Kazakhstan starts 800km highway to Caspian ports SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Construction began Monday on an 800-kilometer highway across western Kazakhstan that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said will connect crossings on the Chinese border directly to the Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk, giving trucks a direct route onto the trade corridor Europe has been funding as an alternative to shipping through Russia. Tokayev launched the project by video link from Astana along with two other road schemes. He said the new highway would August 6, 2026

Dormant debt market exposes non-chip Korean Inc. slump SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Summer arrived early for South Korea's corporate debt market as only a handful of investment-grade issuers broke the drought amid rising borrowing costs and subdued investor demand, exposing the slump across much of non-chip Korean Inc. Public corporate bond issuance totaled 2.96 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in July, down 16.1 percent from June and 37.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Financial Investment Association. Only 11 issuers c August 6, 2026

Seoul housing forum warns tax overhaul could worsen rental shortage SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - The first public debate over the Lee Jae Myung administration's proposed property tax overhaul quickly laid bare tenants' biggest fear: being forced from their homes as landlords reclaim properties or sell them to qualify for lower taxes. At a livestreamed forum hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday, tenants, homeowners, real estate agents and housing experts warned that stronger tax incentives for owner occupancy could further ti August 6, 2026

T'way Air begins new chapter as Trinity Airways SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - T’way Air has rebranded as Trinity Airways, unveiling a new service model, brand identity and employee uniforms as it seeks to position itself as a global carrier. The airline presented the changes at a brand launch and uniform runway event in Seoul on Aug. 6, its first official event since changing its corporate name. Cabin crew, pilots and other employees modeled the new uniforms during the event. Trinity Airways introduced “Relaxed and Rel August 6, 2026

Korea charts clean Arctic course amid shadow fleet SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Russia's growing shadow fleet has exposed the environmental and regulatory risks lurking behind the rapidly opening Arctic shipping route, creating an unexpected opportunity for South Korea to market itself as a cleaner and more transparent alternative as it prepares its first container voyage through polar waters. Despite the war in Ukraine and sweeping Western sanctions, at least 100 ships legally transited Russia's Northern Sea Route last year&mda August 6, 2026

Fewer North Korean defectors arrive in South Korea in H1 SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Some 63 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea in the first half of this year, down from 96 during the same period last year, the Unification Ministry said on Thursday. Of them, 59 were women and four were men. All entered South Korea through third countries including China, with no cases of direct entry from North Korea, according to the ministry. With their arrival, the cumulative number of North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korea re August 6, 2026

Foreign ministry says NSC coordinates North Korea policy SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that North Korea policy is set through coordination centered on the National Security Council, answering questions about whether it and the Unification Ministry are working from different positions. "The government has consistently pursued policy for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula under close coordination among relevant ministries centered on the National Security Council," sp August 6, 2026

SK hynix plunge sinks KOSPI despite broader gains SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) -The KOSPI on Thursday reversed, weighed down by two heavyweights - SK and Samsung. The KOSPI, the main board of the Korea Exchange, closed at 6,296.4, down 4.6 percent, after SK hynix fell 10.4 percent to 1,495,000 won ($1,050) and Samsung Electronics dropped 6.3 percent to 230,500 won ($161.90). SK, the de facto holding company of the memory chipmaker, also lost 9.4 percent. The two chipmakers are worth roughly half the main board between them, and a wea August 6, 2026

South Korean animated feature invited to film fest in Toronto SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Director Youm Kyu-bock's animated film "Long Long Night" has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival. The film will have its world premiere at the annual festival, which kicks off its 10-day run on Sept. 4, after being selected for the festival's Centrepiece programm, which showcases notable films from around the world, along with more than 50 other films. It marks the first South Korean feature-length an August 6, 2026

Makeshift igloo draws 30,000 to sweltering Seoul SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - More than 30,000 Seoul residents visited a makeshift shelter set up at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul to seek relief from the scorching heat that has gripped the country in recent weeks, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Thursday. According to the city government, 30,405 people visited the shelter between June 10 and July 31, averaging 596 visitors a day. The makeshift facility, called "Happyso," a name combining the meanings of &quo August 6, 2026