Nuri-launched microsatellites send first Earth images SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Five South Korean microsatellites carried into orbit by the homegrown Nuri rocket beamed back their first images of Earth within 15 hours of launch, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said Thursday. The satellites captured their first images and relayed them to a ground station 14 hours and 29 minutes after lifting off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 7. The fifth Nuri flight carried a record 15 s October 15, 2026

KOSPI retreats to April levels under 5,600 SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) -The rout in Seoul deepened Thursday as the KOSPI and smaller KOSDAQ both lost more than 7 percent intraday, sliding back to April levels amid relentless foreign selling. The mood was grim, with declining stocks overwhelming gainers 840 to 64 on the main board. As of 11:20 a.m., the KOSPI had clawed back to 5,605.10, down 6.75 percent after retreating to 5,534.24 earlier in the session. Chip bellwethers buckled under the selling pressure. SK hynix tumbled October 15, 2026

BLACKPINK's Rosé to perform at LACMA's annual gala next month SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Rosé of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will perform at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)'s annual gala early next month, the museum said on Tuesday. She was invited to the museum's Art+Film Gala, co-chaired by LACMA trustee Eva Chow and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in sponsorship with luxury fashion house Gucci and automaker Audi. Now in its 15th year, this year's event will take place on Nov. 7 and honor American visual ar October 15, 2026

North Korea gains firsthand drone-making experience in Russia: CSIS SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) -North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine could yield a dangerous dividend closer to home as workers sent to build attack drones acquire expertise that could strengthen Pyongyang’s own arsenal, according to a new joint report by two U.S. policy institutes. The concern extends beyond the troops and ammunition North Korea has supplied Moscow. Its involvement in Russia’s drone industry could give the isolated state access to October 15, 2026

USFK chief warns against speeding up handover of wartime troop control SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Shifting security conditions on the Korean Peninsula require "new standards" for the transfer to South Korea of wartime control over its military, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said on Tuesday. Speaking at an annual seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C., Brunson cautioned against calls to speed up the transfer process. He said he could not support a transfer that would under October 15, 2026

Korean display lets sound follow the picture SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - A speakerless display developed by South Korean state researchers moves sound across the screen along with the image, vibrating only the spot where a voice or object appears, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials said Thursday. The prototype, measuring about 100 inches, pairs a transparent LED film with an aluminum panel driven by 80 voice coil motors mounted on its back. Tests showed the display steered sound to the targeted section of the scre October 15, 2026

KOSPI plunges 5% on US inflation, AI selloff SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) — South Korean stocks plunged more than 5 percent at the open Thursday as heavy foreign selling battered semiconductor shares, following stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data. A sharp overnight selloff in artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks also weighed on sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI stood at 5,687.84, down 5.34 percent, while the KOSDAQ dropped 5.48 percent to 778.72 as of 9:12 a.m. Foreign investors sold a net 355.6 billion won ($26 October 15, 2026

Hanmi's new obesity drug to launch this month at half Mounjaro's price SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharmaceutical is expected to stoke fierce price competition as it prepares to launch its new obesity treatment as early as this month, with a first-month supply priced at 129,800 won (US$97), roughly half the cost of rival drug Mounjaro at its lowest dose. According to industry sources on Thursday, the South Korean pharmaceutical company has set Epe's initial supply prices at an affordable level ahead of its domestic launch. The once-w October 15, 2026

SK weighs Westinghouse stake in US nuclear push SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - SK Group is weighing a strategic stake in Westinghouse Electric through a South Korean consortium, industry sources said Wednesday, with its share of the investment potentially running into trillions of won. Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Doosan Enerbility and GS Engineering & Construction are among seven to eight Korean firms considering joining the SK-led group, sources say. SK is considering matching the combined contribu October 15, 2026

North Korea tests cruise missiles as US surveillance aircraft fly over peninsula SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea on Wednesday as U.S. reconnaissance aircraft were tracked flying over the Korean Peninsula on the same day. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday that the country's Missile Administration conducted the tests on Oct. 14, without providing further details on the launch location or flight performance. Kim Jong-sik, first vice department October 15, 2026