Samsung slips into the red as LG's appliances hold the 1 trillion won line SEOUL, August 02 (AJP) -South Korea's two largest electronics makers saw their consumer appliance businesses move sharply apart in the first half of 2026, as LG Electronics posted a second straight quarter of profit above 1 trillion won ($693 million) while Samsung Electronics slipped into the red. The operating profit gap between the two firms' comparable home appliance, television and air-conditioning operations came to about 990 billion won in the first quarter and 1.15 t August 2, 2026

AI coding tools thin out junior developer ranks, Gartner warns SEOUL, August 02 (AJP) - Hiring of entry-level software developers has fallen sharply as companies lean on artificial-intelligence coding tools to handle routine work, a shift that research firm Gartner warned that could drain the industry's future talent pool. Employment of software developers aged 22 to 25 has dropped by about 20 percent from its late-2022 peak, according to a Stanford University Digital Economy Lab study of payroll records, coinciding with the arrival of Chat August 2, 2026

Korean comic wins Eisner Award for first time SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - A Korean comic has won a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for the first time, marking a milestone for Korean graphic novels in the U.S. comics market. Sanho’s “Purgatory Funeral Cakes,” originally published in Korea as “Funeral Cake Shop Yeonokdang,” won the award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia at the 38th Eisner Awards, according to Comic-Con International. The English edition was translated by Danny August 1, 2026

North Korea denounces NATO fuel network overhaul as war preparation SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - North Korea on Saturday denounced NATO’s plan to modernize its military fuel supply network as an “unprecedented” act of war preparation, accusing the transatlantic alliance of expanding its military reach beyond Europe. The criticism came after NATO approved a 27 billion euro ($31 billion) program to modernize its fuel storage and distribution infrastructure, including pipelines and new facilities in the alliance’s eastern and southe August 1, 2026

Korea to import Argentine crude next year as Lee, Milei deepen energy ties SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - South Korea will begin importing crude oil from Argentina next year as the two countries move to diversify energy supply chains and expand cooperation in critical minerals, the presidential office said Friday. President Lee Jae Myung, who is on an official visit to Argentina, held a summit with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires to discuss energy, critical minerals, trade and investment cooperation. The two leaders held a 25-minute preliminary August 1, 2026

Korea's July exports hit record near $99 billion as chips soar SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports reached a record high in July, driven by a sharp increase in semiconductor shipments and broad gains across most major export items, the industry ministry said Saturday. Outbound shipments jumped 62.8 percent from a year earlier to $98.89 billion in July, while imports rose 26.5 percent to $68.56 billion, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The country posted a trade surplus of $30.32 billion, remaining above August 1, 2026

Seoul reviewing options for contribution to Hormuz security, top security adviser says SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - South Korea is reviewing various options for a possible contribution to international efforts to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz, but no specific measure has been decided yet, Presidential National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday. “We are at the stage of reviewing various possibilities,” Wi told reporters when asked about Seoul’s possible practical contribution to ensuring stability in the key Middle East waterway. “We are August 1, 2026

Korea's powerful prosecution loses core powers SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) -South Korea's once-powerful prosecution, long regarded as one of the country's most influential institutions, will effectively cease to exist in its current form after parliament approved legislation stripping prosecutors of all investigative authority and replacing the century-old model with separate agencies for investigation and prosecution. The ruling-majority National Assembly on Friday passed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act that complet July 31, 2026

SK Siltron joins Doosan in $1.65 billion buyout SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) -South Korea's Doosan Group will acquire a controlling stake in SK Siltron, the world's third-largest silicon wafer manufacturer, in a deal that reshapes the country's semiconductor supply chain while providing SK Group with fresh capital to accelerate its artificial intelligence (AI) push. SK Inc. approved the sale at a board meeting on Friday, agreeing to sell its combined 70.6 percent stake in unlisted SK Siltron for about 2.3 trillion won ($1.6 July 31, 2026

Nat'l Assembly passes controversial bill stripping prosecutors of investigative powers SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - The National Assembly passed a bill on Friday that would completely strip prosecutors of their powers to directly investigate criminal cases, in a move led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP). The revisions to relevant laws were approved by a vote of 175 in favor, two against and one abstention among the 178 lawmakers present. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which had launched an unlimited filibuster the previous day in protest of the bill, di July 31, 2026