TWICE-themed pop-up store opens ahead of world tour finale concerts in Seoul SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - A pop-up store featuring merchandise related to K-pop girl group TWICE opened in Seoul on Thursday. According to their agency, JYP Entertainment, the store will remain open until July 12 at Plat1399 Studio in Gangdong, eastern Seoul, coinciding with the finale of their world tour scheduled for next weekend. The nine-member girl group will wrap up their "This Is For" world tour with sold-out encore concerts in Seoul from July 10 to 12 at KSPO Dome i July 2, 2026

Taking command is easier than commanding the war SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - South Korea says its military is ready to assume wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States immediately. Its ally remains doubtful. The United States has a point. Recent difficulties identifying North Korean missile launches, limitations in military reconnaissance satellites and South Korea's continued reliance on U.S. intelligence, communications and strategic assets suggest Seoul has yet to eliminate some of the capability gaps that the c July 2, 2026

Hanwha cuts petrochemical prices amid Gulf cost pressures SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions said Thursday it will cut prices for major petrochemical products by up to 250,000 won ($161) per ton to ease cost pressures on plastics manufacturers after supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. The company will lower prices for products including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride by between 100,000 won and 250,000 won per ton. Hanwha Solutions said the move is intended to share savings from government support for naphtha and other k July 2, 2026

Tiny Seoul studio bets on brutal dungeon survival sim SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - Battle games are familiar. Fantasy worlds are crowded. Escape-themed entertainment has faded from fashion. But blend dungeon crawling, settlement management and punishing survival together, and perhaps there is still room for something new. That is the wager of a six-person studio in Seoul. In a compact office tucked inside Seoul's Gasan Digital Complex, six desks sit shoulder to shoulder, three on each side of a narrow room. At one, a develope July 2, 2026

aespa to release first Japanese EP 'KISS N TELL' in July SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - K-pop girl group aespa will return to the Japanese music scene after about two years with its debut Japanese EP, "KISS N TELL," set for release on July 24, the group's agency SM Entertainment said Thursday. The group — Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning — will offer six new original Japanese tracks on the EP, led by the title song of the same name. It follows aespa's Japanese debut single "Hot Mess." SM also relea July 2, 2026

AMCHAM launches AI leadership council to leverage alliance for AI supremacy SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea launched a new AI Leadership Council on Thursday, bringing together senior executives from major global technology, finance, manufacturing and mobility companies as South Korea seeks to sharpen its position in the intensifying global race for artificial intelligence. The council was unveiled at the AMCHAM AI Forum 2026, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul under the theme “Powering Korea’s AI Future: Partnership July 2, 2026

Hyundai, Kia set record US sales in first half SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor sold a record number of vehicles in the U.S. in the first half of this year, the automaker said on Thursday. Combined sales of Hyundai and its affiliate Kia totaled 920,383 vehicles in the first six months of this year, up 3 percent from a year earlier. Hyundai including its luxury brand Genesis sold 489,656 vehicles, while Kia sold 430,727. The record sales were attributed to an increase in sales of eco-friendly vehicles, which jumped 47 July 2, 2026

Annual film fest in Bucheon set to kick off in celebration of its 30th anniversary SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - The annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) is set to kick off with a red carpet event in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. South Korea's largest genre film festival, now in its 30th year, will showcase a record 321 films from about 50 countries, with an expanded lineup and a greater focus on artificial intelligence. Among them, about 93 films will have their world premieres during the festival, which runs until July 12. The curtain July 2, 2026

Samsung, SK hynix target Chungcheong as AI supply chain hub SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) -Chip giants Samsung Group and SK hynix on Thursday unveiled a combined 240 trillion won ($173 billion) investment plan for South Korea's Chungcheong region to position the location just south of the capital area as the epicenter for the supply chain underpinning the country's industrial shift toward artificial intelligence. The announcements were made during the government's "Chungcheong Advanced Industry Development Vision" event at Sa July 2, 2026

Kookmin University claims 8th at Formula SAE SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - Kookmin University's student-run motorsports club finished eighth overall out of roughly 100 teams at the 2026 Formula SAE Electric world championship, delivering the strongest result in the club's short history with an electric race car built entirely by undergraduates. The competition ran from June 16 to 20 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, the birthplace of Formula SAE and still its largest venue. SAE International, the pro July 2, 2026