North Korea warns of decisive response to US-South Korea joint military drills SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - North Korea would decisively respond to military threats posed by its enemies, referring to the ongoing joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday. In a commentary carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea said its "right to self-defense" would be exercised "clearly" through what it described as "advanced new power" to "fully neutralize militar August 19, 2026

Trump pushes for meeting with North Korean leader this fall SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's order to scale back a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise comes as he pushes aides to arrange another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as early as this fall, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Trump has privately discussed meeting Kim during his next trip to Asia, potentially in November when leaders are expected to gather for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, August 19, 2026

Samsung bets $173 million on Korea HVAC line as AI data-center cooling demand heats up SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is stepping up its bet on AI data-center cooling with a 240 billion won ($173 million) production line in South Korea, targeting growing demand to manage the heat generated by increasingly powerful AI servers. The company said Wednesday it will build the new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) production line at its Gwangju complex, expanding its push into AI data-center cooling following its acquisition of FläktGroup August 19, 2026

Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' surpasses 5 million admissions in South Korea A screening schedule for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey shows zero remaining seats at a cinema in Seoul on August 18, 2026. August 18, 2026

Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' surpasses 5 million admissions in South Korea Moviegoers purchase tickets for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey at a cinema in Seoul on August 18, 2026. AJP August 18, 2026

Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' surpasses 5 million admissions in South Korea A promotional display for Christopher Nolan's film Odyssey is shown at a cinema in Seoul on August 18, 2026. August 18, 2026

BIGBANG to celebrate 20th anniversary with new single SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - K-pop boy group BIGBANG released a teaser video for their upcoming digital single on Tuesday, offering the first look at the song, their agency YG Entertainment said on Tuesday. The single, "BiiiG," will be released at 6 p.m. on Aug. 19, the day BIGBANG marks their 20th debut anniversary. It will be the group's first new song in about four years. The teaser shows G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung moving through a dark party scene, with s August 18, 2026

Lim Young-woong to release 10th anniversary album SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - South Korean singer Lim Young-woong will release a special digital album next month to mark the 10th anniversary of his debut, his agency Mulgogi Music said on Tuesday. The album, "IM HERO 10," will be released on Sept. 8. Lim also unveiled the album's release date through a video posted on his social media accounts. The agency said the album is intended as a gift for his fans, known as "Hero Generation." The track August 18, 2026

Won stays firm as Korean bond yields jump SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - The South Korean won edged higher against the dollar on Tuesday as foreign equity purchases and exporter dollar sales outweighed renewed Middle East concerns, while government bond yields rose sharply after a surge in U.S. long-term rates and a domestic 10-year debt auction. The won closed daytime trading at 1,411.8 per dollar, strengthening by 1.2 won from the previous session's close of 1,413. The currency opened at 1,417.0 and briefly strengthened August 18, 2026

KOSPI wipes out early gains to close below 7,000 after weeklong rally SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - South Korean stocks surrendered sharp early gains on Tuesday as rising global bond yields and institutional selling erased a semiconductor-led rally, while trading remained subdued. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,869.83 points, down 1.55 percent from the previous session, ending a five-session winning streak. The index opened at 7,127.77 and surged more than 3 percent to an intraday high of 7,216.62 before reversing course and falling as low as 6,788.78. August 18, 2026