• 
  Annual sports-themed show awes visitors with cutting-edge technologies SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - The annual sports-themed trade show is taking place at COEX in southern Seoul this week. The Seoul International Sports & Leisure Industry Show (SPOEX), South Korea's largest and one of Asia's biggest exhibitions where sports, technology, and industry converge, kicked off on Thursday and runs until this weekend. This year's event brought together around 300 domestic and international companies, offering a comprehensive platform that goes be March 26, 2026
• 
  BTS may be offstage, but Seoul still hums SWIM SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -The concert is over, but Seoul has yet to come down from the high of BTS. At the courtyard of MMCA Seoul, the “Love Quarter” still pulses with the afterglow of the group’s comeback, its energy spreading in gentle waves. Inside the blue “BTS Sound Cube,” BTS’ new song “SWIM” plays as ribbons flutter in the wind like water in motion. Stepping into the installation, visitors are invited to feel the music not ju March 26, 2026
• 
  More workers to get day off as Labor Day set to become public holiday SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - A bill to designate Labor Day as a statutory public holiday passed a committee in the National Assembly on Thursday. If it clears the remaining legislative steps including Cabinet approval, May 1 will be observed as a public holiday, taking effect this year. Labor Day was made a paid holiday in 1994, but public officials, teachers, and platform workers such as deliverymen have not been able to take the day off because they are not classified as employees u March 26, 2026
• 
  South Korean ships can pass through Strait of Hormuz only with prior consultation, Iranian envoy says SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - South Korean ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but "only with prior consultation" with Tehran, Iran's top envoy said on Thursday. At a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan, Seoul, Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi said there have been no safety concerns so far involving South Korean vessels or crew members, adding that the foreign ministers and embassies of both countries are "communicating smoothly&q March 26, 2026
• 
  Korean game publishers play it safe as AI reshapes industry fault lines SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - South Korea's major game publishers are sticking to safer bets — stable leadership and proven revenue drivers — as they navigate the uncharted waters of artificial intelligence. A wave of executive reappointments during this year's shareholder season reflects that caution. Krafton renewed the terms of Chairman Chang Byung-gyu and CEO Kim Chang-han for a third consecutive term, while Nexon retained CEO Lee Jung-hun after posting a record 4. March 26, 2026
• 
  Uzbekistan's business climate signals decoupling from historical stagnation as demand surges SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - The Center for Economic Research and Reforms in Uzbekistan reported Wednesday that the national business climate reached 65 points in February 2026, an 11-point increase over the previous year. This shift signals a significant decoupling from historical stagnation, marking a fundamental transition in how the private sector navigates the regional economy. The acceleration aligns with a broader macroeconomic surge shown by data from the Statistics Agency of U March 26, 2026
• 
  Seoul deploys "wartime" policy arsenal to fight Gulf shockwaves SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -South Korea is deploying “all possible” fiscal and policy tools — including a supplementary budget of around 25 trillion won ($18.7 billion), expanded fuel tax cuts and market stabilization measures — as it moves into what the government described as a “wartime” economic response to the prolonged Middle East conflict. “In the face of a grave wartime situation, we will mobilize all policy means and the optimal mix to e March 26, 2026
• 
  Naver's counterfeit crackdown lifts seller revenues by 34%, study finds SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - Naver's anti-counterfeit measures have driven a 34 percent rise in seller revenues and a 20 percent increase in sales volume on its e-commerce platform, according to research released by the company's user protection and self-regulation committee. The findings, led by Kim Ji-young, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, drew on transaction data from sellers who cooperated with Naver's counterfeit prevention program. Brands participating in the in March 26, 2026
• 
  South Korea to buy back $3bn bonds to bolster market SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -South Korea will buy back 5 trillion won ($3.3 billion) of sovereign bonds in a rare market intervention to cap a surge in yields that have overshot the policy rate by more than 100 basis points amid the prolonged Middle East conflict. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) said Thursday it will conduct the buyback on Friday, targeting Korea Treasury Bonds (KTBs) with maturities ranging from two to 10 years — one of the largest liquidity injections March 26, 2026
• 
  Many teenagers still addicted to smartphones despite overall decline SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - About a quarter of South Koreans were at risk of overdependence on smartphones last year, according to a survey released Thursday. The risk was similarly high among young children but decreased among adults and those in their 60s compared with the previous year. The Ministry of Science and ICT conducted one-on-one interviews with about 10,000 households nationwide to survey patterns of smartphone usage. Some 22.7 percent of smartphone users were classifi March 26, 2026