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  • KOSPI tests newly formed floor around 6,500 with retail return
    KOSPI tests newly formed floor around 6,500 with retail return SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI tested a newly formed floor around the 6,500 mark Tuesday as retail investors returned, helping stabilize the market after Monday's rout. The benchmark index traded around 6,530 after the opening bell, swinging between gains and losses after tumbling 4.5 percent on Monday to close at 6,516.30, its steepest one-day decline this year. Early optimism that the selloff was easing faded as foreign buying quickly lost momentum. Overseas investors were net buyers of just 4.3 billion won ($3.1 million) worth of KOSPI shares, while institutions sold a net 229.9 billion won. Retail investors stepped in to buy a net 197 billion won, providing support for the market. Semiconductor heavyweights outperformed the broader market. SK hynix rose 0.79 percent to 1,774,000 won ($1,177.43), while Samsung Electronics gained 2.25 percent to 249,500 won ($164.77). Selling pressure, however, broadened beyond technology stocks. Hyundai Motor dropped 4.3 percent to 382,000 won ($258.49), while declining issues outnumbered advancing ones by roughly four to one on the main board, underscoring the market's still-fragile sentiment. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ fared worse, falling 2.2 percent to 733.10 as investors continued to shun smaller growth stocks. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 0.3 percent to 64,335.30 as Tokyo resumed trading after Monday's Marine Day holiday, leaving Seoul as the region's weakest major equity market. The won strengthened 0.70 won to 1,477.80 against the U.S. dollar on speculation that proceeds from SK hynix's $26.5 billion Nasdaq ADR offering earlier this month were being repatriated to South Korea, lending modest support to the local currency. 2026-07-21 09:43:33
  • KAIST embryo scan technique wins global fertility science award
    KAIST embryo scan technique wins global fertility science award SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A South Korean research team has developed a way to look inside living eggs and embryos in three dimensions without damaging them, a technique fertility specialists say could sharpen how doctors choose which embryos to implant during in vitro fertilization. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Tuesday that the work won the Basic Science Award for Poster Presentation at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 2026 annual meeting, held in London from July 5 to 8. The prize goes each year to the single strongest basic-science poster at the world's largest reproductive medicine conference, which drew more than 10,000 participants. Judges shortlisted five finalists from the submitted abstracts, then decided the winner after live poster presentations and questioning. The winning research came from a team led by Park Yong-keun, a physics professor at KAIST, with postdoctoral researcher Lee Chung-ha presenting the findings in London. The team paired time-lapse imaging, which follows living cells continuously without harming them, with a three-dimensional scanning method to predict early on whether an egg or embryo is likely to develop. The success of IVF often comes down to picking the right embryo. Doctors now rely mainly on two-dimensional microscope images, weighing shape, size and how the cells divide to judge which embryos have the best chance of implanting. Because those embryos may later be transferred into a patient, doctors cannot use dyes or fluorescent markers that could alter or damage them, which leaves embryologists dependent on visual judgment calls that are hard to standardize. Park's team turned to a technique called holotomography, which measures how light bends as it passes through a cell to build a three-dimensional map of its inner structure, all without staining or otherwise disturbing the living tissue. The method also captures the refractive index, a reading of how densely packed and what kind of material sits inside a cell, letting researchers spot fine internal differences that ordinary imaging misses. Testing the approach on mouse embryos, the team found that embryos less likely to reach the blastocyst stage, the point at which a fertilized egg has divided enough to prepare for implantation in the uterus, tended to show a more uneven spread of refractive index inside their cytoplasm. Tracing that unevenness in mouse eggs, the researchers linked the brightest, highest-refractive areas to lipid droplets, the small fat-storing structures scattered through the cytoplasm. The team then tried the same imaging and analysis on human eggs, not to predict how they would develop but to confirm the method could work at all beyond a mouse model. It did. The researchers captured three-dimensional refractive index maps of human eggs and put numbers to the same textural patterns, some of which again traced back to lipid droplets. But not every feature matched across species. Mouse and human eggs differ in size and internal makeup, so similar-looking optical signatures may not carry the same biological meaning. The researchers called the human trial a feasibility check rather than a proven predictive tool, and cautioned that markers developed in mice should not be applied directly to human eggs. The project brought together KAIST's physics department, the fertility center at CHA Bundang Women's Medical Center under professor Kim Ji-hyang, the London fertility clinic Avenues and Tomocube, a holotomography equipment maker Park co-founded. Findings from the mouse embryo and mouse egg studies have been posted as preprints and are under peer review at international journals. "This award matters because it recognizes the academic value of a new approach that lets us analyze living eggs and embryos in three dimensions, quantitatively, without damaging them," Park said. "We are now validating the method using human cells, and we will keep developing it into an objective, accurate evaluation technology that can help raise the success rate of infertility treatment." (Reference Information) Journal/Source: Preprint Title: Label-free 3D subcellular phenotyping of mouse embryos by holotomography enables early prediction of blastocyst formation Link/DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.07.592317 Journal/Source: Preprint Title: Holotomography reveals biophysical remodeling of mouse oocytes during post-ovulatory aging Link/DOI: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.18.733271 2026-07-21 09:41:05
  • Hyundai Highlights Robotics at FIFA World Cup, Celebrates 27-Year Partnership
    Hyundai Highlights Robotics at FIFA World Cup, Celebrates 27-Year Partnership Hyundai Motor Group reaffirmed its partnership with FIFA as an official sponsor of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, marking 27 years of collaboration. In addition to providing official vehicles, Hyundai showcased its advancements in robotics and future mobility technologies during the tournament.According to industry sources, Hyundai launched a robotics marketing campaign featuring the humanoid robot 'Atlas' and the four-legged robot 'Spot' at this World Cup.Atlas made an appearance during halftime of the Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway, performing a routine that included recreating famous players' celebrations and delivering the match ball to the referee. Spot captured the attention of spectators by autonomously patrolling and monitoring key locations at the International Broadcast Center and stadiums.The international response has been positive. Fortune magazine described the scenes as "unprecedented in World Cup history," while Adweek analyzed that Hyundai created a new global marketing case by combining its World Cup sponsorship with its robotics technology and brand vision.A video documenting Atlas's preparation, titled 'The Training Ground,' has surpassed 16.5 million views on YouTube.Hyundai also provided a record 2,160 official vehicles for this tournament, the largest number for a single FIFA World Cup. Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Hyundai has supplied over 8,900 official vehicles across seven tournaments.Hyundai's partnership with FIFA began in 1999 when it became the official automotive sponsor. Over the past 27 years, it has supported the World Cup and other FIFA events.This partnership is the third longest among FIFA's top-tier sponsors, following Adidas and Coca-Cola. Hyundai will maintain its status as a FIFA official partner until 2030.Meanwhile, Spain won the 2026 North America World Cup final on July 20, defeating Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-21 09:40:00
  • Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Released, Fans React
    Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Released, Fans React The first trailer for Marvel's highly anticipated film, Avengers: Doomsday, has been released, generating significant buzz online.On July 20, the YouTube channel Marvel Entertainment posted a video titled Avengers: Doomsday | Official Trailer | In Theaters December 18.The trailer showcases the largest cast in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Notably, Robert Downey Jr. returns not as Iron Man but as the main villain, Doctor Doom. Other returning stars include Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Winston Duke (M'Baku), and Tenoch Huerta (Namor). The trailer also features members of the Fantastic Four and the Thunderbolts, along with actors from the Fox-era X-Men films, hinting at a massive multiverse crossover.Following the trailer's release, online communities reacted with a mix of excitement and skepticism.Some users commented, "No way Captain America can return!" and "They've brought back the old guys who retired after Endgame." Others expressed concerns, saying, "Even with the multiverse, this feels like cheating," and "If parts five and six fail, the MCU could be finished." Some noted, "There are more heroes I don't know than ones I do."Speculation about the film's plot also emerged.One user suggested, "The Fantastic Four will be the first to sense Doctor Doom's threat, leading them to the Avengers' world, which will then connect to Wakanda and the X-Men universe."Another user recommended watching at least Fantastic Four, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Thunderbolts to fully enjoy the film, adding that Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness is likely to be an important background piece.There was also speculation about the roles of the X-Men and Spider-Man. One user noted, "The X-Men won't have a significant role in Doomsday, with their major involvement likely saved for Secret Wars." They also predicted that the next Spider-Man film's post-credits scene might connect to Doomsday.Some speculated that Loki might play a role in maintaining the multiverse's timeline, potentially connecting various heroes across dimensions. There were also rumors about a meeting between Steve Rogers and Loki, though this has not been officially confirmed.As the trailer has been released, all eyes are on whether Doomsday will signal a revival for the MCU or fall short of fan expectations.This film is expected to be the fifth Avengers movie in the MCU and a key installment leading into the upcoming Secret Wars. The Russo brothers are set to direct, with a release date of December 18.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-21 09:40:00
  • Government and Democratic Party Agree on Record 800 Trillion Won Budget for Next Year
    Government and Democratic Party Agree on Record 800 Trillion Won Budget for Next Year The Democratic Party and the government have reached a consensus on a record budget of over 800 trillion won for the upcoming year. They stated that the budget should serve as a catalyst for a national transformation, aimed at securing growth drivers that will lead South Korea for the next 30 years, including the realization of three mega projects.Han Byeong-do, the acting party leader and floor leader, made these remarks during a government-party meeting on the 2027 budget held at the National Assembly. He noted that "the world is engaged in a silent war to secure key assets that will determine the future of artificial intelligence (AI)." This meeting was initiated by Park Hong-geun, the Minister of Economy and Finance.Han emphasized that the budget for next year is set to be the largest ever at 800 trillion won plus additional funds, with national tax revenue expected to reach a record 500 trillion won. He stressed the need for strategic investment resources to be actively utilized for future preparedness.He also highlighted the necessity for bold and strategic investments to accelerate the implementation of the three mega projects, stating that the budget should significantly reflect local-led growth and invigorate regional economies. He pledged that the party would provide strong support to ensure the budget protects citizens' lives and accelerates South Korea's transformation.Policy Committee Chair Han Jeong-ae remarked that the Lee Jae-myung administration has set goals for a potential growth rate of 3%, becoming a top four exporter, and achieving a national income of $50,000. She committed to closely coordinating the budget to address pressing issues such as youth employment and the K-shaped polarization affecting citizens' lives, as well as the climate crisis.Han noted that 2027 marks the 30th anniversary of the foreign exchange crisis, with public fund repayments expected to conclude. He emphasized that the IMF bailout was successfully completed under the Kim Dae-jung administration, and the Lee Jae-myung administration will finally bring this chapter to a close, thanks to the efforts and dedication of the citizens.Minister Park stated that next year's budget will be the first fully prepared by this government from start to finish, and it will involve the largest spending restructuring in history. The target for next year's fiscal spending restructuring is set at 50 trillion won, nearly double this year's target of 27 trillion won. Park reiterated that just because there will be significant additional tax revenue from the semiconductor boom, it does not mean inefficient projects will be revived.He also outlined plans to reinvest the record additional tax revenue into areas such as youth, growth drivers, local economies, and education through a future response fund.Lee Kwang-jae, chair of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, stated that he would consider how the budget will change citizens' lives when reviewing it and promised to adhere to the legal deadlines. 2026-07-21 09:36:00
  • Hanwha Solutions rights issue cut to $810 million after 21% discount
    Hanwha Solutions rights issue cut to $810 million after 21% discount SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) -Hanwha Solutions has bowed to regulatory scrutiny by finalizing on Monday a scaled-back 1.17 trillion won ($810 million) rights offering, less than half the 2.4 trillion won it originally planned to raise. The final fundraising reflects months of regulatory intervention and investor backlash that forced repeated revisions to one of South Korea's largest equity offerings this year, before a slide in the company's share price further reduced the proceeds through a lower issue price, its disclosures showed. The Hanwha Group energy and chemicals unit set the final subscription price at 22,100 won per share, about 21 percent below the preliminary issue price of 27,900 won announced last month. The company will issue 53 million new shares, raising 1.1713 trillion won through a shareholder rights offering. Any unsubscribed shares will be offered in a public subscription on July 27-28, with the new shares scheduled to begin trading on Aug. 11. The final amount compares with the 1.48 trillion won expected under the preliminary pricing and is less than half the 2.4 trillion won fundraising plan unveiled in March. Shares on Tuesday opened nearly 2 percent lower from Monday's close at 26,250 won. The company also revised how it will use the proceeds. Investment in facilities will remain unchanged at 907.7 billion won, while funds earmarked for debt repayment have been reduced to 263.6 billion won from the previously planned 571 billion won. Hanwha Solutions said it will bridge the funding gap through internal financing, including additional liquidity secured in the United States. The rights issue has been under unusually close scrutiny since its announcement in March. The Financial Supervisory Service twice ordered Hanwha Solutions to revise its securities registration statement, saying the filing lacked sufficient disclosure on matters material to investors' decision-making. The regulatory action delayed the offering and forced the company to provide more detailed explanations of its financing plans and capital allocation. The original proposal called for raising 2.4 trillion won, with 1.5 trillion won allocated to debt repayment and 900 billion won for investments in its solar and other growth businesses. The scale of the issuance, equivalent to roughly 42 percent of outstanding shares, triggered an immediate market backlash, sending Hanwha Solutions shares down more than 20 percent over two trading sessions. Minority shareholders criticized the transaction as placing the burden of balance-sheet repair on existing investors through substantial dilution despite the group's aggressive expansion strategy. The offering was subsequently reduced to about 1.7 trillion won during the review process before the continued decline in the company's share price lowered the final issue price and trimmed the proceeds further to 1.17 trillion won. The transaction also renewed scrutiny of the Hanwha Group's broader capital-raising strategy. Earlier this year, Hanwha Aerospace was forced to revise its record 3.6 trillion won rights offering after investors objected to the scale of dilution despite the defense company's strong cash generation. The company eventually cut the offering to 2.3 trillion won and replaced part of the financing with capital from group affiliates. The repeated pattern of announcing large equity offerings, suffering sharp share-price declines and subsequently restructuring the fundraising has intensified debate over the group's capital allocation and treatment of minority shareholders. To bolster confidence in the latest fundraising, Hanwha Corp., which owns about 36.7 percent of Hanwha Solutions, committed to fully subscribe to its allotted shares and purchase an additional 20 percent through oversubscription, investing about 843.9 billion won. Employee shareholders will subscribe on July 22, followed by existing shareholders on July 22-23. Any remaining shares will be offered to the public on July 27-28, with payment due on July 30. 2026-07-21 09:29:37
  • Daeduck Electronics Shares Rise Over 3% Following 497 Billion Won Investment Announcement
    Daeduck Electronics Shares Rise Over 3% Following 497 Billion Won Investment Announcement Daeduck Electronics is seeing a rise of over 3% in early trading following its announcement of a new facility investment worth nearly 500 billion won.As of 9:22 a.m. on July 21, Daeduck Electronics shares were trading at 124,700 won, up 4,000 won (3.31%) from the previous trading day.On July 20, the company disclosed that it had decided to invest 497 billion won in new production facilities and related infrastructure for semiconductor products. This investment represents 55.39% of the company’s consolidated equity of 897.3 billion won as of 2025 and will be funded through existing cash and external borrowing. The investment period is set from today until December 31, 2027.The purpose of this investment is to expand production capacity in response to increasing demand in the semiconductor market.Analysts view this investment as a factor that enhances long-term growth expectations. Ko Ui-young, a researcher at iM Investment & Securities, stated, "This 497 billion won investment is separate from the 213 billion won expansion investment announced in May for the Siheung B1 building. The total confirmed investment for this year alone is approximately 850 billion won, significantly exceeding the cumulative investment of 540 billion won during the FC-BGA investment cycle from 2020 to 2022."He added, "This announcement focuses on investments in FC-CSP and FC-BGA production equipment, encompassing both the Siheung and Ansan facilities. Given the recent supply shortages in the FC-BGA industry, the potential for long-term performance improvement is high."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-21 09:28:00
  • Exchange Rate Declines Amid Middle East Tensions, Trading in the High 1470s
    Exchange Rate Declines Amid Middle East Tensions, Trading in the High 1470s The won-dollar exchange rate is fluctuating in the high 1470s as geopolitical risks in the Middle East coincide with a favorable supply-demand situation for dollar selling.According to the Seoul foreign exchange market on July 21, the exchange rate for the won against the U.S. dollar was trading at 1,477.8 won as of 9:10 a.m.The rate started the day at 1,477.9 won, down 0.5 won from the previous day's closing price as of 6 a.m.According to the White House, U.S. forces conducted additional airstrikes on military targets in Iran related to missiles and drones on July 20 (local time). President Donald Trump stated that this operation was a retaliatory measure for attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the deaths of U.S. troops.International oil prices continued to rise amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures for September delivery closed at $89.22 per barrel, up 1.27% from the previous trading day, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for August delivery finished at $83.23 per barrel, a 0.90% increase.However, in the foreign exchange market, the favorable supply-demand situation for dollar selling is contributing to the decline in the exchange rate.Min Kyung-won, an economist at Woori Bank, explained, "This month, a significant amount of currency hedging from exporters and heavy industry companies has flowed into the foreign exchange market, leading to a lower exchange rate level. Additionally, considering the pending dollar selling demand due to the listing of SK Hynix's ADR, expectations for a favorable supply-demand situation for dollar selling have increased."He added, "The recent trend of the won showing a somewhat different pattern compared to other global currencies also supports this. Despite the sluggish domestic stock market, the undervaluation appeal has emerged, prompting foreign investors to respond with net buying, which is a background for the decline in the exchange rate."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-21 09:24:00
  • Coupang warehouse fire in Incheon contained after three-day battle
    Coupang warehouse fire in Incheon contained after three-day battle SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A massive fire at e-commerce giant Coupang's logistics center in Incheon was brought under control on Monday night after burning for about 61 hours, with firefighters continuing efforts to extinguish the remaining flames. According to fire authorities and emergency officials in Incheon, the fire, which broke out at around 6:50 a.m. last Saturday on the sixth floor of the eight-story logistics center in Seoknam-dong, was largely contained at around 8 p.m. on Monday. An emergency evacuation order issued the previous day for residents within a 116-meter radius of the logistics center over concerns about a possible structural collapse was also lifted. Around 200 residents in nearby areas reportedly moved to temporary shelters due to concerns over smoke and falling ash, although their neighborhoods were not included in the evacuation zone. About a dozen daycare centers and an elementary school nearby were also closed for the day. Despite the deployment of more than 800 emergency personnel and over 200 pieces of firefighting equipment to the site, the warehouse's complex structure and the large amounts of combustible materials stored inside hampered firefighting efforts, although rainfall helped firefighters make some progress in containing the blaze. A total of 121 people including warehouse workers were safely evacuated shortly after the fire broke out, while two firefighters were taken to a hospital after inhaling smoke and suffering exhaustion. With the blaze brought under initial control, fire authorities are expected to launch a full investigation into the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage. The latest incident marks one of the longest fires at a logistics facility in recent years, breaking the previous record also held by Coupang for a fire at its warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province in June 2021, which took 55 hours to bring under control. Some critics argue that little improvement has been made since then, saying that large-scale warehouses storing vast quantities of materials and other flammable goods should strengthen safety measures and emergency preparedness. 2026-07-21 09:23:44
  • July Exports Surge 52.3% to Record High, Driven by Semiconductor Growth
    July Exports Surge 52.3% to Record High, Driven by Semiconductor Growth Exports in mid-July increased by more than 50% compared to the previous year, reaching the highest level ever recorded for July. The growth was largely driven by strong semiconductor exports, along with increases in petroleum products and computer peripherals. Due to the impact of the Middle East conflict, imports of crude oil, gas, and coal rose by over 20%.According to the Customs Office, the export figures for July 1-20, released on July 21, 2026, show a preliminary total of $54.933 billion, marking a 52.3% increase from the same period last year. This figure represents the highest amount recorded for the period and brings the cumulative annual export total to $551.281 billion, a 48.7% increase.Considering the number of working days, the average daily export amount was $3.79 billion. Although the number of working days decreased by one to 14.5 days compared to the previous year, the daily exports surged by 62.9% year-on-year.Monthly exports have shown a positive trend since June of last year. Notably, last month, exports surpassed $100 billion for the first time in history.As of mid-July, exports were led by semiconductors and computer peripherals. Semiconductor exports reached $22.113 billion, a remarkable 180.6% increase from a year earlier. The share of semiconductor exports in total exports rose to 40.3%, an increase of 18.4 percentage points from the previous year.Increased prices due to high oil prices also contributed to a 33.4% rise in petroleum product exports. Other sectors showing growth included steel products (11.1%), ships (70.8%), computer peripherals (231.9%), and wireless communication devices (65.9%).Conversely, passenger car exports fell by 10.6% to $3.241 billion, and exports of automotive parts decreased by 9.6%.By country, exports to the top ten nations, including China (94.1%), the United States (39.6%), Vietnam (82.4%), the European Union (30.3%), and Taiwan (41.8%), all showed increases. The combined export share of the top three countries—China, the United States, and Vietnam—accounted for 51.9%.Imports also rose, increasing by 20.0% to $42.715 billion. The cumulative annual import total, including figures from last month, reached $401.374 billion, a 17.1% increase. Notably, semiconductor imports surged by 54.9% to $6.530 billion, while imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment rose by 56.9% to $2.151 billion.The rise in international oil prices due to the Middle East conflict also led to increased imports of crude oil, gas, and coal. Crude oil imports amounted to $6.007 billion, gas imports reached $2.022 billion, and coal imports totaled $970 million, reflecting increases of 27.5%, 27.9%, and 25.7%, respectively. However, imports of petroleum products (-8.9%) and passenger cars (-28.1%) declined.By country, imports from the top ten nations, including China (21.8%), the United States (17.1%), the EU (9.7%), Japan (14.6%), and Taiwan (45.7%), all showed increases.With exports exceeding imports, the trade balance recorded a surplus of $12.219 billion, bringing the cumulative annual trade surplus to $149.980 billion.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-21 09:20:00