Low-cost carrier Parata Air bolsters fleet to expand int'l routes SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Parata Air has finalized a deal to acquire its sixth aircraft as it seeks to expand its international routes, the low-cost carrier said on Wednesday. Under the contract, Parata Air will bring in an Airbus A320-200, which will go into service after it is delivered to South Korea and undergoes cabin modifications, maintenance and required regulatory procedures with relevant authorities. With the latest addition, Parata Air's fleet will be increased to October 14, 2026

NH-Amundi points to security ETFs as AI agents spread SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Investor appetite for exchange-traded funds tied to AI infrastructure and cybersecurity is growing as agentic AI, which makes decisions and carries out tasks on its own, gains ground, NH-Amundi Asset Management said Wednesday. Frontier models arrived in quick succession last month, the South Korean asset manager said in its HANARO ETF Monthly Report. It cited OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, Anthropic's Claude Opus 5.5 and Google DeepMind's Gemini 4 Arg October 14, 2026

Hyundai Motor to invest $15.5 billion in India through 2032 SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor group will invest $15.5 billion in India through 2032 to expand production, research and supply chains, the South Korean automaking conglomerate said Tuesday. The seven year plan includes $700 million for R&D facilities and a new investment company that will coordinate spending on future technologies, local suppliers and new businesses. Executive Chair Euisun Chung outlined the plan during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Naren October 14, 2026

White House reiterates Korea to invest in Alaska LNG project SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korea will invest in a proposed US$54 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska as part of a broader trade deal reached last year, new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said on Tuesday, although Seoul has said the project remains under review. Speaking at her first official press briefing, Zacharia, who replaced Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, outlined the energy investments announced by U.S. President Donald Trum October 14, 2026

Osteoporosis study finds dual-role bone protein SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A single protein speeds the breakdown of bone and holds back the growth of new bone, researchers at Sookmyung Women's University found in mice. The finding points to a possible new target for osteoporosis treatment. Bone is rebuilt constantly throughout life. Cells called osteoclasts break down old bone, while cells called osteoblasts lay down new bone. Healthy bone depends on the two staying in balance. When breakdown outpaces building, bone mass October 14, 2026

Two coatings curb dendrites in anode-free batteries SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A team from Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul National University and battery maker Samsung SDI developed a way to keep lithium growing evenly inside anode-free batteries. These batteries are a next-generation design that packs more energy into the same space, but they tend to wear out early. An anode-free battery has no separate anode material. During charging, lithium from the cathode travels across the cell and plates directly onto a thin copp October 13, 2026

Samsung chief Lee to receive $1.9 billion in shares from mother SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is set to receive 2.6 trillion won ($1.86 billion) worth of shares in the South Korean tech giant from his mother, Hong Ra-hee, further increasing his direct stake in the company. Hong, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art, agreed on Monday to transfer 11.16 million common shares, equivalent to about 0.17 percent of Samsung Electronics, to her son, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday. The transfer October 13, 2026

KOSPI plunges over 5% as foreign selloff batters chip giants SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - South Korean stocks suffered their steepest drop in nearly two months on Tuesday as relentless foreign selling battered semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, leaving the KOSPI barely above the 6,000 mark at the close. The benchmark KOSPI tumbled 5.46 percent to close at 6,035.35, marking its steepest decline since Aug. 19, when it fell 5.80 percent. The index opened 3.10 percent lower at 6,186.08 and plunged as much as 7.41 percent to an in October 13, 2026

Chip windfall shields Korea's won for now. Is KOSPI a harbinger? SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) — Judging by a gloomy Tuesday in Seoul — with chip stocks and the KOSPI tumbling — the chip binge may be nearing its end despite sterling earnings and bullish analyst forecasts. The KOSPI is barely holding above 6,000 after flirting with 10,000 in June. Foreign investors sold more than 4 trillion won in KOSPI shares Tuesday, following roughly 2.5 trillion won of net selling Monday. Their net sales over the past two months have reached about October 13, 2026

A one-legged billboard takes aim at South Korea's political divide SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A country should be closing gaps in national security and properly compensating those injured in its service instead of trading blame, says an advertising director who decided to take matters into his own hands. For Yi Je-seok, that meant putting a wounded soldier on a billboard that could barely stand on its own. Yi, the founder of Jeski Social Campaign and an advertising director known professionally as Jeski, staged a guerrilla billboard campaign foll October 13, 2026