BTS' 'Swim' hits No. 1 on Billboard's top 100 song chart SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - BTS has topped the Billboard Hot 100, the weekly top 100 song chart compiled by the prominent American music and entertainment magazine, on Monday (local time) with the band's new song "Swim," released on March 20. While BTS reached its seventh No. 1 on Billboard's most popular song chart, the seven-member band also dominated other global rankings across major Billboard charts. According to Billboard, "Swim" debuted at No. 1 on t March 31, 2026

Korea's Feb factory output gain strongest in 6 yrs, record construction recovery *Updated with additional information and market response SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) -Before the sudden war in the Middle East, South Korea’s industrial front had shown a sanguine face, with manufacturing posting its strongest growth in nearly six years, facility investment surging to a more than decade high and construction activity hitting a record, data showed Tuesday. Mining and manufacturing output rose 5.4 percent from a month earlier, sharply reversing a 2.4 percent drop March 31, 2026

Korean banks' BIS ratio turn lower as weak won inflates FX assets SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korean banks’ capital buffers edged lower at the end of last year as the won’s sharp weakening inflated foreign-currency assets, underscoring growing pressure from exchange-rate-driven balance sheet expansion, data showed Tuesday. The common equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of domestic banks stood at 13.51 percent at end-2025, down 0.12 percentage point from the previous quarter, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. The decline c March 31, 2026

Korea's postwar securities issues rise modestly on frontload demand amid rising yields SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) -South Korea’s corporate direct financing rose in February, with stock and bond issuance climbing 8.5 percent from a month earlier, buoyed by a pre-war equity rally and a rush to secure funding ahead of further rate increases, data showed Tuesday. Total public offerings of stocks and corporate bonds reached 19.25 trillion won ($14.2 billion), up 1.5 trillion won from January, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. Equity financing led the incr March 31, 2026

BABYMONSTER to drop third mini album 'CHOOM' on May 4 SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - K-pop girl band BABYMONSTER will release its third mini album "CHOOM" next month, marking its latest comeback as the group continues to expand its global presence, said the seven-member group's agency on Monday. BABYMONSTER, a hip-hop-based pop-dance group under South Korea's entertainment powerhouse YG Entertainment, is a multinational band launched in 2024, seven years after BLACKPINK. BABYMONSTER consists of seven members — Ruka, March 30, 2026

Little sign of relief for the Korean won and bonds amid capital flight SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korean stocks are holding up — still more than 20 percent above year-end — but the won and bonds are taking a far heavier hit as capital flees amid the Middle East crisis, with little relief in sight unless Gulf shipping routes reopen. Seoul markets opened the week under pressure as the war in the Persian Gulf dragged into a second month with widening fronts and no clear resolution. Both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ fell about 3 percent Monday March 30, 2026

China resumes direct flights to Pyongyang after six-year halt SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Chinese flagship carrier Air China has resumed direct flights to Pyongyang after a six-year hiatus, state media reported on Monday. According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, Air China has begun operating a weekly round-trip flight between Beijing Capital International Airport and Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. The resumption comes for the first time since the airline halted all flights to North Korea in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic March 30, 2026

Houthi entry into Gulf conflict adds to Seoul shipping woes SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korea is closely watching the developments in the Gulf in fear of losing another core chokepoint after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared that they had joined with Iran against America and Israel. Analysts warn that any renewed blockade in the Red Sea or escalation in attacks could send shockwaves through global supply chains and deepen existing logistics disruptions. Houthis carried out their “first military operatio March 30, 2026

Korean stocks tumble as oil surge rattles markets; Shanghai stands out as rare gainer SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Korean stocks tumbled Monday as surging oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions triggered a broad selloff across Asia, while China's Shanghai Composite stood out as the only major regional index to close higher. The benchmark KOSPI fell 2.97 percent to close at 5,277.30, after plunging as much as 5.3 percent in early trading. The index pared some losses toward the close as retail and institutional buying emerged, but remained under pressure throug March 30, 2026

S. Korea braces for rain as spring temperature swings disrupt peninsula SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Morning air across the Korean Peninsula remained crisp Monday even as the state weather administration warned that a significant frontal system will bring heavy rain and volatile conditions through Tuesday. While Seoul and inland regions recorded morning lows as low as 4 degrees Celsius, daytime highs are expected to surge to 22 degrees, creating a 15-degree thermal gap that officials say poses a legitimate risk to public health and agricultural stability. March 30, 2026