Naver to auto-disable comments on articles with high toxic content rates SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - South Korea's dominant internet portal Naver announced it will automatically disable comment sections on news articles where its artificial intelligence moderation system detects an unusually high volume of malicious posts, in the latest effort by the company to clean up its online commentary environment. Starting Thursday, Naver's AI-based detection system will scan articles across all news sections — including politics and elections — an April 23, 2026

INTERVIEW: Malaysia has a key role in Korea's post-Gulf energy redesign: envoy SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - The Global South is moving to the center of South Korea’s strategic calculus, underscored by this week’s presidential visits to India and Vietnam, as Malaysia seeks to harness the momentum to leverage complementary strengths — not just to mitigate Gulf-driven disruptions, but also to redesign energy security, its top envoy to Seoul said. Energy security will serve as the starting point for deeper alignment, with Malaysia’s LNG export April 23, 2026

UPDATE: Korea's Q1 GDP strongest in more than five years on hot chip demand *Updated with additional information and market response SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) — South Korea’s economy grew at the fastest pace in more than five years in the first quarter, rebounding sharply from a contraction in the previous three-month period, as feverish demand for semiconductors powering the artificial intelligence boom fueled exports and investment. According to the Bank of Korea, gross domestic product expanded 1.7 percent on quarter in the January–March April 23, 2026

SK hynix Q1 profit nearly doubles from last best Q4 to record $25 bn SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - SK hynix, a front-runner in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips designed for AI accelerators, delivered its best-yet quarter ended March with its three-month operating profit nearly doubled from the previous best and its top-line also at a record high. According to its disclosure Thursday, SK hynix’s quarterly operating profit of 37.61 trillion won ($25.4 billion) came in well above the market consensus of 34.9 trillion won compiled by FnGuide, nearly do April 23, 2026

Korea's consumer confidence turns negative from energy concerns SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) -South Korea's consumer confidence turned negative for the first time in a year, weighed down by worries over supply-side repercussions on inflation and economic performance from a Gulf-triggered energy shock, data showed Thursday. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), the consumer sentiment index for April dipped 7.8 points to 99.2, the first time below the 100 threshold in a year. A reading below 100 indicates pessimism outweighs optimism compared with April 23, 2026

Cash-strapped artists recount struggles with red tape at forum in Seoul SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - A forum to improve the rights of artists and entertainers alike was held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. At the forum hosted by lawmaker Son Sol of the minor far-left Progressive Party, participants discussed various measures to improve their legal rights, address workplace mistreatment, and strengthen support measures. Many of them, hired on independent freelance-based contracts and struggling to make ends meet, are unable to access state- April 22, 2026

Rome pivots to Seoul as lunar race demands global alliance SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Italy and South Korea are formalizing a strategic aerospace corridor as the technical and economic pressures of the second lunar age render national isolation obsolete. During the 2026 Italian Space Day in the South Korean capital on Wednesday, Teodoro Valente, the president of the Italian Space Agency, told a delegation of industry leaders that the era of the solo spacefaring nation has ended. As the global community readies for a permanent human presen April 22, 2026

KOSPI, Nikkei hit fresh record highs despite US-Iran talks on hold SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Asian markets mostly closed higher on Wednesday, with South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closing above the 6,400 mark for the first time, despite fresh uncertainties over the prolonged conflict in the Middle East after another round of talks between the U.S. and Iran was postponed indefinitely. The KOSPI rose 0.46 percent to close at a record 6,417.93 points, while the junior KOSDAQ gained 0.18 percent to finish at 1,181.12. Among large-cap tech shares, S April 22, 2026

How a single remark exposed deeper fault lines in U.S.–South Korea relation SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - When South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong, he intended to highlight the growing sophistication of its nuclear program. Instead, his remarks triggered an intelligence dispute with Washington and a controversy within the highly divisive Korean society. At the heart of the dispute is Kusong, a location that Washington claims had April 22, 2026

Polarization deepens as two chip giants dominate KOSPI SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) -South Korea's main bourse is flying to new heights and exports remain resilient despite Gulf shocks, but the momentum is increasingly powered by a single engine — chips. Memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix now account for about 67 percent, or 137.3 trillion won ($XX billion), of total first-quarter operating profits among South Korean companies, according to financial data provider FnGuide. That is more than double last year’s sha April 22, 2026