Lee's approval rating hits new low SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating continued to plunge, hitting a new low, pollster Realmeter said on Monday. In a survey of more than 2,000 adults nationwide conducted last week, 40.2 percent of respondents said Lee was doing a good job, down 2.8 percentage points from the previous week and marking the sixth consecutive week of decline. The disapproval rating rose 2.8 percentage points to 56.9 percent. Some 3 percent remained undecided. August 24, 2026

Samsung Electronics slumps, SK hynix rises after record payout SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics fell almost 6 percent at Monday's open as investors sold into the largest shareholder return package a Korean company has ever approved, dragging the KOSPI down while the rest of the market climbed. The index shed 76.68 points to 6,836.27, a fall of 1.1 percent. The drag was almost entirely one stock. SK hynix rose 1.4 percent, the junior KOSDAQ market gained 1.5 percent, and shipping and non-ferrous metal shares led broad advances August 24, 2026

Illegal weight-loss drug imports surge in Korea H1 SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - The number of illegal imports of the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro seized by South Korean customs authorities jumped more than threefold in the first half of 2026, driven by a wave of individual online purchases shipped through the international postal system. Customs officials caught 4,155 attempts to smuggle in obesity treatments, including Mounjaro and Wegovy, between January and June, the Korea Customs Service said Monday. The tally is about 3 August 24, 2026

Ex-US vice president suggests South Korea help Ukraine with interceptors SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday called for South Korea to help ease Ukraine's shortage of interceptor missiles, suggesting that Seoul could provide its advanced air defense weapons for deployment by the U.S. in Ukraine or elsewhere among its allies. Pence, who served as vice president during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration, made the proposal in an interview with CNN from Kyiv, where he was visiting to attend an Inde August 24, 2026

KATSEYE No. 1 on Billboard tests boundaries of K-pop SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - KATSEYE's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 marks a breakthrough for the multinational girl group built by South Korea's HYBE and U.S. label Geffen Records and at the same time raises a complicate question on whether its feat can be counted as another victory for K-pop. The group's five-track EP WILD debuted atop the main U.S. album chart with 170,000 equivalent album units in the week ended Aug. 20, according to Billboard and data provider Lumin August 24, 2026

Baiterek tower, Kazakhstan Visitors stand at the observation deck of Baiterek Tower in Astana, Kazakhstan, August 22, 2026. August 23, 2026

Baiterek tower, Kazakhstan Visitors place their hands on a handprint cast of Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, at Baiterek Tower in Astana, Kazakhstan, August 22, 2026. August 23, 2026

Baiterek tower, Kazakhstan Baiterek Tower is seen in Astana, Kazakhstan, August 22, 2026. August 23, 2026

The National museum of Kazakhstan A mannequin dressed in traditional Kazakh attire, including a ceremonial headdress, is displayed at the Kazakhstan National Museum in Astana. August 23, 2026

The National museum of Kazakhstan A close-up view of an ornately decorated horse bridle with gold and bronze embellishments is displayed at the Kazakhstan National Museum in Astana. August 23, 2026