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  Kia's Q4, 2025 profit slides nearly 30% as U.S. tariffs bite despite record sales SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, saw its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 operating profit fall by around 30 percent as higher U.S. tariffs dented the bottom line despite record-high sales volumes and revenue. In its earnings filing Tuesday, Kia disclosed consolidated operating profit for the October–December period at 1.84 trillion won ($1.3 billion), up 26 percent from the previous quarter but down 32.2 percent from a year January 28, 2026
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  Special Prosecutor Says Kim Keon Hee Ruling Is Hard to Accept, Will Appeal Breaking: Special prosecutor says Kim Keon Hee first-trial ruling is hard to accept; will appeal* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026
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  South Korea Secures Record 54,000 New-Build Rental Homes, Plans 44,000 Starts in Capital Area 정부가 지난해 역대 최대 규모의 신축매입약정을 체결하고 도심 주택공급에 속도를 낸다. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) said Tuesday they secured 54,000 homes through new-build purchase agreements last year, the largest total on record. The figure was up 128% from the previous year’s 41,955 homes and about six times the 9,253 recorded in 2023, the ministry said. About 48,000 of the homes were in the Seoul metropolitan area, includi January 28, 2026
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  Factory Fire in Siheung’s Geumi-dong Sends Up Thick Black Smoke A fire broke out in Geumi-dong in Siheung, Gyeonggi province. On Tuesday, the Siheung city government said in a disaster safety text alert, "A factory fire has occurred at 554-4, Geumi-dong, and a large amount of black smoke is being generated." It urged nearby drivers to detour and asked residents in the area to close their windows and take other safety precautions. * This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026
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  Samsung C&T Posts 29.6% Jump in Q4 Operating Profit to 822.2 Billion Won Samsung C&T said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that its fourth-quarter operating profit rose 29.6% from a year earlier to 822.2 billion won on a consolidated basis. Revenue increased 8.4% to 10.8324 trillion won. Net profit surged 137.6% to 1.5582 trillion won. For the full year, revenue totaled 40.7422 trillion won and operating profit was 3.2927 trillion won. Compared with the previous year, revenue fell 3.2% while operating profit rose 10.4%. Samsung C&T said it maintain January 28, 2026
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  Hong Kong Signs Precious Metals Cooperation Deal With Shanghai Gold Exchange Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said Jan. 26 that it signed a cooperation agreement on precious metals trading with mainland China’s Shanghai Gold Exchange at the Asian Financial Forum being held in Hong Kong. The agreement includes setting up a new company, the Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing System, fully funded by the Hong Kong government. The Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing System will be chaired by Financial Services and the Treasury Se January 28, 2026
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  South Korea rejects Lotte Insurance turnaround plan, moves toward stricter corrective action South Korea’s financial regulators plan to step up prompt corrective action against Lotte Insurance to a management improvement demand after rejecting the insurer’s turnaround plan. The Financial Services Commission said it disapproved Lotte Insurance’s management improvement plan, submitted on Jan. 2, at a regular meeting on Tuesday. The FSC said the plan lacked specificity, feasibility and supporting grounds. After a prior-notice process, the company’s current management improvement January 28, 2026
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  Lee Jun Hyuk Cast in SBS Occult Drama 'Awakening' as an Exorcist Priest Actor Lee Jun Hyuk has confirmed his casting in SBS’ new drama “Awakening.” SBS’ “Awakening,” written by Jang Yoon Mi and directed by Oh Jun Hyuk, is an occult drama set in an exam-driven high school that has become a playground for evil spirits. An exorcist priest fights to save students. SBS, which expanded interest in Korean-style occult dramas with its 2023 series “Revenant,” is developing the new project with a goal of airing it in 2027. Lee will play Antonio, a new head January 28, 2026
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  PHOTOS:Mobile game meets Korean traditional art SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) -Once confined to mobile screens, familiar characters step into the physical world — reimagined through brushstrokes, fabric and light. “CookieRun: Kingdom Art Collaboration Special Exhibition – Legacy of the Great Kingdom,” presented by Devsisters, brings the popular game’s universe into dialogue with Korean traditional crafts and interactive media art. The exhibition runs through April 12 at Ara Art Center in Insa-dong, Jongn January 28, 2026
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  Trump' tariff threat has nothing to do with Coupang, Science and ICT minister says SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's post on social media earlier this week about raising tariffs on South Korea has nothing to do with regulating big-tech companies including disputes over e-commerce giant Coupang, Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said on Wednesday. Shortly after Trump's abrupt threat on Monday, it was revealed that Seoul had received a letter from the U.S. about two weeks ago raising concerns over South Korea's push to regulat January 28, 2026