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  South Korea's FX trading hits record high in Q1 as foreign capital inflows surge SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign-exchange (FX) trading volume hit a record high in the first quarter amid heightened volatility and foreign capital inflows, the Bank of Korea said on Wednesday. According to the central bank, average daily foreign-exchange trading by banks in the first three months of this year including spot and derivatives trading totaled US$102.65 billion, up $18.03 billion, or 21.3 percent, from the previous quarter's $84.62 billion, and th April 29, 2026
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  FTC recasts Coupang under founder control, testing Korea-US fault lines SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) -South Korea’s antitrust watchdog on Wednesday designated Bom Kim as the legal head of Coupang, placing the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant under the country’s full conglomerate regulatory regime after a data breach scandal and despite U.S. pressure. The decision by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) reclassifies the group’s “same person” — a legal term denoting ultimate control — from the corporate ent April 29, 2026
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  Annual film fest set to kick off in Jeonju, featuring over 200 films SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - The annual Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is set to kick off with a red-carpet event in the southwestern city on Wednesday. According to organizers, this year's festival, now in its 27th year, will run for 10 days until May 8 and feature some 236 films from 54 countries. The festival's curtain-raiser is American filmmaker Kent Jones' "Late Fame," which tells the story of a poet whose secluded life is suddenly thrown into th April 29, 2026
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  KOSPI takes breath amid growing uncertainty over AI-fueled rally SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI fluctuated on Wednesday after opening lower, as investors weighed an overnight Wall Street selloff amid uncertainty over the sustainability of the recent artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled rally. Investors also appeared cautious ahead of earnings reports from five major tech companies, collectively dubbed the "magnificent seven," including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft this week. The main index fe April 29, 2026
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  OPINION: Middle East conflict sends shockwaves through North Korean economy SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - The conflict in the Middle East conflict that began with U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran in late February, has dragged on for nearly two months with no end in sight, pushing global oil prices higher and intensifying economic pressures worldwide. South Korea relies on the Strait of Hormuz for more than 70 percent of its crude oil imports, making the ongoing conflict a direct threat to its energy security. Seoul has joined a multinational effort, spearheaded by t April 29, 2026
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  Researchers develop synthetic polymer matrix to improve stem cell survival SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korean researchers have developed a three-dimensional culture platform that improves the survival rate and therapeutic efficacy of stem cells, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Wednesday. Jon Sang-yong, a professor at KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences, led a research team to create a synthetic polymer material named "poly-Z." This material coats culture plates to encourage human adipose-derived s April 29, 2026
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  Hanwha Solutions swings to profit in Q1 on solar gains, chemical recovery SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions posted a sharp earnings recovery in the first quarter of 2026, with operating profit surging more than threefold as its solar and chemical units both returned to the black amid easing U.S. trade headwinds and internal restructuring efforts. The South Korean conglomerate reported Tuesday through regulatory filings consolidated revenue of 3.88 trillion won ($2.63 billion) for the January to March period, up 25.4 percent from a year earlier, whi April 28, 2026
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  Digital flashpoint: Korea's network fee concept draws renewed U.S. scrutiny SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - A long-simmering domestic dispute over "network usage fees" has now boiled over into a major diplomatic friction point, as Washington ramps up pressure on Seoul to drop proposed legislation that would force U.S. tech giants to pay for data traffic. The rhetoric from Washington reached a new peak this week. In a blunt post on X, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) labeled South Korea’s mooted network fee policy as one of the &quo April 28, 2026
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  Robots to take over GOPs in Korea but computing power poses setback SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Robots will take over general outposts (GOPs) along the heavily fortified border with North Korea as South Korea grapples with shrinking troop numbers due to depopulation. But maintaining a robotic fleet comes with a catch — massive computing power. The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday it is reviewing a plan to gradually reduce troops stationed at front-line GOPs and transition to an AI-enabled surveillance system. “The ministry is r April 28, 2026
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  KOSPI extends rally, hitting new milestone SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed Tuesday at a new high after testing a new milestone as the sole winner in Asia. The main bourse added 0.4 percent to finish at 6,641.02 points after climbing as high as 6,712.73, extending its winning streak to a seventh consecutive session. Institutional investors purchased 351.1 billion Korean won (US$270 million) worth of shares, while foreign and retail investors sold 184.5 billion won and 130.3 billion won, res April 28, 2026