KOSPI slides as Samsung earnings fall short of expectations SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics posted its highest-ever quarterly profit on Thursday, yet its shares fell 4.1 percent. The decline suggested that investors are increasingly focused on shareholder returns rather than record earnings in South Korea's chip sector. The country's benchmark KOSPI fell 1.24 percent or 74.78 points, to 5,937.66, as institutional investors sold a net 457.9 billion won (US$342.9 million) worth of shares. Samsung Electronics closed a October 29, 2026

Hyundai to invest $450 million to expand plant in Alabama SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor plans to invest US$450 million in its U.S. plant to increase production of hybrid vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), expanding its manufacturing base in North America, the automaker said on Thursday. At an investment blitz at its plant in Montgomery, Alabama, Hyundai said the funds would be used to build facilities for producing new engines, install equipment for future Tucson and Santa Fe SUV models, and introduce technolo October 29, 2026

A day after the fire: Guryong Village in the aftermath Rain falls over Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 29, 2026, one day after the fire was extinguished. October 29, 2026

A day after the fire: Guryong Village in the aftermath Merchandise at a shop lies burned in Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 29, 2026, one day after the fire was extinguished. October 29, 2026

A day after the fire: Guryong Village in the aftermath Police tape blocking entry marks an ongoing fire investigation in Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 29, 2026, one day after the fire was extinguished. October 29, 2026

A day after the fire: Guryong Village in the aftermath Charred fragments of comic books lie on the ground in Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 29, 2026, one day after the fire was extinguished. October 29, 2026

A day after the fire: Guryong Village in the aftermath A vehicle lies completely burned out in Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 29, 2026, one day after the fire was extinguished. October 29, 2026

Hanwha Solutions stays profitable as chemicals turn red SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions swung to a third-quarter operating profit from a year-earlier loss on Thursday, as higher solar module sales in the United States outweighed a wider loss in its chemical business. The South Korean solar and chemical company posted an operating profit of 90.5 billion won ($67.7 million) for the July to September quarter, compared with a 7.4 billion won loss a year earlier, according to its preliminary earnings filing. Revenue rose 17.4 pe October 29, 2026

Pyongyang snubs Seoul's proposal for talks with missile launches SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, marking its 17th ballistic missile launch of this year and its first in 17 days, according to military authorities here. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the missiles being launched from Wonsan, Kangwon Province at around 12:30 p.m. South Korean and U.S. military authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the missiles' flight distance October 29, 2026

South Korea builds SMRs for the world, none for itself SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - South Korea won the world's first standard design approval for a small modular reactor (SMR) in 2012 and now forges reactor components for American developers, yet not one SMR runs on its soil. The government is moving to close that gap as artificial intelligence (A) drives up electricity demand. It named the safe development and demonstration of SMRs as one of three core nuclear policy goals at the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Int October 29, 2026