Hanwha joins US Navy project as subcontractor for logistics ship SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - Hanwha Group is participating in a U.S. Navy project as a subcontractor, the South Korean defense giant said on Tuesday. Hanwha Ocean's Philly Shipyard and Hanwha Defense USA said they will work with Vard Marine, a naval architecture and marine engineering company fully owned by Italian Fincantieri Group, to take part in the project for the U.S. Navy's next-generation logistics support ship or NGLS. It is the first time a South Korean firm is carrying out a U.S. Navy ship project using a shipyard on U.S. soil. Hanwha said this is its first U.S. Navy project since acquiring Philly Shipyard in December 2024, and it has invested more than US$200 million since then to expand staffing and facilities. The project involves developing smaller, more agile, and cost-effective vessels designed for refueling, rearming, and resupplying combat ships. Hanwha and Vard Marine will jointly conduct market research, concept design, and productivity and cost analyses with the project scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. The participation in the project "represents an important step in our ability to leverage our world-class shipbuilding expertise in building the ships the Navy needs," said Tom Anderson, president of Hanwha Defense USA’s shipbuilding business division. Industry watchers expect the project to accelerate Hanwha's expansion of its shipbuilding and defense business in the U.S. Hanwha Defense USA is the American subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace. 2026-03-31 09:35:42

Ottogi joins hands with Gen.G Esports to chase global gaming audience SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korean food company Ottogi has signed a strategic partnership with global esports organization Gen.G Esports, targeting millennial and Gen Z gamers across key international markets, the company said Tuesday. The two companies plan to weave gaming culture into everyday consumer experiences by building an integrated marketing model spanning content, physical spaces, and commerce. Brand exposure will be carried through player uniforms and digital content centered on titles including League of Legends and Valorant. Joint campaigns tied to marquee global tournaments — including the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship — are also in the works, giving Ottogi visibility at some of esports' most-watched events. The two sides will also pursue co-branded content drawing on each company's intellectual property, with expansion plans targeting North America, Southeast Asia, and the Chinese-speaking market as part of a broader K-food and esports crossover strategy. "This partnership lays the groundwork for deepening our connection with the global younger generation and delivering a fresh brand experience," an Ottogi spokesperson said, adding the company would continue to expand its presence in international markets. 2026-03-31 09:17:02

Lotte Cinema Unveils April ‘Lossipic’ Lineup, From ‘Farewell My Concubine’ to ‘Scream 7’ Lotte Cinema has announced its April lineup for “Lossipic,” its exclusive-release brand. The April slate includes seven films, ranging from re-releases of classics to new titles across genres. Several older films, including “Farewell My Concubine: The Original,” will return in 4K remastered versions. “Farewell My Concubine: The Original,” a signature film of the late Leslie Cheung, will be re-released to coincide with the anniversary of his death on April 1. Marking the film’s 33rd anniversary, it centers on the relationship between two men, Dieyi and Xiaolou, who share a love of Peking opera, portraying love, jealousy and the art form’s beauty. Also included is “Scream 7,” the latest installment in the horror franchise. The film topped the box office after its North American release and brings back Sidney Prescott, the lead from the first film. The story focuses on Sidney and her daughter, Tatum, and the return of a more formidable Ghostface. For family audiences, the animated film “Magic Forest Animal Friends: The Great Adventure” follows a trio of young goats and their friends as they confront a black wolf in a once-peaceful enchanted forest. Audrey Hepburn classics “Roman Holiday” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” will also be re-released in 4K remastered versions, offering audiences a chance to see the films again in theaters. The 1998 film “The Truman Show” will likewise return in a 4K remastered version, telling the story of Truman as he begins to suspect his life is part of a massive show. The action film “Normal” will open first worldwide at Lotte Cinema. Made with participation from the production teams behind “John Wick” and “Nobody,” the film stars Bob Odenkirk and depicts secrets hidden in the seemingly peaceful town of “Normal” through fast-paced action. A Lotte Cinema official said the lineup was planned “to provide the best immersion that can only be experienced in theaters,” adding that the company expects moviegoers to enjoy a broad range of choices from re-releases to new films. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 09:06:43

Korean Banks’ BIS Capital Ratios Edge Down on Bigger Dividends, Weaker Won At the end of last year, South Korean banks’ capital ratios under the Bank for International Settlements framework slipped slightly from the previous quarter, reflecting larger dividends tied to expanded shareholder returns and the impact of a weaker currency. The Financial Supervisory Service said on Monday that banks’ total capital ratio stood at 15.83% at the end of 2025, down 0.09 percentage point from the end of the previous quarter. The common equity Tier 1 ratio was 13.51% and the Tier 1 capital ratio was 14.80%, down 0.12 percentage point and 0.08 percentage point, respectively. The leverage ratio was 6.76%, down 0.07 percentage point. BIS capital ratios measure capital relative to risk-weighted assets and are a key gauge of banks’ financial soundness. The FSS said net profit remained solid, but year-end dividends tied to expanded shareholder returns reduced common equity. It added that rising exchange rates increased risk-weighted assets for foreign-currency loan portfolios. Regulators require banks to keep the common equity Tier 1 ratio above 8.0%, the Tier 1 ratio above 9.5% and the total capital ratio above 11.5%. All domestic banks exceeded those thresholds. By bank, KB, Woori, Citi, SC, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Suhyup, Kakao Bank and Toss Bank each posted total capital ratios above 16.0%, which the FSS described as very stable. BNK remained below 14%, a relatively low level. Among the five major financial holding groups, total capital ratios were KB at 16.16%, Woori at 16.13%, Shinhan at 15.92%, NongHyup at 15.63% and Hana at 15.61%. Common equity Tier 1 ratios were above 14% at Citi, SC, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Suhyup, Kakao Bank and Toss Bank. KB, Hana, Shinhan and Korea Development Bank were above 13%, indicating generally sound levels. Thirteen banks saw their common equity Tier 1 ratios fall from the previous quarter, including Citi (-2.67 percentage points), SC (-1.62), Kakao Bank (-0.70), Korea Development Bank (-0.61) and K Bank (-0.48). Four banks posted increases: Suhyup (3.98), the Export-Import Bank of Korea (0.66), Hana (0.05) and iM (0.03). An FSS official said banks should prepare for the possibility of larger credit losses and weaker capital ratios amid heightened geopolitical risks, including the situation in the Middle East, as well as high oil prices and elevated exchange rates. The official said the watchdog will strengthen monitoring of capital adequacy and continue to encourage banks to bolster loss-absorbing capacity so they can maintain soundness while carrying out plans for “productive and inclusive finance.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 09:00:00

Korea to Provide 69 Billion Won in New Loan Guarantees for K-Content Firms Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund said they signed separate financial support agreements on the 30th with NH Bank and Hana Bank to ease funding strains and support growth for K-content companies. The agreements will provide a total of 69 billion won in new guarantees. Under the deals, NH Bank will make a special contribution of 2 billion won. Hana Bank will contribute 700 million won and separately provide 300 million won to support guarantee fees. Based on the banks’ contributions, the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund plans to supply agreement-backed guarantees totaling 69 billion won, or 20 times the contributed amount, to content companies. That includes 40 billion won through NH Bank and 29 billion won through Hana Bank. Eligible firms include those recommended by KOCCA for content planning, production and commercialization, as well as companies using intellectual property. Selected companies will receive preferential terms aimed at lowering financing costs. For companies using the program, the fund will apply a 100% guarantee ratio for the first three years and cut guarantee fees by 0.5 percentage points. NH Bank and Hana Bank also plan to offer additional preferential interest rates, based on internal standards, tied to transaction performance for borrowers using the guarantees. KOCCA said it will further strengthen its content finance support system starting with this cooperation. It said that in early April, NH Bank will also join a specialized guarantee interest-subsidy program, completing a content finance support network covering all six major domestic banks. KOCCA has operated a Content Value Assessment Center since 2016 to help content companies raise funds, including through content valuation and pitching platforms in and outside South Korea. More information is available on KOCCA’s website.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 08:57:17

BTS' 'Swim' hits No. 1 on Billboard's top 100 song chart SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - BTS has topped the Billboard Hot 100, the weekly top 100 song chart compiled by the prominent American music and entertainment magazine, on Monday (local time) with the band's new song "Swim," released on March 20. While BTS reached its seventh No. 1 on Billboard's most popular song chart, the seven-member band also dominated other global rankings across major Billboard charts. According to Billboard, "Swim" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, driven by a combined performance of streaming, radio airplay and digital sales in the United States. The latest result places BTS among the top five groups with the most Hot 100 No. 1 hits in history, trailing legendary bands such as The Beatles, The Supremes, Bee Gees and The Rolling Stones. The track’s debut extends BTS’ Hot 100 leadership streak that began with “Dynamite” in 2020, followed by successive chart-toppers including "Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)," "Life Goes On," "Butter," "Permission to Dance" and "My Universe." The group’s latest achievement comes in tandem with strong album performance. The band's new album "Arirang" entered at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the weekly top 200 albums chart, completing a simultaneous sweep of Billboard’s two primary charts. This achievement is widely regarded as a key indicator of both consumption scale and market impact in the U.S. music industry. Beyond the U.S., BTS delivered an unprecedented showing on global charts. "Swim" debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200, the weekly top 200 global song chart, and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., the weekly popular song chart based on digital sales and streamings, becoming the group’s eighth leader on each ranking and extending its own record for the most No. 1 songs on the charts. Tracks from BTS' album "Arirang" occupied the entire top nine positions on the Global 200, matching the record set by American pop-singer Taylor Swift, while BTS became the first act to monopolize the top 10 and top 13 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart. The concentration of entries underscores the scale of coordinated global streaming and purchasing activity following the album’s release. "Swim" led the performance with 108.8 million streams and 221,000 units sold worldwide in the tracking week ending March 26, according to data compiled by Luminate. Eight additional tracks from the album followed in sequence on the Global 200, each surpassing 40 million streams, reflecting unusually high depth of consumption across the full album rather than a single-track concentration. The official Hot 100 chart is set for release Tuesday, with market attention focused on how many additional tracks from “Arirang” will enter the ranking, potentially extending BTS’ multi-chart dominance further. 2026-03-31 08:55:07

National Institute of Korean Language releases six datasets to boost AI Korean understanding The National Institute of Korean Language said on the 31st it has released six language resources on “Everyone’s Corpus” that can be used for artificial intelligence development and language research. The newly released materials include four datasets: an “argumentative writing summary corpus” that summarizes newspaper editorials; a “collaborative dialogue summary corpus” that summarizes conversations; and separate evaluation corpora for each set of summaries. The institute also released two additional resources: a “context inference corpus,” which contains inference statements written based on context or common sense, and a “knowledge graph” that structures dialogue context. The institute said the resources can help AI better understand context embedded in Korean, produce summaries and make inferences grounded in common sense and Korean culture. Including the six released this time, the institute has made public 140 Korean-language resources for AI training to date. Anyone seeking to use the corpora for AI development and research or Korean-language studies can download them from the Everyone’s Corpus website. An institute official said it plans to release a total of 36 Korean language-and-culture knowledge resources this year to support development of AI specialized for Korean. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 08:42:16

Korea's Feb factory output gain strongest in 6 yrs, record construction recovery *Updated with additional information and market response SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) -Before the sudden war in the Middle East, South Korea’s industrial front had shown a sanguine face, with manufacturing posting its strongest growth in nearly six years, facility investment surging to a more than decade high and construction activity hitting a record, data showed Tuesday. Mining and manufacturing output rose 5.4 percent from a month earlier, sharply reversing a 2.4 percent drop in January, as chip production surged 28.2 percent, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It marked the strongest increase since a 6.6 percent gain in June 2020. Domestic demand, however, remained subdued. Retail sales were flat from the previous month, while services output edged up just 0.5 percent, highlighting still-weak private consumption. Overall industrial output, which includes services, rose 2.5 percent in February, rebounding from a 0.9 percent contraction in January. Investment was a key pillar of the rebound. Facility investment jumped 13.5 percent on-month, the fastest increase since November 2014, driven by strong demand in semiconductors and automobiles. Transport equipment, particularly autos, surged 40.4 percent, while machinery including electrical equipment rose 3.8 percent. The data provided little relief to the market since the upbeat numbers come before the war hit the economy heavily reliant on the Gulf Strait shipping route for energy and raw material imports for manufacturing from petrochemicals to chips. The main KOSPI lost 1.3 percent, while the dollar added 7.60 won to 1,525.10 won as of 11:00 a.m. The three-year government bond yields at 3.54 percent. Construction activity delivered an even stronger boost. Construction completed, measured in constant prices, soared 19.5 percent from the previous month — the largest increase since records began in July 1997 — rebounding sharply from a 7.8 percent fall in January. Both building construction and civil engineering expanded, rising 17.1 percent and 25.7 percent, respectively. Forward-looking indicators also pointed to sustained momentum. Construction orders rose 6.7 percent from a year earlier, extending gains to a fourth consecutive month, led by a 24.2 percent jump in building construction, including housing. Consumption indicators showed a mixed picture. While service output inched up 0.5 percent, the retail sales index was unchanged. Semi-durable goods such as clothing fell 5.4 percent and durable goods including communication devices and computers declined 1.5 percent, while non-durable goods such as food and beverages rose 2.6 percent. Broader indicators suggested improving economic conditions. The cyclical component of the coincident composite index rose 0.8 point, the biggest gain in more than 15 years, while the leading composite index, which signals future activity, increased by 0.6 point. Still, the data do not reflect the impact of the Middle East crisis that erupted on Feb. 28, casting uncertainty over the durability of the recovery. The output scorecard on first-month war impact will be released on April 30. 2026-03-31 08:18:21

Korean banks' BIS ratio turn lower as weak won inflates FX assets SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korean banks’ capital buffers edged lower at the end of last year as the won’s sharp weakening inflated foreign-currency assets, underscoring growing pressure from exchange-rate-driven balance sheet expansion, data showed Tuesday. The common equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of domestic banks stood at 13.51 percent at end-2025, down 0.12 percentage point from the previous quarter, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. The decline came despite steady earnings, as a weaker won boosted the value of foreign-denominated loans and assets, increasing risk-weighted assets and diluting capital ratios. Other key capital metrics also slipped. The Tier 1 capital ratio fell 0.08 percentage point to 14.80 percent, while the total capital ratio dropped 0.09 percentage point to 15.83 percent. The leverage ratio edged down to 6.76 percent. The data highlights how currency-driven balance sheet effects — rather than credit deterioration — are emerging as a key variable for capital adequacy, particularly as Korean lenders maintain sizable foreign-currency exposure. Still, overall capital levels remained comfortably above regulatory thresholds, indicating that the banking sector retains solid loss-absorbing capacity. By bank, most major lenders maintained strong buffers, with several including KB, Woori, Citi and SC posting total capital ratios above 16 percent, reflecting ample resilience. However, the downward drift was broad-based. Thirteen banks saw their CET1 ratios decline from the previous quarter, while only a handful posted gains. Supervisors warned that risks could intensify as geopolitical tensions and a prolonged strong dollar environment lift both funding costs and credit risks. Authorities said they would step up monitoring of capital adequacy and encourage banks to bolster loss-absorbing buffers to navigate potential shocks from high oil prices and currency volatility. 2026-03-31 07:58:19

BTS’ ‘SWIM’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 as ‘ARIRANG’ Tops Billboard 200 BTS swept Billboard’s two main charts, with its fifth full-length album, ‘ARIRANG,’ reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and its title track, ‘SWIM,’ debuting atop the Hot 100. Billboard said in a chart preview posted on its website on March 31 that ‘SWIM’ is No. 1 on the April 4-dated Hot 100. It is the group’s seventh Hot 100 leader, following ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) (BTS Remix),’ ‘Life Goes On,’ ‘Butter,’ ‘Permission to Dance’ and ‘My Universe.’ Billboard said ‘SWIM’ is the 1,190th No. 1 song in Hot 100 history and the 89th to debut at No. 1. The outlet also said BTS ranks fifth among groups for the most Hot 100 No. 1 hits. The Beatles lead with 20, followed by the Supremes with 12, the Bee Gees with nine and the Rolling Stones with eight. Released on March 20, ‘SWIM’ logged 15.3 million streams, 25.8 million radio audience impressions and 154,000 in combined digital and physical single sales in tracking through March 26. The song entered Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart at No. 2, a new best for the group, and debuted at No. 18 on Radio Songs. It topped Digital Song Sales, becoming BTS’ 13th No. 1 on that chart. Billboard previously reported in a March 30 chart preview that ‘ARIRANG’ is No. 1 on the April 4-dated Billboard 200. The album debuted with 641,000 album units, the best weekly total for a group album since Billboard began tracking units in December 2014. Pure album sales were 532,000, and streaming equivalent album units totaled 95,000. The results give BTS another week leading both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, after doing so in 2020 with ‘BE’ and ‘Life Goes On.’ With ‘ARIRANG,’ BTS has seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, following ‘LOVE YOURSELF 轉 ‘Tear’,’ ‘LOVE YOURSELF 結 ‘Answer’,’ ‘MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA,’ ‘MAP OF THE SOUL : 7,’ ‘BE’ and ‘Proof.’ In a statement released through BigHit Music, BTS said it was “a great honor” to earn a Billboard No. 1 with an album released after “a long wait of three years and nine months.” The group thanked ARMY and “everyone who listened to our music and shared their feelings with us.” BTS said it worked to capture “universal emotions” that many people could relate to while preparing the new release, adding that it hoped ‘SWIM’ would offer “a small measure of courage and comfort” to listeners beyond borders. ‘ARIRANG’ is BTS’ fifth full-length album and was executive produced by HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. BigHit Music said the album reflects the group’s identity and shared emotions, while ‘SWIM’ sings of pressing forward without stopping amid life’s waves.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 07:54:39