Hyundai unveils two Ioniq concepts in Beijing SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor's two concept cars for electric vehicles have been unveiled at a three-day event in Beijing, the automaker said on Friday. The event, which kicked off last Tuesday, was held to mark the launch of its flagship Ioniq brand in the world's most populous country. Stressing that it has "invested years in preparing" the brand to meet the demand and tastes of Chinese customers, it explained that Ioniq "evolves beyond a traditional April 10, 2026

BOK opts "strategic patience", swan-song warning on housing SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) — The Bank of Korea (BOK) unanimously held the base rate steady at 2.5 percent, opting for what it called “strategic patience” as the Black Swan shock from the Middle East conflict exerts both upward and downward pressure. “The freeze at 2.5 percent is not a simple suspension,” Governor Rhee Chang-yong said Friday after presiding over his final monetary policy meeting before his term ends later this month. “Given the sever April 10, 2026

OPINION: The hidden genius in our pockets SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Last October, I had the pleasure of visiting the Korea University Museum at the invitation of its director, Professor Song Wan-beom. The visit was organized by the second graduating class of the ‘Creative CEO’ program, originally established by the National Museum of Korea in 2010. Among the many treasures on display, the Honcheonui (National Treasure No. 230) was the m April 10, 2026

Hundreds of booths showcase latest tech convergence at expo in southern Seoul SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - An expo featuring the latest technologies and trends in electronics and automotive manufacturing is being held at COEX in southern Seoul, with about 250 domestic and foreign companies participating. The three-day expo with more than 400 booths which kicked off Wednesday are showcasing a wide range of equipment and solutions in the fields of automotive electronics and smart factory systems, allowing visitors to explore automated production lines and advanced m April 10, 2026

Flower-themed festival underway as spring in full bloom GANGNEUNG, April 10 (AJP) - A cherry-blossom-themed festival is underway along Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, welcoming visitors hoping to enjoy a spring outing at the peak of seasonal flowers. The weeklong festival, which kicked off last weekend and runs until Saturday, offers various programs including a singing contest, music performances, sporting events, and other activities in the surrounding areas. A roughly 4-kilometer-long trail lined with cherry blossom April 10, 2026

OPINION: Hwanwha's Kim Dong-kwan faces crossroads as Hanwha Solutions expansion hits financial limits SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan stands before two divergent paths: one that persists with relentless expansion and another that recalibrates for structural stability. While neither choice offers a simple resolution, the window for delaying this decision has slammed shut. Under the leadership of Kim Dong-kwan, Hanwha Solutions has moved with unparalleled speed, pivoting toward solar energy and April 10, 2026

Statue honoring wartime sex slavery victims accessible without barricade on Wednesdays SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - A barricade that prevented people from approaching a statue honoring the victims of sexual enslavement during World War II in central Seoul was removed last Wednesday. The statue of an unsmiling girl symbolizing former sex slaves forced to serve Japanese soldiers during the war stands in front of the Japanese Embassy, where victims and their supporters have held protests every Wednesday for decades. It was the first time in about six years that the barrica April 10, 2026

FSS blocks 2.4 trillion won hike as Hanwha trust wavers The Financial Supervisory Service has effectively frozen a 2.4 trillion won rights offering by Hanwha Solutions, demanding a revised registration statement on the grounds that existing disclosures are insufficient and lack clarity. The regulatory intervention suspends the validity of the filing immediately; should the company fail to provide adequate supplements within three months, the offering will be deemed withdrawn. This friction in Seoul is not merely a procedural hiccup. It April 10, 2026

EDITORIAL: Hanwha Solutions' capital raise signals a deeper balance sheet fault line SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) — What derailed Hanwha Solutions’ planned rights offering was not disclosure alone. It was scale — and what that scale revealed. The 2.4 trillion won ($1.8 billion) capital raise, already one of the largest of its kind, carried a more troubling signal beneath the surface: 62.5 percent of the proceeds were earmarked for debt repayment. Markets did not see a growth story. They saw a balance sheet approaching its limits. The Financial S April 10, 2026

Asian markets rise on ceasefire talks, shrug off BOK pause SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) -Asian markets opened broadly higher Friday as investors bet on easing tensions as U.S. and Iranian delegates are set to hold face-to-face talks following a ceasefire in Pakistan on Saturday. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 1.82 percent to 5,883.03, while the junior KOSDAQ gained 1.36 percent to 1,090.68 as of 11:05 a.m. The market largely brushed off the Bank of Korea’s rate freeze — extended for nearly a year — with policy inertia a April 10, 2026