State bank relocation sparks mass finance strike in Seoul SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - State bank relocation sparks mass finance strike in Seoul Strikes have been a common scene in Korea this year, and the traditional banking picketers took to the streets that they surrendered to IT workers earlier on demanding bigger compensations from AI windfall. Their banner cry was less on wages but say on where they work. Despite the still-summery heat, thousands of finance workers gathered in central Seoul from Friday morning for a mass strike, September 4, 2026

Samsung's aggressive HBM4 bet narrows gap with SK hynix SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics, making up for its passivity and late start in high-bandwidth memory, has ushered in the next generation with an aggressive bet on HBM4 that is paying off by sharply narrowing the gap with frontrunner SK hynix. The world's largest memory maker saw its share of the global HBM market jump to 33 percent in the April-June period from 21 percent three months earlier, according to Counterpoint Research. SK hynix remained comfortably September 4, 2026

Sky Labs doubles on KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korean digital healthcare company Sky Labs doubled from its initial public offering (IPO) price on its KOSDAQ debut Friday after briefly surging to nearly three times the offering price. As of 2:20 p.m., shares traded at 20,000 won ($14.40), double its 10,000 won offering price. The stock opened at 8,500 won and fell as low as 8,200 won. It later climbed to an intraday high of 28,750 won, 187.5 percent above the IPO price. The sharp reversal made September 4, 2026

Samsung, SK hynix hold nearly half of global NAND market SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - South Korea's two major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix retained the top two spots in the global NAND flash market in the second quarter, together accounting for nearly half of global sales, according to a report by market researcher Counterpoint Research released on Friday. Samsung led the market with 28 percent, down slightly from 29 percent in the previous quarter, while SK hynix ranked second with 19 percent, giving the two South Ko September 4, 2026

Croatia turns to S. Korean rockets as U.S. blocks long-range munitions SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Eighteen truck-mounted rocket launchers able to strike targets more than 300 kilometers away are set to enter Croatian service, bought from South Korea after the United States suspended deliveries of the long-range rockets Zagreb had already contracted for. The Croatian government was scheduled to approve the purchase of 18 K239 Chunmoo self-propelled multiple rocket launchers (MRLS) and their munitions at a cabinet session on Friday, the Zagreb daily J September 4, 2026

Korea's state bank workers join union strike opposing to relocation SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) -Whether South Korea's financial regulators and state-run policy banks will be swept into a second round of public-sector relocations starting next year remains undecided, but the possibility has become a major flashpoint for financial workers, drawing about 15,000 union members to central Seoul on Friday. The Korean Financial Industry Union staged a sit-in along Sejong-daero in Gwanghwamun, its first such action in about a year, with workers from the September 4, 2026

Lee, Macron to hold summit next week in France SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to France from Sunday to Wednesday as Seoul and Paris mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. Lee will travel at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, completing reciprocal state visits just five months after Macron came to Seoul in April, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a briefing. The trip will begin in southern F September 4, 2026

'AI for All' race begins with SKT, Kakao, KT plans SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korea's push to homegrown artificial intelligence in daily life gathered pace, as three telecom and internet consortiums led by SK Telecom, Kakao and KT unveiled competing plans to launch "action-oriented" AI services before year-end. The Ministry of Science and ICT presented its rollout preparation plan at a kickoff meeting at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. Each group showed prototypes and video demonstrations of assistants that September 4, 2026

World-OKTA meets in Santiago to revive small Latin American chapters SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations, known as World-OKTA, convened a gathering in the Chilean capital this week to shore up its smaller branches across Latin America. The meeting, hosted by the group's Santiago chapter, drew regional officers and branch presidents from across the continent, along with South Korean Ambassador to Chile Kim Hak-jae and other local dignitaries. "Latin America is a land of opportunity, but September 4, 2026

Hyundai Motor signs deal to boost Oman's eco-friendly mobility SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has agreed with Oman's government and local companies to promote eco-friendly mobility, the automaker said on Friday. Hyundai said it signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) and Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) in Salalah the previous day as part of a partnership to support the country's goal of achieving carbon neutrality under its & September 4, 2026