Seoul issues verbal intervention as won hits lowest since global financial crisis SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - South Korean authorities issued a verbal intervention Monday as the won weakened to its lowest level since the global financial crisis, with officials warning they would take “appropriate” measures to stabilize financial markets. “The bond yields and the won-dollar exchange rate are showing excessive volatility compared with Korea’s economic fundamentals due to Middle East risks,” Bank of Korea Senior Deputy Governor Yoo Sang-dai March 9, 2026

Joint research team identifies neural mechanism behind drug addiction relapse SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - A joint research team from South Korea and the United States has identified a specific neural circuit in the brain that controls drug-seeking behavior. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that addiction relapse is caused by a general decline in willpower or a permanent loss of function in the prefrontal cortex. A team led by Professor Baek Se-bum of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Professor Lim Byung-kook of the Un March 9, 2026

World-OKTA wraps up entrepreneurship training for global AI startup hopefuls SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA) said on Monday it has completed a four-day online entrepreneurship training program designed to sharpen the skills of aspiring founders ahead of its 2026 OKTA Global AI Startup Pitch Competition slated for March 31 in Seoul. Faculty from UC Berkeley, Stanford University and San Jose State University, alongside active venture capital professionals based in Silicon Valley, delivered six s March 9, 2026

Iranian embassy in Seoul opens condolence book for late supreme leader SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - The Iranian embassy in South Korea notified the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 8 of the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, whom the mission described as a martyr. In a formal diplomatic note, the embassy said the Iranian leader died February 28 in what it characterized as a "brutal and unjust attack" by the United States and Israel. The message marks the first formal communication from the mission to the Sout March 9, 2026

Celltrion solidifies biosimilar dominance across key Asian markets SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - Celltrion has tightened its grip on major Asian biosimilar markets, with several of its flagship products commanding leading market shares in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia, buoyed by an aggressive direct-sales push and a steady pipeline of new launches. Data from IQVIA showed that Celltrion's autoimmune treatment Remsima (infliximab) held the top prescription spot across all four markets as of the third quarter of 2025, capturing 93 percent March 9, 2026

Seoul stocks and won in freefall on oil price surge SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - South Korean shares extended a freefall Monday as markets entered the second week of the war in Iran, with the conflict widening after Tehran named the son of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as the country’s new leader — a move seen as defying the United States and Israel and signaling a prolonged confrontation likely to rattle global energy markets. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI tumbled 6.65 percent to 5,213.61, while the tech-heavy KOS March 9, 2026

Kim Yun-ji becomes first South Korean woman to win Winter Paralympics gold SEOUL, March 9 (AJP) - Biathlete Kim Yun-ji on Sunday won gold at the Winter Paralympics, which kicked off last week in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Kim finished with a time of 38:00.1 in the women's sitting sprint 12.5-kilometer biathlon, narrowly ahead of Germany's Anja Wicker, who crossed the finish line with 38:12.09. Kendall Gretsch of the United States took bronze with 38:36.1. With the victory, she became the first South Korean woman to win a gold medal March 9, 2026

Seoul tells Koreans to leave seven Middle East countries "immediately" SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - South Korea has raised its travel alert for parts of the Middle East to Level 3 — “leave immediately” — as the U.S.–Israel war with Iran widens across the Gulf region and threatens key energy infrastructure. The Foreign Ministry said Sunday it upgraded a special travel advisory for Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, urging South Korean citizens to leave areas where the new alert ap March 9, 2026

Korea's WBC hopes hang on Australia after Taipei loss SEOUL, March 08 (AJP) -South Korea’s hopes of advancing at the 2026 World Baseball Classic were left hanging by a thread Sunday after a 5–4 extra-innings loss to Chinese Taipei at Tokyo Dome, requiring the team a convincing final-game victory to stay alive. The defeat dropped South Korea to 1–2 in Pool C, while Chinese Taipei finished its schedule at 2–2. South Korea will close the opening round against Australia at 7 p.m. Monday, but its path to the qua March 8, 2026

Samsung union vote on strike to add memory supply concerns SEOUL, March 08 (AJP) - Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics on Monday begin a 10-day vote on whether to launch a strike, raising fresh concerns over chip supply at a time of surging demand for artificial-intelligence memory. The ballot, which runs from March 9 to 18, could pave the way for a joint protest next month and a full-scale strike from May 21 to June 7 if a majority of union members approve the action. The vote follows a breakdown in wage negotiations after the Na March 8, 2026