PPP's internal ethics committee decides to expel former leader Han Dong-hoon SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - The main opposition People Power Party's ethics committee on Wednesday decided to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon from the party. The belated move came after the PPP's internal investigation into hundreds of defamatory comments about disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on the party-run online bulletin board, allegedly posted by Han and his family members in November 2024. Han's expulsion immediately prom January 14, 2026

OPINION: The weight of a death sentence, the lightness of martial law The prosecution’s request for the death penalty against former President Yoon Suk Yeol is not merely about the punishment of one individual. It is a question the Republic of Korea is asking of itself: What kind of country are we? How far have we come? And what lines must never be crossed? That a state of martial law could even be contemplated for political reasons in a mature democratic republic with per-capita income exceeding $30,000 already signals a breach of basic January 14, 2026

Hyundai Rotem pivots toward robots, hydrogen in organizational overhaul SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean manufacturer with operations spanning defense, rail and plant engineering, has reorganized its business to position robots and hydrogen as its primary growth engines. The company said Wednesday that it has carried out a broad restructuring aimed at strengthening competitiveness in robot and hydrogen technologies. Central to the overhaul is the creation of a dedicated unit that consolidates both businesses into a single strate January 14, 2026

Foreign investors extend buying streak in South Korean stocks, bonds SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Foreign investors were net buyers of South Korean stocks and bonds in December, extending net inflows to a fourth consecutive month. Net foreign inflows into South Korean securities totaled $7.44 billion in December, according to the Bank of Korea’s report on international finance and foreign-exchange market trends released Wednesday. The figure marked the largest monthly inflow since September, when inflows reached $9.12 billion. Bond pu January 14, 2026

Asian markets mixed as KOSPI slips after earlier gain on semiconductor strength SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Asian markets opened mixed on Wednesday, as South Korean shares rose on early semiconductor and energy gains but slipped amid broader caution across the region. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI was down 0.4 percent at 4,673 and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ also fell 0.8 percent to 941.4 as of around 11 a.m., as initial gains shortly after trading began earlier in the day gave way to selective profit-taking. Semiconductor shares traded mixed, with Samsung Electro January 14, 2026

Drivers left to rely on vigilance as Korea grapples with seasonal black ice hazard SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Black ice accompanies icy snow winter in South Korea and is blamed for road accidents and deaths, but the government has run out of ideas as fundamental prevention would require entire hefty replacement roadwork. Seven people were killed and nine others injured Saturday morning in a string of traffic accidents across highways and national roads in North Gyeongsang Province, with police citing black ice as the main cause. The accidents unfolded within a n January 14, 2026

HD Construction Equipment lands excavator orders across Africa, Asia SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - HD Construction Equipment, HD Hyundai’s construction machinery unit, said Wednesday that it has signed contracts with mining developers in Ethiopia to supply 120 large excavators for gold mining projects. The order includes 70 DEVELON-branded 36-metric-ton excavators and 50 HYUNDAI-branded 34-metric-ton models. HD Construction Equipment said it commanded about 80 percent of Ethiopia’s excavator market last year, maintaining its leading po January 14, 2026

Import prices extend gain on weak won, softer oil prices offset the rise Dec SEOUL, Jan. 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s import prices rose for a sixth consecutive month in December, though the pace of increase softened as falling global oil prices partially offset the impact of a weak won, data from the Bank of Korea (BOK) showed Wednesday — signaling lingering inflationary pressure likely to feed through to consumer prices with a lag. According to the BOK’s export-import price index (preliminary, in won terms; 2020=100), the import price index January 14, 2026

Verdict in impeached president's martial law case set for mid-February SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - A verdict for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle is set for mid-February. After wrapping up a 17-hour final hearing for Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power that lasted until the small hours of Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court said it will deliver its ruling on Feb. 19. Prosecutors earlier asked the court to sentence Yoon to death. They also sought life imprisonment for former Defense Minis January 14, 2026

Coupang cuts logistics workforce as orders slip after data breach SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Coupang has cut more than 6,000 logistics workers over the past month through unpaid leave and a pullback in hiring as order volumes decline following a recent personal data breach, industry sources said Wednesday. Coupang Fulfillment Services, the e-commerce company’s logistics arm, notified full-time workers — including regular and contract employees — at major fulfillment centers nationwide in mid-December that they could appl January 14, 2026