Celltrion unveils dual-track obesity drug strategy with quad-action injectable and oral pill SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - Celltrion announced it is pursuing a two-pronged approach to the fast-growing obesity treatment market, developing both a first-in-class quadruple-action injectable and a multi-target oral drug designed to challenge dominant players in the space. The injectable candidate reported Tuesday, CT-G32, targets four biological pathways simultaneously, moving beyond the dual- and triple-action GLP-1-based therapies that currently dominate the market. Celltrion February 24, 2026

1 dead, 3 injured due to fire at aging apartment complex in southern Seoul SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - A fire broke out in an apartment unit in southern Seoul on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and three others injured. About 70 residents were evacuated after the fire began at around 6:20 a.m. at the Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul's Gangnam district, according to district officials. Fire authorities said they contained the fire in about an hour and were working to extinguish the remaining flames. The agi February 24, 2026

Korea's producer prices on mild increase in Jan on brisk chip demand SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) -South Korea’s producer prices posted mild gains in January despite a softer U.S. dollar against the won and falling fuel prices, supported by brisk chipmaking activity. According to data released by the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, the producer price index (PPI) for January stood at 122.50 (2020=100), up 0.6 percent from the previous month and 1.9 percent from a year earlier. The PPI has recorded monthly increases since September. By category, prices February 24, 2026

South Korea wins UK court bid to void Elliott ISDS award SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) -South Korea has won a decisive legal battle in a UK court to overturn an international arbitration ruling that had ordered the government to pay roughly 160 billion won ($110 million) to U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management, the Justice Ministry said in a release issued late Monday. The British High Court set aside the 2023 investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) award, meaning the arbitration decision can no longer stand. The case will now return to arbitra February 24, 2026

BTS Comeback D-26: Racing the clock: scramble for Gwanghwamun tickets SEOUL, February 23 (AJP)-By the time the newsroom clock hit 7:59 p.m. on Feb. 23, conversation had faded to a whisper. Laptop screens were lined up like starting blocks. Smartphones lay face-up beside keyboards, refresh buttons ready. Some reporters counted under their breath. Others stared silently, afraid even to blink. At exactly 8 p.m., everyone clicked. For half a second, nothing happened. Then the screen flickered. 45,908 ahead of you.” “98,991 waiting.& February 23, 2026

AI reckoning: when Chinese algorithms start making movies SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - When clips of Spider-Man crouching on a rain-soaked Shanghai skyline and Deadpool delivering punchlines in fluent Mandarin began circulating on Chinese social media last month, Hollywood C-suite were impressed. Then they panicked. The videos were generated by Seedance 2.0, an artificial intelligence tool developed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. With a short line of text, users could summon short films complete with soundtracks, camera mov February 23, 2026

Rate inaction likely in upcoming BOK meeting amid growing uncertainties SEOUL, Feb 23 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday, hemmed in by political uncertainty abroad, domestic financial imbalances and a governorship nearing the end of its term. Since cutting rates to 2.5 percent in May last year, the BOK has remained on hold. That pause reflects a series of overlapping constraints: political turbulence triggered by impeachment fallout, renewed U.S. trade pressure, inflation risks from a February 23, 2026

KOSPI briefly tops 5,900 as individuals offset foreign selloff SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Korean stocks closed higher Monday after briefly touching the 5,900 mark for the first time, although heavy foreign selling erased much of the early advance. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.7 percent to finish at 5,846.1, after surging 2.1 percent in early trade to hit an all-time high of 5,931.9. The index later slipped down to 5,846.1 before the trading session ended. The KOSPI 200 gained 0.7 percent to 865.5. Volatility intensified as foreign investors February 23, 2026

Faith in the feed: virtual pastors and monks court young Koreans SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) — “I have to go prepare for Sunday service now, so we’ll wrap up today’s stream here. Thank you for watching.” With that, a 2D avatar known as “Pastor Kim” waves goodbye. The chat window erupts in emojis, hearts and rapid-fire comments. Viewers type “Amen,” “LOL” and “See you next time” in the same breath. Welcome to South Korea’s newest religious frontier: virtual You February 23, 2026

BOK governor sees economic recovery despite last year's stagnation SEOUL, Feb 23 (AJP) - South Korea’s central bank expects economic growth in 2026 to rise significantly compared to the previous year, despite last year’s performance falling short of initial market expectations. "Despite uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies, domestic demand is recovering on the back of favorable consumer sentiment, while exports continue their upward trend led by the robust semiconductor sector," BOK Governor Rhee Chang-yong stated du February 23, 2026