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  KITA forecasts record exports for South Korea this year SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea's exports are on track to top $700 billion for the first time in history, with the recovery expected to continue into 2026, according to a report released on Dec. 5 by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). KITA's Institute for International Trade said exports are projected to rise 3.0 percent this year to $704 billion, while imports are expected to slip 0.3 percent to $630 billion. That would leave the country with a tra December 5, 2025
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  Naver teams up with Netflix for Culinary Class Wars Season 2 push SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Naver unveiled a joint marketing campaign with Netflix, leveraging its map and membership services to promote the streaming giant's upcoming cooking competition series Culinary Class Wars Season 2. The South Korean tech firm said on Friday its Naver Map application now features a curated list of restaurants operated by chefs appearing in the Netflix show, which premieres on Dec. 16. A internationally beloved series which pit 80 unknown chefs against December 5, 2025
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  Asian stocks mostly down early Friday ahead of FOMC week SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Asian stocks were mostly lower in early Friday trading as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which is expected to set the tone for U.S. rate policy in 2025. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.5 percent to 4,047.41, while the KOSDAQ slipped 0.7 percent to 923.70 as of 10:05 a.m. Samsung Electronics gained 1.9 percent to 107,050 won ($72.8), whereas SK hynix fell 0.7 percent to 538,000 won. December 5, 2025
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  Korea's C/V surplus halves, outbound stock invest outsized inbound by a factor of 6 SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea posted its 30th straight monthly current account surplus in October, but the headline figure shrank to a six-month low as reduced factory activity during the Chuseok holiday dampened trade, according the central bank data, which also showed Korean outbound stock purchases overwhelming foreign inflows by a factor of six to explain the stubbornly weak Korean won against the U.S. dollar. The Bank of Korea said Friday that the country recorded a December 5, 2025
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  South Korea's finance chief rules out using pension fund for FX intervention SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s finance chief pushed back against speculation that the government might lean on the National Pension Service to help stabilize the weakening won, saying market fundamentals — not state intervention — should guide currency movements. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, speaking in a radio interview Friday, said the government has no intention of directing the NPS, one of the world’s largest in December 5, 2025
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  Five Hanjin airlines adopt Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi across fleets SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Five airlines under South Korea’s Hanjin Group will adopt SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to provide high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi, Korean Air said on Friday. The move, which includes Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul, marks the first deployment of Starlink by a South Korean carrier. Starlink operates a network of more than 8,000 low-earth orbit satellites and offers speeds of up to 500 Mbps, allowin December 5, 2025
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  Hotel Shilla CEO's son earns near-perfect score on university entrance exam SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin has garnered fresh attention this week as it was revealed that her son earned a near-perfect score on last month's university entrance exam, creating a buzz among many parents. With this year's exam being one of the toughest as only five students achieved perfect scores, her son reportedly missed just one question. The news spread shortly after former conservative lawmaker Park Sun-young shared it on social medi December 5, 2025
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  Korea–Syria forum explores post-civil war reconstruction, economic partnership SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea and Syria held their first joint business forum in Damascus on Dec. 4, marking a rare step toward expanded economic engagement as Syria seeks partners for reconstruction and modernization efforts. The forum, hosted by the foreign ministries of both countries and organized by KOTRA and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, took place at the Sheraton Hotel in central Damascus. According to KOTRA, around 100 government officials, busi December 5, 2025
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  HYBE shares dip after court orders freeze in chair Bang's stock holdings SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Shares of South Korea's entertainment giant HYBE slid more than 1 percent early Friday after a Seoul court approved the prosecution request for a freeze on the stock holdings of its founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk worth 156.8 billion won ($106 million) while the investigation on malpractice related to pre-listing share transactions proceeded. The KOSPI-trading shares are down 1.4 percent at 291,250 won as of 9:40 a.m. in Seoul. Bang o December 5, 2025
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  South Korea expected to top $700 billion in exports for first time: KITA SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports are on track to surpass $700 billion for the first time this year, with momentum expected to continue into 2026, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said on Friday. KITA forecasts exports will climb 3 percent from last year to $704 billion, while imports are projected to edge down 0.3 percent to $630 billion, producing a $74 billion trade surplus. The report cites strong performances in semiconductors and shi December 5, 2025