Korean stocks slide 2.6% despite Samsung's record earning SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) — South Korean stocks fell nearly 3 percent Thursday as heavy foreign and institutional selling dragged down major semiconductor shares, even after Samsung Electronics forecast record quarterly operating profit. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,625.93, down 2.62 percent from the previous session. The index opened slightly higher at 6,808.68 but reversed course as selling accelerated through the afternoon. Foreign investors sold a net 1.99 trillion won October 8, 2026

Hot Stock: Hanmi shares reverse sharply after obesity drug approval SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Shares of Hanmi Pharm and its holding company Hanmi Science fell sharply in late-morning trading Thursday, reversing gains sparked by regulatory approval of Korea's first domestically developed GLP-1 obesity drug. Hanmi Science dropped 7.23 percent to 53,900 won after climbing as high as 68,200 won earlier in the session. The stock had surged 13.94 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday to 66,200 won following news of the approval. Hanmi Ph October 8, 2026

Seoul named world's best big city in Condé Nast Traveler SEOUL, October 08 (AJP)— Seoul was named the world's best big city by readers of U.S. travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. South Korea's capital ranked first in the magazine's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, followed by Tokyo, Phnom Penh, Shanghai and Sydney, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday. The city topped the Best Big Cities ranking for the first time, rising from fifth place in 2025 and overtaking Tokyo, which had held the top spot for t October 8, 2026

Korean stocks slip despite spectacular Samsung Q3 SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) -South Korean stocks edged lower Thursday morning as foreign and institutional selling continued to retreat despite stellar third-quarter earnings guidance from Samsung Electronics and LG Energy Solution. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.2 percent to 6,793.26 as of 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) after trading between 6,731.75 and 6,810.83. Foreign investors sold 635.7 billion won ($475.2 million) worth of shares, while institutions unloaded 300.7 billion won. Retail October 8, 2026

AI chat records point to China-based suspect in Korean cyberattacks SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) —The culprit behind the latest wave of cyberattacks on South Korean financial firms may be a 26-year-old living in China’s Guangdong province, according to U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Wednesday. CrowdStrike claimed it found the clues while examining servers linked to the attacks. They included records of the suspected hacker's interactions with Claude Code, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered coding tool developed by Anthropic. T October 8, 2026

KOSPI slides nearly 2% as Samsung earnings caution weighs SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) — South Korean stocks fell nearly 2 percent Wednesday, extending losses for a second session as heavy foreign selling hit semiconductor shares and investors turned cautious ahead of Samsung Electronics' preliminary third-quarter earnings due Thursday. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,803.90, down 1.98 percent from the previous session. The index opened 1.11 percent lower at 6,864.25 and briefly reversed into positive territory in morning trading bef October 7, 2026

Silver glitters: stocks lift wealth of the gray in Korea, U.S., Japan SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) — Older generations on both sides of the Pacific — seemingly the last to have enjoyed an era of abundant liquidity and cheap borrowing — are benefiting from asset inflation, helping fuel consumer spending this year despite geopolitical risks and elevated interest rates. In South Korea, investors aged 60 and older accounted for 40 percent of individual investors’ domestic stock profits in the first half despite representing less than October 7, 2026

KOSPI falls as foreign selling outweighs Wall Street rally SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell Wednesday morning as heavy foreign selling outweighed overnight gains on Wall Street, while Samsung Electronics and SK hynix moved in opposite directions. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.9 percent to 6,883.09 as of 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT), after trading between 6,861.56 and 6,977.77. Foreign investors sold a net 940.2 billion won worth of shares, while institutions unloaded 144 billion won. Retail investors bought a net 856.8 billio October 7, 2026

FSS calls for stronger internal audits as compliance violations persist SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) -South Korea's financial watchdog on Wednesday urged securities firms to strengthen preventive audits after recent inspections found repeated basic compliance failures. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) made the request at a meeting with auditors from 21 securities firms, including 10 large investment firms and 11 mid-sized brokerages, aimed at strengthening preventive, investor-centered internal controls. At the meeting, the watchdog urged firms October 7, 2026

Digital Korea falls prey to cyberattacks, from central bank to churches SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) —From its central bank to major churches, South Korea is confronting a widening range of cyber threats as surging hacking attempts and a series of data leaks raise concerns over security across its highly connected economy. The Bank of Korea and the state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea have reported sharp increases in attempted attacks this year. Separately, a law firm is preparing a damages lawsuit over a Shinhan Bank data breach affecting about 25,00 October 7, 2026