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  South Korea emerges as top travel destination for spring SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - With the growing popularity of the Korean Wave, more travelers are choosing South Korea as their spring destination to enjoy cherry blossoms and other attractions, shifting from the long-standing tradition of visiting Japan. According to figures released by online travel agency Trip.com on Thursday, Seoul ranked first among global cities in flight bookings for the spring travel period from March 20 to May 3. Bookings for flights to Seoul jumped 83 p April 9, 2026
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  OPINION: Governance question lingers behind Korea's market rollercoaster Market volatility has become the norm in 2026. The KOSPI index is liable to shoot up and down any moment, as global analysts watch for hints of supply chains either being freed or tied up amid the conflict in the Middle East. Just before the fighting started, Korean stocks were riding an unprecedented surge. Airstrikes on Iran began in same week that an artificial intelligence boom helped the KOSPI cross the 6,000 level for the first time ever, just 250 days after surpassing 3,000. April 9, 2026
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  Seoul advised to seek risk-free energy sourcing at first NEAC meeting SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung admitted Thursday that the escalating Middle East conflict will deliver near-term economic damage while forcing a longer-term overhaul of the country’s industrial and energy structure. Speaking at the first plenary session of the National Economic Advisory Council at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said the crisis is unfolding on two fronts — an immediate energy supply disruption and a broader erosion of industrial compet April 9, 2026
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  Asian markets retreat after truce rally; Kospi slips by Samsung block sale SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Asian markets opened broadly lower on Thursday, giving back some of the previous session's sharp gains after the United States and Iran effectively agreed to a Pakistan-mediated two-week truce. As investors monitored the course of Washington-Tehran negotiations, South Korean stocks were weighed by profit-taking following Wednesday’s sharp jump and a large block sale of Samsung Electronics shares. The main index fell 0.99 percent to 5,814.40, April 9, 2026
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  Battery makers expected to post Q1 losses, but optimism remains on ESS demand SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - South Korea's three major battery makers are expected to post weak first-quarter results amid slowing demand for electric vehicles. According to data compiled by financial information provider FnGuide, Samsung SDI, SK On, and LG Energy Solution are projected to post operating losses for the first three months of this year. Samsung SDI is estimated to have posted an operating loss of 263.5 billion won ($196 million), while SK On is expected to report a l April 9, 2026
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  Seoul unveils new measures to fend off inflation, sees stabler FX market SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) —South Korea will reimpose a cap on retail fuel prices to contain a renewed surge in gasoline costs triggered by the prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while signaling potential upside for the battered won through parallel market-stabilization measures. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Thursday the government will unveil a third round of emergency price ceilings on petroleum products at 7 p.m., with the new caps to t April 9, 2026
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  BTS franchise in incessant motion: on screen and stage, and off stage SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) -BTS franchise is in incessant motion since its March 21 comeback. As the world tour opens in Goyang on Thursday, the group has been releasing weekly viral music videos, amplifying global fan excitement. Off-stage activations have been just as intense, turning Seoul into a citywide extension of the BTS universe. The “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SEOUL” project has kicked off across the capital, drawing strong response to its fan-participation programs. Th April 9, 2026
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  OPINION: Hormuz and the hidden logic of Iran's strategy The airstrikes have paused - for now. But wars rarely end when the shooting stops. They evolve. Language replaces firepower, and interpretation becomes a battlefield of its own. The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears, on the surface, to signal de-escalation. In reality, it looks more like the opening move of a more calibrated contest. Within hours of the agreement, both sides accused each other of violations, while sending conflicting signals over the April 9, 2026
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  Samsung widow sells over 3 trillion won in Samsung shares to settle inheritance taxes SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - Hong Ra-hee, the widow of the late Samsung chief Lee Kun-hee, has sold some of her stocks in Samsung Electronics worth more than 3 trillion Korean won (about US$2 billion) to settle inheritance taxes on the family's vast fortune. According to financial insiders, Hong sold 15 million Samsung Electronics shares, about a 0.25 percent stake, through an after-hours block trade on Thursday, which typically occurs after stock market hours close, allowing large tr April 9, 2026
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  South Korea dispatches chief of staff as Astana readies for regional summit SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - South Korea sent its presidential chief of staff to Central Asia on Wednesday to secure attendance for an inaugural regional summit, moving to lock in vital energy and logistics access. The diplomatic push bypasses traditional military and economic alliances. Instead, the strategy builds directly on an ideological framework established seven months ago during a global interfaith congress, illustrating how modern statecraft increasingly relies on spiritual April 9, 2026