Regional airports continue to post losses as flights decline SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Most regional airports in South Korea continue to post operating losses, as domestic flights on major routes fell nearly 10 percent this summer from a year earlier. According to a report submitted to lawmaker Hwang Hee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport based on data from Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) on Wednesday, some nine provincial airports in Gwangju, Gunsan, Muan, Pohang-Gyeongju, Sacheon, Ul October 21, 2026

KOSPI rebounds over 3% as foreign buying lifts chip stocks SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rebounded more than 3 percent Wednesday morning as foreign buying lifted semiconductor shares following a sharp selloff. The benchmark KOSPI climbed 3.28 percent to 5,735.14 as of around 9:50 a.m. (0050 GMT), after trading between 5,630.14 and 5,765.42. Foreign investors bought a net 197.3 billion won worth of shares, while institutions purchased 45.3 billion won. Retail investors sold a net 406.4 billion won. The rebound follo October 21, 2026

TMAP users visit app 30 times a month SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Users of navigation app TMAP accessed the service 30 times a month on average from January to September, its operator TMAP Mobility said on Wednesday. The popular app has more than 15 million users per month on average, with total monthly visits reaching approximately 446 million, up more than 10 percent from 403 million a year earlier. The app's additional features including its recommendation services for popular destinations and a walking-based re October 21, 2026

Celltrion taps French pharmacies to extend record run SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - South Korean biosimilar maker Celltrion is pushing beyond hospital tenders into European pharmacies, aiming to carry its record third-quarter performance into the final months of the year, the company said Wednesday. Celltrion will use Gifrer, the French health care firm it acquired in May, to start pharmacy sales of its denosumab biosimilars for bone disease, Stoboclo and Osenvelt. Gifrer supplies more than 9,000 pharmacies and about 800 hospitals acros October 21, 2026

Minor earthquake strikes waters off Gunsan SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - A 2.6-magnitude earthquake struck waters off the southwestern coast of Gunsan, North Jeolla Province on Wednesday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the earthquake occurred at 7:45 a.m., approximately 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of Eocheongdo island. The quake's epicenter was located at a latitude of 35.56 degrees north and a longitude of 125.34 degrees east longitude with a depth of about 9 kilometers. No October 21, 2026

Kookmin lecture brings Experian data scientist to talk AI careers SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Students in the humanities and social sciences do not need to abandon their majors to keep up with artificial intelligence, a senior data scientist at the credit bureau Experian told students at Kookmin University in Seoul earlier this month. Han Sun-hyoung, a senior principal data scientist at Experian, called AI "work leverage" that builds on the expertise students already have. Han said it is not a threat that should push them into a differen October 20, 2026

Festival fills with the smell of freshly cooked rice ICHEON, Gyeonggi Province — The 25th Icheon Rice Culture Festival, which opened Oct. 14, ran for five days through Oct. 18 at Bokhacheon Waterfront Park. The city said the festival drew 345,000 visitors, up 48 percent from last year, while on-site sales of rice and local produce reached about 20 billion won, up 35 percent. At the heart of the festival, once again, was a giant cauldron. The event “2,000 Servings for 2,000 Won” serve October 20, 2026

Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors stroll through a field of silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. October 20, 2026

Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors stroll through a field of silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. October 20, 2026

Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors enjoy their time among red kochia and silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. October 20, 2026