Listed companies see profits more than triple in H1 on chip boom SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's major listed companies saw their first half profits more than triple, driven by strong semiconductor earnings and broader gains across industries. According to data released earlier this week by the Korea Exchange (KRX) and the Korea Listed Companies Association (KLCA), combined revenue at 634 KOSPI listed companies rose 28.84 percent from a year earlier to 2,000.13 trillion won (US$1.4 trillion). Operating profit surged 254.15 percent t August 20, 2026

US ambassador meets American executives in first Seoul business talks SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The new U.S. ambassador to South Korea met senior executives from American companies operating in the country on Thursday, her first group engagement with the U.S. business community since taking up her post three weeks ago. The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted Michelle Steel for a breakfast roundtable at its office in Yeouido, Seoul. The chamber, founded in 1953, says it represents more than 800 member companies and affiliates, making it the l August 20, 2026

KAIST solves oxygen problem blocking 3D memory for AI chips SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - In a bid to stabilize memory stacked directly on top of artificial intelligence chips, a joint research team led by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Thursday it had developed an insulating film that steers oxygen atoms toward the parts of a vertical memory transistor that need them and away from the parts they damage, allowing the devices to achieve higher current flow and longer data retention. The device held its electrical cha August 20, 2026

FSS to renew rules requiring collateral for OTC derivatives SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will extend rules requiring financial firms to set aside collateral for certain derivatives traded directly between financial institutions for another year, the financial watchdog said on Thursday. The rules are designed to limit potential losses and prevent problems at one financial institution from spreading to others. They were due to expire later this month but will be renewed and remain in effect from Sept. 1, aff August 20, 2026

Annual festival in Wonju to showcase cultural diversity SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The provincial city of Wonju will host its annual cultural festival next month, offering food, games and other activities from around the world, organizers said on Thursday. Now in its fourth year, the festival, known as the WOW Festival, will take place Sept. 5 at the Wonju Dancing Performance Hall in Gangwon Province, featuring booths showcasing traditional games, clothing, food and cultural programs from around the world. Food booths and trucks will of August 20, 2026

KOSPI rebounds sharply on SK hynix's buyback plan SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI opened sharply higher Thursday, with SK hynix shares jumping more than 6 percent as the chipmaker began buying back 40 trillion won (US$28.8 billion) of its own shares. The index rose 159.10 points or 2.5 percent to 6,630.27 points shortly after the day's trading began. That recovered about two-fifths of the previous session's 398.66-point plunge, when the main index in Seoul fell 5.8 percent and the Korea Exchang August 20, 2026

Trump seeks talks with North Korean leader as Pyongyang remains skeptical SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year. When asked whether he expects to meet Kim, Trump told reporters at the White House, "Yeah, I will be." But he did not provide details about when or where the meeting could take place. Trump also said North Korea has "57 very powerful nuclear weapons," while reiterating his "good" relationship with Kim. But th August 20, 2026

NCT 127 to showcase new title track at comeback event next week SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT 127 will showcase their new title track at a comeback event, SM Entertainment said on Wednesday. The group will host "NCT 127 THE 7TH ALBUM COMEBACK LIVE PARTY" at KINTEX in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul next week. The event slated for Aug. 25 comes a day after the release of the group's seventh full-length album, "BLINGY." The title track, "Blingy," is a hip-hop song built around distorted syn August 19, 2026

K-pop girl group i-dle's Soyeon to release new solo album this fall SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Soyeon of K-pop girl group i-dle will return as a solo artist in September, Cube Entertainment said on Wednesday. The release will mark her first solo project in five years and two months since her debut mini album, "Windy," in July 2021. Soyeon is the leader of i-dle and has played a central role in the group's self-produced music. She has written and produced several of the group's major hits including "TOMBOY," &q August 19, 2026

Won closes below 1,400 against greenback for 1st time in 11 months SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - The South Korean won closed daytime trading below 1,400 per dollar for the first time in nearly 11 months on Wednesday, while government bond yields fell as a sharp stock selloff boosted demand for safer assets. The won strengthened 14.1 won from the previous session to close at 1,397.7 per dollar, compared with Tuesday's close of 1,411.8. It marked the first daytime close below 1,400 since Sept. 29, 2025, when the currency ended at 1,398.7. Export August 19, 2026