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  Korea's postwar securities issues rise modestly on frontload demand amid rising yields SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) -South Korea’s corporate direct financing rose in February, with stock and bond issuance climbing 8.5 percent from a month earlier, buoyed by a pre-war equity rally and a rush to secure funding ahead of further rate increases, data showed Tuesday. Total public offerings of stocks and corporate bonds reached 19.25 trillion won ($14.2 billion), up 1.5 trillion won from January, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. Equity financing led the incr March 31, 2026
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  BABYMONSTER to drop third mini album 'CHOOM' on May 4 SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - K-pop girl band BABYMONSTER will release its third mini album "CHOOM" next month, marking its latest comeback as the group continues to expand its global presence, said the seven-member group's agency on Monday. BABYMONSTER, a hip-hop-based pop-dance group under South Korea's entertainment powerhouse YG Entertainment, is a multinational band launched in 2024, seven years after BLACKPINK. BABYMONSTER consists of seven members — Ruka, March 30, 2026
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  Little sign of relief for the Korean won and bonds amid capital flight SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korean stocks are holding up — still more than 20 percent above year-end — but the won and bonds are taking a far heavier hit as capital flees amid the Middle East crisis, with little relief in sight unless Gulf shipping routes reopen. Seoul markets opened the week under pressure as the war in the Persian Gulf dragged into a second month with widening fronts and no clear resolution. Both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ fell about 3 percent Monday March 30, 2026
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  China resumes direct flights to Pyongyang after six-year halt SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Chinese flagship carrier Air China has resumed direct flights to Pyongyang after a six-year hiatus, state media reported on Monday. According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, Air China has begun operating a weekly round-trip flight between Beijing Capital International Airport and Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. The resumption comes for the first time since the airline halted all flights to North Korea in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic March 30, 2026
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  Houthi entry into Gulf conflict adds to Seoul shipping woes SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korea is closely watching the developments in the Gulf in fear of losing another core chokepoint after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared that they had joined with Iran against America and Israel. Analysts warn that any renewed blockade in the Red Sea or escalation in attacks could send shockwaves through global supply chains and deepen existing logistics disruptions. Houthis carried out their “first military operatio March 30, 2026
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  Korean stocks tumble as oil surge rattles markets; Shanghai stands out as rare gainer SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Korean stocks tumbled Monday as surging oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions triggered a broad selloff across Asia, while China's Shanghai Composite stood out as the only major regional index to close higher. The benchmark KOSPI fell 2.97 percent to close at 5,277.30, after plunging as much as 5.3 percent in early trading. The index pared some losses toward the close as retail and institutional buying emerged, but remained under pressure throug March 30, 2026
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  S. Korea braces for rain as spring temperature swings disrupt peninsula SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Morning air across the Korean Peninsula remained crisp Monday even as the state weather administration warned that a significant frontal system will bring heavy rain and volatile conditions through Tuesday. While Seoul and inland regions recorded morning lows as low as 4 degrees Celsius, daytime highs are expected to surge to 22 degrees, creating a 15-degree thermal gap that officials say poses a legitimate risk to public health and agricultural stability. March 30, 2026
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  Red Velvet's Irene to roll out first solo studio album 'Biggest Fan' SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) -Irene, the leader of K-pop girl group Red Velvet, will release her first full-length solo album "Biggest Fan" on Monday, her agency SM Entertainment said. The album will be released at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) through major music platforms, along with the music video for the title track of the same name. Red Velvet is a five-member South Korean girl group that debuted in 2014 under SM Entertainment. The dance-pop band is widely regarded as one of the l March 30, 2026
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  Global love for K-content hits new highs, but fatigue also on the rise SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - That K-content is widely loved is no longer in doubt. With K-pop-themed animation sweeping the Grammys and Oscars, and Netflix livestreaming BTS’ comeback, the latest data only puts a number to the momentum: nearly 70 percent approval worldwide. According to data released Monday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, 69.7 percent of respondents expressed favorable views tow March 30, 2026
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  HMM pushes ahead with move to Busan despite union protest SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korea's largest container shipping line HMM reportedly said its board of directors approved a charter amendment to relocate the company's headquarters from Seoul to the southeastern port city of Busan, setting the stage for a shareholder vote on May 8 that is all but certain to pass. The board convened an extraordinary session to endorse the revision to Article 3 of HMM's articles of incorporation, which currently designates Seoul as the reg March 30, 2026