Automakers recalling half a million vehicles over various defects SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - A combined 512,393 vehicles across 13 models from Hyundai Motor, Kia, Honda and Stellantis will be voluntarily recalled to fix manufacturing defects, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Thursday. Hyundai accounts for the bulk of the recall, with nearly 400,000 vehicles affected including 104,781 across two models including the Tucson, for which repairs have been underway since July 30 due to a software error in the forward collision August 6, 2026

Samsung tests global appetite for pricier Galaxy foldables and wearables SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics rolled out its latest Galaxy foldable smartphones and smartwatches worldwide on Thursday, betting strong pre-orders can overcome sticker shock as soaring memory and component costs push flagship handset prices to new highs and weigh on global smartphone demand. The world's largest smartphone maker said the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Flip8, Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 will go on sale from Aug. 7 in major ma August 6, 2026

In a record year for K-pop, NOWZ picks a lane instead of a fight SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NOWZ released its latest digital single "Achilles" on Wednesday into one of the busiest stretches of the K-pop calendar, but the group framed the comeback less as a head-to-head contest and more as an attempt to sharpen its own identity. The five-member boy group released "Achilles" at 6 p.m, (0900GMT) marking its first Korean comeback in about 10 months since "Play Ball" and its first new release in five month August 5, 2026

Excavators return as Guryong Village redevelopment moves forward SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - Even in the early morning, temperatures hovered well above 30 degrees Celsius in tropical humidity — conditions ill-suited to bulldozing work, let alone human protest. Still, an excavator moved methodically through piles of soil, pipes, twisted metal and torn blue tarpaulins inside Guryong Village, the last surviving shantytown in affluent Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. Behind corrugated metal fencing, workers in hard hats continued dismantlin August 5, 2026

South Korean investors turn cautious after leveraged ETF frenzy SEOUL, August 5 (AJP) - Just weeks ago, South Korea's stock market looked less like an equity market than a high-stakes casino as some observers put it. Retail investors poured hundreds of trillions of won into newly launched single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the country's two major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, fueling one of the sharpest boom-and-bust cycles in the country's stock market history. Circuit breakers were activ August 5, 2026

Korean won emerges as winner in U.S. "prosper-thy-neighbor" yen defense SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - Currency intervention has long been viewed as a classic beggar-thy-neighbor policy, with governments weakening their currencies at the expense of trading partners. The latest U.S.-Japan operation appears to be doing the opposite, giving the South Korean won an unexpected tailwind alongside the yen. That raises an obvious question: Has Washington suddenly become more generous? Why would an administration that has championed "America First" intervene August 5, 2026

Won, Korean bonds rally as Middle East tensions ease SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s won and government bonds rallied on Wednesday as optimism over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement pushed oil prices lower, easing inflation concerns and drawing investors back into local assets. The won closed the daytime session at 1,424.5 won to the dollar, strengthening by 8.0 won, or 0.56 percent, from Tuesday’s close of 1,432.5. The three-year Korean government bond yield fell 7.1 basis points to 3.669 percent, while the 10-y August 5, 2026

Kazakhstan opens AI olympiad as digital push accelerates SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - More than 500 high school students from 106 countries began competing in Astana this week at the world's newest international science olympiad, hosted by a government that has spent the past year signing $10 billion in data center agreements and writing Central Asia's first artificial intelligence law. The third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence runs through August 8. The second edition, held in Beijing last year, drew 300 students August 5, 2026

KOSPI rebounds above 6,500 as foreign investors return amid global chip rally SEOUL, August 5 (AJP) - South Korean stocks extended their rally on Wednesday, with the benchmark KOSPI climbing back above 6,500 as foreign investors returned to the market as net buyers. The rally was further supported by strength in global semiconductor shares and easing Middle East tensions. The KOSPI closed 3.76 percent higher at 6,598.26 after rising as much as 6,674.66 intraday. The surge triggered a buy-side sidecar early in the session, while the junior KOSDAQ gained 2.42 p August 5, 2026

Seoul's heatwave sparks highest alert People enjoy the water at the Gwangnaru Hangang Park swimming pool in Seoul on Aug. 5, 2026. Seoul issued its highest-level extreme heat warning across the entire city amid sweltering temperatures. August 5, 2026