USFK chief warns against speeding up handover of wartime troop control SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Shifting security conditions on the Korean Peninsula require "new standards" for the transfer to South Korea of wartime control over its military, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said on Tuesday. Speaking at an annual seminar hosted by the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C., Brunson cautioned against calls to speed up the transfer process. He said he could not support a transfer that would under October 15, 2026

Korean display lets sound follow the picture SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - A speakerless display developed by South Korean state researchers moves sound across the screen along with the image, vibrating only the spot where a voice or object appears, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials said Thursday. The prototype, measuring about 100 inches, pairs a transparent LED film with an aluminum panel driven by 80 voice coil motors mounted on its back. Tests showed the display steered sound to the targeted section of the scre October 15, 2026

KOSPI plunges 5% on US inflation, AI selloff SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) — South Korean stocks plunged more than 5 percent at the open Thursday as heavy foreign selling battered semiconductor shares, following stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data. A sharp overnight selloff in artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks also weighed on sentiment. The benchmark KOSPI stood at 5,687.84, down 5.34 percent, while the KOSDAQ dropped 5.48 percent to 778.72 as of 9:12 a.m. Foreign investors sold a net 355.6 billion won ($26 October 15, 2026

Hanmi's new obesity drug to launch this month at half Mounjaro's price SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharmaceutical is expected to stoke fierce price competition as it prepares to launch its new obesity treatment as early as this month, with a first-month supply priced at 129,800 won (US$97), roughly half the cost of rival drug Mounjaro at its lowest dose. According to industry sources on Thursday, the South Korean pharmaceutical company has set Eppe's initial supply prices at an affordable level ahead of its domestic launch. The once-weekly i October 15, 2026

SK weighs Westinghouse stake in US nuclear push SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - SK Group is weighing a strategic stake in Westinghouse Electric through a South Korean consortium, industry sources said Wednesday, with its share of the investment potentially running into trillions of won. Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Doosan Enerbility and GS Engineering & Construction are among seven to eight Korean firms considering joining the SK-led group, sources say. SK is considering matching the combined contribu October 15, 2026

North Korea tests cruise missiles as US surveillance aircraft fly over peninsula SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea on Wednesday as U.S. reconnaissance aircraft were tracked flying over the Korean Peninsula on the same day. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday that the country's Missile Administration conducted the tests on Oct. 14, without providing further details on the launch location or flight performance. Kim Jong-sik, first vice department October 15, 2026

Trump touts Asian investment wins without confirmation SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has been touting multibillion-dollar deals with Asian economies on the midterm campaign trail, again presenting South Korea’s participation in an Alaska gas project as secured despite Seoul’s insistence that any investment must first prove commercially viable. Trump extended the investment pitch Wednesday to Taiwanese purchases of Alaskan liquefied natural gas and Japanese financing for semiconductor factories in Ne October 15, 2026

North Korea claims testing of submarine-launched missiles SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) -North Korea on Wednesday had tested two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea the previous day, marking its second reported missile test this week, according to a state mouthpiece account Thursday. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the Missile Administration conducted the tests to assess the readiness of underwater combat systems and improve the Navy’s ability to carry out strategic missions. The report did n October 15, 2026

Incheon stabbing puts Korea's drug-violence link under scrutiny SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - A daylight knife attack that injured eight people at a shopping complex in Incheon has renewed concern over South Korea’s drug problem as the number of drug offenders has stayed above 20,000 for three consecutive years despite expanded enforcement and rehabilitation efforts. The 59-year-old suspect in Tuesday’s attack was carrying a large quantity of medication, but a preliminary drug screening came back negative. Police have not established October 14, 2026

Hanwha's grip on Korea's fighter jet maker sparks worker revolt SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Hundreds of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) workers made the five-hour journey to Seoul on Wednesday to rally near the presidential office at Cheong Wa Dae, protesting defense powerhouse Hanwha Group’s aggressive bid for South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer. About 850 to 900 workers from Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, joined the first of three planned demonstrations involving KAI’s roughly 3,800 union members. “We&rsquo October 14, 2026