Jun. K to roll out 'Your Lips' on Aug. 17 SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - JUN. K of 2PM will release a new digital single, "Your Lips," featuring Wendy of Red Velvet, on Aug. 17, JYP Entertainment said Friday. The album will be released at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT), marking JUN. K's latest solo release after his fourth mini album, "Dear my muse" in September of 2025. Ahead of the release, JYP has been rolling out teaser photos through JUN. K's official social media channels. The latest images, released August 14, 2026

Colonial ghosts haunt Korea's celebrity descendants SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) — Actress Hayoung thought she was telling a family story. Speaking on television about coming from four generations of doctors, she proudly recalled a great-grandfather who had studied Western medicine in Japan, opened one of Seoul's early Western-style clinics and, she said, treated Emperor Gojong. Soon, internet users were digging through colonial-era records. They identified the relative as Ahn Sang-ho, whose name appeared in organizations as August 14, 2026

Foreigners lift KOSPI while other Asian market quiet SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) -Foreign money kept buying Seoul for a fifth straight session Friday, but this time the leadership came from telecom and automakers rather than the two chipmakers that drove both the market's first-half rally and its July collapse. The KOSPI closed at 6,977.94, up 164.60 points, or 2.42 percent, ending the week 11.5 percent higher and edging back toward the 7,000 level it surrendered a month ago on July 13. Foreign investors bought a net 3.04 trillion won August 14, 2026

S. Korea delivers first upgraded PKMR Batch II patrol craft to Navy SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - South Korea delivered the first Geomdoksuri-B Batch II fast patrol craft to the Navy on Friday, strengthening its frontline maritime capabilities near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean sea border. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a delivery ceremony at HJ Shipbuilding & Construction’s Yeongdo shipyard in Busan on Friday. The Geomdoksuri-B program is designed to replace the Navy’s aging Chamsuri-cl August 14, 2026

Ottogi second-quarter net profit falls 2.7% as margins tighten SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Ottogi, one of South Korea's largest food manufacturers, announced that its second-quarter net profit fell 2.7 percent from a year earlier, as rising costs squeezed margins even though sales climbed on the back of instant noodles and stronger overseas demand. According to regulatory filings released Friday, net profit for the April to June period came to 33.2 billion won ($23.4 million). Revenue rose 4.6 percent to 943.8 billion won and operating prof August 14, 2026

Hanwha Systems to equip ROK Navy support ships with EO/IR systems SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Hanwha Systems will install new electro-optical and infrared observation systems on four Republic of Korea Navy support and rescue ships, expanding technology originally developed for military helicopters into naval applications. The company said Friday that it signed a contract with the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality in July and has begun development. The project covers one logistics support ship, two surface rescue ships and one submarine rescue August 14, 2026

BTS' 'FAKE LOVE' tops 1.4 billion YouTube views SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - K-pop supergroup BTS' music video for "FAKE LOVE" has surpassed 1.4 billion views on YouTube, adding another long-running catalog hit to the group's list of billion-scale videos. The video crossed the mark at around 3:46 p.m. KST, according to the agency. "FAKE LOVE" is the sixth BTS music video to reach 1.4 billion views, following "Dynamite," "Boy With Luv," "DNA," "MIC Drop" and &quo August 14, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group teams with musician KIRARA SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has released an electronic track produced with Korean musician KIRARA, using music to depict the process of turning raw material into a finished vehicle through the company's manufacturing technology. The track, titled "Temper", was released Thursday on Hyundai Motor Group's official YouTube channel and major streaming platforms, including Melon, Bugs, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. The song opens with an August 14, 2026

Korea's game groups press for production and e-sports tax breaks SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - South Korea's game industry associations urged the government to extend tax relief to game production costs and e-sports tournaments, arguing that the country's most lucrative cultural export remains shut out of incentives its rivals take for granted. Five bodies, including the Korea Game Developers Association, the Korea Association of Game Industry and the Korea e-Sports Association, said in a joint statement on Friday that games account for about August 14, 2026

Why North Korean leader keeps putting his daughter in spotlight SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - In one of the world's most closed societies like North Korea, what matters may lie in what happens before a successor is ever named. For decades, the isolated country's hereditary Kim dynasty has shown that power is not simply passed down when the previous leader dies. It has to be prepared, groomed and carefully managed to prevent any chaos. That process now appears to be underway for current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Ju-ae. I August 14, 2026