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  Hyundai Motor steps on the gas in Indian foray as US and China turn inward SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its push into India following last year's landmark $3.3 billion initial public offering of its Indian unit, positioning the country as a central pillar of its global growth strategy amid rising protectionism in the United States and China. "India is a strategic priority in Hyundai's global growth vision. India isn't just important to Hyundai's global strategy — India is Hyundai October 23, 2025
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  Lee backs US efforts to engage in dialogue with North Korea in CNN interview SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung expressed his willingness to help facilitate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington in an interview with CNN conducted on Wednesday and released the following day. "I hope that (U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) will be able to engage in dialogue," he said. "I also believe that wants to achieve world peace, and that is why I have made the recommendation for him to take on t October 23, 2025
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  HD Hyundai merger plan gets shareholders' approval SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will officially merge with its affiliate HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard on Dec. 1, following overwhelming shareholder approval on Thursday — a move the company says will sharpen its competitiveness in the global shipbuilding and defense markets. At the respective shareholder meetings, 98.54 percent of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shareholders and 87.56 percent of HD Hyundai Mipo’s shareholders voted in favor of th October 23, 2025
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  Bangladesh's investment chief visits South Korea to discuss deepening ties SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korea and Bangladesh are moving to strengthen economic cooperation as Dhaka prepares to transition from least-developed country (LDC) status, officials here said Thursday. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-gu met with Chowdhury Asik Mahmud Bin Harun, chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, in Seoul to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and investment , according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Yeo under October 23, 2025
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  Korean won weakens past 1,440 per US dollar, hitting 6-month low SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - The South Korean won slid past 1,440 per U.S. dollar on Thursday, its weakest level in six months, as investors reacted to a mix of global and regional pressures — from U.S. policy uncertainty to shifting dynamics in Japan and China. The won was traded at 1,440.3 per dollar, down 10.45 won from the previous session as of 1:00 p.m., marking its lowest point since April 29. The currency opened at 1,431.8 won. Speaking at a press conference October 23, 2025
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  Korea raises $1.7 bn in FX bonds at lowest spread, 2025 issuance hits $3.4 bn SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - South Korea has raised $1.7 billion in foreign-currency sovereign bonds at record-low spreads, signaling investor confidence in Asia’s fourth-largest economy despite U.S. tariff uncertainties and slowing global demand, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday. The ministry said it completed the issuance of $1 billion in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds and 100 billion yen (about $700 million) in yen-denominated foreign-exchange stab October 23, 2025
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  Asian shares lower early Thursday, Korea flat on rate freeze SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Asian markets opened lower Thursday as investors locked in profits following Wall Street’s overnight decline, though a few selective gainers held their ground. In Seoul, the main indices hovered near flat after the Bank of Korea kept its policy rate unchanged for a sixth consecutive month, underscoring the complex uncertainties weighing on the economy. The KOSPI inched up 0.1 percent to 3,888.2, while the KOSDAQ was little changed at 879.24. SK h October 23, 2025
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  HOT STOCK: Hanwha Ocean surges on LNG boom, defense tech spotlight SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Shares of Hanwha Ocean are sailing full speed ahead, buoyed by a swelling orderbook for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and upbeat earnings expectations. The stock traded 3.7 percent higher at 137,100 won ($95) as of 10:15 a.m. Thursday in Seoul, after soaring nearly 10 percent the previous day. Hanwha Ocean has gained more than 20 percent so far this month, reflecting investor optimism over robust third-quarter results and sustained global demand for October 23, 2025
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  LG CNS donates AI legal support system for refugees to UNHCR SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - LG CNS has donated an artificial intelligence–based legal support system to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve legal assistance for refugees in South Korea. The system, developed jointly by LG CNS and UNHCR, was officially handed over during a ceremony in Seoul on Oct. 17, attended by LG CNS President Hyun Shin-kyun and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The AI system — named Agentic Works October 23, 2025
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  South Korea, US to soon begin talks on revising nuclear energy pact, FM says SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Along with ongoing tariff-related negotiations, South Korea will soon begin talks with the U.S. to revise the bilateral nuclear energy pact, which currently prevents Seoul from reprocessing its spent nuclear fuel, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Thursday. He made the comments during a radio interview, confirming that some consensus has been reached on revising the decades-long pact and that relevant discussions will take place soon as part of broader se October 23, 2025