Netflix and Stella Artois to launch global campaign SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - Netflix and Belgian beer brand Stella Artois will launch a global campaign tied to the second season of "The Gentlemen: The Series," Netflix said Thursday. The campaign, titled "The Gentlemen's Serve," will run in eight countries: South Korea, the United States, Britain, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and South Africa. Netflix said it is the first brand partnership for "The Gentlemen: The Series." It is also the fi August 27, 2026

Seoul performing arts market to open in October SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea's main performing arts market will return to Seoul in October with an expanded showcase lineup and new networking programs, its organizers said Thursday. The 2026 Performing Arts Market in Seoul, or PAMS, will run from Oct. 13 to 16 at the National Theater of Korea, Arko Arts Theater, Daehakro Arts Theater and other venues around the capital. The event is co-hosted by the Korea Arts Management Service and the National Theater of Korea, August 27, 2026

S. Korea finds no formaldehyde in Chinese cabbage kimchi SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea's food safety regulator found no formaldehyde in any of 82 cabbage kimchi and cabbage samples pulled from the market, easing concerns that Chinese farms had used the carcinogen on their crops. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Thursday it tested 50 samples of cabbage kimchi, 29 of napa cabbage and three of salted cabbage after reports that formaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, had been applied to cabbage cultivation in China. The min August 27, 2026

Korea's card debt surges on increased borrowing before higher rates SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korean card and insurance companies earned more in the first half as personal borrowings sought to secondary lenders due to stricter bank regulations, boding badly for household finances with lending rates set to go higher after the central bank's faster-than-expected rate hikes, government data showed Thursday. Credit and debit card purchases totaled 635.3 trillion won in the first half, up from 595.7 trillion won a year earlier, according to the August 27, 2026

Zhou Mi of Super Junior M to lead China venture STE SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - SM Entertainment has named Zhou Mi of Super Junior-M to lead its new Beijing joint venture with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, the company said Thursday. The joint venture, called STE, was established after SM and TME signed a memorandum of understanding in May to expand cooperation in the Chinese-speaking market. STE will work on a new Chinese idol group project that SM is preparing to debut within the next two to three years. The company will o August 27, 2026

Sookmyung team tunes coating strength by adjusting CO2 pressure SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - A coating material built from discarded plastic bottles and carbon dioxide can be made soft and rubbery or firm and glassy by changing one setting in the reactor, researchers at Sookmyung Women's University found. The team traced how the molecular structure of the starting material shapes the behavior of the finished film, turning a single laboratory result into something closer to a recipe with dials. The range they measured is wide. Glass transitio August 27, 2026

U.S. reaffirms commitment to North Korea's complete denuclearization SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - The Trump administration has reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, clarifying its policy after President Donald Trump recently declined to say whether denuclearization remained his goal in seeking renewed talks with Pyongyang. “The United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday in response to a question August 27, 2026

Kia unveils revamped SUV lineup with new black editions SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - Automaker Kia unveiled the latest versions of its key sport utility vehicles (SUVs), along with their special black editions on Thursday. The automaker said the facelifted versions of its flagship trio, the Carnival, Sorento and Sportage, offer customers more options to choose from along with enhanced convenience features, while their special black editions would apple to customers seeking a tougher and more premium look. In particular, the special edit August 27, 2026

Seoul tourist spending surges 70% as arrivals hit record SEOUL, Aug. 27 (AJP)-Foreign tourists are spending substantially more in Seoul even as visitor numbers hit records, with card spending surging nearly 70 percent in July — more than three times the pace of growth in arrivals, metropolitan government data showed Thursday. Seoul welcomed a record 1.61 million foreign visitors in July, up 20.8 percent from a year earlier, while their card spending jumped steeper 69.7 percent to 1.07 trillion won ($770 million). The figure August 27, 2026

KOSPI pares Nvidia rally after BOK hikes to 3% SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) — South Korea's KOSPI gave up more than half of its Nvidia-fueled early gains Thursday after the Bank of Korea (BOK) delivered a surprising back-to-back rate hike to 3 percent, tempering a rally in Korean chipmakers that had pushed the benchmark close to 7,000. The KOSPI traded at 6,864.75 as of 10:20 a.m., up 0.84 percent, after jumping more than 2 percent earlier in the session on Nvidia's bullish outlook for artificial intelligence demand and August 27, 2026