Two hearts drive Kazakhstan - Almaty and Astana In 1997, when the government announced it was moving the capital, the reaction abroad was skeptical. The site chosen sat in the middle of the steppe and held fewer than 300,000 people. Countries that relocate a capital usually see one of two outcomes. The old capital loses its energy, or the new one hardens into a town of civil servants. Kazakhstan avoided both. The two cities split the work, and together they generate roughly 35 percent of national gross domestic product. Alma September 15, 2026

Korea's ruling party chief touts stronger US alliance in meeting with envoy SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - Stronger self-defense capabilities do not conflict with a deeper alliance with the United States, ruling Democratic Party (DP) leader Kim Min-seok told U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel on Tuesday. “The United States has been a reliable neighbor throughout South Korea's modernization, democratization and industrialization,” Kim told the U.S. envoy during their first meeting at the National Assembly since her arrival in late July. “ September 15, 2026

Korea dreams big on humanoids, but they still run on foreign parts SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korea's humanoid robots hardly look like formidable competitors beside their free-wheeling Chinese counterparts, and their awkward moves betray a much deeper problem. Despite South Korea's much-hyped push to become an artificial intelligence powerhouse, its physical AI ecosystem remains fledgling, short of both scale and a homegrown supply chain. Aei Robot, one of the country's leading bipedal robot makers, is largely forced to fend f September 15, 2026

Coupang creates outside security panel after record privacy fine SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - Coupang has opened its internal security policies to review by seven outside experts, the South Korean e-commerce operator said Tuesday, 10 months after a breach exposed personal data belonging to about 37.6 million people. The information protection advisory committee, co-chaired by Coupang chief information security officer Brett Mathis and Korea Chief Private Officers' Forum president Hur Sung-wook, held its first meeting the on same day and will c September 15, 2026

One in nine Koreans in 50s never married SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - More than one in 10 people in South Korea in their 50s have never married, with the number more than tripling over the past decade as marriage becomes increasingly less universal among middle-aged adults. Data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed that 934,000 people in their 50s, or 10.9 percent of the age group’s 8.54 million population, had never married as of August. A decade earlier, the figure stood at 281,000, or 3.4 percent. Amon September 15, 2026

Asiana losing "OZ" code but mileage valid for 10 years under KAL wing SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) -Asiana Airlines will begin losing its “OZ” flight code in November as flights shift to Korean Air’s “KE,” but its mileage will remain valid for at least a decade after the carriers fully integrate in December, according to Korean Air and the antitrust regulator. Korean Air said Monday it will carry out the flight-number conversion, known as re-accommodation, from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3 for passengers who already hold Asiana reserva September 15, 2026

Fried-chicken chain bhc opens first store in Viet Nam SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korean fried-chicken chain bhc Chicken has opened its first store in Viet Nam, marking its entry into the Southeast Asian market and expanding its overseas presence to 10 countries. According to Dining Brands Group, formerly known as BHC Group, which operates the chain, its first Vietnamese outlet opened last Saturday at Vincom Plaza Phan Van Tri in Ho Chi Minh City, several months after it signed a franchise deal with Vietnamese food and beverage September 15, 2026

Korea scraps renewable quotas in energy transition push SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - New renewable power projects in South Korea will sell electricity under long-term fixed-price contracts won at government auctions from January, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Tuesday. The revised renewable energy promotion act retires the renewable portfolio standard that has shaped the market since 2012. Developers will bid beneath a government ceiling price in auctions run separately for each energy source, and winners will sig September 15, 2026

Korean carbon firms sign supply deals at Shanghai expo SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - Two South Korean carbon material makers signed preliminary supply agreements with Chinese buyers at the China Composites Expo in Shanghai last week, World-OKTA said Tuesday. World-OKTA, a Seoul-based association founded in 1981 that connects overseas Korean businesspeople through 157 chapters in 76 countries, ran the Korean pavilion at the expo from Sept. 1 to 3. Seven South Korean carbon and composite companies took part. Mcell, which coats fabric September 15, 2026

Seoul, Tokyo nearly flat amid AI and Gulf worries Verified by the AJP desk5 confirmed CONFIRMED · 5 ✓ 6,663.75 Checked against Naver Finance ✓ 20.62 Checked against Naver Finance ✓ 0.31 percent Checked against Naver Finance ✓ 63,673.78 Checked against Naver Finance ✓ Nasdaq Composite Checked against Yahoo Finance Desk review 2026-09-15 00:38 KST · September 15, 2026