Jennie takes creative control of new single 'Less than a Lover' SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - BLACKPINK's Jennie released a new single, Less than a Lover, on Friday after taking part in both the songwriting and visual production of the project. The track arrived at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT), according to OA Entertainment. Jennie contributed to its lyrics and composition, drawing on the atmosphere of summer while developing the song. Less than a Lover centers on the anticipation and lingering uncertainty of a relationship suspended somewhere between frie July 24, 2026

AI boom rewrites "Happy Forever" in Korea's biggest divorce battle SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) — A handmade birthday poster once wished SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong "Happy Forever." Nearly four decades later, their marriage has ended in a 944 billion won ($642 million) property settlement shaped not only by family history and corporate succession, but also by an artificial intelligence boom that transformed the value of Chey's fortune. The Seoul High Court on Friday largely upheld its earlier landmark ruling in w July 24, 2026

K-pop impresario Park Jin-young shows off biceps in photos for new single SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - K-pop singer and producer Park Jin-young on Friday shared several behind-the-scenes photos to promote his new single released the previous day. "WET" marks his first summer-themed single since "When We Disco," his 2020 collaboration with Sunmi, a former member of K-pop girl group Wonder Girls. The reggae-inspired track was also chosen as the main theme song for this year's "Waterbomb," one of South Korea's biggest summe July 24, 2026

Nongshim to hike prices for snacks, beverages and cup noodles next month SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Nongshim will raise prices for a range of its products starting next month, raising concerns that other food makers could soon follow suit. The instant-noodle giant said it decided to raise factory prices for 43 brands by an average of 5.8 percent starting Aug. 1, citing soaring costs for raw materials and other ingredients driven by higher oil prices amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Factory prices for cup noodles, snacks and beverages will r July 24, 2026

Chey divorce ruling may speed up SK Siltron sale SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - SK Group's long-stalled sale of wafer maker SK Siltron may be back on track now that chairman Chey Tae-won owes his former wife 944 billion won, about $640 million at current rates, with a board meeting next week shaping up as the decision point. The Seoul High Court ordered Chey on Friday to pay the sum to Roh So-yeong, director of the Art Center Nabi, in the retrial of their property division suit, plus five percent annual interest from the day after t July 24, 2026

Korean leaders meet Nvidia at San Francisco AI summit SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung and a delegation of South Korea's leading executives and researchers are meeting Nvidia and its ecosystem partners at an AI summit in San Francisco this week to map out the country's push into artificial intelligence, the chipmaker said. The gathering builds on Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang's visit to Seoul last month, advancing what the company describes as a full-stack drive to widen Korea's AI infras July 24, 2026

 Seoul Arts Center chief Chang reports over $1 million cello collection SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) -A prized cello, bow and Steinway piano worth nearly $1 million appeared among the assets disclosed by internationally acclaimed cellist Han-Na Chang after she joined South Korea's mandatory wealth disclosure system as president of the Seoul Arts Center. Han-Na Chang, president of the Seoul Arts Center and an internationally acclaimed cellist, reported assets totaling 7.82 billion won ($5.6 million), according to a public asset disclosure released Friday July 24, 2026

Won breaks from yen as SK hynix dollar flows reshape FX outlook SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - "Excess volatility is undesirable." That identical message from the U.S. Treasury Department applied to both the South Korean won and Japanese yen in its latest semiannual currency report to Congress, even as it kept both countries on its monitoring list. Treasury said recent depreciation pressures were not in line with South Korea's strong economic fundamentals and reiterated that foreign-exchange intervention should be reserved only for epis July 24, 2026

Kazakhstan plans TV debates for Kurultay elections SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Kazakhstan will broadcast televised debates between political parties nationwide ahead of the August 23 elections to the Kurultay, the country's new single-chamber parliament, as the Central Asian nation prepares for its first vote under a constitution adopted this spring. The plan was announced at a meeting of the Central Election Commission, Kazakhstan's state-run news agency Qazinform reported Friday. Lyazzat Suyindik, a member of the Central Elec July 24, 2026

Lee departs for San Francisco to begin multi-nation overseas trip SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung left for San Francisco in California on Friday to begin a multi-nation overseas trip that will also take him to three South American countries and Germany. During the trip, which will last about 11 days until early next month, he is expected to seek stronger cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI)-related industries, investment and economic partnerships. In San Francisco, the first leg of his trip, Lee will spend two days meeting July 24, 2026