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  KOSPI, unfazed by Trump's antics, closes above 5,000 points SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed above 5,000 points on Tuesday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's sudden threat to raise tariffs again. The index closed at 5,084.85, up 2.73 percent from the previous session, and the junior KOSDAQ also rose 1.71 percent to 1,082.59 after reaching a milestone of 1,000 points the previous day for the first time in about four years. Shares of Samsung Electronics rose 4.87 percent to 159,500 won, while SK hyn January 27, 2026
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  U.S.-first defense strategy pushes Korea toward higher spending and deeper capacity SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - The main takeaway for South Korea in the U.S. 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) is blunt: North Korea is increasingly Seoul’s primary responsibility, and that maturity comes with higher defense spending and deeper manufacturing capacity. While the strategy describes North Korea’s expanding nuclear forces as a “clear and present danger” to the U.S. homeland and its regional allies, it also makes explicit that responsibility for con January 27, 2026
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  Korean retail investors ramp up US stock buying despite local rally SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market has rallied sharply this year, but retail investors are continuing to pour money into U.S. equities, a trend cited by policymakers as a key factor behind recent volatility in the won. Average daily settlement amounts for U.S. stocks by South Korean retail investors reached $261 million over 15 trading sessions from Jan. 2 to Jan. 23, according to data released on Tuesday by the Korea Securities Depository. That figu January 27, 2026
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  South Korean athletes in final tune-up for next month's Winter Olympics in Italy SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan just weeks away, South Korean athletes are gearing up for the quadrennial sporting event on ice and snow with final preparations. South Korea will field 71 athletes in snowboarding, bobsleigh, speed skating, short-track skating, and figure skating. The upcoming Olympics will kick off on Feb. 6 and run until Feb. 22, bringing together around 3,500 athletes from over 90 countries to co January 27, 2026
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  SK hynix is sole HBM supplier for Microsoft's Maia AI chip SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - SK hynix is reportedly the sole supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Microsoft’s in-house artificial intelligence accelerator, the Maia 200. Industry sources said on Tuesday the South Korean chipmaker will exclusively supply its fifth-generation HBM, known as HBM3E, for the Maia 200 chip that Microsoft unveiled in the U.S. on Jan. 26 local time. The move adds Microsoft to SK hynix’s roster of key customers alongside Nvidia, reinforcing January 27, 2026
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  Lee to visit memorial altar to pay respects to late PM SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung plans to pay his condolences to the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday. According to senior presidential aide Cho Jung-sik, Lee is scheduled to visit a memorial altar at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul later in the day, after wrapping up his official duties for the day. The seven-term lawmaker collapsed during his business trip to Viet Nam last Saturday and died of cardia January 27, 2026
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  South Korea to reaffirm commitment for trade deal after Trump threatens tariff hike SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - South Korea would reaffirm its commitment to implementing its trade agreement with Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly threatened on Monday to raise tariffs again, according to Cheong Wa Dae. In a written statement on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said that presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, and other key officials from relevant ministries met earlier in the day at Cheong W January 27, 2026
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  KAIST and Korea University develop new AI knowledge transfer technique for different models SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Korea University announced on January 27 that they have developed a new technology called TransMiter, which allows for the efficient transfer of learned knowledge between different artificial intelligence models. This innovation addresses the significant inefficiency of having to retrain high-performance AI models from scratch whenever a new version is released. Currently, January 27, 2026
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  The birth of humanoid robots (2): The Tin Man goes to work Editor's Note: This is the second installment in AJP's series on humanoid robotics, examining the anatomy, technologies and economic logic behind one of the most hyped industries of the decade. SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - A sudden jolt. A shudder. A mechanical doll's waist folds backward halfway, clanking onto the ground. Another teeters from side to side on a soft-soil running track before crashing headfirst, its legs flailing in a motion reminiscent of rigor mortis. S January 27, 2026
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  Indian envoy pledges to deepen strategic partnership with S. Korea at Republic Day celebration SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - The Indian Embassy in South Korea held a reception on January 26 to celebrate India's 77th Republic Day, marking a period of rapid expansion in economic and defense ties between the two nations. The event, held at Sevit Island on the Han River, drew approximately 400 guests, including diplomats, government officials, business leaders, and academics. The gathering commemorated the anniversary of the adoption of India's constitution in 1950, a miles January 27, 2026