Foreign 'Sell Korea' tops $30 bn in May, 10 times '25 outflow SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) — Foreign investors sold a record 47 trillion won ($30.5 billion) worth of Korean stocks in May, pushing their net sales in the first five months 10 times their 2025 annual outflow and explaining the stubbornly weak won versus the U.S. dollar, data showed Friday. Despite their heavy selling, their holdings in Korean shares and share in market cap surged to a record high to reflect their cherry-picking in heavyweight blue chips. According to data rel June 26, 2026

RIMPAC begins with S. Korean Navy taking first command role SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - The U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific exercise, the world’s largest multinational maritime drill, has begun in and around Hawaii, with the South Korean Navy taking charge of a major command role for the first time. The biennial exercise, known as RIMPAC, began Wednesday and will run through July 31 in waters off Hawaii and across the Pacific, according to the U.S. Defense Department. About 30,000 personnel from multiple countries are taking part. The Pentag June 26, 2026

How leaders of two Koreas mark Korean War anniversary SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un marked the 76th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War by overseeing "tests of major weapons," state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the tests were conducted the previous day to evaluate the accuracy and combat readiness of a 240-mm multiple rocket launcher system, a tactical ballistic missile and a 155-mm self-propelled howitzer, all of which have enough range to June 26, 2026

Kazakhstan and China target $100bn in trade SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - More than eight in every 10 containers shipped overland from China to Europe pass through Kazakhstan. That single statistic, more than any diplomatic formula, explains why the two countries spent this week in Urumqi pressing to deepen a commercial relationship already generating record numbers. On the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo on Thursday (local time), Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met June 26, 2026

Seoul to freeze utility charges and lower pump price cap SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) -South Korea will freeze public utility rates in the second half and lower the ceiling on gasoline prices to help restore energy costs to pre-war levels and contain inflation under 3 percent, while rolling out 1 trillion won ($647 million) worth of fresh food discounts and aid for the self-employed to ese their burden from high prices, the government said Friday. The measures mark the first phase of the government's gradual rollback of emergency economic re June 26, 2026

SK Telecom to invest 738 billion won in SK hynix's US AI arm SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - SK Telecom said it will commit about 738.4 billion won ($77.3 million) to SK hynix's new US-based artificial intelligence investment company, deepening the broader SK Group's push to build a foothold across the AI value chain. In a regulatory filing submitted to South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday, the country's largest wireless carrier said its board had approved a subscription agreement to acquire new shares in SK hynix NA June 26, 2026

Naver launches AI-powered conversational search for all users SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Naver said it had rolled out its generative AI-driven conversational search service "AI Tab" to all users, replacing the familiar green dot icon that has long anchored the search homepage of South Korea's dominant web portal. The launch announced Friday puts the agentic search tool within reach of the roughly 50 million daily visitors to Naver's main page, who can now tap the AI Tab button on both mobile and PC search bars. The firm explai June 26, 2026

Samsung Elec expected to unveil over $600B 10-yr capex plan in Korea SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics, foreseeing over $550 billion in profits across this and next year on an exceptional AI-related chip boom, is expected to pledge over $600 billion in investments to reinforce AI infrastructure in South Korea over the next 10 years. The colossal investment plan — tantamount to nearly half of the country's annual gross domestic product — was outlined during a meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung Group Chairman Le June 26, 2026

Cheers turn into groans at Gwanghwamun after World Cup defeat SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) -Disbelief, disappointment and frustration filled the air at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where thousands gathered at the much-loved open space for the make-or-break Group A match against South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday morning, Korean time. All 11,000 seats prepared for the official public viewing were filled before 10 a.m., prompting Seoul city officials to block a traffic lane to accommodate the sprawling cheering squad. June 25, 2026

South Korea, Uzbekistan seek deeper cooperation SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol met with his Uzbek counterpart in Seoul to discuss ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation, the ministry said on Thursday. During their meeting the previous day, Koo and Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov agreed to expand cooperation in strategic fields including artificial intelligence, energy and critical mineral supp June 25, 2026