South Korean stocks soar while other Asian markets mostly flat

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korean shares extended gains Wednesday, outperforming most Asian markets that moved flat to lower amid profit-taking. The benchmark KOSPI rose 1.56 percent to close at 3,883.68, while the KOSDAQ gained 0.76 percent to 879.15. Battery-related shares led the rally after a JP Morgan report showed global energy storage system (ESS) shipments in September jumped 105 percent year-on-year. LG Energy Solution climbed 3.09 percent to 450,500 won ($315.05), a

October 22, 2025

Many women still endure severe stress despite expanded infertility support, study reveals

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Despite increased support for infertility treatments many women undergo severe physical and mental stress from repeated procedures, a new study reveals. The study, conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and released on Wednesday, found that many women often suffer from serious complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, ectopic pregnancies, and multiple pregnancies involving two or more fetuses. Multiple pregnancies,

October 22, 2025

Unscripted diplomacy may steal the APEC Gyeongju show

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Last-minute agenda-setting bustle is in full swing with nine days left until the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit brings together most-watched global leaders to the ancient city of Gyeongju, South Korea. Bets are high on a potential showdown between U.S. and Chinese leaders as stakes on the tariff war go ever higher. The stage sets the first meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as well a

October 22, 2025

INTERVIEW: Solana pivots to Korea as key APAC blockchain hub

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - A passionate crypto community backed by financial stability and regulatory transparency rarely found across Asia-Pacific makes South Korea a key strategic focus for Solana, one of the world’s top five blockchain platforms, according to its regional head. "For us, South Korea within APAC is definitely one of our key strategic focus areas," said Alex Scott, head of Solana Middle East, in an exclusive interview with AJP during the Expand No

October 22, 2025

South Korea, US discuss visa-related measures to ensure smooth entry of workers

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Another round of working-level meeting between South Korean and U.S. officials was held via Zoom to discuss visa-related issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Wednesday. The talks came as the two countries agreed to find ways to ensure the smooth entry of employees and workers for South Korean companies investing in the U.S., following the detention and deportation of more than 300 South Koreans during a sweeping raid in Georgia early last

October 22, 2025

HOT STOCK: Undervalued Hyundai Motor plays catch-up amid tariff hopes

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor is emerging as a comeback play in Asian markets, as optimism grows over a possible U.S. tariff relief deal that could level the playing field long tilted in favor of Japanese rivals. Currently, South Korean car exports to the U.S. face a 25 percent import tariff—10 percentage points higher than the 15 percent levied on Japanese and European brands. Despite the disparity, Hyundai Motor’s shares have surged nearly 20 per

October 22, 2025

LocknLock concludes global conference in Bangkok

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korean household goods company LocknLock held its annual global conference in Bangkok from Oct. 19 to 21, bringing together business partners from 24 countries. The conference at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel featured presentations on the company's 2026 vision and product plans, LocknLock said in a statement. Partners from Thailand's CP Group, Taiwan's C&J Forest, and Middle Eastern distributor Misbah presented sales and market

October 22, 2025

Next round in Samsung vs. Apple: Galaxy XR joins mixed-reality race

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics unveiled its first mixed-reality headset, the Galaxy XR, on Wednesday in South Korea and the United States, entering the spatial computing race as a more affordable alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro and a sleeker model than Meta’s Quest. Powered by Qualcomm chipset and Google’s Android XR platform as well as Gemini AI assistant, the Galaxy XR is priced at 2.69 million won ($1,800), about half the cost of the Apple Vis

October 22, 2025

Korea's telecom trio exposed in widening cybersecurity lapses

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korea's pride as an ICT powerhouse has taken another blow after LG Uplus joined SK Telecom and KT Corp. in suffering major security compromises this year, deepening public concern and demanding sober reckoning over corporate attention to cybersecurity. Security spending accounted for only about 6.3 percent of total IT investments by 773 Korean companies, according to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA)'s information security disclo

October 22, 2025

KCCI chief invites new Japanese PM to APEC CEO Summit in letter

SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has sent a letter congratulating Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on her election as the country’s leader. In the letter, delivered Wednesday, Choi, also chairman of SK Group, expressed confidence that Prime Minister Takaichi’s leadership would “bring new energy to Japan” and foster meaningful progress across the region. He underscored the imp

October 22, 2025