Homegrown satellite fleet opens new Korea's space era SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korea's first working satellite constellation reached orbit Wednesday on the country's own Nuri rocket. A university lab and a private company built the small Earth-observation satellites and designed them from the start to fly on a Korean launcher. A satellite constellation is a group of satellites run as a single system. They are spread across different orbits, so between them they pass over the same place far more often than one satellite October 7, 2026

South Korea's Nuri rocket delivers 15 satellites to orbit SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket successfully carried 15 satellites into orbit Wednesday, completing its fifth flight and extending a run of successful launches that has become central to the country's effort to build an independent space industry. The three-stage rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, at 12:25 p.m. and completed its flight roughly 20 minutes later. It successfully separ October 7, 2026

South Korea ups depopulation zones to 92 as Seoul's pull grows SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) -South Korea has added three localities to its list of depopulation zones, bringing the total to 92 as the country struggles with a shrinking population and the growing concentration of people and jobs around Seoul. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday that the newly designated areas are Geumjeong District in the southeastern port city of Busan; Dongducheon, north of Seoul; and Tongyeong, a coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province. The October 7, 2026

MOFA turns ambassadors in Seoul into K-food messengers SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - Foreign ambassadors will gather at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul later this month for South Korea's first official Hansik Day, or Korean Food Day. The foreign ministry put them on the guest list with an eye on what comes after the meal, when the envoys report back to their capitals. "Domestic ministries, after all, don't have a direct channel of communication with foreign countries," said Yi Min-jin, who heads the Cultural Cooper October 7, 2026

Busan's 'Bukangi' confirmed as 3-meter female dusky shark SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - A shark that has drawn more than 1 million visitors to Busan's North Port has been identified as a roughly 3-meter female dusky shark, a species classified as endangered on the global conservation list, fisheries authorities said Tuesday. The National Institute of Fisheries Science confirmed the species after examining close-up footage of the shark, nicknamed "Bukangi," and finding a ridge between its two dorsal fins, a feature that distingu October 7, 2026

South Korea defense chief wants to scrap military exemption program SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s defense minister said Wednesday the country should gradually scale back and ultimately abolish special military service arrangements for elite athletes and artists amid controversy fueling debate over fairness in the conscription system following the Asian Games. “Gradually reducing it and ultimately abolishing it is the Defense Ministry’s goal,” Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said during the National Assembly’s October 7, 2026

SK Energy, HD Hyundai Oilbank face cartel review SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - SK Energy and HD Hyundai Oilbank allegedly colluded on fuel prices for about four years, capitalizing on the energy instability from geopolitical developments, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said Wednesday. The antitrust regulator opened formal deliberations into the case, which covers 44.1 trillion won ($32.9 billion) in sales. Its examiners said the two refiners swapped gasoline, diesel and kerosene pricing information from February 2022, just October 7, 2026

LG Electronics Q3 profit up 13.5% on year, down 50.5% on quarter SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - LG Electronics kept up double-digit annual growth in the third quarter, although halved from from the April-June period, as the South Korean premium household appliance maker pushed its B2B business in vehicle electronics and coolants to ride on the AI boom, according to its disclosure Wednesday. In its earnings guidance, the company estimated an operating profit of 781.8 billion won ($584 million) for the July-September period, up 13.5 percent from a ye October 7, 2026

KOSPI falls as foreign selling outweighs Wall Street rally SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell Wednesday morning as heavy foreign selling outweighed overnight gains on Wall Street, while Samsung Electronics and SK hynix moved in opposite directions. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.9 percent to 6,883.09 as of 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT), after trading between 6,861.56 and 6,977.77. Foreign investors sold a net 940.2 billion won worth of shares, while institutions unloaded 144 billion won. Retail investors bought a net 856.8 billio October 7, 2026

FSS calls for stronger internal audits as compliance violations persist SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) -South Korea's financial watchdog on Wednesday urged securities firms to strengthen preventive audits after recent inspections found repeated basic compliance failures. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) made the request at a meeting with auditors from 21 securities firms, including 10 large investment firms and 11 mid-sized brokerages, aimed at strengthening preventive, investor-centered internal controls. At the meeting, the watchdog urged firms October 7, 2026