Seoul wired first $2.4 bn to back Texas energy project SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) -South Korea has wired an initial $2.4 billion under its $200 billion investment commitment to the United States to help fund a $22.3 billion natural-gas power complex in Encinal, Texas, designed largely to supply electricity to an adjacent artificial intelligence data-center campus. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Hyoung Il told lawmakers Tuesday that the money was transferred on Oct. 1, the same day South Korea and the U.S. announced their October 6, 2026

FSS identifies 19 IPs linked to financial cyberattacks SEOUL, Oct. 6 (AJP) —Seoul has identified 12 countries and territories hosting 19 internet protocol (IP) addresses linked to a barrage of cyberattacks on the country’s financial sector, spanning major commercial banks, regional and online lenders, and brokerage houses. The addresses were traced to 12 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Spain, Latvia, Sweden and Germany, according to fi October 6, 2026

Former USFK commander warns against timeline-based OPCON transfer SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - A former commander of U.S. Forces Korea warned that transferring wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul according to a fixed timetable could increase military risks if key conditions are not fully met. Retired Gen. Robert Abrams, who led USFK from November 2018 to July 2021, said on a Center for Strategic and International Studies podcast Monday that the existing conditions-based transition plan was designed to strengthen both the allies&rsq October 6, 2026

Seoul weighs overhaul of military service benefits for elite athletes, artists SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - South Korea's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it is considering reducing or abolishing the special alternative military service system for elite athletes and artists, citing concerns over fairness and the country's shrinking pool of military personnel. The ministry said possible changes to the arts and sports personnel program will be included in discussions for its broader defense reform plan. "We plan to pursue measures, including the reduct October 6, 2026

Korea adds frontier AI push to sovereign model drive SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - South Korea will press ahead with its sovereign AI foundation model project while adding a separate frontier AI program to counter cybersecurity threats, Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said Tuesday. Bae, who is also the science minister, made the remarks at a parliamentary audit of his ministry in reply to Rep. Park Jeong-ha of the People Power Party. The sovereign model project has cleared its second evaluation and is entering a third round, he sa October 6, 2026

Seoul demands inter-Korean military talks to resolve MDL dispute SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) -South Korea renewed its call Tuesday for military talks with North Korea to reconcile differing interpretations of the Military Demarcation Line, after a military investigation concluded that North Korean mines planted south of the line had injured South Korean troops. The Ministry of Defense said Seoul’s proposal last November for military talks, including discussions on the demarcation line, remains valid. “Military talks between the South and October 6, 2026

Hearts2Hearts joins Primavera Sound 2027 as only K-pop act SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts will perform at Spain's Primavera Sound next year as the only K-pop act on the festival's announced 2027 lineup, SM Entertainment said Tuesday. The girl group will appear during the Barcelona festival's main program from June 3 to 5 at Parc del Fòrum. Primavera Sound, launched in 2001, has grown into one of Europe's major multi-genre music festivals. The appearance adds another overseas festival to October 6, 2026

Nvidia expands personal AI push with 64GB DGX Spark SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - Nvidia has introduced a 64GB version of its DGX Spark personal AI supercomputer, expanding its push to let developers run large AI models and agents locally without relying on cloud computing. The new model will be available starting Oct. 23 through Acer, ASUS, Dell, Gigabyte, HP and MSI, with prices starting at $4,999, Nvidia said Tuesday. It uses the same GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip and Nvidia AI software stack as the existing 128GB version. Nvi October 6, 2026

Three in 4 K-content viewers want to visit Korea SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - Nearly three in four K-content viewers surveyed across eight countries said they wanted to visit South Korea, suggesting interest in Korean shows is extending beyond the screen into travel and cultural experiences, Netflix said Tuesday. The survey, commissioned by Netflix from research firm 2CV, covered more than 11,500 people. Netflix presented the findings at the 2026 K-Expo Mexico in Mexico City, where it also said dubbed versions accounted for more th October 6, 2026

NCT WISH previews three tracks from upcoming EP 'I SPY' SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - NCT WISH unveiled details of three tracks from its upcoming fourth EP "I SPY," expanding the six-track release across alternative pop, electronic and dance-pop sounds, SM Entertainment said Tuesday. The EP is scheduled for release on Oct. 12 and includes the title track "I SPY" alongside "We Own This Street," "UPGRADE" and "Super Major." "We Own This Street" is a hip-hop-based alternative pop October 6, 2026