Seoul sees no rift with Washington over nuclear subs despite U.S. bill SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - South Korea said Tuesday there is no disagreement with the United States over its ambition to build nuclear-powered submarines domestically, despite a move in the U.S. Congress to bar Navy combat vessels from being built at foreign shipyards. The government said Washington understands Seoul's plans and that the two sides remain in "close consultations" following the launch of follow-up talks on security agreements earlier this month. "As June 9, 2026

Kakao to stage first-ever strike as pay dispute deepens SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - The labor union at Kakao, South Korea's dominant messaging and fintech operator, will hold its first walkout in the company's history, marking a turning point in a protracted dispute over performance-based pay. The action is the first since the founding of IweLab, Kakao's predecessor, in 2006, the union said. It comes after a second round of mediation at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission collapsed in late May, granting the union the June 9, 2026

Germany courts Samsung, SK hynix for Eastern Germany semiconductor hub SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Germany is actively wooing South Korean semiconductor giants, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, to invest in its eastern region, pitching its robust microelectronics and photonics ecosystem as a key to global supply chain resilience. During an investment briefing hosted at The Plaza Hotel Seoul on Tuesday, Elisabeth Kaiser, Minister of State to the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, June 9, 2026

Healthcare-themed event kicks off in central Seoul SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - A healthcare-themed event kicked off in central Seoul on Tuesday, bringing together industry workers and health-conscious visitors. Now in its fourth year, the three-day event at Seoul Plaza showcases the latest trends in health-related industries and displays of medical devices, wellness equipment, and other smart technologies. The event also offers a wide range of health-related programs, exhibitions, and hands June 9, 2026

Global scholars gather in Gochang for annual conference to discuss longevity SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - Global scholars and researchers from about a dozen countries on Tuesday gathered in South Korea's southwestern town of Gochang to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world becomes increasingly toward a super-aged society. About 50 global scholars and researchers from a dozen countries gathered in South Korea's southwestern town on Tuesday to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world increasingly moves toward a super-aged society. Their June 9, 2026

Chipmakers emerge as best companies to work for among job seekers as tech firms lose ground SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - South Korea's two major chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics were voted the best companies to work for by job seekers, recruitment portal Job Korea said on Tuesday. In a recent survey of about 3,287 job seekers conducted by Job Korea, SK hynix ranked first among companies for which respondents said they would "start work immediately," followed by Samsung Electronics. Internet, IT and platform companies that once dominated such June 9, 2026

Huang finds the whole AI cake in Korea, every layer of it SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence is a five-layer cake, Nvidia preaches, and its chairman Jensen Huang appears to have found the full cake in South Korea. In Nvidia's telling, AI is a composite stack: energy at the bottom, then chips, then the infrastructure that houses and serves them, then the models, and finally the applications where economic value is harvested. Every application, Huang argues, draws demand all the way down to the power plant, and supremacy i June 9, 2026

Nvidia's Jensen Huang wraps up visit to Korea with chip deal with Samsung Elec SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang concluded his official four-day visit to South Korea Monday evening, securing a comprehensive, long-term memory and foundry supply roadmap with Samsung Electronics to power the next generation of artificial intelligence hardware. Huang wrapped up his multi-industry tour with a private meeting with Jun Young-hyun, Vice Chairman and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions (DS) Division, at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. The high June 9, 2026

Coupang slapped with 500 million won fine over misleading ads SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - Coupang was slapped with a fine of 500 million won (US$327,000) for misleading ads about discounts offered to paid membership subscribers for one-time offers, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said on Tuesday. According to the watchdog, it fined the e-commerce platform the highest applicable fine and ordered corrective measures for ads run from August 2020 to May 2022 that promoted its "Wow" member prices as cheaper than regular prices while conc June 9, 2026

Korean markets quickly recoup Black Monday losses, key indexes up over 7% SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Korea's stock bourses roared back more than 7 percent Tuesday afternoon to retrace most of the circuit-breaker crash that had gutted it a day earlier, as a chip rally quickly resumed after the upgraded first-quarter GDP data confirmed chip-related activities more than fended the economy from external shocks. The KOSPI surged 7.4 percent to climb back above 8,000. while smaller KOSDAQ also jumped 7 percent to 977.57 as of 2:00 p.m. SK hynix led the charg June 9, 2026