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  Overseas fugitives top 1,000 for first time as cross-border scams surge in Korea SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - The number of criminal suspects who fled overseas after committing crimes in South Korea has surged past 1,000 for the first time on record, raising concerns that the country is increasingly exposed to transnational crime networks operating across Asia and Russia. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), 1,249 new overseas fugitives were recorded last year, up 31 percent from 951 a year earlier. It marked the first time the annual figure excee January 7, 2026
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  Lee asks Xi to play mediator role for peace on Korean Peninsula SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a mediator role in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula including North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Lee made the remarks at a luncheon in Shanghai with South Korean reporters, after his talks with Xi in Beijing the previous day. "We have to find a realistic path that helps everyone," Lee said, questioning whether North Korea cou January 7, 2026
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  CES 2026: Korea, U.S. and China clash in AI robotics as mass-deployment era begins LAS VEGAS, January 07 (AJP) - Shenzhen-based Engine AI brought its T800 humanoid to the show floor, underscoring China's scale advantage in the physical-AI race, while South Korean and U.S. contenders such as Hyundai Motor and Tesla showed that the devil is in the details. The world's largest technology expo has become a battleground for humanoid robots, with Korea, the United States and China unveiling rival strategies to dominate the emerging era of physical AI — int January 7, 2026
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  KOSPI remains regional winner, Hyundai Motor gains on CES momentum SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) — South Korean stocks remained the regional standout on Wednesday, extending their record-setting rally despite a broadly subdued mood across Asian markets. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.6 percent to close at a fresh all-time high of 4,551.06. Foreign investors were the primary drivers, snapping up a net 1.25 trillion Korean won (US$930 million), while retail investors and institutions sold roughly 294 billion won ($219 million) and 940 billion won ($700 mi January 7, 2026
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  Samsung Elec shares hit record high on red-hot earnings outlook ahead of Q4 guidance SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - Shares of Samsung Electronics climbed to a fresh record high Wednesday, extending a near-nonstop rally since late December as investors bet on the company’s strongest quarterly and annual earnings in seven years. The stock has surged about 32 percent since Dec. 22, rising from a Dec. 19 close of 106,300 won to 141,000 won Wednesday, amid mounting optimism over a renewed memory supercycle fueled by artificial intelligence demand. Samsung Electroni January 7, 2026
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  Stray Kids, Jennie to headline major US music festival 'The Governors Ball' SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's Jennie and K-pop boy band Stray Kids will headline The Governors Ball Music Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the U.S. Organizers of The Governors Ball Music Festival announced on Tuesday the lineup for this year's event, scheduled to take place from June 5 to 7 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York. HYBE's Korean-American joint girl group KATSEYE, which has been nominated for Best New Artist a January 7, 2026
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  South Korea to import eggs, cut mackerel prices as it targets rising living costs SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - South Korea will move to stabilize prices of fresh eggs and mackerel as part of broader efforts to curb rising living costs, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said the government has begun procedures to import 2.24 million fresh eggs and supply them to the domestic market in January, responding to a growing cull of laying hens amid the spread of avian influenza. Authorities will also cons January 7, 2026
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  Around 500 elementary schools in Seoul welcome new students SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Some 566 public elementary schools in Seoul are holding two-day prep sessions this week to welcome new students. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, there are 51,265 first-graders this year, down about five percent from last year, as the young population continues to shrink due to the country's ultra-low birthrates. These sessions are an annual event aimed at preparing students for their upcoming school life. This year, they are b January 7, 2026
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  Seoul subways go fully self-service on fares SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - Seoul Metro announced on January 6 that it has completed the installation of 440 new transportation card kiosks across all 273 stations on Lines 1-8, marking the first upgrade in 17 years since the introduction of cash-only machines in 2009. The new kiosks now accept credit cards and mobile payment methods including KakaoPay and Naver Pay for purchasing and recharging single-journey tickets, monthly passes, and Climate Companion Cards. The nu January 7, 2026
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  PHOTOS:Seoul exhibition explores centuries of human-equine history SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - The National Folk Museum of Korea has launched a comprehensive exhibition to commemorate the Year of the Red Horse, exploring the deep-seated historical and cultural bonds between humans and horses. The exhibition, which opened on Dec. 16 and is scheduled to run through March 2, examines how horses transitioned from essential tools of survival to significant figures in global mythology and belief systems. For centuries, horses served as a primary means January 7, 2026