K-pop acts sweep top four spots in Asia's concert revenue rankings SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - K-pop acts swept the top four spots in Asia's concert revenue rankings, led by boy band SEVENTEEN, which raked in US$97.4 million in ticket sales, according to U.S. concert industry publication Pollstar. SEVENTEEN sold 661,088 tickets during the 12-month period from August 2025 through July 2026, topping Pollstar's Asia Focus Top Touring Artists chart. Girl group TWICE ranked second with $76.2 million, followed by TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) with $ October 19, 2026

South Korean stocks rebound as battery, biotech shares lead recovery SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - South Korean stocks extended their rebound for a second consecutive session on Monday, supported by institutional buying and gains in battery and biotechnology shares, which helped the market recover from a sharp drop at the open. The benchmark KOSPI rose 1.76 percent to close at 5,768.01, after opening 3.17 percent lower at 5,488.41. The index reversed its early losses and finished at its intraday high. Institutional investors bought 575.6 billion won ( October 19, 2026

Indonesia's rout revives Asia's crisis ghosts, but risks diverge SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) — Indonesia’s stock market rout has reawakened the spectre of Asia’s 1997 financial crisis, but the diverging fortunes of neighboring markets suggest the turmoil has yet to become contagious. Indonesia is confronting a crisis of market credibility. South Korea is reckoning with the price of its AI boom. Both face the pull of higher U.S. bond yields, but economists caution against mistaking simultaneous market stress for a repeat of the finan October 19, 2026

 HD Hyundai, Anduril demonstrate autonomous naval vessel in US SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - South Korea's HD Hyundai has demonstrated autonomous naval vessel technology in the United States with American defense firm Anduril Industries, marking its first such test in U.S. waters. The company said Monday that the demonstration took place off Long Beach, California, using a modified 368-ton experimental vessel previously operated by the U.S. Navy. The vessel was equipped with VAone, an autonomous naval system developed by HD Korea Shipbuildin October 19, 2026

Hanbok Culture Week opens across 410 venues in Korea SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - South Korea kicked off its annual Hanbok Culture Week on Monday, with exhibitions, performances and hands-on programs planned across more than 410 venues in the country and overseas, the Culture Ministry said. The weeklong event runs through Sunday and marks the ninth edition of the campaign, which promotes hanbok, Korea's traditional clothing, and encourages people to wear it in everyday life. Programs will be held at sites including the National Mus October 19, 2026

Seoul tenses up as 4th anniversary of deadly Halloween stampede nears SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - With Halloween just around the corner, police and other security officials in Seoul are preparing safety measures to prevent crowd-related accidents. At a press briefing at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's headquarters in central Seoul on Monday, chief Go Beom-seok said police would increase patrols and use real-time data to identify high-risk areas and respond quickly to safety concerns. Large numbers of revelers and other partygoers are exp October 19, 2026

2026 Red cross bazaar held at COEX Visitors look at items for sale at the Samsung C&T booth at the ‘2026 Red Cross Bazaar’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, October 19, 2026. October 19, 2026

2026 Red cross bazaar held at COEX Visitors look at items for sale at the Samsung C&T booth at the ‘2026 Red Cross Bazaar’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, October 19, 2026. AJP Han Jun-gu October 19, 2026

2026 Red cross bazaar held at COEX Visitors look at items for sale at the Samsung C&T booth at the ‘2026 Red Cross Bazaar’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, October 19, 2026. October 19, 2026

Celltrion eyes record Q4 operating profit SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Celltrion aims to post an operating profit of more than 600 billion won ($450.7 million) in the fourth quarter, the South Korean biosimilar maker said Monday, after hitting every quarterly target it set for shareholders earlier this year. The company had pledged operating profits of 300 billion won, 400 billion won and 500 billion won for the first three quarters. Its preliminary third-quarter operating profit, released Oct. 12, came in at 510 billion wo October 19, 2026