Nvidia steps up Korea push with AI Seoul Day SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Nvidia will bring its AI Day back to Seoul in November with physical AI at the center, as the U.S. chip giant deepens ties with South Korea's largest conglomerates, the company said Wednesday. The announcement came days after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang received the Korea Society's Van Fleet Award in New York for promoting U.S.-Korea ties. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won toasted Huang at the gala, saying Nvidia designs the brain and SK makes the mem September 30, 2026

Trump calls Kim friend, cites large nuclear arsenal SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - A day after insisting Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon," United States President Donald Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a friend on Tuesday and acknowledged his "pretty large nuclear capacity," claiming the nuclear regime could be contained as long as he was in power. On Aug. 19, Trump claimed North Korea had "57 very powerful nuclear weapons," without citing the source of the claim while then-South Korean September 30, 2026

UNC says DMZ mine incident violated Korean War armistice SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - The United Nations Command said Wednesday that the recent DMZ mine incident violated the Korean War armistice after an operable North Korean mine was found south of the Military Demarcation Line. The UNC said it conducted a joint on-site investigation with the South Korean military into the Sept. 21 mine explosions in the western sector of the DMZ. During the investigation, the team found an operable North Korean antipersonnel mine on the South Korean September 30, 2026

Humanoid maker Aei Robot moves to mass production SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Aei Robot will spend 40 billion won ($29.5 million) on its first plant for mass-producing humanoid robots, the Ansan city government said. The company signs the agreement Wednesday at Hanyang University's ERICA campus in Ansan, south of Seoul, with the Gyeonggi Free Economic Zone Authority, the university and the city government. Construction of the three-story building, which will span about 10,000 square meters, begins in November and is due to f September 30, 2026

Korea-US research team's AI model wins ASCE journal prize SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - A joint team of South Korean and American researchers has won the top paper award from a leading engineering management journal for an artificial intelligence model that reads construction contracts and tells each department on a large project which requirements belong to it. The team was led by Ko Tae-woo, a professor in Kookmin University's School of Architecture, and Lee Jee-hee, a professor in Chung-Ang University's School of Architecture, w September 30, 2026

Kim Yo Jong denies North's role in DMZ blast, warns of retaliation SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) -Kim Yo Jong, head of the Workers’ Party’s general affairs department and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned Wednesday of retaliation should Seoul take military action over a DMZ mine explosion she dismissed as a “staged act.” In a swift response to the South Korean military’s preliminary findings on Tuesday pointing to a North Korean mine as the likely cause of the blast, Kim accused Seoul of fabricating evi September 30, 2026

Rei captivates at rom'u photocall in Seoul Rei of K-pop girl group IVE poses for photos during a photocall event for global color contact lens brand rom’u at MUSINSA Beauty Hongdae in Mapo District, Seoul, Sept. 29, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun September 29, 2026

KOSPI extends losses as U.S. yields jump, foreign selling weighs SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed lower for a second straight session Tuesday as surging U.S. Treasury yields weighed on sentiment and foreign investors sold heavily, although the KOSPI recovered from a steeper intraday drop. The benchmark KOSPI fell 18.93 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 6,870.81. The index opened 0.66 percent lower at 6,844.41, briefly moved into positive territory in morning trading and later fell as much as 1.55 percent before clawing September 29, 2026

Seoul suspects Pyongyang of mine planting. So what now? SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - An expanded investigation by South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command on Tuesday uncovered a North Korean resin-bodied antipersonnel mine near the site of last week’s DMZ explosions, adding to mounting evidence pointing to North Korean mines as the cause of the blasts. The discovery strengthens the military’s assessment of the explosions’ cause. It does not yet establish when or how the mines came to be on the southern September 29, 2026

When ads stop looking like ads SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - The digital wave has torn down the fence between advertising and entertainment in South Korea. Banks produce web dramas and variety shows. Retailers try short-form comedy. Brands commission songs and music videos, and even create their own idols. Construction companies are joining in, seeking an audience that can swipe past a conventional ad in seconds. As viewing shifts toward streaming services and algorithm-driven feed September 29, 2026