BLACKPINK's Jennie rakes in billions after establishing her own agency SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - K-pop star Jennie of BLACKPINK has earned more than 23 billion Korean won (about US$16 million) in just two years since launching her own agency. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic corporate disclosure, OA Entertainment, founded by Jennie, paid her 9.48 billion won last year and 14.31 billion won the year before. The combined total over the two-year period amounts to approximately 23.8 billion won. OA Entertainment posted 23.8 bi May 12, 2026

KOSPI move closer to 8,000 amid retail FOMO demand over AI SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI barreled toward the 8,000 threshold on Tuesday, nearing another four-digit milestone in just five trading sessions after first testing 7,000, as chip shares continued to attract fear-of-missing-out retail demand. As of 9:46 a.m., the KOSPI stood at 7,939.73, up 1.5 percent, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 0.83 percent to 1,217.40. The rally was driven largely by strong buying from retail and institutional investors. I May 12, 2026

South Korea reaches 76 million vehicles in 50 years of auto exports SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - South Korea has exported more than 76 million vehicles over the past 50 years since entering overseas markets, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association said on Tuesday. The cumulative number of exports reached 76.55 million vehicles as of last month, a milestone that comes nearly half a century after Hyundai Motor first exported its domestically made Pony passenger car to Ecuador in June 1976. The country first hit the 10 million mark in vehicle shi May 12, 2026

Seoul walks tightrope at Korea-U.S. defense talks amid Hormuz crisis SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - South Korea and the United States used their first defense ministerial meeting in six months to steady alliance coordination at a moment when the widening Iran conflict and mounting U.S. pressure over the Strait of Hormuz are testing Seoul’s strategic balancing act. The talks between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon came as Washington intensifies calls for allies, including Seoul, to play a May 12, 2026

Rain brings relief to Seoul after weeks of early summer heat SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - Rain began to fall in Seoul on Monday afternoon, bringing some relief from the early summer heat of recent weeks. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), rain that began earlier in the day in central regions has spread nationwide and is expected to continue through Tuesday. Up to 20 mm of rainfall is forecast for Seoul, while up to 40 mm is expected in Gyeonggi Province and other southern regions. The KMA warned of strong gusts, thunde May 11, 2026

K-pop girl band ITZY to return with 10th mini album 'Motto' on May 18 SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - K-pop girl band ITZY will return on May 18 with its 10th mini album "Motto," marking the group’s first release in six months following "TUNNEL VISION," JYP Entertainment said Monday. Debuting on Feb. 12, 2019, with "Dalla Dalla," the five-member band quickly emerged as the K-pop super rookie after the music video for its title song surpassed 14 million views within 24 hours and reached 100 million views in 57 days, setting May 11, 2026

Rent inflation adds to mounting price pressures in Korea SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) -Rental offerings from monthly to longer-term contracts of more than two years are drying up in South Korea, pushing rent increases above housing price gains and adding additional pressure on inflation and household spending. The surge first emerged in jeonse system, in which tenants pay a large lump-sum deposit for two years or longer lease instead of monthly rent. It is now increasingly spilling over into the monthly rental market as more landlords move away May 11, 2026

AI infrastructure rally lifts KOSPI to another record SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI outperformed regional and global peers Monday, surging more than 4 percent to another record high as investors piled into semiconductor and AI infrastructure-related shares despite escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and heavy foreign selling. The benchmark KOSPI closed up 4.3 percent at 7,822.24 after moving between a low of 7,713.49 and a record intraday high of 7,899.30. The rally contrasted with a 0.5 p May 11, 2026

Seoul condemns attack on HMM vessel in Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - South Korea on Monday formally condemned a kinetic strike on a specialized cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after a joint investigation concluded that two airborne projectiles hit the ship. The confirmation follows a week of uncertainty regarding the Panama-flagged HMM Namu, which was left with a massive hull rupture and an engine room fire after the May 4 strike. The vessel was carrying 24 crew members, including six South Korean nationals. The foreig May 11, 2026

K-pop band NCT to launch 10th anniversary pop-up in Seoul SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) -K-pop band NCT will open a large-scale pop-up event in Seoul starting Friday as part of the group’s 10th anniversary project, SM Entertainment said Monday. The event, titled "NCT 10TH Anniversary pop up : Neo Ground," will run from May 15 to 23 at Pi Factory in Seoul’s Gwangjin District, a district well-known as a hipster area frequented by tourists from around the world. Debuting in 2016, NCT has expanded into multiple sub May 11, 2026