• 
  Kumho Tire to supply tires for Škoda's electric SUVs SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - Kumho Tire will supply original equipment (OE) tires to Czech automobile manufacturer Škoda Auto, the tiremaker said on Monday. Kumho's flagship Ecsta PS71 tires, designed to optimize handling and braking on both dry and wet roads, will be fitted on Škoda Auto's electric SUVs, the Enyaq and Elroq, both built on Volkswagen's MEB electric vehicle platform. Škoda Auto has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group sin April 13, 2026
• 
  Exo starts world tour as 32,000 global fans fill Seoul arena SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Exo members -- Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun -- opened their sixth concert tour in Seoul last Friday. The group performed for 32,000 fans over three days at the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul, marking the band's first concert series in six years and four months. The three-day concert in Seoul proved that the group remains a major force in the K-pop scene despite a long break from the stage. Their last major tour was held in 2019, and April 13, 2026
• 
  Korean stock turnover more than triples in Q1 amid heavy volatility SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) -South Korea’s stock market activity more than tripled in the first quarter, as heightened volatility following war-driven shocks disrupted the KOSPI’s red-hot rally and amplified trading momentum. According to the Korea Securities Depository Monday, the daily average value of stocks, bonds and other securities processed reached 35.8 trillion won ($26.5 billion) in the January–March period. The figure rose 31.6 percent from a year earlier and April 13, 2026
• 
  Asian stocks retreat near 1% amid imminent US reverse blockade at Hormuz SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) — Asian markets opened broadly lower Monday on renewed spike in oil price after the U.S.-Iran showdown spilled over to the Strait of Hormuz following failed weekend peace talks. The pullback, however, remained relatively contained at around 1 percent, suggesting markets are still pricing in a controlled escalation and a potential pathway toward stabilizing the critical waterway. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI fell 0.79 percent to 5,812.82 as of April 13, 2026
• 
  South Korea posts record early-April exports despite Middle East crisis SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - Despite geopolitical risks amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, South Korea posted its highest-ever exports for the first 10 days of this month, driven by strong demand for semiconductor chips. According to data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) released on Monday, exports during the period from the first day of April to last Friday totaled US$25.21 billion, up 36.7 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record for the same period, April 13, 2026
• 
  Kia's fully facelifted Seltos leads small SUV market last month SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - Kia sold 4,983 units of its Seltos in the domestic market last month, the most in the small sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment for March, according to sales figures released by its parent company Hyundai Motor on Monday. Kia gave the Seltos its first major facelift in six years, giving it a bolder, more angular look in line with the brand's overall lineup, along with improved convenience and safety features. The popular SUV has held the top spot in its April 13, 2026
• 
  Sookmyung University highlights human-centered AI research at global conferences SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - The Empathic AI Women's Engineering Talent Training Team at Sookmyung Women's University in South Korea is presenting a series of research papers at major international computer science conferences. As part of the Brain Korea 21 program, the team is developing human-centered artificial intelligence designed to address social isolation and communication barriers. Professor Kim Byung-Gyu leads the multidisciplinary group, which conducts research on em April 13, 2026
• 
  BTS tops Billboard 200 for 3rd week, heads to Japan this week SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) -K-pop supergroup BTS wrapped up its three-day concert run in Goyang over the weekend, drawing more than 132,000 attendees, while extending its record as the first Korean act to top the U.S. charts for three consecutive weeks. According to Billboard on Sunday (local time), BTS’ fifth studio album ARIRANG held on to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the industry’s main weekly albums ranking based on sales, streaming and track-equivalent units &mda April 13, 2026
• 
  S. Korean researchers develop smart OLED patch to accelerate wound healing speed SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - A research team in South Korea has developed a wearable electronic patch that can speed up the skin wound-healing process by about 200 percent using organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), compared to conventional wound treatment methods. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Monday that a joint research group led by Professor Choi Kyung-cheol successfully created the self-regulating platform that uses light to control the relea April 13, 2026
• 
  Lee set to hold first summit in decades with Polish leader to boost defense cooperation SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold talks with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday. The first meeting between the two leaders also marks the first visit by a Polish leader in 27 years and Tusk's first trip to a non-European country since taking office in December 2023. Tusk, who arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a two-day visit at Lee's invitation, is scheduled to hold talks with Lee, followed by expanded discussions with ke April 13, 2026