Samsung Electronics' largest union votes to retain chief SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - The Samsung Electronics chapter of Samsung Group's Super Enterprise Labor Union (SELU), the company's largest labor union, has reaffirmed confidence in its head Choi Seung-ho after he brokered record compensation package for chipmaking employees, the union said Monday. According to the union, 33,550 of 38,336 participating members, or 87.52 percent, voted in favor of retaining Choi as chairman. The vote was held from June 24 to June 30, with 38,336 June 30, 2026

Overdue loans hit record as small business owners struggle to repay debts SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Small business owners are falling deeper into debt, with loans and overdue payments both hitting record highs in the first quarter amid a prolonged economic downturn. According to data submitted by the Bank of Korea to lawmaker Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday, outstanding loans of the self-employed reached 1,095.5 trillion won (US$803 billion) as of the end of March, the highest level since relevant records began in 20 June 30, 2026

Pension overhang drags KOSPI, Tokyo rallies SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors positioned for the National Pension Service to resume domestic equity sales from July, a supply overhang that dragged the KOSPI down even as Tokyo rallied and the local tech-heavy KOSDAQ climbed. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.2 percent, shedding 20.19 points to 8,374.46, while the KOSDAQ rose 0.9 percent to 929.33. Foreigners drove the move, selling a net 808.7 billion won (522.0 million dollars) on the main boar June 30, 2026

Dozens of new Korean-language centers to open across 23 countries SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - About 29 new Korean-language centers under the auspices of the King Sejong Institute will open in 23 countries, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Tuesday. The additions will bring the number of the institute's branches to 273 in some 89 countries, offering Korean language and culture amid growing interest among foreigners in learning Korean following a recent Korean pop-culture boom. As of last year, a total of 239,020 people studied K June 30, 2026

Samsung, SK, and Micron face class action amid consumer IT price surge SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) -A U.S. antitrust class action accusing Samsung Electronics and SK hynix of South Korea and U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology who dominate the global random memory market of conspiring to restrict conventional memory supplies has emerged as soaring AI-driven DRAM prices ripple through the consumer electronics industry, forcing manufacturers to raise prices for smartphones, PCs and gaming devices. The proposed class action, filed June 25 in the U.S. District Co June 30, 2026

KOSPI's volatility deepens on fragile foundation SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - South Korea's stock market still looks spectacular despite its recent correction. Underneath, however, the rally is becoming increasingly narrow, speculative and volatile—three characteristics that help explain why the Korean won remains stuck near crisis-era levels despite the soaring benchmark. The latest evidence came Monday as the market's advance-decline ratio (ADR), a widely watched measure of market breadth, remained in oversold territory, June 29, 2026

Samsung, SK bet over $650 billion on Korea's second memory hub SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are joining forces to build a second memory semiconductor hub along South Korea's southwestern coast, committing more than 1,000 trillion won ($650 billion) in what would become one of the world's largest semiconductor expansion projects as the country races to preserve its leadership in AI-era memory chips. The initiative, unveiled during President Lee Jae Myung's "Three Mega Projects" briefing at the p June 29, 2026

Wearing Korea: 372 stories stitched together by hanbok SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Russia-born Violetta, who moved to South Korea after marriage, was sweating under the weight of an elaborately adorned hanbok. But she did not mind. Somewhere beyond the stage, her husband and 7-year-old son were watching with pride. For the brown-eyed mother, the Korea Hanbok Model Contest was about far more than a runway. "Women can feel beautiful and confident," Violetta said. "That is what makes this event more meaningful." For he June 29, 2026

The undying love of yellow milk SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Milk may have arrived from the West, but banana milk is unmistakably Korean. It is also a favorite of the Huang family. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and his daughter Madison are known to hand out bottles of the iconic yellow drink whenever they visit South Korea, introducing friends and colleagues to one of the country's simplest—and perhaps most enduring—culinary souvenirs. Half a century after its debut, the squat yellow bottle June 29, 2026

Language, alliances emerge as new fronts in Canada's submarine race SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Outsourcing submarines was never expected to become this complex, as the head-to-head contest between South Korean and German shipbuilders for Canada's fleet of 12 new submarines increasingly extends beyond price, technology and delivery schedules to language, industrial partnerships and geopolitical alliances. The latest twist came after a senior executive at Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) argued that Canada's long-term interests wou June 29, 2026