Coupang financial units come under scrutiny as Seoul widens probe SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korean regulators are moving to investigate Coupang’s financial units as part of pan-government scrutiny following the country’s largest-ever data leak, amid criticism over what is seen as a lack of response from the company’s U.S.-based headquarters as its customer base remains largely intact. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will begin parallel formal inspections of Coupang affiliates that handle financial services . Offici January 11, 2026

Scenes From the CES 2026: Rise of physical AI and rise testing Korea The artificial intelligence now has a ‘body,’ not just words The CES 2026 no longer felt like a stage for showcasing what technology might do. It looked more like a declaration that the technology is already operating inside real industries. At the center was “physical AI.” If generative AI handles language and images, physical AI drives robots, machines and vehicles. At this year’s show, the shift moved from promises to execution. One January 11, 2026

Samsung heir Lee Ji-ho assigned to Navy mine warfare unit as interpreter officer SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -UL — Ensign Lee Ji-ho, the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, has been assigned to the South Korean Navy’s 5th Mine Countermeasures and Amphibious Operations Flotilla, according to military and industry sources on Saturday. Lee will serve as an interpreter officer in the flotilla’s information and operations staff office. The unit, which operates directly under the Navy Operations Command, specializes in mine w January 11, 2026

Korea's instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years S​​​​EOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s ramyeon exports topped US$1.5 billion last year, extending a long-running rise as the product becomes a leading item in the country’s food exports. Preliminary Korea Customs Service data released Sunday showed ramyeon exports rose 21.8 percent from a year earlier to a record US$1.521 billion (about 2.2 trillion won). Exports were US$952 million in 2023, below US$1 billion, but climbed by more than US$500 million i January 11, 2026

OPINION: Musk may be wrong on doctors — Seoul still needs to listen Elon Musk has a habit of compressing time. What most people describe as decades, he calls years. What institutions treat as distant futures, he presents as near inevitabilities. The result is often exaggeration. Occasionally, it is also illumination. Musk lately suggested that humanoid robots could surpass the world’s best human surgeons within three years. The remark, made on the Moonshots podcast hosted by physician and engineer Peter Diamandis, was quickly dismissed by January 11, 2026

Korean retail investors pile into Samsung Electronics, margin trading hits record high SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) — South Korean retail investors are piling into Samsung Electronics, snapping up shares sold by foreign investors amid bullish expectations for a memory-chip upcycle driven by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure, pushing leveraged trading to record levels. According to the Korea Exchange, individual investors net bought 2.915 trillion won ($2.0 billion) worth of Samsung Electronics shares last week, the largest weekly net purch January 11, 2026

Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon sweep top honors at 40th Golden Disc Awards SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) - Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon took home the top honors at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, held Friday at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, as the ceremony marked its four-decade milestone with an expanded grand prize lineup. Stray Kids won the Album of the Year (Daesang), G-Dragon claimed Digital Song of the Year, and Jennie became the first recipient of the newly introduced Artist of the Year Daesang. Stray Kids earned their first grand prize seven years afte January 11, 2026

Despite equally chip-strong, South Korea overtaken by Taiwan in per capita GDP SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) Stronger economic growth and a stable currency allowed Taiwan to overtake South Korea in per capita gross domestic product last year, with the gap expected to persist this year, according to government data and economic forecasts released Sunday. South Korea’s per capita GDP in 2025 is estimated at $36,107, down 0.3 percent from the previous year, marking its first decline in three years. The drop reflects weak growth and a sharp depreciation of the w January 11, 2026

OPINION: Maduro's fall: the arrival of warfare of algorithm In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was captured and taken away by U.S. special forces. At first glance, it looked like another dramatic military raid. In reality, it marked something far more consequential: the moment a dictator was hunted down, located and neutralized not primarily by soldiers, but by data. This was not just the fall of a regime figure. It was the execution of what I would call the world’s first &ldquo January 11, 2026

Kim Yo Jong demands detailed explanation on S. Korean drone infiltration SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Sunday reiterated that it was “clear” a drone from South Korea violated North Korean airspace and demanded a detailed explanation from Seoul. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said “the essence of the situation is not whether the actor is the military or a civilian,” arguing that South Korean authorities cannot evade responsibility January 11, 2026