KOSDAQ continues to outperform KOSPI after tightened rules on leveraged ETFs SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - South Korea's junior KOSDAQ outperformed the benchmark KOSPI for a third straight session on Tuesday, extending its broad rally. Tighter regulations on single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) reduced trading in chip stocks, broadening gains to biotechnology, robotics and other growth stocks. The KOSDAQ closed at 780.72 points, up 5.88 percent, while the KOSPI gained 1.62 percent to 6,358.95. The latest gain marked the third consecutive session August 4, 2026

Young K tops Hanteo chart with second solo album 'YOUNGEST' SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - DAY6’s Young K topped a weekly album chart with his second solo studio album, “YOUNGEST,” a 15-track record built around questions about his identity as a singer-songwriter. The album and its title track, “Shut The Door,” were released July 27, nearly two years and 10 months after his first full-length solo album, “Letters with notes.” “YOUNGEST” ranked first on Hanteo Chart’s weekly album char August 4, 2026

Cheap currencies bring two neighbors closer than ever SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Cheap currencies, short flights and a growing fascination with each other's culture are bringing South Koreans and Japanese closer than at any time in decades, quietly reshaping one of Asia's most complicated relationships one weekend trip at a time. For 23-year-old South Korean college student Kim Yi-hyun, the favorite destination over the past year has been Japan. "As a student, I don't have much money," Kim said. "Japan is August 4, 2026

From princesses to students, conscription makes a global comeback SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, together with growing doubts about U.S. security guarantees, are driving a global revival of military conscription as governments conclude that technology alone cannot supply enough soldiers for a prolonged conflict. Royalty is no exception. Princess Isabella, second in line to the Danish throne, made international headlines on Monday when she reported to a military barracks in Slagelse to begin 11 months of military s August 4, 2026

Seoul targets Central Asia minerals at first summit SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Korea is within 40 days of hosting the leaders of all five Central Asian states for the first time, and the government spent Tuesday afternoon checking whether the deliverables it wants on energy and critical minerals will actually be ready. The region matters to Seoul mostly because of what is under it. Kazakhstan produced 25,839 tonnes of uranium in 2025, roughly 40 percent of world output, and has been the largest producer since 2009, according August 4, 2026

AI startup XIIlab's shares soar as new contract fuels earnings hopes SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence (AI) startup XIIlab saw its shares rise on the junior KOSDAQ on Tuesday. The stock closed at 11,020 won (US$7.93), up 17.23 percent from the previous session, after surging as much as 30 percent during the session to hit the daily price limit of 12,220 won. The rise came after the startup announced that it had signed a contract worth 30.7 billion won with BNINC, an AI infrastructure provider, to supply software for the National IT Indu August 4, 2026

Offshore NDF trading behind a third of won's March decline: BOK SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Offshore non-deliverable forward trading accounted for an estimated one-third of the won’s depreciation in March, highlighting the influence overseas positions over Korea’s domestic FX market. The impact was about four times greater overnight than during Seoul trading hours, when deeper liquidity and a broader range of transactions diluted the effect of NDF flows. The Bank of Korea on Tuesday released estimates of the impact of NDF trading on August 4, 2026

ROK Navy appoints first woman to command major naval vessel SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - The Republic of Korea Navy has appointed Capt. Bae Sun-young as commanding officer of ROKS Dokdo, making her the first woman to command one of the service’s major vessels. Bae will formally take command of the ship on Wednesday, the Navy said Tuesday. Captains are the highest-ranking commanding officers assigned to Navy ships and lead major vessels such as amphibious assault ships, destroyers and large logistics support ships. No female officer had August 4, 2026

BECUAI hits daily limit on return from capital reduction SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) — Shares of South Korean artificial intelligence (AI) data company BECUAI surged to the daily 30 percent trading limit on Tuesday as trading resumed following a capital reduction, while growing demand for licensed AI training data added to positive sentiment. The stock was trading at 2,990 won ($2.15), up 30 percent from the previous close Tuesday, according to the Korea Exchange. Trading resumed after the company reduced the number of outstanding sha August 4, 2026

Eco-friendly vehicles make up nearly 60% of new car registrations in South Korea SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Six in 10 newly registered vehicles in South Korea in the first half of this year were eco-friendly models, amid a decline in registrations of internal combustion engine vehicles, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) said on Tuesday. The number of newly registered vehicles during the first six months rose 1.3 percent from a year earlier to 850,636, with eco-friendly vehicles including electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, accounting for August 4, 2026