Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors line up to ride an electric shuttle at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. October 20, 2026

Korea's rice farmers struggle to keep a staple—and a livelihood—alive ICHEON, South Korea, October 20 (AJP) - Rice farming is a labor as old as Korea’s 5,000-year history, its harvest a staple of daily meals and an essential ingredient in the country’s cuisine. Yet the farmers sustaining that legacy face a difficult squeeze: aging hands, costly machinery and a changing appetite for the grain they grow. In Icheon, a city in Gyeonggi Province famed for its premium rice, autumn brings both the harvest and a festival celebrating it. Beyond October 20, 2026

Lee Soo-man puts a new label on a familiar K-pop playbook SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Lee Soo-man, the septuagenarian pioneer of K-pop, did not retire from the idol business when he sold his stake in SM Entertainment in 2023. Three years after leaving the company he founded, he is back with two new groups, a familiar production formula and a fresh pitch for taking it global. The market has given him an early hearing. A2O LITE, a nine-member girl group introduced alongside the 15-member boy group A2O SOUL, topped Melon’s Top 100 October 20, 2026

Seoul to mandate cybersecurity disclosures SEOUL, October 20 (AJP)— South Korea will require all companies listed on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ to publicly disclose their cybersecurity spending, staffing and related activities from 2027, regardless of their revenue. The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) said Tuesday that the Cabinet approved revisions to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Information Security Industry, expanding mandatory information security disclosures to companies and public institut October 20, 2026

Equity falls, but won hits two-year high and bonds stronger SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) — South Korea's won closed at its strongest level in more than two years Tuesday as exporter dollar selling outweighed equity outflows, while government bond yields fell on foreign futures buying and a sharp stock selloff. The won closed up 2.2 won at 1,328.1 per dollar, its strongest closing level since Oct. 2, 2024, when it finished at 1,319.3 won. It was also the first close in the 1,320-won range since Sept. 26, 2024, when the currency ende October 20, 2026

Retail investors fight a losing battle as outflows from Seoul deepen SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - What goes up comes down, and the higher the climb, the steeper the descent. But for those swept up in the tailwind, that pedestrian observation can land hard. "When stocks rise sharply, a correction is inevitable," President Lee Jae Myung told reporters at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. "Unlike in the past, it is difficult for the government to intervene directly in financial and securities markets. Nor is it desira October 20, 2026

KOSPI plunges nearly 4% as foreign selling shatters fragile recovery SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - South Korean stocks plunged nearly 4 percent on Tuesday, exposing the fragility of the recent recovery as the benchmark KOSPI sank below 5,600. Heavy selling by foreign and institutional investors weighed on semiconductor shares, amid lingering concerns over returns on artificial intelligence (AI)-related investment and rising U.S. Treasury yields. The KOSPI closed at 5,552.74, down 3.73 percent from the previous session's 5,768.01 after it opened at 5, October 20, 2026

Season's 1st avian flu case detected in Suncheon SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - The first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza this season has been detected in wild bird droppings in Suncheon, prompting health authorities to raise the alert level. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday, the infected droppings were found at the southwestern coastal wetland last week and tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian influenza. The detection comes as migratory birds begin arr October 20, 2026

World Bank unveils first digital strategy at Seoul summit SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - The World Bank Group aims to expand digital opportunities to 1 billion people worldwide by 2030 through its first digital strategy, harnessing artificial intelligence to create jobs and accelerate economic growth. The development lender set out the initiative at its inaugural Global AI and Digital Summit in Seoul, where President Ajay Banga said “digitalization democratizes market opportunity.” “Digitalization is such an enabler of ju October 20, 2026

Seoul vows stern response if Pyongyang switches on loudspeakers SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - South Korea will respond sternly to any North Korean provocation along the inter-Korean border, which would violate the armistice agreement, military authorities here said on Tuesday. The warning came as Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) chief Jin Yong-sung visited a frontline military unit and ordered troops to respond decisively to any provocations by the North, a day after Pyongyang threatened to deploy more weapons along the border and consider resuming p October 20, 2026