Team Korea lands in UAE to widen defense, energy, high-tech foray SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Team Korea — led by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and a delegation of top corporate chiefs — arrived Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates to pursue business opportunities in a Middle East rapidly pivoting toward digitalization, high-tech manufacturing, militarization and decarbonization powered by its oil wealth. The two-day UAE visit includes leaders from Korea's industrial backbone: Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyund November 18, 2025

Korean calorie-support product tops Japan's beauty platform for 24 weeks SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean food supplement company Foodology said Tuesday that its “Cutting Jelly” product has claimed the No. 1 spot in the “Calorie Support Supplement” category on @cosme, Japan’s largest beauty and personal care platform, for 24 consecutive weeks. @cosme, which draws roughly 20 million monthly visitors, updates its rankings based on user reviews and recommendations. Its reputation-based ratings system is widely regard November 18, 2025

NCSoft to roll out new role-playing game 'Aion 2' in Korea, Taiwan, Nov. 19 SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea's leading game company NCSoft said Tuesday it will launch Aion 2, its new flagship multiplayer online role-playing game, in South Korea and Taiwan at midnight on Nov. 19, positioning the title as a major addition to its 2024–25 pipeline. Players can pre-install the game through NCSoft’s cross-platform service, Purple, ahead of the release. Aion 2 follows the company’s long-running PC franchise Aion, which built a st November 18, 2025

Korea's household debt hits new high but loan growth slows sharply in 3Q SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s household debt climbed to a record level in the third quarter, though the pace of borrowing eased markedly as tighter regulations took hold, preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed Tuesday. Household credit rose to 1,968.3 trillion won ($1.43 trillion) at the end of September, up 14.9 trillion won from the previous quarter. The increase was roughly half the 25.1 trillion won rise recorded in the second quarter, reflecting the November 18, 2025

Wemade to build global game item platform with Japanese AI firm SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Wemade has signed an agreement with Japan’s Quantum Solutions to build a global platform for secure trades of in-game items, expanding its push into blockchain-based gaming infrastructure. The memorandum of understanding, announced Tuesday, brings together Wemade’s gaming portfolio and Quantum Solutions’ capabilities in AI infrastructure and blockchain security. Quantum Solutions has drawn investment from m November 18, 2025

Asian shares slide as Nvidia-linked stocks tumble; Baby Shark creator's KOSDAQ debut modest SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Asian markets fell broadly on Tuesday morning, dragged down by sharp losses in Nvidia-linked stocks after renewed selling by major U.S. hedge funds, while the “Baby Shark” creator’s KOSDAQ debut drew less fanfare than expected. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI dropped 1.55 percent to 4,025.95 as of 10:30 a.m., pressured by reports that Thiel Macro — the hedge fund founded by Palantir Technologies chairman Peter Thiel — ha November 18, 2025

Hyosung to expand high-voltage transformer plant in US SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon is moving to turn the company’s Memphis transformer plant into the largest facility of its kind in the United States, as demand for high-voltage equipment rises alongside the nation’s aging grid and a rapid build-out of AI-driven data centers. Hyosung Heavy Industries said Tuesday it will invest $157 million to boost the plant’s production capacity by more than 50 percent by 2028. The expansion is part o November 18, 2025

Korean institutions primary driver of KOSPI gain and reap big from their long bet SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean institutional investors have emerged as the primary force behind the KOSPI’s world-leading rally this year, reaping sizable gains from their long-position strategy fueled largely through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Domestic financial institutions made aggressive bets on Korean equities via ETFs, significantly boosting their bottom line. According to the Korea Exchange, foreigners have been net sellers of 5.86 trillion won November 18, 2025

POSCO chief calls for tech-led strategy to withstand global volatility SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa called for stepped-up technological innovation to help the steel conglomerate manage an increasingly unpredictable business landscape, telling employees the company must accelerate development efforts and reinforce long-term competitiveness. Speaking Tuesday at the POSCO Group Tech Forum, Jang said the company needs a more collaborative approach to research and development as it adapts to shifts in global supply chains November 18, 2025

Hyundai Motor Group bets big on driverless cars, humanoid robots SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group is making one of the most aggressive wagers yet on artificial intelligence in the global auto industry, unveiling plans to spend roughly 51 trillion won — about $38 billion — in the coming years to build an AI-driven manufacturing ecosystem centered on autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots. The investment, stretching from 2026 to 2030, signals the company’s belief that the automobile is rapidly evolving f November 18, 2025