South Korean investors surge amid unprecedented stock-market boom SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - More South Koreans have begun investing in the stock market amid a recent unprecedented rally, with the number of investors rising by 330,000 over the past year. According to a report released by the Korea Securities Depository on Wednesday, the number of shareholders in about 2,727 listed companies stood at 1.46 million. As the number of listed companies increased 1.5 percent and shareholders grew 2.3 percent from a year earlier, investors held a total of about 117.4 billion shares, averaging 8,066 shares each. Some 812 companies were listed on the country's benchmark KOSPI, 1,802 on the junior KOSDAQ, and 113 on KONEX, a board under KOSDAQ for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and venture companies. The number of investors on KOSPI rose 1.0 percent to 12.61 million, while those on KOSDAQ increased 5.7 percent to 8.55 million. KONEX remained near 50,000, almost unchanged from a year earlier. Individuals made up 99.1 percent of investors, with corporations at 0.4 percent and foreigners at 0.2 percent. About 25 percent of investors held shares in Samsung Electronics, making it the most widely owned stock with 4.61 million shareholders, followed by Kakao (1.60 million), SK hynix (1.19 million), Naver (1.16 million), and Doosan Enerbility (1.11 million). On KOSDAQ, EcoPro BM ranked first with 508,908 shareholders, followed by EcoPro (488,951), SemiFive (411,562), Alteogen (274,634), and Hurim Robot (250,313). The number of companies in which foreigners owned more than 50 percent of shares rose by six from a year earlier to 38, evenly split between KOSPI and KOSDAQ with 19 each. Foreign investors held the largest stakes in S-Oil (74.3 percent), KB Financial Group (72.2 percent), and Hana Financial Group (67 percent). By age, those in their 50s were the largest group of individual shareholders with 3.33 million, accounting for 23.1 percent, followed by those in their 40s with 3.12 million and those in their 60s with 2.20 million. By gender, male investors accounted for 51.5 percent, while female investors made up 48.5 percent. Among regions, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number of investors, followed by Seoul and Busan. About 4.59 million investors or 31.5 percent owned shares in only one company, 2.43 million or 16.7 percent held shares in two companies, and 1.55 million or 10.7 percent held shares in three or more. 2026-03-18 15:54:57

FL Auto Korea Launches Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid Midsize SUV in South Korea FL Auto Korea said March 18 it will officially launch Lincoln's midsize SUV, the Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid, in South Korea. The Nautilus Hybrid is a new trim of the second-generation model and is being introduced to the South Korean market for the first time. The company said the launch is aimed at strengthening its push into the premium midsize SUV segment while responding to growing demand for eco-friendly vehicles. The hybrid model is designed to further emphasize Lincoln's core brand concept of "Quiet Flight." The Nautilus name comes from a Latin word meaning "exploration," and the vehicle is positioned around an elegant design, smooth driving performance and a spacious interior. The hybrid system pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 99-kilowatt electric motor for a combined 321 horsepower. Under South Korea's certification standards, it is rated at about 11.9 kilometers per liter in combined fuel economy. Exterior details include Lincoln's signature horizontal design cues and modern white Lincoln lettering across the rear. A blue-accented Lincoln emblem in the center of the grille and nameplate badges on the doors are used to distinguish the hybrid model. Inside, the Nautilus Hybrid features a 48-inch panoramic display and an 11.1-inch center-stack touchscreen. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Driver-assistance and convenience features include forward collision-avoidance assist, cruise control, lane-centering assist and lane-keeping assist. Lee Yun-dong, CEO of FL Auto Korea, said the 2026 Lincoln Nautilus "more precisely implements Lincoln's 'ultimate sanctuary' through its hybrid system," adding that he hopes more customers will experience the model's differentiated value. The 2026 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid is priced at 95 million won, including value-added tax and based on a 3.5% individual consumption tax rate.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:36:20

Shinhan Bank Joins Bank of Korea’s ‘Project Hangang’ Phase 2 Digital Currency Pilot Shinhan Bank said Tuesday it will participate in Phase 2 of the Bank of Korea’s digital currency pilot, known as “Project Hangang.” Project Hangang is a digital currency initiative led by the central bank with the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and commercial banks. Under the model, the Bank of Korea issues a wholesale central bank digital currency, and commercial banks issue deposit tokens based on it. Consumers make payments using the deposit tokens issued by their banks. Phase 2 is designed to test whether a digital-currency-based payments infrastructure can be commercialized, with a focus on building conditions that allow customers to use deposit tokens in everyday life. Shinhan said it will broaden participation and usage settings compared with Phase 1 and further test functions including person-to-person transfers, interest payments and automatic conversion. Customers will be able to convert deposits into deposit tokens in the Shinhan SOL Bank app and use them for everyday purchases, including the delivery app Ttaenggyeoyo, convenience stores and Shinhan EZ Insurance travel insurance. The bank also plans to introduce a merchant payment method linked to Shinhan Card. The project will also examine whether the system can be expanded to public finance disbursements, such as paying local government subsidies, vouchers and policy funds in deposit tokens that can be used only at designated outlets. In real-transaction tests that began in April last year, Shinhan accounted for 25% of all e-wallet openings among participating banks, 58% of usage and 73% of transaction value, it said. In Phase 2, the bank plans to strengthen links with group platforms and accelerate efforts to build a digital payments ecosystem spanning private and public sectors. “Deposit tokens are evolving beyond a technology test into a digital means of payment that can be used for real transactions and public finance disbursements,” a Shinhan official said. “We will expand payment experiences customers can feel in daily life and lead the buildout of a digital-currency-based payments infrastructure.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:27:21

FedEx Wins 2026 Asia-Pacific Biopharma Excellence Award for Last-Mile Logistics Federal Express Corp., known as FedEx, said Tuesday it won the “Best Logistics and Supply Chain Management” award in the “Last-Mile Implementation” category at the Asia-Pacific Biopharma Excellence Awards 2026. The awards are hosted by IMAPAC, an international organization in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. They recognize companies that have contributed to industry development in Asia across areas including bioprocessing, logistics, supply chain management and clinical research. The Asia healthcare market is expected to expand to about $5 trillion by 2030, accounting for roughly 40% of the global healthcare market. The healthcare cold-chain logistics market is also projected to grow from about $31.9 billion last year to about $42.5 billion by 2031. With temperature control critical in healthcare, the role of logistics partners with integrated capabilities is growing, the company said. “This award is a meaningful achievement that shows healthcare customers trust FedEx,” said Salil Chari, FedEx regional president for Asia Pacific. “As therapies become more specialized and temperature control becomes more important, logistics requirements are also increasing. FedEx will support safe transport based on systematic operational capabilities.” FedEx said it supports stable transport across multiple temperature ranges, including ultra-low freezing below minus 70 degrees Celsius, freezing below minus 20 degrees, refrigerated shipments at 2 to 8 degrees, and controlled room temperature at 15 to 20 degrees. It has built a network of FedEx Life Science Center locations in Gimpo, South Korea; Memphis, Tennessee; Mumbai, India; Singapore; Tokyo; and Veldhoven, Netherlands. The company said it operates more than 130 cold-chain facilities worldwide to maintain temperature control in cross-border, multimodal logistics. It also said 22 FedEx facilities worldwide are part of a network with CEIV Pharma certification for international air transport of pharmaceuticals, positioning FedEx as a key logistics partner for high-value healthcare shipments including biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:24:29

Crown Haitai chairman Yoon Young-dal elected third president of pro billiards association PBA Yoon Young-dal, chairman of Crown Haitai Confectionery, has been elected to lead the Professional Billiards Association (PBA). The PBA said March 18 that its board, at the association’s seventh-term fourth meeting, selected Yoon as the third PBA president. His term will run for three years, through March 2029. The PBA said Yoon is known for his strong interest in professional billiards and that he founded and operated the Crown Haitai Laon team in the early days of the pro circuit. Citing his activities in the arts and culture sector, the association said it considers him well suited to guide stable growth and a new leap for the sport. Yoon plans to pursue strategies aimed at sustained growth, expanding the fan base and strengthening global competitiveness. The PBA said he also intends to broaden international exchanges and boost league competitiveness so pro billiards can grow beyond South Korea. Kim Young-soo, who served as the first and second PBA president over the past seven years, is stepping down after helping launch the pro league and build its foundation, the PBA said. Yoon’s inauguration ceremony will be held next month on the 10th at the Goyang KINTEX PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:21:00

Naver, AMD sign MOU to strengthen AI GPU infrastructure cooperation SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - South Korea's Naver and U.S. chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop next-generation GPU infrastructure aimed at expanding their artificial intelligence ecosystems. Under the agreement signed at Naver's 1784 headquarters Wednesday, the two companies will collaborate on building high-performance GPU computing environments optimized for Naver's proprietary large language model, HyperCLOVA X, and work to advance infrastructure technologies for stable AI model operations. The partnership also covers providing AI computing resources to academic researchers and launching joint research projects to broaden AI research outcomes across diverse infrastructure platforms. "The collaboration with AMD will serve as a meaningful opportunity to secure technological diversity and strengthen our AI infrastructure competitiveness," Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said. "We will continue to expand the potential of AMD platforms across Naver Cloud and our broader AI services, and pursue cooperation for next-generation technology stacks and service implementation." AMD CEO Lisa Su called Naver an optimal partner for implementing the chipmaker's next-generation AI GPU technologies, citing the Korean firm's AI capabilities and cloud platform. 2026-03-18 15:19:06

Venezuela beats U.S. 3-2 to win first World Baseball Classic title Venezuela beat the United States to win its first World Baseball Classic title. Venezuela defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the 2026 WBC final on March 18 (Korean time) at loanDepot park in Miami. Venezuela reached its first final by beating defending champion Japan 8-5 in the quarterfinals and Italy 4-2 in the semifinals. It then edged the U.S. to secure its first championship. The U.S., which lost the 2023 WBC final to Japan, finished runner-up again, falling by the same 3-2 score. The matchup drew attention as the “Maduro Derby.” The article said the U.S. removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation in January and transported him to the United States. With political tensions between the two countries, the final attracted heightened interest. Venezuela struck first in the top of the first. With one out and runners on second and third, Maikel Garcia of Kansas City drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center. It added to the lead in the fifth when Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox hit a solo homer to make it 2-0. The U.S. tied it in the bottom of the eighth. Venezuela reliever Andres Machado of the Orix Buffaloes gave up a two-run homer to Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, evening the score at 2-2. Venezuela answered in the ninth. With no outs and a runner on second, Eugenio Suarez of the Cincinnati Reds hit an RBI double to put Venezuela ahead 3-2. In the bottom of the ninth, Daniel Palencia of the Chicago Cubs closed it out. He struck out Kyle Schwarber of Philadelphia swinging, got Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles on an infield pop-up, and struck out Roman Anthony of Boston swinging to seal the win. Garcia was named tournament MVP.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:04:23

Book Claims AI and Cell Science Could Enable Healthy Living to Age 200 A new book argues that humanity’s long-held goal of living a long life in good health is moving closer to reality through the convergence of artificial intelligence and cellular science. BookLab recently published “AI 200se Mubyeongjangsu” (“AI: Healthy Longevity to Age 200”). The book challenges the idea that aging is an unavoidable law of nature, redefining it as a condition that can be managed and treated, and it lays out what it calls a scientific roadmap toward a 200-year lifespan. The book is co-authored by four specialists: Park Sang-cheol, described as a world-renowned scholar in aging studies in South Korea; Lee Hee-won, a CEO who has led development of third-generation human digital twin technology; Kang Si-cheol, a doctor who has worked for more than 30 years in advanced-technology humanities and AI medicine; and Lim Gyu-seong, a clinic director who leads AI health care research and distributes practical health solutions. The authors align their approach with Harvard Medical School professor David Sinclair’s aging research, and they argue that, with aging now listed in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, reversing aging is no longer fantasy but a medical task. A central theme is Park’s proposed shift in thinking that “aging is an active defense process for survival.” At the core of the book is technology it describes as using AI to decode signals from the human body. It examines how key aging indicators — including telomeres, mitochondria and the epigenome — interact with AI, and it portrays AI as a kind of “human body translator” that precisely analyzes an individual’s metabolic fingerprint to produce optimal, real-time health solutions. The book also highlights personalized precision nutrition, arguing that people can respond differently to the same foods depending on biological traits. It presents the possibility of AI-designed diets and “life design,” and calls for a “life integrated dashboard” that spans finances, relationships and lifelong learning in preparation for a 200-year era, aiming not only to extend lifespan but to improve quality of life. It also introduces the Genobiofit solution devised by Lee based on his own health recovery experience. The book describes it as a practical approach developed as an alternative for people who have difficulty exercising, intended to scientifically activate mitochondrial function. Book information is as follows: The title is “AI 200se Mubyeongjangsu,” co-authored by Lee Hee-won, Park Sang-cheol, Kang Si-cheol and Lim Gyu-seong. The publisher is BookLab Co. The ISBNs are 979-11-7598-171-3 for the print edition and 979-11-7598-172-0 for the e-book.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-18 15:03:39

Yeosu petrochemical workers protest government-led plan to cut naphtha cracker output Yeosu industrial complex workers on Tuesday criticized a government- and creditor-led plan to voluntarily cut output at naphtha crackers, warning it could lead to mass layoffs and damage the local economy. They said it is unfair to push ahead with talks between the government (creditors) and companies without agreement from workers and the community. According to political circles, the labor-led Joint Countermeasures Committee for responding to petrochemical restructuring at the Yeosu National Industrial Complex held a news conference at the National Assembly press room and called for a halt to additional NCC cuts in Yeosu and the creation of a multi-party consultative body. The committee includes the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ South Jeolla headquarters, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions’ South Jeolla headquarters, the Yeosu Industrial Complex Labor Union Council, the KCTU Chemical, Fiber, Food Industries Union’s Gwangju-South Jeolla branch, and the FKTU Chemical Workers Federation’s South Jeolla headquarters. The committee said the government’s output-cut target for NCC facilities at three major industrial complexes is 2.7 million to 3.7 million tons, and about 3.43 million tons of cuts are already underway. It noted, however, that Ulsan is expanding capacity as S-Oil pursues its 1.8 million-ton Shaheen project. Yeosu’s cut volume is 1.67 million tons, about half of the nationwide reduction, the committee said. With the government seeking an additional 900,000 to 1.1 million tons in cuts, Yeosu’s total could rise to as much as 2.77 million tons — about 60% of the national total, it said. The committee said additional cuts by Yeocheon NCC and Lotte Chemical are expected to bring restructuring for regular workers and could trigger mass layoffs among subcontracted workers as downstream volumes fall. It warned of ripple effects across related industries and the broader regional economy. It also said employment at the Yeosu National Industrial Complex fell about 30% year over year as of the second quarter of 2025, down by about 7,000 workers, and argued that workers and the local community have been excluded from the restructuring process. The committee said a petrochemical special law enacted last year lacks sufficient measures to protect jobs and the regional economy, and that a recently announced enforcement decree does not adequately reflect views from industrial sites or broader social discussion. It urged the government to immediately stop unilateral plans for additional cuts. It also called for Yeosu to be upgraded to a higher-level “employment crisis area” designation and demanded legislation to establish a four-party joint committee involving the government, local governments, companies and labor to guarantee participation by workers and the community. The committee said policy should address what it called an imbalance of “maximum cuts in Yeosu, maximum expansion in Ulsan,” and it urged revisions to the special law and enforcement decree to ensure labor rights, regional balance and participation in governance. Rep. Jeon Jong-deok of the Progressive Party said, “A one-sided restructuring that excludes the field is not a solution but the start of another crisis,” and called for a multi-party consultative body with workers as key participants to protect jobs and develop practical alternatives to support the region. 2026-03-18 14:48:20

BLACKPINK's Jennie to headline Lollapalooza Chicago as K-pop presence expands SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - The organizers of Lollapalooza Chicago announced the 2026 festival lineup on Tuesday (local time), confirming that South Korean soloist Jennie will headline the four-day event at Grant Park. Scheduled to run from July 30 to August 2, the festival marks a significant milestone for the singer as she transitions from group performances to a solo mainstay on the global circuit. She joins a premier roster of headliners for the summer season including Lorde, Charlie XCX, and The Smashing Pumpkins. The announcement follows her successful appearances at previous international festivals where she garnered critical acclaim for her stage presence and vocal range. This appearance in Chicago is part of a broader summer tour for the performer, who is also slated to headline the Governors Ball in New York this June. Following her engagement in the United States, she will travel to Spain to lead the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid before concluding her summer schedule at Summer Sonic in Japan. These bookings solidify her standing as a primary draw for major Western music events, reflecting a strategic shift toward individual global branding. Her previous experience at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California served as a precursor to this expansive 2026 festival run. The 2026 iteration of the Chicago festival continues a trend of heavy investment in South Korean talent, with several other prominent acts confirmed for the lineup. The girl groups aespa and (G)I-DLE are scheduled to perform, alongside the rising male quintet Cortis. This collective presence underscores the sustained demand for Seoul-based artists within the American live music market. Each group brings a distinct choreographed style and discography that has already seen substantial commercial success on domestic and international streaming charts. Jennie follows a lineage of South Korean artists who have broken through at the historic Chicago venue since 1991. The trail was blazed by J-Hope in 2022, who became the first Korean headliner at the event, followed by Tomorrow X Together in 2023. Subsequent years saw Stray Kids and Twice take top billing, demonstrating a growing institutional comfort with K-pop as a headline attraction. More than 400,000 attendees are expected to gather in the Illinois city this year to witness the 170 scheduled acts. 2026-03-18 14:47:00