Asian markets recover, KOSPI and Nikkei continue to test new highs

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Asian stocks rebounded on Monday, with South Korea and Japan extending their record-setting rallies on expectations of stronger chip-sector earnings and upbeat corporate results. The benchmark KOSPI jumped 2.78 percent to a new closing high of 4,221.87. Retail investors drove the rally, purchasing 651.2 billion won ($456 million) worth of shares, followed by institutions with 443.2 billion won. Foreign investors sold about 795 billion won, taking profits

November 3, 2025

Korean brands still in hangover over Jensen Huang's Seoul evening binge

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - There was nothing casual about the tech boys' night-out in Seoul for "chimaek" — the beloved chicken-and-beer pairing — given the multi-trillion-dollar businesses they represent and the influence they wield over the global economy. The APEC week has officially ended, but the afterglow — and hangover — from Thursday's late-night binge among Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and Hy

November 3, 2025

Roster unveiled ahead of football matches later this month

SEOUL, November 3 (AJP) - South Korea will have this year's final friendlies with Bolivia and Ghana later this month. The Korea Football Association on Monday unveiled the roster for the national team ahead of upcoming matches against Bolivia in Daejeon on Nov. 14 and Ghana in Seoul on Nov. 18. The roster includes regular call-ups who play for overseas clubs such as Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), Lee Jae-sung and Kim Min-jae of Bundesliga club

November 3, 2025

PHOTOS: 2025 Small Business Convention opens with craftsmanship and passion on display

SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - The 2025 Korea Small Business Convention opened on October 31 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Now in its 20th year, the convention is South Korea’s largest annual event dedicated to small business owners, aimed at elevating their social and economic standing while fostering communication and unity within the community. Held under the theme "Small Businesses Opening Today, Connecting Tomorrow’s Korea," this year’s event ce

November 3, 2025

Kazakhstan goes all-in on AI in bid to emerge as regional leader

ASTANA, November 03 (AJP) - Soviet-era government buildings in Kazakhstan’s capital now hum with modern servers and fiber-optic cables as the Central Asian nation pushes to reposition itself as the region’s leading digital economy. The country of 20 million has already emerged as a GovTech leader, ranking 24th globally in the UN’s e-Government Development Index and 10th in online services. It is now doubling down with an expansive AI strategy built on supercomput

November 3, 2025

Seoul expects details on nuke submarine and wartime command in SCM week

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Seoul and Washington are expected to discuss detailed plans for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) and South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine initiative — two agenda items that could reshape the country’s self-defense posture — during this week’s high-level bilateral security talks. The 57th annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), set for Tuesday in Seoul, is expected to focus on adjustments to the c

November 3, 2025

HS Hyosung acquires Belgium's battery materials company for $145 million

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - South Korea's HS Hyosung Group said Monday it has entered the next-generation battery materials market with the acquisition of EMM, the battery anode subsidiary of Belgium’s Umicore, for about 200 billion won, or roughly $145 million. The deal also includes the creation of a joint venture between the two companies to advance silicon anode technology. Umicore, specialized in materials science, has long been known for its expertise in batter

November 3, 2025

Actor Yeo Jin-goo to join KATUSA next month

SEOUL, November 3 (AJP) - Actor Yeo Jin-goo will begin his mandatory military service with the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) next month. "Recruited as a member of KATUSA, Yeo will fulfill his 18-month military duty starting Dec. 15," his management agency said on Monday. "We ask for your continued support and encouragement until he returns healthy and more mature after completing his military duty," it added. But the exact time an

November 3, 2025

HD Hyundai joins hands with Siemens to spur digital transformation in shipbuilding

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - South Korea's HD Hyundai has signed a partnership with Siemens of Germany to bring digital transformation and automation technologies to the United States shipbuilding industry. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday at the Lahan Select Hotel in Gyeongju, the venue for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The agreement calls for collaboration in digital ship design, process automation, and data-driven quality manageme

November 3, 2025

POST-APEC: Seoul plays wise and practical in balancing role among global powers

SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) -South Korea emerged from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit with more than ceremonial optics, securing substantive outcomes from both Washington and Beijing while helping revive multilateral cooperation on shared challenges ranging from artificial intelligence to demographic headwinds. The two-day summit of 21 economies adopted the Gyeongju Declaration, reaffirming APEC’s pillars of trade and investment liberalization, business facilitatio

November 3, 2025