Korean battery makers under Trump whims – from EV retreat to datacenters SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's retreat from Biden-era electric-vehicle policies has upended the American growth plans of South Korean battery makers, leaving factories built for an EV boom idled, scaled back or searching for a new purpose. Now, some are finding one in the power-hungry data-center boom. Canceled U.S. EV and battery projects between January 2025 and August this year had promised about 27,000 jobs, according to a Reuters analysis of Atla September 17, 2026

Han River ferry marks 1st anniversary with more than 600,000 riders SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Seoul's water ferry service along the Han River has carried more than 600,000 passengers in about a year after its launch last fall, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Thursday. According to the city government, the cumulative number of passengers stood at 603,293 as of early this week, with the service set to mark its first anniversary this Friday after beginning operations on Sept. 18 last year. The milestone comes after a rocky start, w September 17, 2026

Won emerges as standout Q3 gainer as KOSPI rally takes back seat SEOUL, Sept. 17 (AJP) — The South Korean won emerged as a standout winner against the U.S. dollar in the third quarter to date, reversing its trend and place with the KOSPI that dominated the first half. The dollar stood at 1,359.4 won on Sept. 15, leaving the Korean currency 4.8 percent stronger than the end-July level of 1,424.0 won and 8.6 percent stronger than its first-half average of 1,486.79 won, showed the Bank of Korea (BOK) third-quarter market report Thursday. T September 17, 2026

LG chiefs gather to sharpen AI strategy SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and executives from major affiliates gathered to review the conglomerate's investment strategy as artificial intelligence reshapes industries and technology, the group said Thursday. About 40 executives from LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek, LG Chem, LG Energy Solution and LG Uplus attended the eight-hour meeting held Wednesday at the LG Academy in Icheon, south of Seoul. Executives reviewed existing inves September 17, 2026

Korean dictionary data to join 600-language BabelNet network SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - South Korea's National Institute of Korean Language is teaming up with Italian AI language technology company Babelscape to connect Korean-language resources with BabelNet, a multilingual network covering about 600 languages. The institute, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Wednesday it signed an agreement with Babelscape to expand the development and use of AI-based language resources. BabelNet is a large multilingual dicti September 17, 2026

Stray Kids take 'STRAYCITY' across Latin America SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids are taking a new music festival built around the group across Latin America, with "STRAYCITY" set to move to Mexico City later this month, JYP Entertainment said Thursday. The festival, jointly planned by JYP and Live Nation, opened in Bogota on Sept. 9 before staging two shows in Buenos Aires on Sept. 14 and 15. Stray Kids headlined the events with a set spanning tracks including "TOPLINE," "MANIAC, September 17, 2026

RIIZE lands second 100 million-stream Spotify hit SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - "Love 119" by K-pop boy group RIIZE has surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, becoming the group's second song to reach the milestone after "Get A Guitar," SM Entertainment said Thursday. The 2024 single had logged 100,026,078 streams as of Thursday, according to Spotify data cited by the agency. "Love 119" gave RIIZE its first music show win and peaked at No. 3 on Melon's Top 100 chart. The song previousl September 17, 2026

Samsung to power Cebu development with AI systems SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will supply AI-powered home appliances and building management systems to a mixed-use development in Cebu, the Philippines, as the company expands its business-to-business solutions in Southeast Asia. Samsung said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean property developer DH Plus to provide AI appliances, SmartThings Pro and its b.IoT building management platform for the Glanz Forest Park project. Sc September 17, 2026

Seoul's Jongno 3-ga named world's 'coolest neighborhood' by British magazine SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Seoul's Jongno 3-ga has been named the world's "coolest neighborhood" for 2026 in a list released Wednesday by British travel magazine Time Out. Jongno 3-ga, which ranked third on the magazine's 2021 list, rose to No. 1 this year. Time Out attributed the rise to the neighborhood's growing late-night dining scene, street food, characteristic shops and its blend of Seoul's historic character with newer cultural trends. The a September 17, 2026

Hanwha, EDGE team up on integrated UAE air defense network SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Hanwha Systems and the UAE’s EDGE Group have agreed to jointly develop an integrated air defense network for the UAE. Hanwha Systems said Thursday the two sides signed a term sheet at EDGE headquarters in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday outlining the direction of the project and a phased review of weapons systems that could be introduced. Hanwha Systems has supplied multifunction radars, while Hanwha Aerospace has provided launchers, canisters and missile September 17, 2026