Seoul pushes ASEAN ties beyond trade to digital and maritime fronts

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to expand relationship with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) beyond trade and economic front to push for common security goals amid volatility around Asia-Pacific superpowers – the United States and China. President Lee Jae Myung, in his address at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, described ASEAN as "neighbors who have overcome hardships together," calling the bloc South Korea's closest part

October 27, 2025

KOSPI and Nikkei hit record highs as Asian stocks ride wave of foreign buying

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Asian shares surged Monday as South Korea’s KOSPI and Japan’s Nikkei 225 both closed at all-time highs, driven by renewed foreign buying and strength in semiconductor and industrial stocks. The benchmark Kospi jumped 2.57 percent to finish at 4,042.83, marking its highest close on record. Chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix once again led the advance, joined by shipbuilding and nuclear-energy plays. Samsung Electronics surged 3.24 percent to 102,

October 27, 2025

HOT STOCK: Samsung Heavy flies to 52-week high on multiple upsides

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries surged Monday to a new 52-week high on multiple catalysts — the successful domestication of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage-tank technology, speculation over a possible visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to its shipyard during APEC 2025, and a string of new orders. Shares of Samsung Heavy jumped about 16 percent to 28,800 won ($20.1) as of 3 p.m., nearly tripling from roughly 11,000 won at the start of the year.

October 27, 2025

HOT STOCK: Hyundai E&C uplifted by milestone nuclear energy deal in Texas

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Engineering & Construction rose sharply Monday, touching as high as 71,000 won ($50) before closing at 69,100 won, up nearly 4 percent, as the KOSPI finished at a record high. The rally followed news that the Korean builder will play a key role in front-end engineering design for four large nuclear reactors in Texas, marking a major step toward entering the U.S. nuclear energy market. The project in Amarillo is part of a vast private power grid

October 27, 2025

APEC Week: from RM to hanbok, K-culture competes for global spotlight

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Iconic K-pop star G-Dragon has set the tone for this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju with a playful 75-second promotional video featuring President Lee Jae Myung as a runway marshaller guiding arriving aircraft. Another K-pop figurehead, BTS leader RM, will carry the cultural baton, delivering a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit before executives from 21 member economies, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. K-pop

October 27, 2025

APEC Week: Beyond Trump and Xi, APEC leaders bring diverse agenda

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - As South Korea prepares to host the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju this week, global attention is fixed on the expected encounter between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. But away from the media spotlight, many of the region's other leaders are arriving with their own priorities — from digital transformation and green energy to demographic change and inclusive growth. According to APEC, this year

October 27, 2025

HD Hyundai chairman signals possible US shipyard acquisition

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun said Monday the company is considering acquiring a shipyard in the United States, signaling a more assertive global expansion strategy under his new leadership. “We are well-prepared for U.S.-Korea shipbuilding collaboration and are considering acquiring a U.S. shipyard,” Chung told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the APEC CEO Summit’s Future Tech Forum in Gyeongju. His participation

October 27, 2025

Global AI Frontier Symposium brings together world leaders in Seoul

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - KAIST said Monday that the National AI Research Lab (NAIRL) and the Global AI Frontier Lab jointly hosted the "Global AI Frontier Symposium 2025" at Seoul Dragon City, drawing more than 500 participants from academia, industry, and government. The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP). Vice Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister

October 27, 2025

Ferry service along Han River to resume next week after monthlong inspection

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - A ferry service on the Han River, which was suspended just 10 days after its bombastic launch, will resume next week following a monthlong inspection, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Monday. Starting Nov. 1, the service will begin at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than before, and run until 9:37 p.m., offering 16 daily trips at 90-minute intervals. According to the city, more than 300 trial runs without passengers were conducted to enhance service

October 27, 2025

South Korea, Inter-American Development Bank plan AI cooperation hub

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - South Korea and the Inter-American Development Bank have agreed to establish a cooperation hub focused on artificial intelligence, part of a broader effort to deepen economic and technological partnerships between South Korea and Latin America. The agreement came during the seventh Korea–Latin America Business Summit in Seoul, where Deputy Prime Minister and Economy and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol met with IDB President Ilan Goldfajn

October 27, 2025