Samsung Elec shatters earnings record, OP at $80 billion SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - An unprecedentedly long crop year for memory makers under the AI windfall has fueled the red-hot earnings streak to new heights, pushing Samsung Electronics’ three-month operating profit above the 100 trillion won ($80.2 billion) milestone in the quarter ended September, according to the chipmaker’s earnings guidance Thursday. The world’s largest memory chipmaker estimated operating profit at 107.4 trillion won, up 20.01 percent on quar October 8, 2026

Vance presses Alaska LNG push, looks beyond Seoul's current govt SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Washington is increasingly leaning on Asian allies to give momentum to the long-stalled gas pipeline project in Alaska, with Vice President JD Vance saying it would move ahead whether with South Korea’s current government or its successor. “It’s different because you have a president who delivers on his promises,” Vance told Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday, moments before departing aboard Air Force Two. The vice president su October 8, 2026

Nuri rocket's fifth launch success A trail left by South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri is seen in the sky near the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on Oct. 7, 2026, following its fifth launch. Nuri successfully deployed all 15 satellites — five microsatellites and 10 CubeSats — completing the deployment process about 17 minutes after liftoff with the release of the final two CubeSats. October 7, 2026

Nuri rocket completes fifth launch, deploys 15 satellites from Naro Space Center South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on Oct. 7, 2026, during its fifth launch. Nuri successfully deployed all 15 satellites — five microsatellites and 10 CubeSats — completing the deployment process about 17 minutes after liftoff with the release of the final two CubeSats. October 7, 2026

Hanwha moves toward driver's seat as Nuri completes fifth launch SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s fifth Nuri rocket lifted off on schedule and delivered its five main satellites into orbit, with Hanwha Aerospace quietly taking a growing share of the credit as the space program moves toward private-sector leadership. Nuri lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday and successfully placed all five main microsatellites into orbit. Nine of the 10 smaller CubeSats aboard were also released, while one faile October 7, 2026

Lisa Su gets a head start on Nvidia as AMD brings AI rivalry to Seoul SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su had her own Jensen Huang moment in Korea on Wednesday, hosting a day for gamers and rubbing shoulders with the country’s science minister and business tycoons. Su appeared alongside Jack Huynh, AMD’s senior vice president and general manager of its Computing and Graphics Group, at AMD Gamer Day in Seoul’s Yongsan district, meeting Korean gamers and outlining the company’s vision for gaming and artificial i October 7, 2026

KOSPI slides nearly 2% as Samsung earnings caution weighs SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) — South Korean stocks fell nearly 2 percent Wednesday, extending losses for a second session as heavy foreign selling hit semiconductor shares and investors turned cautious ahead of Samsung Electronics' preliminary third-quarter earnings due Thursday. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,803.90, down 1.98 percent from the previous session. The index opened 1.11 percent lower at 6,864.25 and briefly reversed into positive territory in morning trading bef October 7, 2026

K-drama, K-pop — and now Hangeul joins the K-wave SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - A decade ago, learning Korean was a way to catch the nuances of K-drama dialogue and song lyrics. Today, foreigners are learning it to enter universities, build careers and make a life in Korea. Few can dispute the global ascent of Korean pop culture as K-everything fills social media feeds. All three seasons of Netflix’s “Squid Game” occupy the top three spots on the platform’s all-time ranking of non-English television series. October 7, 2026

Silver glitters: stocks lift wealth of the gray in Korea, U.S., Japan SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) — Older generations on both sides of the Pacific — seemingly the last to have enjoyed an era of abundant liquidity and cheap borrowing — are benefiting from asset inflation, helping fuel consumer spending this year despite geopolitical risks and elevated interest rates. In South Korea, investors aged 60 and older accounted for 40 percent of individual investors’ domestic stock profits in the first half despite representing less than October 7, 2026

South Korea is a de facto abolitionist state – or is it? SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - Fifty-two people remain on death row, growing old under sentences the state has left unfulfilled for nearly three decades. Their average age is 58.7. Among them are serial killers Yoo Young-chul and Kang Ho-soon, who killed 20 and 10 people, respectively. As the World Day Against the Death Penalty approaches on Oct. 10, South Korea remains caught between its long suspension of executions and a public largely unwilling to abandon them. A September surve October 7, 2026