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  Midfielder Hwang In-beom joins Portuguese club FC Porto SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Midfielder Hwang In-beom has transferred to Portugal's FC Porto, the club announced on Tuesday. FC Porto said they paid 4.5 million euros (US$5.14 million) to sign the midfielder on a three-year deal, with an option to extend the contract for another season. Hwang will wear the No. 16 jersey at FC Porto. Hwang's transfer from Dutch club Feyenoord marks another step in his international football career, which has taken him to several different co July 21, 2026
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  Lee orders review of leveraged chip ETFs after retail investor losses SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) — President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered financial authorities to draw up "swift and thorough" stabilization measures for controversial single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), saying the government must address mounting losses suffered by retail investors who piled into the products after regulators approved their launch. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Lee pointed to the divided views over leveraged ETFs linked to Samsung Electro July 21, 2026
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  South Korea falls to 32nd in FIFA rankings after early World Cup exit SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea dropped seven places to 32nd in FIFA's latest men's world rankings, released on Tuesday, after this year's World Cup in North America wrapped up over the weekend. South Korea, ranked 25th just before the quadrennial football tournament kicked off last month, slipped to 32nd after its early World Cup exit. In its group-stage matches, South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in its opening match and appeared to be off to a strong start, but suffer July 21, 2026
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  High-school baseball team gets reduced ban over chants mocking Gwangju uprising SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Paichai High School's baseball team can now return to competition after South Korea's top sports disciplinary body cut its ban from six months to one month over chants mocking the 1980 Gwangju democratic uprising. The Sports Fairness Committee of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) made the decision after a meeting in southern Seoul on Monday, reversing most of the punishment issued by the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) early th July 21, 2026
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  South Korea sees 'no immediate oil supply disruptions' SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea has enough crude oil supplies to last through September and expects no immediate disruption even if shipping through the Red Sea is halted, the government said on Tuesday, as lingering tensions in the Middle East put another major energy shipping route at risk. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said refiners had secured crude for July and August equivalent to more than 110 percent of last year's average import volume. Bookings for S July 21, 2026
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  Homeplus earns final three-month chance to avoid liquidation SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) -Homeplus, South Korea's bankrupt supermarket chain, gained a three-month reprieve in what could be its final chance to stay afloat after a Seoul bankruptcy court on Tuesday overturned its earlier decision to terminate the retailer's rehabilitation process. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court canceled its July 3 order ending Homeplus' court-led rehabilitation and extended the deadline for creditors to approve a restructuring plan until Sept. 4. The deci July 21, 2026
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  New AI rules take effect in South Korea SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Stricter regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) took effect across industries on Tuesday, requiring businesses to disclose the use of generative AI and label AI-generated content. Under the regulations as part of the so-called "AI Basic Act," the country's first legal framework for artificial intelligence, companies developing or operating AI services must notify users when generative AI is used and label AI-generated content. July 21, 2026
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  Seoul braces for more monsoon rain after heavy downpours overnight SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - All major streams across Seoul were closed on Tuesday after heavy overnight downpours prompted the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) to issue a heavy rain advisory for parts of the capital. Such an advisory is issued when rainfall of 60 millimeters or more is expected within three hours, or 110 millimeters or more within 12 hours. Eunpyeong district in northwestern Seoul recorded the highest rainfall so far this season, with accumulated precipit July 21, 2026
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  Coupang warehouse fire in Incheon contained after three-day battle SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A massive fire at e-commerce giant Coupang's logistics center in Incheon was brought under control on Monday night after burning for about 61 hours, with firefighters continuing efforts to extinguish the remaining flames. According to fire authorities and emergency officials in Incheon, the fire, which broke out at around 6:50 a.m. last Saturday on the sixth floor of the eight-story logistics center in Seoknam-dong, was largely contained at around 8 p.m. July 21, 2026