Korea's July auto exports hit record as eco-friendly cars drive gains SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korea's auto exports reached a record high for July, led by stronger shipments of eco-friendly vehicles to North America and Europe even as domestic sales barely grew, government data showed Thursday. Auto exports rose 7.0 percent from a year earlier to $6.24 billion in July, the highest figure ever recorded for the month, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR). The previous July highs were $5.90 bill August 13, 2026

Sejong Center to stage Korean premiere of Chong Wishing's 'Sumire Hair Salon' SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will stage the Korean premiere of "Sumire Hair Salon," the final work in playwright and director Chong Wishing's trilogy on Zainichi Koreans, from Sept. 12 to Oct. 3 at Sejong M Theater in central Seoul. The play closes a trilogy Chong developed over roughly two decades, following "Like a Flower Blooming in a Field" and "Yakiniku Dragon" the 2008 family drama that won him the Asahi P August 13, 2026

Tax watchdog raids KB Kookmin Bank in latest audit of financial sector SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - About 30 tax officials from the National Tax Service (NTS) on Thursday raided KB Kookmin Bank to conduct a tax audit. They searched the lender's headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, western Seoul, to secure accounting records and other documents needed for the audit. In the probe, which is expected to continue through the end of this year, the NTS is reportedly looking into suspected tax evasion and other irregularities, although the specific reasons for o August 13, 2026

KOSPI surges 4.1% , outperforms in Asia amid chip-led rally SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korean stocks surged Thursday morning, with the benchmark KOSPI jumping more than 4 percent above the 6,800 mark as foreign investors piled into semiconductor heavyweights, extending a rapid rebound from last month's market rout. The KOSPI stood at 6,847.66 as of 10:30 a.m., up 4.1 percent from the previous session. The index climbed as high as 6,895.63 after touching a low of 6,773.92, leaving an intraday trading range of 121.71 points. F August 13, 2026

Incheon Airport tops world in international passenger traffic for first time SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Incheon International Airport ranked first in the world for international passenger traffic in the first half of this year, marking the first time it has claimed the top spot since opening in 2001. Incheon International Airport Corp. said Thursday that the airport handled a provisional 38.39 million international passengers from January through June, up 6.3 percent from a year earlier. The figure was the highest among 1,234 airports worldwide, according t August 13, 2026

SK hynix to break ground on chip packaging facility in Indiana SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) -SK hynix is set to break ground later this month on its $3.87 billion advanced semiconductor packaging plant in Indiana, the chipmaker’s first U.S. production base for packaging high-bandwidth memory used in artificial intelligence systems. The West Lafayette project will also include an advanced packaging R&D facility and is scheduled to begin mass production in the second half of 2028. According to industry sources on Thursday, the South Kor August 13, 2026

NCT to mark 10th anniversary with Seoul Fashion Week showcase SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT will mark the 10th anniversary of its 2016 brand launch with a Seoul Fashion Week collaboration built around stage costumes, a runway show and a charity flea market, SM said Thursday. The project turns a decade of NCT's music and stage concepts into a fashion-focused program at Lotte World Tower during the 2027 spring/summer edition of Seoul Fashion Week. The collaboration will unfold in three parts: a costume exhibition, a runwa August 13, 2026

Seoul shuts down Africa-based sites for piracy on K-webtoons SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Korean authorities have taken down three North Africa-based piracy sites accused of illegally distributing tens of thousands of Korean webtoons and web novels, following a cross-border investigation involving Interpol and Naver Webtoon. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Police Agency said Thursday that one site operator was arrested locally and all three platforms were shut down as part of the joint operation. The case marks August 13, 2026

LG Innotek enters MSCI Korea, four exit SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) —LG Innotek will enter the MSCI Korea Index at the end of this month as the country's sole addition in the global index provider's August review, setting up potential passive-fund buying as four Korean companies are pushed out. LG Innotek shares rose following the announcement, trading 3.81 percent higher at 626,000 won ($443) on Thursday morning. MSCI said LG Innotek will be added to its Korea Standard Index, while HLB, LG Display, POSCO Inte August 13, 2026

Korea revives startup contest with doubled scale after data leak SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups unveiled plans to relaunch its flagship "Startup for All" competition at twice the scale, pressing ahead with an ambitious idea-driven audition just weeks after a personal data breach forced the program's indefinite suspension. The ministry said Thursday it would recruit 10,000 participants for the second round — double the 5,000 chosen in the inaugural edition — under a plan announced August 13, 2026