KAIST finds molecular lock that traps cells in cancer-like states SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - A cell that turns cancer-like tends to stay that way long after whatever triggered the change has gone. Researchers in South Korea say they have identified which molecular circuits hold it there and have shown in computer models how to release them. The method is called ROOT, short for Revelation Of the Original circuit of irreversible Transition. It was developed by a team led by Cho Kwang-hyun, a professor in the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering a August 21, 2026

Former NSC chief urges Seoul to take Trump's latest moves seriously SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Former White House National Security Council chief of staff Alexander B. Gray urged Seoul to take U.S. President Donald Trump seriously on investment and the treatment of American companies while defending his "unconventional" approach to North Korea, which differs from previous presidents', in an AJP interview in Seoul earlier this week, two days after Trump abruptly ordered a substantial reduction in a joint military exercise with South Korea on August 21, 2026

Viet Nam's Gen Z protests without gathering SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - The flowers under the tree outside No. 55 Nguyen Huy Tu Street arrived one at a time, which is why the police had nothing to break up. Over roughly a week in August, young Vietnamese walked to the spot in central Hanoi, left a bouquet, photographed it and went home. By the time the pile was large enough to be a problem, no crowd had ever formed. The tree marks the place where a car crossed into oncoming traffic on May 30, 2025, and struck a motorbike carry August 21, 2026

LG sweeps major global design awards across TVs, robots and home appliances SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - LG Electronics has completed a sweep of the world's three major design awards this year, winning 17 prizes at the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards after earlier collecting honors from Red Dot and iF across products ranging from televisions and robots to heating systems and laptops. LG said Friday it received five bronze awards and 12 finalist honors at IDEA 2026, organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America. The company had previ August 21, 2026

KOSPI opens lower as US yield worries return SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks opened lower on Friday, giving back some of the previous session's sharp gains as higher U.S. Treasury yields, rising oil prices and losses on Wall Street weighed on investor sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI traded at 6,808.63 points at around 9 a.m., down 0.64 percent from the previous session. The junior KOSDAQ also fell 3.53 percent to 811.22, with losses considerably steeper among smaller growth stocks. The decline came after the August 21, 2026

Musinsa partners with Vietnamese retailer in latest entry into Southeast Asian market SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean fashion platform Musinsa is expanding into Viet Nam, marking its latest move into Southeast Asia after recently entering the Philippines and Indonesia. Musinsa said Friday it has signed a partnership with Au Chau Fashion and Cosmetics Company (ACFC), a subsidiary of Vietnamese retailer Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG), to expand its brands in Viet Nam and reach more local customers. Under the partnership, the two companies also plan to open o August 21, 2026

Retirement age fight halts every Hyundai Motor plant in S. Korea SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Every production line at South Korea's largest automaker went down Friday morning as workers began their first full-day strike in a decade, a walkout that turns on how long they get to keep their jobs rather than on how much they are paid. Morning-shift members of the Hyundai Motor union, who normally clock in at 6:45 a.m., did not come to work. The afternoon shift that starts at 3:30 p.m. will not report either, leaving plants in Ulsan, Jeonju and Asa August 21, 2026

Foreign investors continue selling South Korean stocks while buying bonds SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Foreign investors extended their selling streak in South Korean stocks to seven consecutive months, offloading more than 31 trillion won worth of listed shares. By contrast, they remained net buyers of domestic bonds for a fourth straight month, investing about 2.4 trillion won. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on Friday, foreigners were net sellers of 31.66 trillion won worth of listed stocks in July. They sold 30.78 trillion won on August 21, 2026

Kazakhstan to elect first Kurultai under new constitution SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Voters in Kazakhstan choose all 145 seats of the Kurultai on Sunday, filling the single-chamber legislature that replaced the country's two houses of parliament and completing an institutional change written into a constitution that took effect seven weeks ago. The Central Election Commission has registered 12,605,788 voters and 545 candidates across seven party lists. Every seat is contested in one nationwide district under closed-list proportional re August 20, 2026

North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles as US-South Korea exercise winds down SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - North Korea fired a dozen ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, as the annual U.S.-South Korea military exercise neared an early end following U.S. President Donald Trump's order to scale it back, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up a two-day visit to Seoul. The Joint Chiefs of Staff here said it detected about 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched at around 5 p.m. and that military authorities were analyzing their types, August 20, 2026