Ahn Hyo-seop teams up with Khalid for debut single 'Something Special' SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - South Korean actor Ahn Hyo-seop has released his debut solo single "Something Special," a collaboration with Grammy-nominated American R&B artist Khalid. The single was released through FANDOM on major streaming platforms on Friday, with Musicow planning to unveil an official music video in June. Musicow is a music equity platform that lets fans co-own royalty revenue from their favorite artists' songs, and FANDOM is its debut project &md May 29, 2026

Hyundai Motor's HTWO Guangzhou named hydrogen industry leader in China SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group's HTWO Guangzhou has been named a hydrogen industry leader by the southern Chinese city, becoming the only foreign-invested company among 96 firms selected under the city's strategic industry cluster program. According to the automaker, its first overseas production base for hydrogen fuel cell systems in China was selected by the Guangzhou municipal government as a leading enterprise in the hydrogen energy sector. The city has s May 29, 2026

Stock leverage, not typical housing as BOK's policy headache SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) — More than 60 trillion won ($39.9 billion) of leverage tied to South Korea’s stock market frenzy is emerging as a risk factor for both equities and the foreign-exchange market after the central bank all but signaled at least one rate hike in the second half. “While demand curves typically slope downward, heavy debt-fueled investment could reverse that pattern, as forced liquidations are triggered and funds are withdrawn when prices decline,&r May 29, 2026

In South Korea, campaigns move indoors SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) -The streets used to shake. Candidate trucks blaring jingles, jackets every color of the rainbow, rallies spilling across every intersection. Growing up, elections were the noisiest thing Korea did. You knew one was coming before you checked the calendar — you could hear it. That was then. Now, with 4,227 seats on the line — governors, mayors, district chiefs, council seats, education offices — and a clutch of May 29, 2026

AI wealth gap reaches city halls as Korea's chip hubs reap tax windfall SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - South Korea's artificial intelligence boom is creating winners far beyond the stock market, with cities hosting semiconductor plants emerging as some of the biggest beneficiaries of a tax windfall fueled by record earnings at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The central government is expected to collect tens of trillions of won in additional tax revenue this year as the AI-driven semiconductor boom boosts corporate profits and equity valuations. At the l May 29, 2026

Early voting for local elections gets off to strong start SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - Early voting for the June 3 local elections began across the country on Friday, with turnout already surpassing levels seen in previous elections, as President Lee Jae Myung and other prominent figures cast their ballots. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), voter turnout stood at 7.02 percent as of 2 p.m. on the first day of early voting, up 0.96 percentage points from 6.06 percent recorded during the 2022 local elections. Of the country' May 29, 2026

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries begins Sweden icebreaker project SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has begun work on an icebreaker project it won from Sweden, marking the first overseas icebreaker contract secured by a South Korean shipyard. The company said Thursday that eight officials from Sweden, including Erik Eklund, director general of the Swedish Maritime Administration, and Johannes Andreasson, deputy head of mission at the Swedish Embassy in Seoul, visited its shipyard in Ulsan on Wednesday for a kickoff meeting on the p May 29, 2026

Korea's memory giants hit new ceiling ahead of visit by their biggest client SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - South Korea's memory-chip giants climbed to fresh records Friday as investors turned euphoric ahead of next week's visit by their biggest customer, Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, fueling hopes of deeper AI partnerships and new orders for next-generation memory chips. The world's most valuable company's CEO Jensen Huang is set to visit South Korea next week, a trip expected to transform his high-profile camaraderie with the countr May 29, 2026

South Korean households spend more as income gap widens in Q1 SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - South Korean households spent more in the first quarter, but their savings declined as spending grew faster than earnings for the first time in nearly two years, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said on Friday. According to the ministry, average monthly household income rose 2.4 percent from a year earlier to 5.48 million won (US$4,000) in the first quarter of 2026. Among them, average income for salaried workers stood at 3.42 million won. Average monthly May 29, 2026

KOSPI surges to record 8,476 on Iran-Hormuz deal reports SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - The KOSPI surged 3.55 percent to close at a record 8,476.15, its sharpest advance this week, as reports of a United States-Iran deal in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz unleashed a broad rally that lifted autos and batteries alongside semiconductors — a breadth the AI-driven run had conspicuously failed to deliver in prior sessions. The catalyst was unambiguous. A senior American official confirmed during the session that Washington and Tehran h May 29, 2026