Nexon shares fly in Tokyo with cap nearing $20 bn on strong pipeline SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Tokyo-listed shares of South Korean game publisher Nexon have hit their highest level since 2021, sending its market valuation of around $20 billion as investors rally behind its live-service games and global expansion strategy of CEO Lee Jung-hun. Nexon shared closed Thursday at ¥3,768 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, lifting its market cap above ¥3.1 trillion (around $19.8 billion) and extending an upward trend that began after its strong thir November 28, 2025

Asian stocks open lower as Wall Street closes for Thanksgiving SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI opened lower on Friday morning, dropping 1 percent to 3,947.53. The decline was driven by foreign investors offloading shares worth a net 260.9 billion Korean won (US$17.8 million), while domestic retail and institutional investors bought a net 258.1 billion won and 9.4 billion won, respectively. But the tech-heavy junior KOSDAQ began the day higher, gaining 3 percent to 906.31 and extending a three-day upward trend. Among November 28, 2025

Hanwha Ocean secures $725 million order for 4 container ships from HMM SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean announced Friday that it has secured a $725 million (1.07 trillion won) order from HMM to build four container ships. The deal is part of HMM’s broader strategy to transition to eco-friendly vessels and bolster the competitiveness of South Korea’s shipping and shipbuilding sectors. Hanwha Ocean said it will leverage its advanced container ship construction technology and extensive project experience to deliv November 28, 2025

South Korea forms council to speed up development of next-generation aircraft engine SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea is accelerating efforts to develop next-generation aircraft engines. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday it, together with related government bodies, inaugurated a council to review development plans for advanced propulsion systems for future fighter jets and streamline cooperation across ministries. Only a handful of countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Russia — possess h November 28, 2025

Korea's Oct factory output dips steepest in 5 years on chipmaking cutback SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s industrial output shrank at the steepest rate in five years in October on a sharp contraction in semiconductor activity that again underscored the economy’s heavy dependence on chipmaking, government data showed Friday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics Industrial Output data, mining and manufacturing output declined 4 percent on month, the steepest drop since 7.5 percent in May 2020, and 8.1 percent on year, the November 28, 2025

Hanwha Ocean shifts focus to Canada after losing Polish submarine deal SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Hanwha Ocean said on Friday it will pivot toward future defense export opportunities after losing out on Poland’s next-generation submarine program. “Despite strong support from the South Korean government and the public, we were unable to secure the Polish contract,” the company said in a press release. The shipbuilder said it will now redirect its focus to Canada, where the government is preparing one of the world’s larges November 28, 2025

South Korea's Daum portal to spin off as AXZ after 11 years under Kakao SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s No. 2 portal site Daum will be spun off into a standalone company named AXZ on Dec. 1, marking its first legal separation from Kakao in 11 years in a bid to revive competitiveness in the portal business, industry officials said Friday. Kakao will transfer Daum’s service rights to AXZ, a subsidiary established in May to prepare for the split. The move ends a decade-long integration following Kakao’s 2014 merger with Daum November 28, 2025

Seoul apartment transactions surge in October ahead of new housing curbs SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Apartment sales in Seoul saw a dramatic jump in October, fueled by a wave of last-minute purchases ahead of sweeping government real-estate curbs, official data and policy documents show. Nationally, housing transactions — including apartments and other types of residences — reached 69,718 last month, up 10 percent from September and 23.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the October housing statistics from the Ministry of Land, Inf November 28, 2025

Samsung Electronics moves HBM team back under DRAM division after one year SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics announced on Thursday it is dissolving its standalone high bandwidth memory development team created last year and moving related personnel back under the DRAM development division. The HBM development team will be absorbed into the design team under the DRAM development division, with Vice President Son Young-soo, who led the HBM team, appointed as head of the design team. Samsung created the dedicated HBM development team in July November 27, 2025

LG Chem replaces CEO, taps materials chief Kim Dong-chun to lead next phase SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - LG Chem has appointed Kim Dong-chun, head of its advanced materials division, as its new chief executive officer, marking the first leadership change in seven years. Kim succeeds Shin Hak-cheol. The board approved Kim’s promotion to president and CEO on Thursday. Kim is credited with boosting profitability within the advanced materials division and broadening the company’s global customer base, particularly in high-tech sectors. “K November 27, 2025