SM Classics to take K-pop orchestral concerts to Singapore, Bangkok and Toronto SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - SM Entertainment's classical and jazz label SM Classics will expand its orchestral concert series overseas, with performances scheduled in Asia this year and in North America next year, the company said Thursday. The label announced the main lineup for the "SM Classics Live 2026 - 2027 Season," a concert series that reinterprets SM Entertainment's K-pop catalog through orchestral arrangements. The season marks the label' July 9, 2026

Seoul leads broad Asian rebound after three-day rout SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) — South Korean stocks led a broad Asian rebound Thursday as chip heavyweights surged ahead of SK hynix's highly anticipated Nasdaq ADR debut, while the Bank of Korea's upbeat view on the semiconductor cycle helped outweigh growing skepticism over AI valuations on Wall Street. As of 10:37 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI jumped 2.87 percent to 7,454.62 after tumbling more than 10 percent over the previous three sessions. The junior KOSDAQ climbed 3.66 perc July 9, 2026

Lee arrives in Ulaanbaatar for summit with Mongolian president SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Ulaanbaatar on Thursday after concluding his visit to Ankara, Türkiye for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. Lee is set to hold a summit with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, marking the first time in 15 years that a South Korean leader has visited Mongolia on a state visit. The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on supply chains for cri July 9, 2026

SK AX rolls out full-stack robotics service to build self-running factories SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - SK AX announced it is launching a full-stack robotics service designed to steer South Korean manufacturers toward autonomous factories that can sense, decide and act on their own. The push, branded "Manufacturing RX" for robot transformation, aims to tackle chronic labor shortages and sagging productivity on factory floors by knitting robots, manufacturing execution systems and equipment data into a single, self-directing operation. SK AX's se July 9, 2026

SK hynix ADR oversubscribed by 7 times, Chey to ring opening bell SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - SK hynix's American depositary receipt (ADR) offering attracted demand exceeding seven times the shares on offer ahead of pricing, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The offering drew interest from global long-term institutional investors, technology-focused funds, sovereign wealth funds and Asia-focused investment firms, according to the report. Orders totaled about $171.5 billion, based on subscription demand. July 9, 2026

Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung earns Emmy nod 'Beef' 2 SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - Oscar-winning South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung has been nominated for an Emmy Award, which will be presented this fall. The U.S. Television Academy on Wednesday announced the nominees for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, with Youn receiving a nomination for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for her role in the second season of Netflix series "Beef." The nomination adds to Youn's long list of internation July 9, 2026

S. Korea, Malaysia deepen energy cooperation after Hormuz shock SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - South Korea and Malaysia agreed to strengthen energy security cooperation, from stable liquefied natural gas supplies to potential nuclear power collaboration, as Seoul works to shore up supply lines battered by this year's war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The stakes for South Korea are hard to overstate. The country routes about 70 percent of its crude oil imports through the strait, and the effective blockade that began in late Febr July 9, 2026

Türkiye emerges stronger from Ankara NATO summit SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Türkiye closed out the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit ever held in its capital on Wednesday with its standing in the alliance visibly enhanced, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed to progress on F-35 fighter jets, a thaw in relations with Washington and a defense industry that he said now outpaces many allies. "We have successfully concluded our NATO summit, which we hosted in our country for the second time in 22 years and f July 9, 2026

IMF and ADB up South Korea's growth forecast to 2.6% for this year SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) -South Korea's economy is expected to survive global-wide setback from the prolonged Gulf crisis and run above its growth potential through next year as it benefits from feverish chip demand amid artificial intelligence investment boom, drawing one of the steepest outlook upgrades from the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank. The IMF on Wednesday raised its 2026 growth forecast for South Korea to 2.6 percent, up 0.7 percentage point July 9, 2026

Thousands brave monsoon rain to oppose military academy merger SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Monsoon rain did not stop about 2,000 gathering outside South Korea's National Assembly on Wednesday to oppose the government's plan to merge the country's elite military academies and relocate the Korea Military Academy from Seoul. The rally, held on the steps of the main National Assembly building, was organized by opposition lawmakers Han Ki-ho and Lim Jong-deuk, together with alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, cadet July 8, 2026