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  OPINION: Restore politics to avoid Japan-like path South Korea is confronting a question it can no longer afford to ignore: can it avoid Japan’s “lost 30 years”? The concern is not only economic. More troubling is the sense that politics itself has lost the capacity to solve problems and steer the economy. The scale of South Korea’s transformation makes the question all the more striking. After liberation, average life expectancy stood at just 44 years. Infant mortality reached 102 per 1,000 births&mdas January 8, 2026
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  [CES 2026] CES 2026 Sneak peek: Samsung and LG turn exhibition spaces into experience hubs SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - January 7, 2026
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  China's export curbs on Japan risk collateral damage to Korean chipmakers SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - South Korean technology producers that rely on both China and Japan for critical raw and intermediate inputs may find themselves caught in the crossfire of rising U.S.–Japan tensions, after Beijing imposed sweeping export restrictions on more than 1,000 so-called “dual-use” items bound for Japan. China announced a blanket ban on the export of dual-use goods to Japan while hosting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for a state visit and January 7, 2026
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  Retail traders bet on US markets as KOSPI rally continues SEOUL, Jan. 7 (AJP) - While the KOSPI continues its record-breaking rally on Wednesday, breaching the 4,600-level for the first time in history, the unwavering appetite of South Korean retail investors for U.S. equities remains a dominant market force. According to data from Koscom ETF CHECK, the most net-purchased ETFs by retail investors over the past week were the TIGER US S&P 500 and KODEX US S&P 500. Individual traders poured nearly 350 billion Korean won (US$241.7 mill January 7, 2026
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  Overseas fugitives top 1,000 for first time as cross-border scams surge in Korea SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - The number of criminal suspects who fled overseas after committing crimes in South Korea has surged past 1,000 for the first time on record, raising concerns that the country is increasingly exposed to transnational crime networks operating across Asia and Russia. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), 1,249 new overseas fugitives were recorded last year, up 31 percent from 951 a year earlier. It marked the first time the annual figure excee January 7, 2026
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  Lee asks Xi to play mediator role for peace on Korean Peninsula SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a mediator role in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula including North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Lee made the remarks at a luncheon in Shanghai with South Korean reporters, after his talks with Xi in Beijing the previous day. "We have to find a realistic path that helps everyone," Lee said, questioning whether North Korea cou January 7, 2026
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  CES 2026: Korea, U.S. and China clash in AI robotics as mass-deployment era begins LAS VEGAS, January 07 (AJP) - Shenzhen-based Engine AI brought its T800 humanoid to the show floor, underscoring China's scale advantage in the physical-AI race, while South Korean and U.S. contenders such as Hyundai Motor and Tesla showed that the devil is in the details. The world's largest technology expo has become a battleground for humanoid robots, with Korea, the United States and China unveiling rival strategies to dominate the emerging era of physical AI — int January 7, 2026
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  KOSPI remains regional winner, Hyundai Motor gains on CES momentum SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) — South Korean stocks remained the regional standout on Wednesday, extending their record-setting rally despite a broadly subdued mood across Asian markets. The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.6 percent to close at a fresh all-time high of 4,551.06. Foreign investors were the primary drivers, snapping up a net 1.25 trillion Korean won (US$930 million), while retail investors and institutions sold roughly 294 billion won ($219 million) and 940 billion won ($700 mi January 7, 2026
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  Samsung Elec shares hit record high on red-hot earnings outlook ahead of Q4 guidance SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - Shares of Samsung Electronics climbed to a fresh record high Wednesday, extending a near-nonstop rally since late December as investors bet on the company’s strongest quarterly and annual earnings in seven years. The stock has surged about 32 percent since Dec. 22, rising from a Dec. 19 close of 106,300 won to 141,000 won Wednesday, amid mounting optimism over a renewed memory supercycle fueled by artificial intelligence demand. Samsung Electroni January 7, 2026
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  Stray Kids, Jennie to headline major US music festival 'The Governors Ball' SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's Jennie and K-pop boy band Stray Kids will headline The Governors Ball Music Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the U.S. Organizers of The Governors Ball Music Festival announced on Tuesday the lineup for this year's event, scheduled to take place from June 5 to 7 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York. HYBE's Korean-American joint girl group KATSEYE, which has been nominated for Best New Artist a January 7, 2026