India brings Odissi dance, film festival to Korea for Sarang 2026 SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - The Embassy of India in Seoul will bring traditional dance performances, workshops and Indian cinema to cities across South Korea this fall as part of Sarang 2026, its flagship annual cultural festival. Indian Ambassador to South Korea Gourangalal Das introduced this year’s program during a media briefing at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Seoul on Monday, saying the festival is designed to expose Korean audiences to different traditions from August 31, 2026

Japan beckons as SK hynix weighs next memory-chip hub SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - SK hynix, fresh from breaking ground on a more than $4 billion HBM packaging plant in the United States, is weighing Japan as a possible next overseas production base as surging AI demand pushes the South Korean memory giant to widen its manufacturing footprint. "We are in the process of studying. As soon as we finish, I'll let you know," SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won told reporters in Japan on Monday when asked about potential investment in August 31, 2026

When the crowd becomes the court SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - The Korean social media audience can be punishing and unforgiving toward celebrities and public figures. Its frenzied, vindictive pile-ons persist despite tragic casualties such as actor Lee Sun-kyun. The latest target is South Korean YouTuber Park Wi. The controversy began after Park, a wheelchair user who runs the popular YouTube channel Weracle, fell while getting off a KTX train on Aug. 14. A week later, he uploaded CCTV footage showing his wheel August 31, 2026

Sky Labs cuts IPO price ahead of KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - South Korean digital healthcare company Sky Labs will make its KOSDAQ debut Friday after setting its offering price at the bottom of its proposed range, with more than 60 percent of institutional orders coming in below the minimum price sought by the company. The company is scheduled to list on Sept. 4 at an offering price of 10,000 won ($7.20) per share, with Korea Investment & Securities serving as the lead underwriter. Retail subscriptions were held August 31, 2026

Two Koreas reshuffle military command for very different battles SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - South and North Korea are reshaping their military leadership at the same time, but for markedly different challenges. Seoul is turning back to a career general to steady an institution unsettled by contentious reforms, while Pyongyang is tightening party control for stronger push into weapons modernization. President Lee Jae Myung's nomination of retired four-star Gen. Kang Shin-chul as defense minister effectively puts a career military officer back in August 31, 2026

G-Star 2026 launches promotional push with first pop-up store SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - South Korea's largest gaming exhibition, G-Star 2026, has begun a pre-opening marketing campaign, unveiling a new "Special Pass" bundle and its first-ever pop-up store, as the country's game industry seeks to broaden its appeal beyond core players. The committee announced Monday that it will open the pop-up store from Sept. 1 to 6 at the Hyundai Department Store's Pangyo branch, south of Seoul, marking the first time the annual show has August 31, 2026

New Kazakh parliament opens with 109 first-time deputies SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Of the 145 members of Kazakhstan's new single-chamber legislature, 109 have never held a seat in the national parliament. Within four days of taking their seats, they had elected a speaker, confirmed a vice president and returned a prime minister to office. The Kurultai opened on Aug. 28, replacing the Mazhilis and the Senate under the constitution that took effect July 1. Its members were elected on Aug. 23 in the first national vote held under that con August 31, 2026

Moonies leader sentenced to two years in prison for bribery SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Han Hak-ja, leader of the powerful Unification Church, better known as the Moonies, was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday over multiple allegations including bribery involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence against Han, the widow of the church's founder Moon Sun-myung, for bribing Kim with a luxury bag and jewelry worth 80 million won in return for favors for the church in 2022. Han August 31, 2026

South Korea expands financial education for soldiers SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - South Korea will step up financial education for young soldiers as higher military pay and savings programs leave them with more money to manage, while concerns grow over exposure to online gambling, risky investments and high-interest loans. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Monday its Financial Education Council approved a plan to strengthen financial training for military personnel, with the Ministry of National Defense (MND), Financial Supervi August 31, 2026

Korean chip stocks reverse a 3% morning plunge SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Korean semiconductor stocks absorbed the full force of Friday's selloff in New York technology shares and then reversed it inside a single session, pulling the main index in Seoul back into positive territory from a loss of more than 3 percent earlier in the day. The reversal was not a verdict on the U.S. Federal Reserve. It was concentrated in a handful of memory and component names, and the broader market did not follow them. The KOSPI ended 31.14 p August 31, 2026