BTS lights up first World Cup halftime show with "Dynamite" SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) -South Korea failed to reach even the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but K-pop made it all the way to the final stage as BTS headlined the tournament’s first-ever halftime show. BTS brought K-pop to football's biggest stage on Sunday, delivering an energetic performance of their global hit "Dynamite" during the FIFA World Cup final's first-ever halftime show before more than 80,000 spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium. July 20, 2026

Policy chief rules out delisting single-stock leveraged ETFs despite volatility concerns SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Senior presidential secretary for policy Kim Yong-bum on Sunday ruled out delisting single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which have come under scrutiny for fueling market volatility, saying doing so would deliver a significant shock to financial markets. Appearing on a KBS program, Kim said it was "hard to imagine" delisting them because investors have already poured substantial funds into them. "If they were delisted, that July 19, 2026

South Korea's GDP per capita estimated to near $40,000 this year SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is forecast to approach US$40,000 this year, supported by strong exports led by an artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled semiconductor boom, according to data from financial authorities released on Sunday. The country's GDP per capita is projected to reach $39,164 this year, up $2,750 or 7.6 percent from a year earlier, marking the largest annual increase in about five years. The projected growth w July 19, 2026

Samsung remains South Korea's only global top 10 tech brand amid heated AI race SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics remained the only South Korean company among the world's top 10 technology brands, as intensifying competition driven by artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the global technology industry. According to the latest report on major global technology companies released by British consulting firm Brand Finance, Samsung's brand value reached US$97.42 billion (about 145 trillion won), up 9 percent from $89.42 billion a year e July 19, 2026

Hyundai Motor chief to raise stake in Boston Dynamics amid physical AI push SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Eui-sun is reportedly set to invest about 120 billion South Korean won (US$80 million) of his personal funds to boost his stake in U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamics, as the automaker seeks to strengthen its foothold in the emerging physical artificial intelligence (AI) sector. According to financial and industry sources on Sunday, Chung and other shareholders of Boston Dynamics are pursuing a plan to acquire the 9.65 perc July 19, 2026

Firefighters still battle to contain major blaze at Coupang logistics center in Incheon SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Firefighters are still battling a major blaze at e-commerce giant Coupang's logistics center in Incheon on Sunday, more than 24 hours after the fire broke out on the facility the previous day. The fire broke out at about 6:50 a.m. on the sixth floor of the multi-story storage center in Seoknam-dong, Incheon. Authorities said the flames later spread to the seventh floor, complicating efforts to contain the blaze. One firefighter was hospitalized after in July 19, 2026

Son Heung-min scores first MLS goal of season in LAFC return SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - South Korean captain Son Heung-min scored his first Major League Soccer goal of the season on Saturday in his first game back with Los Angeles FC following the 2026 World Cup. Son started against city rivals LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, and found the net in the 57th minute to put LAFC 3-0 ahead. The 34-year-old forward collected a pass from Mark Delgado before firing a right-footed shot into the net for his first goal aga July 18, 2026

North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui arrives in Moscow for official visit SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui arrived in Moscow on Saturday for an official visit at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian state media reported. Russia's Foreign Ministry said Choe was visiting Moscow at Lavrov's invitation, according to RIA Novosti. Details of the purpose of the trip and her schedule have not been disclosed. The visit comes as Pyongyang and Moscow deepen political and military ties und July 18, 2026

Hanwha's Philly Shipyard wins U.S. missile test vessel contract tied to Golden Dome SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Hanwha Philly Shipyard has been selected to build two next-generation missile range instrumentation vessels (MRIVs) for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), marking a major defense contract that will support the Trump administration's planned Golden Dome missile defense system. The U.S. shipbuilder, acquired by South Korea's Hanwha Group last year, said on Saturday it had been selected alongside U.S.-based TOTE Services for the program. Under the July 18, 2026

Small-, mid-cap stocks outperform as chip rout weighs on Korea's blue chips SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - South Korea's small- and mid-cap stocks outperformed large caps this month as a sharp selloff in semiconductor shares weighed on the broader market and prompted retail investors to rotate into theme stocks and defensive sectors. The KOSPI large-cap index fell 20.6 percent between July 1 and July 16, underperforming the benchmark KOSPI's 19.5 percent decline over the same period, according to Korea Exchange data. The KOSPI mid-cap index lost 6.2 July 18, 2026