Le Poème Harmonique to make Korea debut at Hanwha Classic 2026 SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - Hanwha Group will bring French Baroque ensemble Le Poème Harmonique to South Korea in November for its first performances in the country. The ensemble, led by conductor Vincent Dumestre, will open the Hanwha Classic 2026 tour at Changwon 3.15 Art Center on Nov. 22, followed by a performance at Geoje Arts Center on Nov. 24 and Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 26, Hanwha said Monday. The expansion to South Gyeongsang Province marks the first time in the September 28, 2026

Washington's silence leaves Seoul fretting over first U.S. investment pick SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - Now it is Seoul’s turn to fret and wait. Washington which had openly pressed Seoul to move faster on its $350 billion investment package has gone quiet since South Korea announced its first proposed project, fueling speculation over the delay. Formal confirmation of the first project under South Korea’s $200 billion strategic investment commitment to the United States has been held up as Seoul awaits a final selection by U.S. President Do September 28, 2026

Seoul's main index opens post-Chuseok session below 7,000 SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) -The South Korean bourse reopened after last week’s Chuseok holiday in a deeply sour mood, as foreign and institutional investors engaged in a panic-selling spree mostly targeting top chip stocks amid a global bond sell-off. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 2.7 percent to close below 7,000 for the first time in four sessions. Samsung Electronics lost 5.4 percent and SK hynix 5.1 percent, and foreign investors sold a net 3.23 tri September 28, 2026

Why buy when you can subscribe to the whole living room? SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - Wedding season has long been a peak period for South Korea’s white-goods makers since couples traditionally purchase their first major appliances with money from their dowries or savings. But as consumer habits change, manufacturers are trying to build relationships that extend beyond the initial sale. “I think this may be a first — holding a media event solely for a service, without a product,” Lim Sung-taek, vice president a September 28, 2026

South Korea secures final victory in Schindler ISDS case SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s victory in an investor-state dispute settlement case brought by Schindler Holding AG has finalized as the Swiss elevator company has not challenged the ruling within the legal deadline, the Justice Ministry said Monday. Schindler did not file an appeals action with the Paris Court of Appeal to annul the March 14 arbitration award within the prescribed period, according to the ministry. An arbitral tribunal administered by the Perm September 28, 2026

BTS brings K-pop second VMA 'Song of the Year' win SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - K-pop supergroup BTS brought home the second "Song of the Year" win from the MTV Video Music Awards with group's title track "Swim," MTV said Sunday. The seven-member group also won "Best K-Pop" and "Best Group," sweeping all three categories in which it was nominated at the ceremony in Los Angeles. BTS became the second K-pop act to win Song of the Year at the VMAs, following BLACKPINK's Rosé, September 28, 2026

KAIST builds gene switch that works in bacteria and yeast SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - A South Korean research team has built a set of genetic switches that work in both bacteria and yeast, two microbes that read DNA in ways different enough that a production recipe written for one has to be rebuilt almost from the ground up for the other. The design removes much of that rebuilding, and with it one of the slower steps in turning microbes into factories for drugs, chemicals and materials. Applied to a pathway that makes a green pigment, th September 28, 2026

Shark draws 483,000 to Busan waterfront over Chuseok SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - A shark lingering in an artificial waterway at Busan's North Port drew 483,000 visitors over the four-day Chuseok holiday, the Busan Facilities Corp. said Monday. The crowd accounted for about 85 percent of the 568,800 people counted at the waterfront park since official tracking began on Sept. 19. Daily attendance reached 101,000 on Sept. 24, 136,000 the following day and peaked at 140,000 on Sept. 26 before easing to 106,000 on Sunday. A ty September 28, 2026

South Korea at 12th in global AI use ranking SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - South Korea's generative AI adoption rate reached 40.6 percent in June, lifting the country to 12th place globally from 25th a year earlier, Microsoft said Monday. The share was up 3.5 percentage points from the first quarter, according to Microsoft AI Economy Institute's latest Global AI Diffusion Report. Korea's adoption rate stood at 25.9 percent a year earlier, meaning it rose 14.7 percentage points over the past 12 months. Microso September 28, 2026

DMZ blast probe slows due to mine-like objects SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - South Korean troops reported seeing what appeared to be wooden-box mines near the site of last week's explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone, the military said Monday, while stressing that the type and origin of the explosive have yet to be confirmed. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the assessment was based on accounts from multiple personnel who were at the scene when the explosion occurred. Some described objects whose shape resembled a wooden-bo September 28, 2026