LG pushes gaming monitors to 1,000Hz without sacrificing FHD resolution SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - LG Electronics on Wednesday launched a gaming monitor capable of running at a 1,000Hz refresh rate while maintaining full-HD resolution, pushing display speeds further as competition intensifies in the premium gaming hardware market. The 25-inch UltraGear 25G590B is the world's first commercially available gaming monitor to natively support a 1,000Hz refresh rate at FHD resolution, according to LG. The company said the claim is based on gaming monitors August 26, 2026

More than half of South Koreans view US unfavorably: Pew Research SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - More than half of South Koreans now regard the U.S. unfavorably, hitting an all-time high, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center indicates. In a survey of more than 1,000 South Korean adults conducted from March to April this year and released on Monday by the Washington-based think tank, 55 percent expressed an unfavorable view of the U.S., up 16 percentage points from a year earlier. This marked the first time the figure had exceeded 50 percent since August 26, 2026

Trump persists overture to N. Korea's Kim despite cool response SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday again expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while criticizing a joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington amid speculation that the two leaders could meet later this year. "Based on my very good relationship with , I was not happy with the fact that the United States had, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump wrote, August 26, 2026

LG Chem targets AI chips at Taiwan expo SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - LG Chem will bring a lineup of advanced packaging and power semiconductor materials for artificial intelligence chips to SEMICON Taiwan 2026, positioning its materials business for a market that AI demand is expanding rapidly. The company said Wednesday it will exhibit solutions for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other AI chips at the three-day show, which runs from Sept. 2 to 4 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. SEMICON Taiwan is one of the world& August 26, 2026

Blame game grows as Korean 'ants' get burned in herd trading SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - The blame first fell on the president, who encouraged households to put their money into stocks rather than leveraged housing bets. Then came the financial regulator, criticized for allowing high-risk exchange-traded funds built around South Korea's chip supremacy. The latest to take a seat in Korea’s blame-game musical chairs are so-called finfluencers, the self-styled investment experts whose stock tips, price targets and market predictions fil August 25, 2026

Extreme-heat days nearly double the average this summer in Korea SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) -South Korea has endured nearly twice the usual number of heat-wave days so far this year, with record-breaking temperatures and unusually persistent tropical nights pointing to a summer stretching well into September. The nationwide average number of heat-wave days reached 20.1 from the start of the year through Monday, almost double the seasonal average of 10.4 days, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Tuesday. A heat-wave day August 25, 2026

Trump's nuclear realism tests Seoul's denuclearization line SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - North Korea, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, is not Iran. Washington may have "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, as Trump puts it, but Pyongyang already possesses what he describes as 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons — an arsenal he appears more inclined to address through renewed diplomacy and his lingering personal rapport with Kim Jong Un. Trump's contrasting approaches to the two nuclear challenges pos August 25, 2026

South Korean stock market earns 'Rollerkospi' moniker, WSJ says SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has described Korea's stock market as "the world's craziest stock market," highlighting the sharp swings that have rattled investors in recent months. In an article headlined "The World's Craziest Stock Market Has Turned Into a Fright Ride" published on Tuesday, the U.S. newspaper said South Korea, known for producing "Squid Game" and K-pop, now has a stock market showing levels of volat August 25, 2026

Won retreats as long-end Korean bonds rally ahead of BOK SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - The Korean won weakened Tuesday after seven straight gains, and long-dated government bonds rallied ahead of a policy decision by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The won closed daytime trading at 1,386.1 per dollar, weakening 3.7 won from Monday's 1,382.4. It was the currency's first decline in eight sessions. The won briefly strengthened below 1,380 early in the session before reversing. The dollar firmed, and foreign investors continued to sell Ko August 25, 2026

KOSPI rebounds as chip giants recover, institutions step in SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - South Korean stocks staged a sharp rebound Tuesday as chip heavyweights recovered and institutional buying offset heavy foreign selling. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,742.74, up 0.68 percent or 45.78 points from the previous session. The index opened 2.40 percent lower at 6,535.93 and fell as low as 6,408.82 before reversing course. It climbed to an intraday high of 6,747.16 and finished near the day's peak. The rebound was broad, with 647 stocks ad August 25, 2026