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  South Korea opens World IT Show 2026 with spotlight on physical AI and robotics SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday opened the World IT Show 2026, a three-day exhibition at COEX showcasing the latest advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and information and communications technology. The event, running through Friday, drew 460 companies and institutions from 17 countries to a 24,800-square-meter exhibition hall under the slogan "Beyond Idea, Into Action: AI moves Reality." Organizers said the show April 22, 2026
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  S. Korea resumes public repatriation of Chinese war dead in sign of thaw SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - South Korea on Tuesday repatriated the remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950–53 Korean War, resuming a public handover ceremony for the first time in three years in a move seen as signaling a modest thaw in ties with Beijing. The Defense Ministry said the 13th transfer ceremony was held at Incheon International Airport, attended by Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and Xu Yao, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs. The April 22, 2026
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  Automakers to recall over 500,000 vehicles due to defective parts SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - About half a million vehicles will be recalled due to defective parts, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Wednesday. The country's largest automaker Hyundai Motor will recall about 239,683 units across four models including the Santa Fe sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Ioniq 6 electric sedan, as well as its luxury brand Genesis' G90. The recall, set to begin on June 4, follows a similar recall in the U.S. earlier this mont April 22, 2026
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  20,000 Farmers rally in Yeouido against agricultural cooperatives act revision SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - About 20,000 farmers and agricultural cooperative heads gathered in Yeouido on Tuesday to strongly oppose the government's push to revise the Agricultural Cooperatives Act, calling it an "infringement on autonomy." According to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) on April 21, agricultural cooperative heads and farmers from across the country held the 'Farmers' Rally to Defend Agricultural Cooperative Autonomy' i April 22, 2026
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  USFK commander warns against 'political expediency' in wartime opcon transfer SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United States Forces Korea (USFK), warned Tuesday that “political expediency should not outpace the conditions” in discussions over the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), as Seoul pushes to complete the transition within the current administration. Testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Brunson stressed that the focus should remain on meeting the necessary requirements rather tha April 22, 2026
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  BTS' song tops Billboard global charts for fourth straight week SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' latest song has held the top spot on Billboard's global charts for four consecutive weeks. According to the American music chart, "Swim," the title track from their fifth full-length album "ARIRANG" remained at the top of the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts for the week ending this Saturday, extending its run to a fourth straight week. Their album also held steady on the main U.S. charts, remain April 22, 2026
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  Korea's pump prices rise faster than Japan and US SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Kuwait’s declaration of force majeure on crude exports is adding to supply concerns at a time when South Korea’s fuel prices are already rising sharply, amplifying the impact of the prolonged Middle East conflict. State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. last Friday notified buyers that it would maintain contractual force majeure for an extended period, citing damage to infrastructure and the time needed to restore full operations. South Korea relied o April 22, 2026
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  Asian markets retreat as Trump's extension of ceasefire with Iran casts fresh uncertainty SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Asian markets mostly fell on Wednesday morning as lingering uncertainty over the prolonged conflict in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment, after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely. Overnight, all three major U.S. indices closed lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.63 percent to 7,064.01, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.59 percent to 24,259.96 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.59 percent to 49,149.38. April 22, 2026
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  S. Korean researchers develop DNA molecular computer smaller than two nanometer semiconductors SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - A research team in South Korea has developed a molecular computer using DNA that is smaller than current two-nanometer semiconductors and can perform calculations while simultaneously storing information. Professor Choi Young-jae and his team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology created a bio-transistor that operates at a scale of 0.34 nanometers, which corresponds to the distance between DNA bases, the research institute said Wednesday. April 22, 2026
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  Sookmyung Women's University researchers identify potential treatment for rare muscle disease SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - A research team led by Professor Kim Ju-mee at Sookmyung Women's University's Division of Pharmacy has identified a new pathological mechanism for GNE myopathy, a rare muscle disorder, and proposed a potential treatment strategy. By analyzing the genetic pathways of the disease, the team discovered that an existing drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could be repurposed to restore cellular functions that are impaired by the condition April 22, 2026