South Korea says AI factories lift factory output, cut defects SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Korea's manufacturers have posted measurable gains from deploying artificial intelligence on their production lines, the industry ministry said, pointing to sharper output and fewer defects across semiconductor, automobile and shipbuilding plants. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday that its flagship AI Factory initiative has backed the AI transformation of about 170 worksites, and that an inspection of 42 early adopters found p August 4, 2026

KOSPI slips as chipmakers fall; KOSDAQ surges 5% SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Korean shares diverged sharply Tuesday morning, with the benchmark KOSPI slipping as heavyweight semiconductor and automobile stocks declined, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ surged 5 percent on institutional buying and gains in biotechnology and optical communications shares. As of 10:30 a.m., the KOSPI stood at 6,217.20, down 0.6 percent from the previous session. The index moved between an intraday high of 6,389.40 and a low of 6,080.30. Retail investo August 4, 2026

S. Korea expands missile defense with additional Cheongung-II deployment SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - South Korea has added another domestically developed Cheongung-II missile defense system to its network, putting the first system scheduled under its 2026 fielding plan into operation, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Cheongung-II, also known as the M-SAM-II, is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at lower altitudes during the terminal phase of flight. The latest system was deployed to a missile August 4, 2026

Kookmin University, KOICA train 30 Palestinian AI researchers SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - A new fellowship program will bring 30 Palestinian researchers to Seoul for doctoral study in artificial intelligence, with the entire course built around what they do after they go home. Kookmin University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation and its Global Development Cooperation Institute said Monday that they would run the AI Ph.D. Fellowship Program together with the Korea International Cooperation Agency. Fellows will enroll in doctoral cou August 4, 2026

South Korea moves to protect 3 century-old temple toilets SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Three wooden outhouses still in daily use at South Korean Buddhist temples are in line to become national heritage, a decision that pushes state protection past the golden halls and stone pagodas of temple life and into the buildings where monks actually lived. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) issued advance notice Tuesday of the designation of three temple latrines as national folklore cultural heritage. They are the Cheukgan at Seonamsa in Suncheon, Sout August 4, 2026

Crypto exchange Bithumb eyes IPO listing by 2028 SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has laid out a phased roadmap to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) by 2028. In a notice posted on X on Monday, the company said it has already begun IPO preparations by strengthening internal controls, improving accounting standards, and boosting transparency, with plans to file for a preliminary review in 2027 before completing the IPO in 2028. Bithumb said it is working with domestic and overseas securities firms, ac August 4, 2026

Democratic-led states seek to block U.S. forced-labor tariffs SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) -The legal foundation for U.S. tariffs on goods from South Korea and 59 other trading partners came under challenge Monday as a coalition of 25 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration in federal court. Many nonexempt South Korean goods entering the United States have faced a combined tariff rate of 12.5 percent since July 24, after Washington replaced an expiring 10 percent global surcharge with new duties imposed under Section 301 of the Trade August 4, 2026

N. Korea threatens 'new level of deterrence' over S. Korea-led RIMPAC role SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - North Korea on Tuesday condemned South Korea and Japan’s leadership roles in this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) claiming that trilateral military cooperation with the United States has become a “new security crisis” in the Asia-Pacific region and threatening to respond with a stronger deterrent. The Korean Central News Agency carried a commentary issued Monday by a North Korean military commentator under the title, &ldqu August 4, 2026

TSMC's Kumamoto chip hub returns to full speed after quake SEOUL, August 04 (AJP) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has restored normal operations at its first semiconductor plant in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture after a powerful earthquake temporarily halted production last week, easing concerns over potential supply disruptions in one of Japan's key chipmaking hubs. TSMC said its Kumamoto Fab 1 resumed full production on Sunday after suspending manufacturing on July 28 to inspect and recalibrate equipment following August 4, 2026

Samsung chief receives highest stock dividends in South Korea in 1st half SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong received the largest dividends in the first half of this year, according to data released by corporate tracker Leaders Index on Tuesday. Lee topped the list with 72.8 billion South Korean won (about US$50 million), followed by Hyundai Motor Group's honorary chairman Chung Mong-koo with 67.1 billion won and tycoon-turned-former politician Chung Mong-joon, the current chairman of the Asan Foundation, with 54.6 billi August 4, 2026