremony a day earlier in Hamyeol, Iksan, with CEO Kim Tae-hyung and other executives and employees, along with North Jeolla Vice Gov. for Economic Affairs Kim Jong-hoon and Iksan Mayor Jeong Heon-yul. The Hamyeol plant is a new production site created by relocating and expanding the company’s existing Iksan facility. It will serve as an integrated hub producing both OLED emissive materials (organic materials) and non-emissive materials (polymer materials). Built on a 19,969-square-meter (6,050-pyeong) site in the Hamyeol Agro-Industrial Complex, the facility includes utility, synthesis and purification buildings, as well as offices. The company completed construction last month and, after receiving required approvals, began full-scale production this month. Solus Advanced Materials said it plans to improve both efficiency and quality competitiveness by consolidating production of emissive and non-emissive materials at one site, aiming to create synergies between R&D and mass production and expand its presence in the global OLED materials market. With expanded capacity, the company expects to accelerate mass production of a wider range of OLED materials. It said “Green PH,” which it expects to be highly profitable, is slated to enter full-scale mass production in the second half of this year. The company also plans to begin mass-production supply next quarter of thin-film encapsulation, or TFE, a non-emissive material. The company said it will also step up development of new materials in line with global industry trends, including materials for artificial intelligence semiconductors and automotive batteries, to secure future growth engines and strengthen competitiveness in new markets. “Hamyeol’s integrated OLED production base is a key manufacturing hub that will take Solus Advanced Materials’ OLED materials competitiveness to the next level,” Kim said. “We will secure market leadership by expanding R&D and production capabilities for high value-added materials and further strengthen our competitiveness in the global OLED materials market.” 2026-03-19 09:30:21

BTS Live D-2 : Latest from Gwanghwamun - beyond and across Seoul SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - Seoul’s transformation ahead of BTS’s comeback is no longer confined to barricades and traffic controls. It is now unfolding as a citywide visual and behavioral shift one that is already drawing crowds into the experience before the performance begins. At Gwanghwamun Gate, visitors dressed in traditional hanbok gathered in large numbers, taking photos against the historic backdrop, an early sign that the area is already functioning as a cultural staging ground rather than a conventional tourist site. Along the Han River, bridges have been illuminated with sweeping arcs of purple and red water jets, turning ordinary infrastructure into a synchronized light and water display. Groups of people gathered along the riverbanks late into the evening, many pausing to watch and film the scene, suggesting that the buildup to the concert has effectively begun outside the main venue. Compared with just a few days ago, the pace of change has visibly accelerated across multiple parts of the city. The change is equally visible at street level. In central Seoul, storefronts are beginning to adopt BTS-themed visuals, with large purple banners reading “WELCOME BTS ♥ ARMY” stretching across building facades above convenience stores and cafes. The installations, while informal, signal how businesses are actively aligning themselves with the event, transforming everyday commercial spaces into extensions of the concert environment. In Namdaemun Market, large-scale banners congratulating BTS stretched across narrow commercial streets, demonstrating how even traditional marketplaces are actively incorporating the event into their daily operations This spread of visual identity marks a shift from earlier preparations, which focused heavily on security and crowd control. While police barriers and controlled pedestrian routes remain in place, they are now accompanied by a parallel layer of symbolic and commercial participation. Physical preparations are accelerating on site. Large-scale stage structures, lighting rigs and LED frames are now visibly assembled, with crews working throughout the day, indicating that the transformation is not only symbolic but structurally underway. At the same time, some concerns have emerged over the use of color in the broader promotional campaign. While purple remains the group’s signature color, red has also been used in certain visual elements a choice that has drawn cautious reactions in Korea, where red is strongly associated with conservative political parties. Some observers have warned that even unintended overlaps in visual symbolism could invite political interpretations in a highly polarized environment. Crowd behavior is also beginning to change. At public spaces near the venue, including stepped seating areas along the river, people were already gathering in clusters, sitting, waiting and checking their phones — a pattern more typical of pre-event staging than casual foot traffic. The scene suggests that the audience is starting to assemble well ahead of the scheduled performance. Fans have also begun to signal their presence visually. Some were already seen holding official light sticks near the venue, rehearsing the collective gestures that typically define BTS concerts. Together, these developments point to a broader transformation: the event is no longer anchored to a single stage at Gwanghwamun Square. Instead, it is expanding outward, absorbing surrounding districts into a loosely connected, city-scale experience. Lighting equipment and barricade systems have also been deployed around key heritage sites, reflecting the scale of technical integration required to turn the historic district into a live performance environment. The expansion is also becoming visible beyond Seoul itself, as surging arrivals at Incheon International Airport signal a sharp buildup of inbound visitors, with crowded terminals offering an early indication of the scale of movement toward the capital. With only two days remaining until the concert, Seoul is not just preparing for BTS, it is beginning to perform. 2026-03-19 09:21:21

Audi Group Operating Profit Falls 13.6% as U.S. Tariffs Weigh on Results 아우디 그룹은 전기차 판매 확대에도 불구하고 영업 이익이 13.6% 하락했다. 미국 관세가 실적에 반영된 영향이다. 19일 아우디코리아에 따르면 아우디그룹은 2025년 회계연도 매출이 655억 유로로, 전년 645억3200만 유로보다 1.5% 증가했다. 영업이익은 33억7100만 유로로 전년 39억300만 유로 대비 13.6% 감소했다. 아우디그룹은 미국 관세 등의 여파로 12억 유로 손실이 발생했다고 밝혔다. 영업이익률은 5.1%로 전년 6.0%보다 0.9%포인트 하락했다. 아우디는 지난해 총 162만3551대를 판매했으며, 순수 전기차 인도량은 22만3032대로 전년 대비 36% 증가해 역대 최대를 기록했다. Q6 e-트론(약 8만4000대)과 A6 e-트론(3만7000대)이 증가세를 이끌었다. 다만 아우디, 벤틀리, 람보르기니, 두카티로 구성된 그룹 전체 자동차 인도량은 164만4429대로 전년 169만2548대보다 2.8% 감소했다. 오토바이는 5만895대가 인도됐다. 게르놋 될너 아우디 AG CEO는 "지정학적 불확실성과 글로벌 경쟁 심화로 자동차 산업은 여전히 도전적인 환경에 놓여 있다"며 "아우디는 이러한 상황에 대응하기 위해 과감한 결정을 내리고 있으며, 2026년에는 핵심 신차 출시와 전략적 파트너십, F1 진출을 통해 경쟁력을 더욱 강화할 것"이라고 말했다. 아우디는 올해 주요 신차 출시를 이어갈 예정이다. 새로운 엔트리 전기차 패밀리인 '아우디 A2 e-트론'과 플래그십 SUV '아우디 Q9'을 선보이며, 글로벌 고객 수요에 맞춘 제품 전략을 강화한다. 또한 포뮬러 1(F1) 진출을 통해 브랜드 경쟁력을 강화할 계획이다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 09:18:18