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  Asian stocks slip as Middle East tensions offset truce optimism SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) -Asian stocks edged lower Thursday as the celebratory mood over a temporary truce between the U.S. and Iran faded just a day after the agreement. The benchmark KOSPI fell 1.61 percent, or 94.33 points, to close at 5,778.01, after trading between a high of 5,862.41 and a low of 5,757.49. Foreign investors led the selling, offloading 874.7 billion won ($590 million), while retail and institutional investors bought a combined 504.8 billion won. Among l April 9, 2026
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  Surging non-bank lending raises PF scare in Korea SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) — South Korea’s non-bank lending is expanding again as tighter bank regulations and elevated borrowing costs push credit demand into less-regulated sectors, demanding scrutiny amid fragile market conditions. Financial authorities took notice and moved to curb subprime lending growth as rising market yields and exchange rate pressures are increasingly straining vulnerable households and businesses. According to the Financial Services Commission April 9, 2026
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  HD Hyundai Heavy builds first ammonia-powered vessel, signaling shift in green shipping fuel race SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has built the world’s first ammonia-powered gas carriers, marking a significant step toward commercializing next-generation eco-friendly vessels. According to shipbuilding industry sources Thursday, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries held a naming ceremony at its Ulsan shipyard for two 46,000-cubic-meter medium-sized gas carriers equipped with dual-fuel engines. The vessels are designed to run on ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas April 9, 2026
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  KMU professor identifies gut-liver mechanism for diagnosing and treating fatty liver disease SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Professor Kwak Min-jin at Kookmin University's Department of Forest Biomaterials Engineering has identified how gut microbes and their secretions affect metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), the prominent university in Seoul said Thursday. The study, which introduces a high-precision diagnostic technology using extracellular vesicles (EVs), was published in the international journal Pharmacological Research. Fatty liver disease caused April 9, 2026
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  Fire breaks out on submarine at shipyard in Ulsan, leaving one missing SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - A fire broke out at a shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, leaving one person missing, firefighters said. The fire occurred on a Navy submarine undergoing maintenance at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard at around 1:58 p.m., prompting about 40 workers inside the vessel to evacuate. Authorities immediately dispatched firefighters and rescue officials with roughly 30 pieces of equipment, managing to contain the main blaze in about April 9, 2026
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  HMM union moves toward industrial action over headquarters relocation SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Labor-management negotiations at HMM over the planned relocation of its headquarters have collapsed, raising the prospect of industrial action by the union. HMM’s land-based workers’ union said Thursday that talks with management regarding the headquarters relocation had broken down. The union added it plans to begin procedures for industrial action, including filing for mediation with the labor authorities. In a statement released the same day April 9, 2026
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  Kia to invest 49 trillion won by 2030 with nearly half for future mobility SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - Kia will invest a record 49 trillion won (about U$32.67 billion) through 2030, allocating 21 trillion won or more than 40 percent to future-focused businesses such as electrification, autonomous driving and robotics, the automaker said on Thursday. The investment plan, unveiled at an investment blitz at the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul, is part of Kia's mid- to long-term strategy to transform into a sustainable mobility solutions company. It marks Kia' April 9, 2026
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  North Korea tests cluster warhead on short-range ballistic missile, KCNA reports SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) -North Korea has tested a cluster warhead mounted on a short-range ballistic missile, a weapon that has drawn renewed attention after Iran reportedly used similar munitions that challenged Israel’s air defense systems during the Middle East conflict. The move suggests Pyongyang may be seeking to enhance its strike capabilities by incorporating cluster payloads into its existing missile systems. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCN April 9, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor, Kia to report double-digit fall in Q1 income despite robust sales SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) – South Korea's top automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia are expected to deliver double-digit falls in their respective first-quarter operating profit on multiple whammies - U.S. tariffs, currency-driven cost pressures and recall-related expenses – despite robust sales. Hyundai Motor is projected to report operating profit of 2.94 trillion won ($2.0 billion) for the January–March period, down 19 percent from a year earlier, April 9, 2026
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  Samsung Elec turns up 'warmth' in design as gadget prices turn cold SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is painstakingly dialing up “warmth” in product design for its latest Galaxy lineup, seeking to soften consumer resistance as rising component costs push device prices higher and colder Unveiling the Galaxy S26 and Buds4 series on Thursday, the company’s design leadership emphasized a shift toward more intuitive, tactile and emotionally resonant products — a deliberate counterpoint to what executives acknowledged as April 9, 2026