Hyundai Motor partners with Jeonbuk National University to nurture future talent SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor has partnered with Jeonbuk National University in North Jeolla Province to nurture talent in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and hydrogen energy, the automaker said on Monday. It is part of the company's plan to build a next-generation industrial hub in the Saemangeum area, where a tideland development project aims to transform a vast tract of land from agricultural to industrial use. The automaker signed a memorandum of understan July 20, 2026

Korean Air says no change to domestic flights despite oil price surge SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Korean Air said Monday it has made no changes to its domestic flight operations, even as oil prices surged on renewed concerns over disruptions to Middle East energy shipments. “There has been no change,” a Korean Air official told AJP, when asked whether the carrier had reduced domestic flights due to rising fuel costs. “Nothing has been decided.” The official said claims that the airline had cut domestic flights were “not ba July 20, 2026

Hanwha Philly Shipyard takes shape as first MASGA milestone SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Hanwha Philly Shipyard, the centerpiece of the South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding partnership under MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again), is taking shape as a milestone contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency transforms the once-overlooked yard into a test bed for deeper defense-industrial cooperation between the two allies. The Philadelphia-based shipyard, acquired by Hanwha Group for about $100 million in 2024, has been selected to build Missile R July 20, 2026

Gov't to provide additional disaster relief for flood-hit regions SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - An additional 1.6 billion won (US$1.07 million) in emergency disaster relief funds will be provided to regions hit by last weekend's torrential rains, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday. The affected areas include Gyeonggi, Gangwon and North Gyeongsang provinces, where heavy downpours between last Friday and Sunday washed out roads, triggered mudslides and flooded homes, forcing some residents to evacuate. The funds will be used fo July 20, 2026

AI boom turns chip industry into one of Korea's hottest job markets SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) -The AI chip boom is transforming one of South Korea's most selective industries into one of its hottest job markets, as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix sharply expand hiring for new graduates to support an unprecedented wave of semiconductor investment. After years of favoring experienced engineers, the country's semiconductor industry is opening its doors wider to first-time job seekers as the AI race fuels construction of new fabrication plants and July 20, 2026

Seoul's top-tier apartments remain far more expensive than elsewhere in South Korea SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Buying a top-tier apartment in Seoul now requires at least 4.65 billion won, according to an analysis by real estate platform Zigbang. The minimum price needed to rank among Seoul's top 1 percent most expensive apartments reached 4.65 billion won (US$3.10 million) in the first half of this year, while the average transaction price for those homes stood at 6.36 billion won. But both the minimum and average prices slightly eased after reaching record July 20, 2026

Bio, fashion IPOs seek to inject life into subdued KOSDAQ SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) — South Korea's KOSDAQ, which turned 30 this month but has fallen 14 percent this year while the KOSPI has surged more than 60 percent, will look to a handful of biotechnology and fashion IPOs this week to revive its subdued listing market. The listings come as the KOSDAQ's fundraising market remains sluggish. Only 25 companies debuted on the exchange in the first half, down from 37 a year earlier, while total IPO proceeds fell to 740 billion won ( July 20, 2026

Türkiye's coup resisters carry wounds, no regrets SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Ten years after a faction of the Turkish military tried to seize power on the night of July 15, 2016, the civilians who poured into the streets to stop it still carry the marks of that night, in bone, in memory, and in the quiet routines of family life. Mehmet Emin Ertaş, a 47-year-old businessman, is missing the metatarsal bone in his right foot, taken by a bullet as he ran toward soldiers firing on the crowd. Elvan Alkılıç, a 36-year-old housewife, July 20, 2026

Blackstone buys Busan-based actuator maker Futronic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) -Blackstone has bought a majority stake in South Korean actuator and motion-control technology company Futronic in a deal that values the Busan-based company at about 1 trillion won ($720 million), according to multiple local media outlets. The two companies are yet to announce the deal or disclose the financial terms. The investment is being made in partnership with Futronic founder and Chairman Ko Jin-ho, who will remain chairman and chief executive off July 20, 2026

Korean films reach Ivory Coast cinemas in rare west African expansion SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Two South Korean films have entered commercial release in Ivory Coast, marking the first time Korean historical and horror films have received regular theatrical releases in the West African country, the South Korean Embassy in Abidjan said Monday. The release represents a rare expansion of Korean cinema into sub-Saharan Africa, where commercial screenings of Korean films have remained limited despite the global rise of Korean popular culture. While Korean f July 20, 2026