Sejong's letters find a world of new readers SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - At Seoul’s must-visit Gwanghwamun Square, two imposing tenants loom over the crowds — one standing and one seated. The seated figure is Sejong the Great, the 15th-century monarch who gave Koreans their own alphabet. South Korea marks the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day on Friday, a national holiday honoring his creation of a writing system that has traveled far beyond the kingdom for which it was invented. Sejong and his Gwanghwamun n October 8, 2026

Korea's business dynasties put overseas study on the family syllabus SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics expects to have achieved what no other technology company has managed over the last three months, earning more than $80 billion in operating profit. SK hynix's $26.5 billion issue in July was the largest foreign ADR debut in U.S. history and Hyundai cars have long become a familiar presence on roads around the world. Beyond their Korean origins, these corporate giants share another defining feature. Founding families re October 8, 2026

South Korea rethinks military privileges as medals collide with fairness SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Military service has long been one of South Korea’s most unforgiving tests of fairness, with disputes over who serves and who does not capable of ending public careers. Now the government is revisiting a decades-old system that allows selected athletes and artists to pursue their careers instead of entering regular military service, as a shrinking recruitment pool adds urgency to longstanding questions over privilege. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chu October 8, 2026

U.S. bond yields above 5% tempt Korean investors, but buying slows SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) — U.S. bond yields near multidecade highs are drawing South Korean investors seeking a safer alternative to volatile stocks, but the prospect of further price declines is tempering their appetite. With 10-year U.S. Treasury yields around 5.3 percent, investors can secure income rarely available over the past two decades. The dilemma is whether to buy now or wait for yields to climb further, pushing bond prices lower. Recent investment flows reflect October 8, 2026

Korean stocks slide 2.6% despite Samsung's record earning SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) — South Korean stocks fell nearly 3 percent Thursday as heavy foreign and institutional selling dragged down major semiconductor shares, even after Samsung Electronics forecast record quarterly operating profit. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,625.93, down 2.62 percent from the previous session. The index opened slightly higher at 6,808.68 but reversed course as selling accelerated through the afternoon. Foreign investors sold a net 1.99 trillion won October 8, 2026

Krafton tests new PUBG shooter after setbacks SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Krafton will put PUBG: DED.NET, a console-focused spinoff of its hit battle royale game, in players' hands for the first time through a closed beta test starting Friday. Developed by PUBG Studios, DED.NET is a free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter that grafts roguelite progression onto gunplay. Players build up a character over a single "run" spanning several matches, set in a fictional 1996 Cascadia modeled on the U.S. Pacific Nort October 8, 2026

Dating shows seek a new spark as romance alone loses its pull SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) — South Korea’s latest dating show does not begin in a villa, on an island or over a candlelit dinner. It begins in the outfield. On streaming platform TVING, “Love at First Hit” pairs fans of rival baseball teams for dates at live Korea Baseball Organization games. Mutual choices lead to romance, while a one-sided choice earns the person chosen a season ticket. Contestants may leave with love, baseball tickets or neither. The October 8, 2026

Samsung's staggering profit windfall masks deepening business imbalance SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - It all began humbly in 1975, with women in protective head coverings bent over workstations assembling integrated circuits for LED wristwatches. More than half a century later, Samsung Electronics has become the world’s largest vendor of memory chips powering everything from smartphones to sprawling AI data centers and turning factory output into profits on a scale unprecedented among the world's technology companies. The scale of that transf October 8, 2026

Korean biopharma exports hit record as Europe outpaces US SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - South Korea's biopharmaceutical exports climbed 15.8 percent from a year earlier to a record $6.6 billion for the January to September period, propelled by surging shipments to Europe, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Thursday. Biologics made up about 73 percent of the country's $9 billion in total drug exports over the period, according to preliminary data. Third-quarter shipments rose 15.6 percent to $2.07 billion, even as September ex October 8, 2026

Hyundai Rotem eyes Egypt hydrogen tram project SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem has signed a memorandum of understanding with Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels, or NAT, to explore supplying hydrogen-electric trams for Egypt’s new administrative city east of Cairo, the company said Thursday. The agreement was signed Wednesday during a Korea-Egypt business roundtable in Seoul attended by Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, South Korean Ambassador to Egyp October 8, 2026