Coupang ups U.S. political giving near 20% since Korea data breach SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) -Coupang’s U.S. political action committee stepped up fundraising and political donations following its massive data breach in South Korea, U.S. filings showed on Thursday. COUPAC contributed $185,000 to federal candidates and political committees in the first nine months of 2026, up 18.2 percent from $156,478 a year earlier before the massive data leak in November 2025 that invited various oversight on the ecommerce operations in South Korea, acco October 23, 2026

Coupang faces nearly 2 billion won in fines over rampant labor violations SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korea's e-commerce giant Coupang will be slapped with fines of about 1.96 billion won (US$1.5 million) for more than 200 violations of labor and workplace-related safety regulations, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said on Thursday. It comes after the ministry inspected some 105 Coupang logistics centers and delivery facilities and found rampant violations. The ministry plans to take legal action over 61 cases including inadequate safety m October 22, 2026

Netflix's 'Tantara' to premiere in December SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Netflix's upcoming Korean series "Tantara," starring Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo, will premiere worldwide on Dec. 11, the streaming service said Thursday. Set against South Korea's entertainment industry from the 1960s through the 1980s, the series follows people struggling from poverty to build careers in the country's emerging music business. Song plays Min-ja, who enters the record industry after a difficult childhood, while Gong October 22, 2026

NCT WISH tops weekly album charts with 'I SPY' SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT WISH's fourth EP "I SPY" topped South Korea's weekly album charts after selling more than 1.2 million copies on its first day, SM Entertainment said Thursday. The six-track album, released Oct. 12, ranked No. 1 on Circle Chart's weekly album and retail album charts. It also topped Hanteo Chart's weekly album ranking. The first-day sales made "I SPY" the group's fourth consecutive million-sel October 22, 2026

Korea's chip boom draws Hong Kong investors into the bust SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korean chip stocks have brought joy and now grief to thousands of retail investors, and many in Hong Kong would sympathize. Hong Kong ranked as the second-largest source of foreign net buying in Korean listed stocks in the first eight months of 2026, behind France, with net purchases of 6.45 trillion won ($4.83 billion), according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). It ranked sixth for the whole of 2025. U.S. and British investors, meanwhile, October 22, 2026

Korea's obesity drug race meets an appetite for thinness SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - In appearance-conscious South Korea, medicines developed to treat obesity are finding an audience beyond patients seeking better health as they appeal to people whose goal is to become thin and stay thin. Lee Sun-young, a 34-year-old office worker, said her body mass index was within the normal range before she started taking Wegovy. “Just once in my life, I want to be thin,” she told AJP. Her experience raises a question as South October 22, 2026

Regenerative medicine firm soars above IPO price on KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Regenerative medicine firm MS Bio more than doubled from its initial public offering (IPO) price on its KOSDAQ debut Thursday before paring gains later in the day. The stock climbed as high as 19,650 won (US$14.81), about 2.5 times its IPO price of 7,800 won. It was trading at 12,920 won as of around 5 p.m. in after-hours trading, up 65.64 percent from the offering price. The firm priced its shares at the top of its proposed range of 6,800 won to 7,800 w October 22, 2026

Black Eagles turn Sacheon's sky into a canvas SACHEON, October 22 (AJP) - A giant white starfish spread across Sacheon’s blue autumn sky on Thursday as the Black Eagles broke formation, each jet drawing a long arm of smoke toward a different edge of the heavens. Their dark silhouettes tipped the widening trails, yellow undersides catching the sunlight as they swept overhead. Behind them, crisp white lines thickened and feathered at the edges, leaving the sky streaked with the paths they had flow October 22, 2026

Samsung's Lee visits UAE power plant SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited a gas-fired power plant construction site in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday as the South Korean conglomerate explores opportunities in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the Middle East. Lee inspected construction progress and safety measures at the Al Dhafra power plant, which Samsung C&T is building in a consortium with local contractor Trojan General Contracting, the company said Thursday. Duri October 22, 2026

Korean chip bonuses spill over to competition SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Chipmakers in South Korea and Taiwan keep a civil distance despite cutthroat competition to advance chip technology and recruit talent. But the extraordinary AI chip windfall has turned heads in Taiwan’s cleanrooms as workers watch their Korean counterparts collect lavish rewards from the industry’s newfound riches. Union officials at U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology’s Taoyuan operation began a 24-hour warning strike Thursday, October 22, 2026