Pyongyang warns of 'new level of deterrent' against US.-South Korea drills SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - North Korea on Friday denounced an upcoming joint military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., warning that it would respond to the drills with a "new level of deterrent." "It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent," a spokesperson for North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. August 14, 2026

White House flags Korea in China tariff-evasion network SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) -The White House has placed South Korea in the top tier of countries exposed to potential Chinese tariff evasion, singling out Gyeonggi Province's semiconductor belt as a possible conduit for China-linked chips as Washington prepares an artificial intelligence-powered crackdown on what it calls a global "shadow transshipment network." A report released by the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy identifies more than 40 countries August 14, 2026

Trump shipbuilding order opens MASGA lane for Korea SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump has opened a potentially significant procurement route for South Korean shipbuilders under Seoul's $150 billion MASGA partnership, allowing qualifying foreign yards to build the first two ships in selected U.S. naval programs at home before shifting subsequent construction to American shipyards. The move, contained in a presidential memorandum signed Thursday, could turn part of the Korea-U.S. Make American Shipbuilding Grea August 14, 2026

China's 'grains of sand' test South Korea's defenses SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Spies are nothing new to South Koreans, who have shared a border with belligerent North Korea for more than seven decades. But they now confront a different kind of suspected spy — Chinese nationals, not necessarily trained by the state but potentially paid to fish for military intelligence. A photograph of a fighter jet. A fragment of radio traffic. The time an aircraft takes off. A glimpse of weapons moving inside a military base. Each piece of in August 13, 2026

JYP Entertainment Q2 operating profit falls 41% as tour, merchandise sales drop SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - JYP Entertainment's second-quarter operating profit fell 41.4 percent from a year earlier as lower concert and merchandise revenue outweighed stronger album and digital music sales. Operating profit for the April-June period came to 31 billion won ($21.7 million), down from 52.9 billion won a year earlier and 7.1 percent from the first quarter. The result was 18.7 percent below the FnGuide consensus of 38.1 billion won. The operating margin narrowed August 13, 2026

Korea still looks cheap on paper. Why doesn't it feel that way? SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korea can still look remarkably cheap to someone arriving from New York or Berlin. For Koreans earning and spending in won, it increasingly does not feel that way. Years of rising prices have made more spending discretionary as household incomes struggle to keep pace, squeezing what remains after necessities. Yet for visitors earning dollars or euros, a restaurant bill or cab fare in Seoul can still look like a bargain. A three-course meal for two August 13, 2026

Iran envoy urges South Korea to rebuild ties SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korea should draw on its historically strong relationship with Iran to seek a role in postwar reconstruction and favorable terms for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian envoy in Seoul said. “We should close our eyes and look to the future,” Mohammad Esmaeil Passandideh, counselor and deputy head of mission at the Iranian embassy in Seoul, said in a recent interview with AJP. “The post-war period will be a gre August 13, 2026

KOSPI recovers above 6,800 as foreign buying fuels broader tech rally SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korean stocks jumped more than 3 percent on Thursday as foreign investors returned to the market, extending the rally for a fourth straight session, with an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven rebound spreading beyond Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to chip equipment makers and other technology shares. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,813.34, up 234.30 points or 3.56 percent from the previous session. The index climbed as high as 6,895.63 during the da August 13, 2026

Hanwha Systems, TTA team up on AI-based 5G military communications SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Hanwha Systems said Thursday it has partnered with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to develop an AI-based 5G tactical communications network aimed at both the South Korean military and overseas defense markets. The project will focus on integrating terrestrial networks and non-terrestrial networks, including satellite communications, through AI to provide seamless connectivity across ground and airborne platforms. The companies also plan August 13, 2026

Rainy long holiday weekend to bring relief to drought-hit southern province SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Rain may ruin the plans of many holidaymakers over this weekend, but it is expected to bring much-needed relief to drought-hit areas in the southern part of the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Thursday, rain is forecast for most parts of the country from Friday through Monday, which is a substitute holiday as this year's Liberation Day falls on Saturday. Up to 50 millimeters of precipitation is expected over the August 13, 2026