Seoul stays on U.S. currency monitoring list, FX intervention "broadly symmetrical" SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) -South Korea remained on the U.S. Treasury Department’s currency Monitoring List in its latest semiannual report, on widened external surpluses and sizeable bilateral trade imbalance with the United States, while finding the Korean won's weakness "not in line with" the country's "strong fundamentals. In its January 2026 Report to Congress on the Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United January 30, 2026

After conquering beauty front, Olive Young expands to wellness with Gwanghwamun opening SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Best known as South Korea’s dominant K-beauty retailer, Olive Young is opening a new chapter — one that extends beyond cosmetics and into everyday wellness. The company on Thursday unveiled to the media the first flagship store of its new wellness platform, Olive Better, in Gwanghwamun, one of Seoul’s busiest and most symbolic district name recently gaining renewed global fame. The area sits at the heart of the capital, home to govern January 29, 2026

BTS Comeback D-51: Solo hits resurface as fans turn the wait into a global replay SEOUL, Jan. 29 (AJP) — As the countdown to BTS’s long-awaited full-group comeback hits D-51, fans have found a familiar way to pass the time: by sending the group’s solo catalog back up the charts. Across streaming platforms and social media, past releases by BTS members are enjoying a renewed surge, turning the pause before reunion into a rolling retrospective of individual careers that never truly went quiet. For V (Kim Taehyung), the moment has arrived in January 29, 2026

Samsung vs SK hynix HBM4 race, pioneer holds a clear lead -for now SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s two dominant memory-chip makers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, have formally entered the race for next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM4, as demand from artificial-intelligence chipmakers tightens an already constrained market. The companies, which together command roughly 80 percent of high-bandwidth memory used in AI accelerators, held back-to-back earnings conference calls on the same day for the first time, offering com January 29, 2026

Age is just numbers - especially in learning SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) -Laughter, careful steps and handwritten diplomas filled the annex building of Yeongdeungpo District Office on Jan. 28, as graduates of Neulpureum School gathered for a ceremony years — sometimes decades — in the making. Neulpureum School is an adult literacy institution that grants officially recognized elementary and middle school diplomas. Its classrooms are filled with senior citizens who missed the chance for formal schooling earlier in lif January 29, 2026

Seoul metropolitan dance theater's 'One Dance' wins Bessie award in New York SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater's "One Dance" won the Outstanding Choreographer/Creator award at the New York Dance & Performance Awards, known as the Bessie Awards, in New York on Jan. 20 (local time). This marks the first time a Korean public arts organization has received a Bessie Award. The Bessie Awards selection committee described "One Dance" as "a visually captivating contemporary January 29, 2026

Bling One CN holds photo shoot in World K-pop center SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Bling One CN held a photo shoot and interview at the World K-pop Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 28th. Bling One CN is a five-member group consisting of leader Cassie, Katrina, Ranee, Allie, and Chloe, selected from China as part of the Click the Star project spanning 32 countries worldwide. The group continues its idol activities in Korea and China with a focus on K-pop. January 29, 2026

LG Chem posts operating loss in Q4 but logs 35% profit jump for 2025 SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - South Korea's largest chemical company LG Chem swung to an operating loss in the fourth quarter as its petrochemical and battery materials divisions struggled, though full-year operating profit surged 35 percent on improved performance at its energy solutions subsidiary. The company reported a consolidated operating loss of 413.3 billion won ($289.7 million) for the October to December period, reversing from a 680 billion won profit in the prior quarter January 29, 2026

Asian shares struggle for direction amid Fed signals, Middle East tensions SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Asian markets closed mixed on Thursday as investors struggled to find direction amid conflicting signals from corporate earnings, central bank policy and rising geopolitical tensions, a combination that kept volatility elevated across the region. Currency markets reflected the uncertainty. The South Korean won was quoted at 1,428.9 per dollar at 4:40 p.m., down 4.6 won from the previous close. While the won pared earlier losses as the U.S. dollar weakened January 29, 2026

Korea's homegrown satellite to fly on NASA's Artemis 2 to study space radiation SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s homegrown CubeSat, K-RadCube, will fly aboard NASA’s Artemis 2 crewed moon mission to observe the space radiation environment, marking the first time a South Korean satellite will directly measure the high-energy radiation belts encountered by astronauts. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said on Thursday that the satellite will study Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts at multiple altitudes, generating data that c January 29, 2026