S. Korea concludes North Korean mine injured troops south of border SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - South Korea's military said Monday it has concluded that landmines planted by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line injured three South Korean troops in the Demilitarized Zone last month, and said it would begin removing the North Korean minefield later in the day. The Sept. 21 explosions occurred during an operation in the western section of the DMZ to prepare a search route for an investigation into suspected North Korean mine-laying ac October 5, 2026

Samsung earnings kick off key October for chip industry SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - The global semiconductor industry is heading into a busy stretch of October, with Samsung Electronics set to report preliminary earnings this week before a series of major chip events and earnings releases put the strength of the AI-driven boom to another test. Samsung is scheduled to release its preliminary third-quarter results on Thursday, Oct. 8, providing the first major earnings signal from South Korea's semiconductor industry after Micron Techn October 5, 2026

Korea financial cyberattacks spread to online lenders as security gaps emerge SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - Cyberattacks targeting South Korea's financial industry have spread to online investment firms, while regulators say differences in basic security controls appear to have determined how much damage individual companies suffered. PFC Technologies and Mouda, both online investment-linked finance companies, have disclosed security breaches, expanding the list of affected institutions beyond commercial banks, savings banks and financing companies. At l October 5, 2026

Zelensky says Seoul requested transfer of North Korean POWs SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said South Korea had requested the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul, while claiming Russia has shared jet-powered drone technology with Pyongyang. "South Korea asked us to give them North Korean soldiers," Zelensky told reporters Sunday. "By the way, according to their constitution, they are their citizens … so we gave them these two guys." The remarks came amid a October 5, 2026

'The Assassin(s)' reopens an old fault line in Korea's history SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) -For an octogenarian South Korean like Kim Yoo-jeong, who lived through the Korean War and the country’s rags-to-riches transformation under President Park Chung-hee, the controversy surrounding The Assassin(s) cuts close to the bone. “It’s despicable that a film implies the president plotted an assassination that ended up killing the first lady,” she fumed. “What will young people think about our history?” Some took th October 4, 2026

Seoul orders probe as financial hacks widen SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday ordered a thorough investigation into a widening wave of cyberattacks on financial companies, as evidence emerged that the campaign had reached beyond major banks into savings banks, capital firms and mutual-finance networks. Lee instructed officials to investigate the breaches and devise countermeasures with a “grave awareness” of the seriousness of the incidents, presidential spokesperson Kang Y October 4, 2026

Trump touts Kim ties, cites '112 nuclear missiles' SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump again touted his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday, saying it was beneficial to get along with leaders who command large nuclear arsenals and making an unexplained reference to “112 nuclear missiles.” Speaking at a Republican campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio, Trump defended his relationships with leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Isn’t it nice to get along wi October 4, 2026

From Tom Kim to BTS, Korea debates military exemptions SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) - South Korean golfer Tom Kim won an Asian Games gold medal in Japan on Saturday, earning not only a place atop the podium but also one of the most consequential benefits available to an elite South Korean athlete — relief from active-duty military service. His case has again put a uniquely Korean question under the spotlight. Why can one medal dramatically alter a young man’s military obligations, while some of the country’s most globa October 4, 2026

AI-linked cyberattacks spread across South Korean finance SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) - South Korean financial authorities will convene an emergency meeting with industry leaders Sunday after a wave of suspected AI-assisted cyberattacks spread from major banks to savings banks and finance companies, exposing personal data and raising fears that more breaches may have yet to be detected. Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eog-weon is scheduled to chair the meeting at 2 p.m., with Financial Supervisory Service officials, financial indu October 4, 2026

'The Assassin(s)' tops 2 million despite distortion row SEOUL, October 03 (AJP) - A film about the 1974 shooting that killed South Korea's first lady drew its 2 millionth viewer Saturday, 11 days after release, despite accusations from conservative politicians that it distorts history. Hive Media Corp, which produced and distributed "The Assassin(s)," said Saturday afternoon that cumulative admissions had passed 2 million. It is the ninth film released in South Korea this year to reach that mark. The film opened Sept October 3, 2026