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  Nearly 80% of online shoppers fear exposure of personal information, survey finds SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - Nearly 80 percent of online shoppers expressed concern about the potential exposure of their sensitive personal information, a survey reveals. The findings were based on the survey of 1,000 consumers released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. About 78 percent of respondents worried about a personal data leak while shopping on online malls and other platforms, and 28.1 percent said they had experienced at least one. The survey also rev February 27, 2026
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  NPS enjoys record returns on two-year KOSPI rally SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) -South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) posted a record annual investment return of 18.82 percent in 2025 — the highest since its establishment in 1988 and outperforming major global pension peers — driven by an exceptionally strong domestic equity rally. The double-digit return generated 231.6 trillion won in earnings, nearly five times its annual pension payout of 49.7 trillion won, and lifted total assets under management to 1,4 February 27, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor pledges $6.3 billion to build data center, robot factory in Saemangeum SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group on Friday pledged around 9 trillion won ($6.28 billion) in the Saemangeum reclaimed coastal zone in North Jeolla Province, pledging to erect an AI data center, a robotics manufacturing cluster and hydrogen energy facilities on the country's western seaboard. The sprawling project under central and local government backing is set to break ground from 2027 across a 1.12 million-square-meter site in Gunsan, about 180 kilometers southwe February 27, 2026
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  Coupang keeps up sales, but Q4 data shock exposes cash and trust risks SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - Coupang Inc.’s fourth-quarter numbers told a stark story: revenue rose 11 percent year-on-year to $8.84 billion, yet operating income collapsed 97 percent to just $8 million, and net income swung from a $156 million profit a year earlier to a $26 million loss. The sharp deterioration, driven largely by a massive data breach disclosed in November, undercut profitability, disrupted cash conversion and triggered regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the February 27, 2026
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  Seoul and Tokyo take a breather and China-related markets muted SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) — A correction hit Seoul and Tokyo on Friday after this week’s record-setting rally, while Chinese and Hong Kong stocks remained mostly sidelined ahead of next week’s closely watched “Two Sessions,” China’s annual legislative and political advisory meetings. A tech-led pullback on Wall Street overnight weighed on Asian semiconductor shares, reversing part of the strong gains seen earlier in the week. The Dow Jones Ind February 27, 2026
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  WAIFF D-7: World AI Film Festival in Seoul for the first time SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - The World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 will kick off on March 6 at offline venues including a concert hall and a franchise movie theater, kicking off the annual AI film festival in the Asia region and highlighting South Korea’s growing presence in AI-driven content creation. The two-day event, running through March 7, is part of the World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026)’s expanding global network founded by Institut EuropIA unde February 27, 2026
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  KAIST launches deep tech scale-up valley to drive physical AI implementation SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea announced on February 27 that it held a performance report meeting for the Deep Tech Scale-up Valley project at its main campus in Daejeon. During the event, the university unveiled its implementation strategy for Physical AI, focusing on moving robot technology out of the laboratory and into actual industrial settings. The Deep Tech Scale-up Valley is a joint initiative between South February 27, 2026
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  Lee to visit Singapore and the Philippines next week SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to embark on a trip to Singapore and the Philippines next week, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Lee is scheduled to depart for Singapore on Sunday for a summit with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During his three-day stay there, Lee will also meet with ceremonial head of state Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Lee will then attend a joint event between the two countries to discuss February 27, 2026
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  Kookmin University research team has two papers accepted for CVPR 2026 SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - A research team led by Professor Lee Seong-won of the Department of Electronics Engineering at Kookmin University has had two papers accepted for the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2026. The IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) is regarded as a premier international academic event in the fields of artificial intelligence and computer vision. Known for its rigorous review process and low acc February 27, 2026
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  K-pop girl band aespa to release collaborative single 'Keychain' SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - K-pop girl band aespa will drop "Keychain," a collaborative single with Grammy-winning artist Anderson .Paak on Friday, the four-member group's agency SM Entertainment said. The collaborative track will unveil globally at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT) across major streaming platforms. "Keychain" serves as an original soundtrack (OST) for "K-POPS!," a film produced, directed and starring Anderson .Paak. The song blends the February 27, 2026