AJP Factbox: Slim job market keeps Koreans at school More than three in four South Korean university students who postponed graduation cited employment uncertainty, according to a 15-year study by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI). Of the 1,139 respondents surveyed in 2025, 88.8 percent had attended university, while 7.4 percent of university attendees had delayed graduation. Among those who postponed graduation, 76 percent cited the need for more time to prepare for employment or fears of struggling to find a j October 22, 2026

Samyang brings Buldak heat to Paris food fair SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Samyang Foods drew about 56,000 visits at its first appearance at SIAL Paris, the world's largest food trade fair, as the South Korean maker of Buldak fire noodles pushes deeper into European retail. The count, compiled by the company, covered its "Crave Land" booth and business lounge over the five-day show that ended Wednesday. More than 16,000 people sampled Buldak noodles and Tangle, its protein pasta line, at tastings held four times a October 22, 2026

Loudspeakers to be 'on standby,' North Korean leader's sister says SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - North Korea would place loudspeakers along the border with South Korea on standby within days, state media reported on Thursday. In a statement carried by the state-run will be in operation along the whole border.&q October 22, 2026

Seoul stocks slip despite Wall Street tech rebound SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Seoul stocks slipped at the open Thursday despite a tech-led rally on Wall Street, giving back a sliver of Wednesday’s sharp rebound, as investors were sidelined ahead of the Bank of Korea’s rate decision later in the day. The KOSPI lost 18.6 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,717.1. Foreign investors stayed on the buy side with net purchases of 155.4 billion won ($117.0 million), while institutions sold a net 103.9 billion won ($78.3 million) an October 22, 2026

US troops in South Korea should be 'ready' for broader role, top commander says SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - American troops stationed in South Korea should be "ready" for missions beyond the Korean Peninsula, a senior U.S. military official said, stressing Washington's push for greater strategic flexibility in the region. In an e-mail interview with the South China Morning Post published on Wednesday, Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert said it would be "irresponsible to focus myopically" on threats on the Korean Peninsula alone, October 22, 2026

KAIST patch lets astronauts apply eye drops without gravity SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Putting in eye drops on Earth takes little more than tilting the head back, but in space a drop never falls into the eye. Researchers in South Korea have built a wearable patch that pushes medicine into the eye with gas from a reaction between vitamin C and baking soda, so the process no longer depends on gravity. KAIST said Wednesday that a team led by Jeong Ki-hun, a professor in its Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, developed the patch with a te October 21, 2026

Uzbekistan courts Korean investment in New Tashkent project SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Uzbekistan's ambassador to South Korea invited Korean companies on Wednesday to help build New Tashkent, a planned new district of the Uzbek capital, and described the young Uzbeks studying and working in South Korea as the people who will hold the two countries together. "In particular, we warmly welcome Korean companies in expanding the New Tashkent Project together," Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov said at a Seoul reception marking the 35t October 21, 2026

Seoul's soaring property tax bills overlook graying homeowners SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Seoul’s property tax bills have shot up alongside home values, squeezing graying homeowners with little or no income to pay levies on gains they have yet to realize. The growing burden could pose another test for President Lee Jae Myung’s administration as his approval ratings slide, adding to discontent among traditionally conservative homeowners in Seoul’s affluent districts. The number of taxpayers assessed more than 5 million won ( October 21, 2026

Samsung turns up the volume on its audio heritage SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics excels at making memory and smart devices for the hand, home and office, and screens big and small. But one element of its sprawling electronics empire called for a richer pedigree: sound. Its biggest acquisition to date brought that heritage into the family. The $8 billion deal to buy Harman International completed in March 2017 added the storied American audio brand JBL alongside a major automotive electronics business. Posh Britain October 21, 2026

Ex-justice minister's sentence reduced to 9 years in martial law-related appeals case SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - An appeals court on Wednesday sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to nine years in prison over his involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in 2024. The Seoul High Court found Park guilty of playing a key role in Yoon's botched Dec. 3 martial law declaration but overturned some of the charges against him including those related to abuse of power, citing insufficient evidence. The court sentenced hi October 21, 2026