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  AI rally, election boost lift Asian stocks led by Japan SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - Asian stocks extended gains Tuesday, led by Japan, as investor sentiment improved on a powerful mix of artificial intelligence enthusiasm and political clarity following a landslide election victory for the country’s ruling camp. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed more than 2 percent as uncertainty eased after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive win strengthened confidence in her “Strong Japan” economic agenda. Heavyweight tech February 10, 2026
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  Bithumb scandal sparks deep skepticism over Korea's crypto exchange systems SEOUL, Feb 09 (AJP) - A “fat finger” blunder at Bithumb, South Korea’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, has become a windfall for a few and a nightmare for many, involving more than $40 billion in erroneous transactions and raising fresh concerns over the safety of crypto trading in Korea. At around 7 p.m. KST last Friday, a staff member attempted to distribute 620,000 won in prize money but mistakenly transferred 620,000 won worth of Bitcoin instead&mdash February 9, 2026
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  Assured leadership in Japan and AI bet refuel Asian markets SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Reinforced political leadership in Japan and renewed optimism over artificial intelligence helped refuel Asian equities on Monday, reversing much of last week’s sharp selloff. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide election victory, strengthening support for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her “strong Japan” agenda. The Nikkei closed up 2.9 percent at 56,363.9, after briefly br February 9, 2026
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  CJ CheilJedang Q4 profit drops 15 pct on weak domestic sales SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang said fourth-quarter operating profit fell about 15 percent from a year earlier as weak domestic consumption offset gains from its overseas food business. Operating profit for the three months ended December reached 181.3 billion won ($124 million), down from 219.9 billion won a year earlier, according to regulatory filings on Monday. Revenue rose about 1 percent to 4.54 trillion won. For the full year, CJ CheilJedang posted revenue of 17. February 9, 2026
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  Nikkei tests new highs after sweeping Takaichi win, Seoul recoups last week's rout SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) — Asian markets joined the celebration of a landslide victory by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a rare vote of confidence just three months after taking office, reinforcing expectations for a stimulus-focused economic agenda and a tougher stance toward China. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, won 354 of the 465 seats in the lower house, giving the ruling bloc a more than two-t February 9, 2026
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  Seoul bourse ranks 8th in global market cap rank, up 2 notches from Dec SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market has climbed to eighth place globally by valuation upon sustaining double-digit gains into the new year on the back of strong momentum in semiconductor and tech shares. According to the Korea Exchange, the combined market capitalization of the KOSPI, KOSDAQ and KONEX stood at 4,799.36 trillion won ($3.6 trillion) at Friday’s close, slightly edging Taiwan’s total of 4,798.68 trillion won as well as Germany. Th February 8, 2026
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  Korean crypto exchange Bithumb's bitcoin flop draws regulatory scrutiny SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) -South Korea’s financial authorities moved swiftly Saturday after a major operational error at crypto exchange Bithumb led to the mistaken distribution of hundreds of thousands of bitcoins, triggering market volatility and raising fresh concerns over risk management in the digital asset sector. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) convened an emergency meeting at the Government Complex Seoul, chaired by Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-young, with officials f February 7, 2026
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  Coupang data breach victims file class action suit in New York seeking punitive damages SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - Victims of a massive Coupang data breach filed a class action lawsuit in a New York federal court seeking punitive damages from the e-commerce giant and its founder Kim Bom-suk. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges Coupang breached its duty to protect personal data and failed to implement adequate security measures. The data leak affected about 33.7 million customer accounts. Two Korean Americans surna February 7, 2026
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  Bithumb accidentally sends 620,000 bitcoin to users in reward glitch SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb mistakenly distributed 620,000 bitcoin — worth about 244 trillion won ($170 billion) — to 249 users after an employee entered "bitcoin" instead of "won" while processing a promotional reward event. The exchange had intended to give out a total of 620,000 won ($423.5) through its "random box" event on Friday evening, with individual prizes ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 won February 7, 2026
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  Tokyo turns calm as vote day nears, while Asia broadly retreats  SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - The Tokyo bourse held firm on Friday amid a broad retreat across Asia, as foreign investors trimmed exposure following a U.S. technology-sector scare. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to close at 54,253.7, as sentiment steadied ahead of a pivotal snap election this weekend. Japanese voters head to the polls on Sunday, with the outcome expected to shape economic and security policy in the world’s third-largest economy and a key U.S. ally February 6, 2026