KOSPI claws back about half of Monday's rout on retail buying SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) -South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rebounded nearly 4 percent at the opening bell Tuesday as retail investors rushed in to buy stocks battered in the previous session's 8 percent selloff. The buying centered on the country's memory-chip giants. SK hynix jumped 6.2 percent to 2,030,000 won ($1,326.2) after sliding nearly 8 percent a day earlier, while Samsung Electronics rose 4.0 percent to 307,250 won following a roughly 10 percent plunge. The KOSPI was June 9, 2026

Lee departs for Europe to attend G7 summit in France SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung left for Europe on Tuesday to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France. During his nearly two-week trip, which will take him to Belgium, Italy and the Vatican from June 9 to 18, Lee will make his first stop in Brussels to meet with South Koreans living there. Lee is then scheduled to hold talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and King Philippe, as the two countries mark the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relation June 9, 2026

Experts urge 'peaceful coexistence' strategy at timely forum as Xi visits Pyongyang SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - "South Korea should become a country that designs the agenda and conditions that force North Korea and the United States to meet again, rather than a country waiting for a North Korea-U.S. summit." A forum hosted by a South Korean parliamentary research group, which coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang on Monday, called for Seoul to pursue a strategy of "peaceful coexistence" with North Korea amid the June 8, 2026

LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, KATSEYE to release joint single 'ICONIC BY MISTAKE' SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - Girl groups LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and KATSEYE will release a joint digital single, "ICONIC BY MISTAKE," this week, HYBE said Monday. The agencies announced the collaboration through Weverse, an online K-pop fan platform, saying the single will be released at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on June 12. One day before the release, the three bands will jointly perform their digital single song for the first time through a cable TV music show, M COUNTDOWN. The co June 8, 2026

Greek seeks direct flight from Seoul to Athens SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) — Greek tourism officials on Monday highlighted efforts to strengthen deeper tourism ties with South Korea built around direct air connectivity, sustainable tourism, and authentic local experiences, as Greece seeks to attract more Korean travelers while broadening its appeal beyond traditional sightseeing. Speaking at the "Greece: A 365 Day Destination" tourism promotion event at the Mondrian Hotel in Yongsan District near central Seoul, Greek June 8, 2026

Won recovers after verbal intervention while bond sell-off deepens SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - The South Korean won slightly recovered on Monday after a series of verbal warnings from financial authorities, which prompted traders to pull back from their dollar bets. There was also speculation that authorities may have directly intervened in the market. In Seoul, the won closed at 1,548.2 per dollar after opening at 1,555.2 and briefly rising to 1,560 before reversing sharply in morning trade. The turnaround was largely attributed to policy interventio June 8, 2026

Chip sell-off sends KOSPI below 8,000 SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at 7,484.41, down 676.18 points, or 8.29 percent, from the previous session, falling below the 8,000-point level According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI opened at 8,048.09, down 112.50 points, or 1.38 percent, from the previous close, before extending its losses throughout the session. The index fell as low as 7,442.73 during intraday trading. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ also declined sharply, ending the day at 911.39, d June 8, 2026

South Korea outlines strategy to attract 2 million cruise visitors SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - South Korean government and tourism officials met with industry representatives aboard a docked cruise ship in Busan on June 5, 2026, to outline a strategy aimed at expanding international cruise tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization said Monday. The 21st Cruise Development Council meeting took place aboard Royal Caribbean's 169,000-ton Spectrum of the Seas, marking the first time the annual council convened on an active vessel. About 90 officials from June 8, 2026

South Korea at odds with Japan as allies seek broader security ties SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - South Korea is increasingly seen as a security partner as U.S. allies look to strengthen ties amid doubts growing about how reliable Washington's broader defense commitments really are. But President Lee Jae Myung appears reluctant to deepen military cooperation with Japan, casting uncertainty on how far Seoul is willing to go. During a press conference in Seoul on Monday marking his first anniversary in office, President Lee Jae Myung was asked about pursu June 8, 2026

S. Korean university students pitch multidisciplinary solutions at global sustainability festival SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - Students from five universities in South Korea presented multidisciplinary solutions to global challenges during the finals of the 2026 Global Symbiosis Joint Academic Festival on May 29, 2026, Kookmin University said Monday. The festival was organized by the HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Group and brought together participants from Kwangwoon University, Kookmin University, Sunmoon University, Yeungnam University and Honam University. The competition challen June 8, 2026