CES 2026: From delivery robots to driverless taxi - inside Hyundai showroom LAS VEGAS, January 07 (AJP) -Step into Hyundai Motor Group’s CES showroom and robotics is already at work. A humanoid robot sorts objects with precision, a four-legged machine patrols and inspects equipment autonomously, while compact mobility robots labeled MobED Pick and Place and MobED Delivery glide across the floor carrying cargo. Nearby, a fully driverless Ioniq 5 robotaxi prepares for commercial service — all operating as part of an artificial-intelligen January 7, 2026

A big delegation, thin deliverables from Korean state visit to China SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China this week with one of the largest economic delegations Seoul has dispatched in years. What he returned with, critics say, was less clear. Accompanied by roughly 200 business leaders — including Lee Jae-yong, Chung Euisun and Koo Kwang-mo — Lee’s four-day state visit marked South Korea’s first presidential trip to China in eight years and the first major business delegation since 2019. The m January 6, 2026

Army's Nonsan training camp welcomes first recruits of 2026 SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - Korea's biggest Army training center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, officially commenced its 2026 operations on Monday with the year’s first enlistment ceremony. Approximately 1,760 new recruits took part in the proceedings, joined by thousands of family members and friends. As the primary gateway for military service, the Nonsan facility handles approximately 60 percent of all Army enlistees. Following this inaugural intake, the cent January 6, 2026

Hot Stock: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries gains over 6% on LNG carrier order SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - Shares of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries surged more than 6 percent on Tuesday after its parent secured a major LNG carrier order, reinforcing expectations for a strong orderbook this year. The stock closed up 6.2 percent at 545,000 won, after climbing as high as 550,000 won during intraday trading. Buying interest intensified following news that HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) had landed a 1.5 trillion won ($1.02 billion) contract t January 6, 2026

Samsung taps K-pop star RIIZE to showcase "everyday AI" at CES 2026 SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is highlighting how artificial intelligence is being integrated into everyday life at CES 2026 through a collaboration with six-member K-pop group RIIZE. RIIZE attended a series of events held by Samsung during the show, including its flagship “The First Look” program, as global brand ambassadors, experiencing new products and services and sharing the experience with global audiences. The group has previously worked with January 6, 2026

Seoul's all-out defense of the won takes heavy toll on FX reserves Dec SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s foreign-exchange reserves fell by nearly $3 billion in December, marking the largest monthly decline among major reserve-holding economies and underscoring the cost of aggressive market intervention to defend the won. According to data released Tuesday by the Bank of Korea, the country’s FX reserves stood at $428.05 billion at end-December 2025, down $2.6 billion from the previous month. While the headline figure remains substant January 6, 2026

KOSPI blasts through 4,500, stealing the spotlight in a solid Asian session SEOUL, Jan. 6 (AJP) — Asian markets were broadly in the green on Tuesday, but one market didn’t just rise — it showed off. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI smashed through the long-watched 4,500 level, capping a blistering start to the year that has already rewritten the index’s record book. The rally has been fast, loud and unapologetic: more than 13 percent in under two weeks, with 4,300 and 4,400 barely registering as speed bumps. Retail investors, January 6, 2026

Lee heads to Shanghai after meeting with Chinese Premier SEOUL, January 6 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, on a state visit to China, on Tuesday met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and expressed hope that the talks would mark a turning point for a "breakthrough" in bilateral relations. During his meeting with Zhao Leji, China's top legislator, Lee shared that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed the previous day to develop a "strategic cooperative partnership" that contributes to people's livelihood January 6, 2026

K-content gets a permanent address in Incheon — now comes the harder part: keeping it interesting SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - Imagine never having to fight ticket scalpers again for a G-Dragon concert. No frantic refreshing. No VIP seats resold at 6.8 million won. Just… a year-round GD performance you can drop in on, any weekend you like. That, at least, is the fantasy behind Incheon's ambitious bet on what officials are calling "K-Con Land" — a sprawling cultural complex designed to give K-pop, K-drama and digital content something they've never rea January 6, 2026

Safe-haven demand keeps gold in focus as market volatility grows SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - Investor interest in gold has carried into the new year after international prices nearly doubled last year, with securities firms expecting the uptrend to extend through 2026 as geopolitical risks and demand for safe-haven assets support prices. According to the Korea Exchange on Tuesday, gold prices, after retreating late last year, have risen for three consecutive sessions since the start of the year. International prices also moved toward record January 6, 2026