NCT 127 unveils seventh album BLINGY Members of NCT 127 pose for photos during a press conference marking the release of their seventh full-length album, "BLINGY," at Seoul Sky 31 Convention A in Songpa District, Seoul, on Aug. 24, 2026. August 24, 2026

HD Hyundai affiliate wins major order for LPG carriers SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has won a contract from an Oceania-based shipping company to build four liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, it said on Monday. Under the deal, worth 515.4 billion won, equivalent to 2.93 percent of the company's annual revenue, the vessels will be built by its affiliate HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and delivered by the first half of 2030. With the latest order, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore En August 24, 2026

Hanmi Pharm signs massive licensing deal with US biotech firm for obesity drug SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharm said Monday it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with U.S. biotechnology company Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss healthcare company Roche, to develop and commercialize its obesity drug candidate HM17321 worldwide. Under the agreement, worth up to US$2.3 billion, Genentech will obtain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize HM17321 worldwide, except in South Korea. Hanmi will receive an upfront payment of US$190 mil August 24, 2026

DAPA sets guidelines for access to NATO standards SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday it has introduced its first formal guidelines for providing and managing NATO standards, a move aimed at helping domestic defense companies enter European and other NATO markets. The new rules establish procedures and security requirements for South Korean companies, research institutes and government agencies seeking access to standards used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. August 24, 2026

Seoul unveils national AI ethics principle SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea has adopted a set of national ethics principles for artificial intelligence, laying out common standards that developers, users, government and society are expected to uphold as the technology reshapes daily life. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Information Society Development Institute said Monday that the national ethics principles for AI were finalized on Aug. 21 after being reviewed and approved at a meeting of science and techn August 24, 2026

Hot Stock: Samsung SDI jumps over 7% on Samsung Display stake sale SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Shares of Samsung SDI jumped more than 7 percent Monday after the battery maker decided to sell its stake in Samsung Display for about 4.45 trillion won ($3.2 billion), raising expectations that the proceeds could support its expansion in North America. Its shares traded at 512,000 won by midday, up 7.11 percent, or 34,000 won, from the previous session. The stock climbed as high as 522,000 won during intraday trading. The company disclosed Friday after August 24, 2026

Celltrion files for approval of Keytruda biosimilar, joining domestic race SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Celltrion announced it has applied to South Korea's drug regulator for approval of CT-P51, a biosimilar version of Merck's blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, joining a race among Korean drugmakers to grab market share once the original loses patent protection. The filing with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revealed Monday comes about two weeks after rival Samsung Bioepis submitted its own Keytruda biosimilar, SB27, for domestic approval on Aug. August 24, 2026

Lee's approval rating hits new low SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating continued to plunge, hitting a new low, pollster Realmeter said on Monday. In a survey of more than 2,000 adults nationwide conducted last week, 40.2 percent of respondents said Lee was doing a good job, down 2.8 percentage points from the previous week and marking the sixth consecutive week of decline. The disapproval rating rose 2.8 percentage points to 56.9 percent. Some 3 percent remained undecided. August 24, 2026

Samsung Electronics slumps, SK hynix rises after record payout SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics fell almost 6 percent at Monday's open as investors sold into the largest shareholder return package a Korean company has ever approved, dragging the KOSPI down while the rest of the market climbed. The index shed 76.68 points to 6,836.27, a fall of 1.1 percent. The drag was almost entirely one stock. SK hynix rose 1.4 percent, the junior KOSDAQ market gained 1.5 percent, and shipping and non-ferrous metal shares led broad advances August 24, 2026

Illegal weight-loss drug imports surge in Korea H1 SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - The number of illegal imports of the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro seized by South Korean customs authorities jumped more than threefold in the first half of 2026, driven by a wave of individual online purchases shipped through the international postal system. Customs officials caught 4,155 attempts to smuggle in obesity treatments, including Mounjaro and Wegovy, between January and June, the Korea Customs Service said Monday. The tally is about 3 August 24, 2026