Hyundai Motor vows aggressive capex, share reward program; stock up 7% SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Company said Thursday it will spend 17.8 trillion won ($12.47 billion) throughout 2026—more than it earned last year—on new-growth areas including robotics, autonomous driving and hydrogen technology, front-loading nearly a quarter of its five-year investment plan into a single year. The South Korean automaker announced a 77.3 trillion won investment plan for 2026–2030 at its CEO Investor Day in New York last September. The 2 January 29, 2026

South Korea weighs ownership caps in crypto exchanges under new law SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) is again pushing to limit major shareholders’ stakes in cryptocurrency exchanges, arguing the platforms function as public infrastructure as they move into a fully regulated licensing system. The proposal has drawn attention over whether it will be reflected in the Digital Asset Basic Act being prepared by the ruling Democratic Party, as industry groups warn that forcing large shareholders to s January 29, 2026

Samsung hosts gala in Washington amid tariff threat from Trump SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics Co. hosted a gala event on Jan. 28 at the Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, to mark the successful run of Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared, the first U.S. exhibition of masterpieces from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection. Main hosts were the Lee founding family, including Hong Ra-hee, Director Emerita of the January 29, 2026

OPINION: Bringing markets and capital together -- The Uzbekistan–Türkiye Economic Union SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Over the past eight years, relations between Uzbekistan and Türkiye have undergone a profound qualitative transformation, evolving from traditionally friendly ties into a full-fledged strategic partnership with a strong economic, investment, and industrial dimension. While the period prio January 29, 2026

Hyundai Motor bears nearly 40% hit in Q4 income and 20% for 2025 on US tariffs SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) -South Korea's largest automaker Hyundai Motor suffered nearly a 40 percent drop in operating profit in the quarter ended December and about 20 percent for full-year 2025 due to higher tariffs under Donald Trump presidency in its largest export market despite record sales. According to its earnings release on Thursday, consolidated operating profit reached 1.7 trillion won ($1.2 billion), down 33.2 percent from the previous quarter and 40 percent from a January 29, 2026

Saudi Air Force commander visits KAI to discuss aerospace, defense cooperation SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said on Thursday that Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, and his delegation visited the company’s headquarters on Wednesday to discuss potential cooperation in aerospace and defense. KAI said the visit was part of strategic cooperation between the two countries’ air forces and aimed at exploring collaboration to modernize Saudi Arabia’s air power and strength January 29, 2026

HD Hyundai chairman attends meeting hosted by India's Prime Minister Modi SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to expand cooperation in shipbuilding, the South Korean conglomerate said on Thursday. Chung and Kim Hyeong-gwan, chief executive of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, attended a roundtable at Modi’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday at the Indian leader’s invitation, HD Hyundai said. The roundtable, held as part of India Energy We January 29, 2026

South Korea unveils quantum roadmap, aims to become top 4 powers by 2035 SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - South Korea has designated quantum technology as a next-generation national strategic sector and unveiled a broad roadmap to develop technology, infrastructure and talent in parallel. The country aims to become one of the world’s four leading quantum powers by 2035, leveraging strengths in semiconductors and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced the country’s first compre January 29, 2026

Editorial: "Arirang" and the next stage of K-culture BTS’s decision to name its new album and world tour Arirang should not be dismissed as a stylistic flourish or a marketing device. When the world’s most influential pop group foregrounds Korea’s most enduring traditional narrative, it signals not only how far K-culture has traveled, but where it may be heading next. Arirang is not a genre of music. It is a cultural language—one shaped by movement and separation, solidarity and recovery, repeated across gene January 29, 2026

Asian equities swing flat in post-FOMC early trade; KOSDAQ unfazed SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Asian equities traded unevenly in early Thursday sessions following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision, with key indices swinging between gains and losses as investors struggled to digest a flood of corporate earnings alongside a renewed rebound in the U.S. dollar. The previous rally in South Korea and Taiwan gave way to choppy, directionless trading, while mainland China and Japan remained clouded by uncertainty, making it difficult for in January 29, 2026