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  KOSPI catches its breath after two-week rally SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI pulled back on Tuesday, ending its year-opening rally, as selling pressure in major technology and auto shares outweighed gains in select growth and thematic stocks. The index fell 0.4 percent to close at 4,885.8, snapping a 13-session winning streak that included a series of record highs. Despite the pullback, it briefly climbed to an intraday high of 4,935.48, extending its run of fresh peaks before momentum faded in late January 20, 2026
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  More young Koreans abandon job searches: BOK SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - The number of economically inactive or “idled” young people in South Korea has risen sharply, with a growing share abandoning job searches, underscoring mounting risks to the country’s long-term growth potential, the central bank said on Tuesday. According to a report from the Bank of Korea (BOK), the proportion of the idled population within the economically inactive group climbed to 15.8 percent in 2025, up from 12.8 percent in 2019. T January 20, 2026
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  Uzbekistan president calls for results-oriented diplomatic shift SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for a fundamental restructuring of the country's diplomatic missions on January 15, urging ambassadors to pivot from traditional political representation to aggressive economic advocacy and the protection of citizens abroad. Speaking at an expanded meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mirziyoyev said the shifting geopolitical landscape and increasing threats to state sovereignty require a "new gene January 20, 2026
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  Most powerful cold wave of winter hits South Korea SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - An intense cold wave gripped the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday, coinciding with Daehan, the final of the 24 traditional lunar terms marking the peak of winter. Temperatures plummeted below minus 10 degrees Celsius across the greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province, prompting authorities to issue cold wave advisories for most of the country. In the capital, the morning wind chill factor plunged to a staggering minus 18 degrees Celsius, marking the coldest January 20, 2026
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  FM to visit Turkey, Belgium this week SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will visit Turkey and Belgium later this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. "Cho will travel to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan," the ministry's deputy spokesperson Lee Moon-bae, said during a press briefing in Seoul. The meeting is part of follow-up steps after President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Turkey in November last year. Cho is expected to January 20, 2026
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  Korea Exchange cleans out zombie stocks as KOSPI rallies to new heights SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market is extending its red-hot rally into the new year while quietly pushing out near-defunct companies, using favorable market momentum to rationalize both its main and secondary bourses. According to data from the Korea Exchange (KRX) as of Tuesday, five companies — Pureunsonamu, Intromedic, Well Biotec, Kukbo and PharmAbcine — are currently undergoing delisting procedures. Of the five, Well Biotec and Kukbo are l January 20, 2026
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  'Dancing, Dreaming, Enlightening' showcases Korean fashion art SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) The Seoul Museum of Craft Art is holding a special donation exhibition, "Dancing, Dreaming, Enlightening," showcasing the artistic world of Geum Key-sook, a pioneer of Korean fashion art, through March 15. The exhibition traces the creative journey of artist Geum Key-sook, who has built a unique domain of "fashion art" over 40 years by crossing boundaries between fashion and fine art, tradition and contemporary practice. Geum is recogni January 20, 2026
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  Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" emerges as Korea's biggest U.S. box-office hit SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice has become the highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the United States, surpassing the box-office record set by Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and reinforcing the commercial viability of Korean noir among American audiences. After more than three decades of shaping South Korean cinema for global viewers, Park is registering his first major North American box-office breakthrough. No Other Choice, a dark comedy ce January 20, 2026
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  AI memory becomes security concern in Korea as HBM leaks to China rise SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - High-bandwidth memory (HBM), a critical component powering artificial intelligence chips, is emerging as a national security concern in South Korea as technology leaks involving advanced semiconductors increasingly flow to China amid intensifying global competition in AI. The National Police Agency said industrial espionage investigations last year led to the arrest of 378 suspects, including six detentions, in cases involving advanced technologies such a January 20, 2026
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  Independent prosecutors allowed to conduct further probes into martial law debacle SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung approved a special bill at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday allowing further investigation into allegations related to disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle, as well as a slew of suspicions involving his wife. The approval came after the bill was spearheaded and passed last week by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly. Independent prosecutors January 20, 2026