K-pop quartet aespa release new album in Japan SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - K-pop girl group aespa released their first Japanese mini album on Friday as they seek to expand their presence in Japan. "KISS N TELL" features six songs including the title track of the same name, a dance-pop song with upbeat piano melodies, rhythmic beats and layered harmonies, with lyrics exploring deepening friendships through shared personal concerns and emotions, according to their agency SM Entertainment. Released alongside the album, the July 24, 2026

SK to delist EV charging subsidiary ahead of planned sale SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - SK Inc. launched a tender offer for minority shareholders of its electric vehicle charging subsidiary SK Signet as it moves to delist the company ahead of a planned sale, according to a company disclosure on Friday. SK is offering 8,200 won (US$5.90) per common share for up to 10.07 million shares, equivalent to 25.07 percent of the company's fully diluted share count. The tender offer runs from Friday through Aug. 24, with settlement scheduled for Aug. 26 July 24, 2026

Hyundai Mobis posts record Q2 profit SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Hyundai Mobis announced that its second-quarter operating profit climbed 12.1 percent from a year earlier to 975.2 billion won ($665.7 million), as brisk sales of high-margin electronics components and a resilient after-sales parts business carried the auto parts maker. According to preliminary regulatory filings released Friday, revenue rose 2.4 percent to 16.32 trillion won, while net profit advanced 13.5 percent to 1.06 trillion won. Measured against the fi July 24, 2026

KOSPI opens lower as US announces new tariffs amid oil market jitters SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Seoul stocks opened sharply lower on Friday after Washington announced a 12.5 percent tariff on South Korean and Japanese exports over "dubious" forced labor concerns, hitting a market already unsettled by a Middle East supply shock that pushed Brent crude back above US$100 a barrel. The benchmark KOSPI dropped 2.2 percent in early trade to 6,939.11, giving up the 7,000 line it had reclaimed only days earlier, while the Nikkei 225 fell 2.5 percent in July 24, 2026

Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha vie for military robot dog project SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s military is moving to acquire quadruped robots, setting the stage for another competition between Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace in the country’s growing military robotics market. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and industry sources Friday, the military is preparing to draw up a purchase plan in September for the quadruped robot project, with a contractor expected to be selected through open bidding ear July 24, 2026

Stricter cash requirements for leveraged ETFs to take effect late this month SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - South Korea is set to introduce tougher minimum deposit requirements for single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) late this month, requiring retail investors to hold at least 30 million won (US$20,300) in cash for new or additional purchases. The Financial Services Commission said Friday that it moved up the implementation date from early August to July 31 after consultations with financial authorities and the securities industry. The measure is July 24, 2026

Kolon TissueGene extends slide as trial miss guts valuation SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Shares in Kolon TissueGene fell for a sixth consecutive session on Friday, extending a rout that has erased about three-quarters of the biotech firm's market value in a single week after its osteoarthritis gene therapy failed to outperform a placebo in a late-stage U.S. trial. The stock traded at 15,620 won as of 10:04 a.m. on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ, down 5,430 won, or 25.94 percent from the previous close. The shares had already hit the daily limit-down July 24, 2026

Seoul vows further consultations with Washington over new 12.5% tariff SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - South Korea will closely consult with the U.S. after Washington announced a new 12.5 percent tariff on South Korean goods the previous day, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said its investigation under the Section 301 of the Trade Act launched in March found that 60 economies had failed to adopt or enforce bans on imports of goods made with forced labor, leading it to impose tariffs ranging from 10 percent to July 24, 2026

US ambassador to Korea Steel will arrive in Seoul next week SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - The new United States ambassador to South Korea will arrive in Seoul next week, ending a vacancy of about 18 months at the top of the American mission and putting a confirmed envoy on the ground just as the two governments try to turn a sweeping trade and investment deal into actual projects. Michelle Steel gave the timing Thursday (local time) in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency at the opening of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center July 24, 2026

Korea faces 12.5% tariff under new U.S. Section 301 SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) -South Korean exports to the United States will effectively face a tariff floor of 12.5 percent under President Donald Trump's new Section 301 action targeting imports linked to forced labor, but Seoul avoided being placed in the blanket tariff category after Washington cited its bilateral trade agreement with Korea. Trump on Thursday signed a memorandum directing the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on impor July 24, 2026