HBM heyday to continue - albeit at consumers' expense SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Regardless of AI doomsayers and the industry’s own rhetoric about policing itself, big tech companies and frontier AI developers show little sign of slowing their race to build more powerful models, pushing an already strained memory supply chain harder. South Korea’s preliminary trade data put chip exports at $340.3 billion in the first nine months of this year. September shipments alone reached $60.3 billion — nearly matching Japan&rsquo October 2, 2026

Samsung chief's son spotted interpreting at South Korea-U.S. Navy meeting SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Lee Ji-ho, the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, served as an interpreter at a high-level South Korea-U.S. Navy meeting last month, according to military officials and a photograph published by the Korea Defense Daily. Lee, a Navy ensign serving as an interpreter officer, supported talks between Vice Adm. Kang Jung-ho, commander of South Korea's Navy Education and Training Command, and Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman, commander of th October 2, 2026

Hanwha Foundation to hold emerging artists exhibition in New York SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - The Hanwha Foundation of Culture will bring together emerging Korean artists and international writers for a group exhibition in New York, the foundation said Thursday. Titled “MacGuffin,” the exhibition will run from Oct. 8 through Dec. 19 at Space ZeroOne in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, featuring five Korean visual artists and five international writers in collaboration with Art Omi, a New York-based international arts residency pro October 2, 2026

KB Kookmin Bank reports data breach trailing Shinhan leak SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) — KB Kookmin Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, reported a data breach that exposed about 100 customer records through unauthorized external access, following a much larger breach at another bank giant Shinhan a day earlier. KB Kookmin Bank recently confirmed that customer information had been exposed through unauthorized external access, according to financial authorities and industry sources Friday. After detecting signs of abn October 2, 2026

Seoul stocks stall as Samsung Electronics buyback winds down SEOUL, Oct. 2 (AJP) — The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) crawled toward 7,000 on Friday despite collective selling by foreign, institutional and retail investors. The market's floor now rests on corporate buying that Samsung Electronics has nearly finished. The main index in Seoul rose 11.7 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,983.0. Foreign investors net sold 216.1 billion won ($159.0 million), putting them on course for a sixth straight session of selling. Samsun October 2, 2026

Grammys moves ahead with Asian Pop award after BTS opts out SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - The Recording Academy will go ahead with its new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category without changing its eligibility rules after weeks of consultations with Asian music industry figures. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the academy heard opposition as well as support during the consultations, but backing for keeping the category was stronger. The academy also said it received a "robust" number of submissions in the category's first y October 2, 2026

Korea to celebrate 100 years of Hangeul Day with nationwide events SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - South Korea will mark the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day with nearly two weeks of performances, exhibitions and public programs across the country, the Culture Ministry said Friday. The annual Hangeul Week will run from Oct. 6 to 17, with its main events centered on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. A three day festival from Oct. 6 will feature musicals, concerts and more than 20 hands-on programs built around the Korean alphabet. An eve ceremony on Oc October 2, 2026

Energy-poor, tech-rich Korea must link renewables with storage: IRENA chief SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - South Korea, an energy-poor but high-tech powerhouse, must pair renewables and hydrogen with storage technology to power its advanced manufacturing economy, a senior international energy expert said. “Korea has strong technological and industrial capabilities to advance its energy transition,” Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said in an email interview with AJP. “The priority is to mobil October 2, 2026

Boston Dynamics gives Atlas a factory-ready hand SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Boston Dynamics, the robotics affiliate of South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group, has fitted its Atlas humanoid with a four-fingered hand built for assembly-line work, the company said Thursday (local time). The hand carries 13 degrees of freedom, nearly double the seven on the previous three-fingered generation, with four axes in the thumb and three in each of the other fingers. It is slightly larger and, on average, stronger than a human hand. In a October 2, 2026

BTS tour tops $500 million in ticket sales SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - BTS' "ARIRANG" world tour has topped $500 million in ticket sales, making the group the first pop act to reach the mark with a single tour, Billboard said Wednesday. BTS crossed the milestone after earning $171.7 million from 12 concerts in August, which drew about 801,000 fans. The August total was the second-highest monthly tour revenue ever recorded by Billboard, trailing only Beyoncé's $179.3 million in August 2023. October 2, 2026