UNC commander calls for readiness on Korean War Armistice anniversary SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - The Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War has helped maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for 73 years, the commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) said Monday as South Korea and allied nations marked the anniversary of the ceasefire. UNC Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks in a post on X honoring the 22 countries that fought or provided medical support to South Korea, a country thousands of miles away under the July 27, 2026

Korea's middle-aged dads find an unlikely superhero in 'Agent Kim' SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - As South Korean companies quietly push employees toward early retirement, millions of middle-aged office workers have found an unlikely superhero in a timid bank manager who secretly used to be one of the country's deadliest intelligence operatives. The latest hit K-drama "Agent Kim Reactivated," known in Korean as Kim Bu-jang, wrapped up its 10-episode run Sunday after becoming one of the year's biggest television successes. But its strong July 27, 2026

The East joins the West in the survival game against extreme heat SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - South Korea joined the global survival game against extreme heat on Monday as temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius after the monsoon fizzled out, emptying streets and farm fields alike. Children and office workers, farmers and foreign tourists alike searched for clever ways to stay cool, crowding shopping malls, subway stations and other air-conditioned spaces. By 3 p.m., the government raised the national heat crisis alert to "grave," its highe July 27, 2026

Large-scale K-pop festival planned for launch next year with global ambitions SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - A large-scale K-pop event will be held late next year as part of a program unveiled on Monday by the presidential committee for promoting Exchanges in South Korean Popular Culture. The event, tentatively dubbed "Fanomenon," will run from Dec. 2 to 12 next year at Changdong in northern Seoul and KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, featuring headliner concerts, a fandom-focused awards show and industry exhibitions. Those plans were presented at a p July 27, 2026

China's CXMT armed with $8.6 billion war chest to chase Korean DRAM giants SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - China's spectacular stock market debut of memory chipmaker CXMT Corp. on Monday handed the country's DRAM champion an $8.6 billion war chest to accelerate its pursuit of South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, highlighting Beijing's determination to build a self-sufficient semiconductor industry despite U.S. technology restrictions. Shares of CXMT, China's largest dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) producer, surged 465.9 percent July 27, 2026

KOSPI rebounds as AI bets outweigh China memory threat SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) — South Korean stocks rebounded Monday after investors looked past the blockbuster debut of Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT and instead focused on fresh artificial intelligence (AI) partnerships, allowing chip shares to recover from early declines. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,755.75, up 0.97 percent after reversing an early decline triggered by more than 2 trillion won in foreign selling. The junior KOSDAQ outperformed, rising 2.22 percent to 764.86. July 27, 2026

South Korea enters peak heat wave after monsoon fades SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) -South Korea plunged into its most intense heat wave of the summer on Monday as the seasonal monsoon effectively came to an end, pushing heat indices above 38 degrees Celsius in parts of the country and prompting the government to raise its highest-level heat emergency alert. Most of the country remained under heat advisories or warnings, while severe heat alerts were issued across parts of the southeastern Yeongnam region, including Changwon, Jinju, Gimhae, Ya July 27, 2026

BTS' 'Butter' becomes seventh music video to surpass 1.1 billion views on YouTube SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' hit single "Butter" has garnered over 1.1 billion views on YouTube, their management agency said on Monday. Released in May 2021, the song's music video reached the milestone earlier in the day, becoming the group's seventh video to achieve the feat. It became their seventh music video to surpass 1.1 billion views, following "Dynamite," "DNA," "Fake Love," "IDOL," "Boy July 27, 2026

Seoul turns Han River into day-and-night summer destination SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Seoul city will turn the Han River into a day-and-night summer destination from Aug. 1 to 16 with a festival featuring what the city calls the river's first synchronized surface drone show, overnight programs and expanded water sports. The 2026 Hangang Summer Festival will be held across nine Han River parks and nearby waterfront areas, offering 16 programs ranging from live performances and outdoor screenings to water recreation, the Seoul Metropolitan Go July 27, 2026

SK hynix Q2 to show how much its all-in AI bet is paying off SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - China's rising chip darling and IPO blockbuster CXMT may be catching up fast, while local archrival Samsung Electronics bristles at the comparison. But in the AI memory race, this year still belongs to SK hynix. The headline numbers may no longer surprise investors when SK hynix reports second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, even though operating profit is expected to nearly double its previous quarterly record and exceed the company's entire profit f July 27, 2026