Amorepacific rides K-beauty boom to strongest Q2 in years SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Amorepacific Group reported sharply higher second-quarter earnings on Thursday as robust growth in North America, Europe and Japan offset weakness in Greater China, underscoring the South Korean cosmetics maker's accelerating shift toward a broader global business footprint. The company posted consolidated revenue of 1.25 trillion won and operating profit of 122.8 billion won for the April-June period, up 14.6 percent and 53.3 percent, respectively, from July 30, 2026

ESS transition helps Samsung SDI swing to profit as peers lag SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) -Samsung SDI returned to the black in the second quarter, snapping seven consecutive quarters of operating losses as booming demand for energy storage systems powering AI data centers offset the prolonged electric-vehicle slowdown that continues to weigh on most Korean battery makers. According to regulatory filings released Thursday, the firm booked an operating profit of 203.8 billion won ($141.5 million) for the three months through June, reversing a loss July 30, 2026

Most Korean jobseekers feel "on hold" rather than unemployed SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) —Active jobseekers theoretically fall under the "unemployed" in South Korea, but most of them see themselves as being "on hold" or in "rest mode," reflecting a growing sense of uncertainty and defeat rather than withdrawal from the labor market, a survey showed. According to a survey of 1,412 job seekers conducted by career platform Saramin, 63.3 percent said they considered themselves to be in a "resting" or &quo July 30, 2026

LG Electronics confirms record Q2 on premium power SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - LG Electronics confirmed record second-quarter results on Thursday, driven by strong home appliance sales, resilient vehicle component demand and growing subscription revenue despite geopolitical uncertainties and softer consumer spending. The South Korean electronics maker posted consolidated revenue of 23.83 trillion won ($16.52 billion) and operating profit of 1.58 trillion won ($1.09 billion) for the April-June period, up 14.9 percent and 147 percent, r July 30, 2026

Han Kang's old neighborhood turns Nobel victory into cultural landmark SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - A northern Seoul district has given an honorary name to a stretch of road near the childhood home of Nobel laureate Han Kang, seeking to turn growing international interest in Korean literature into a local cultural asset. Gangbuk-gu said Thursday that the 463-meter section in Ui-dong has been designated “Nobel Literature Road.” The route comprises 307 meters of Samyang-ro 165-gil and a 156-meter section of Samyang-ro 169-gil. The streets surr July 30, 2026

Hanroro revives 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' in latest J-pop remake project SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — Singer-songwriter Hanroro has reinterpreted "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," the iconic opening theme from the Japanese anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion," as part of a Korean project reimagining classic J-pop hits for a new generation of listeners. The remake will be released at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) Thursday, music producer SHgold Networks said. Originally recorded by Yoko Takahashi in 1995, "A Cruel Angel's Thes July 30, 2026

SK hynix scraps paperwork in hunt for AI-native talent SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) -Generous bonuses and an extraordinary AI boom are not the only appeals that have made SK hynix South Korea's most sought-after employer for a second consecutive year, as the chipmaker continues to break hiring norms in search of AI-native talent. SK hynix said Thursday it will scrap the traditional self-introduction essay and replace brief interviews with half-day competency assessments for new graduate recruitment beginning next month, introducing its bi July 30, 2026

Latest 'Spider-Man' installment tops domestic box office SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - American superhero film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" topped the domestic box office, attracting about 680,000 moviegoers on its opening day this week. According to ticket sales data compiled by the Korean Film Council on Thursday, the film drew 689,076 moviegoers the previous day. The film had the best opening day among movies released in recent years, drawing more viewers than Hollywood animated film "Zootopia 2" and Japanese fantasy July 30, 2026

Korea fines KT $37 mln over rogue base station breach SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea's privacy watchdog has fined KT 53.98 billion won ($37.3 million) over a data breach in which rogue miniature base stations, or femtocells, were used to siphon the personal information of about 16,000 subscribers and route unauthorized micro-payments. The Personal Information Protection Commission said Thursday it had imposed the penalty at a plenary session the previous day, alongside corrective orders and a public disclosure order, and would July 30, 2026

Korean director Lee Chang-dong to receive TIFF Ebert Director Award SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong will become the first Korean director to receive the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Ebert Director Award, Netflix said Thursday, as his latest film, "Possible Love," is also set to make its North American premiere at this year's festival. The award is part of TIFF's annual Tribute Awards, which recognize individuals for outstanding artistic achievement and contributions to cinema. July 30, 2026