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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seoul sells $3 bn in USD bonds, largest sovereign offering since global financial crisis SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - South Korea on Thursday sold $3 billion in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds in its largest single sovereign offering since the aftermath of global financial crisis, building up the ammunition to defend the local currency while the debt environment remains favorable. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Friday, the government issued $3 billion in foreign exchange stabilization bonds in two tranches: $1 billion in three-year notes and $2 billi February 6, 2026

Blockchain expert says adoption in banking is shifting toward financial infrastructure SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - Global financial institutions are increasingly viewing stablecoins and tokenized deposits as essential infrastructure rather than speculative assets, according to Xin Yan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sign, a blockchain technology company. This shift is driven by the demand for programmable money that can function natively on-chain. Unlike traditional fiat currency, which relies on fragmented legacy systems, on-chain assets allow for direct February 6, 2026

Koreans' overseas stock buying nearly matches current account surplus SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - South Korean purchases of overseas stocks tripled from a year earlier to a record high last year, nearly matching the country’s record current account surplus, according to central bank data released on Friday. Preliminary balance-of-payments figures from the Bank of Korea (BOK) showed South Korean residents bought $114.3 billion worth of foreign equities in 2025, up $72.2 billion from the previous year. That amounted to 92.9 percent of t February 6, 2026