• China's memory ascent turns heads as CXMT races up DRAM ladder SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - The AI chip boom has made unexpected winners, and China is one of them — despite all the U.S. efforts and sanctions to cap China's rise in the chip sector.
• Korean ETF investors turn westbound again SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) — South Korea's home-market ETF frenzy is turning west again as the KOSPI's months-long stall cools enthusiasm for domestic products and sends asset managers back toward U.S. artificial intelligence, semiconductor and broader equity themes.
• Westinghouse stake hits snag between Seoul, Washington SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - South Korea's stake in Westinghouse Electric may be capped at about 7 percent, well below the 15 to 20 percent Seoul had sought, government sources said on Monday.
• Lee is without two key aides at Cheong Wa Dae SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is facing mounting speculation over replacements for two of his most senior aides after presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik offered his resignation Monday.
• South Korea taps Latin America for defense exports SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - South Korea is stepping up its push into Latin America's defense market as President Lee Jae Myung embarks on a state visit to Mexico this week.
• Samsung breaks ground on HVAC plant in Gwangju SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics on Monday broke ground on a new manufacturing line in Gwangju as it expands production of cooling equipment for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

AJP Briefing>

• KOSPI rises above 7,000 on record chip exports despite foreign selling SEOUL, Sept. 21 (AJP) - Record semiconductor exports lifted South Korea's KOSPI back above 7,000 on Monday. The rally rested largely on domestic institutions and Samsung Electronics, while foreign investors were net sellers again by the close. The benchmark index rose 1.65 percent or 113.49 points to 7,007.72, its first close above the mark since Sept. 9. Samsung jumped 4.98 percent. SK hynix gained only 0.59 percent. Institutions bought a net 1.49 trillion won (US$1.08 billion), while for
• Chip rally lifts KOSPI above 7,000 SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark index climbed back above 7,000 on Monday morning, lifted largely by chipmakers, while the broader market failed to keep pace. More stocks on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell than rose. The index gained 100.94 points, or 1.5 percent, to 6,995.17. The index touched 7,007.10 shortly after trading began, marking its first climb above 7,000 in eight sessions, before retreating. Decliners outnumbered advancers, with 543 stocks

AJP ScaleUP

• Operator of self-photo booths seeks KOSDAQ listing SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - South Korean self-photo booth operator Seobuk filed for a preliminary review to list on the KOSDAQ on Monday, starting the formal process toward an initial public offering (IPO) for its flagship Photoism brand. The company applied to list 12.63 million shares including 2.6 million shares planned for the public offering, according to Korea Exchange (KRX). Founded in 2020, Seobuk is a global entertainment platform that operates flagship brand Photoism, a self-photo bo
• Neosapience surges over 200% in KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Generative artificial intelligence (AI) voice technology firm Neosapience surged more than 200 percent above its initial public offering (IPO) price on its KOSDAQ debut on Monday. Shares traded at 27,350 won (US$19.76) as of around 2 p.m., up 173.5 percent from the IPO price of 10,000 won. The stock rose as high as 30,750 won during the session after opening at 25,250 won. The sharp debut followed strong retail demand. The Sept. 10-11 public offering drew orders fo

ASIA Insight

• Esports has the money. Can it run a tournament? SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Krafton launched PUBG Asia Stars on Sept. 17 ambitiously dubbed as a new pan-Asian showcase with 48 participants from six regions, a $70,000 purse and a format inspired by the Asian Games. Within two days, it had lost control of the competition. All eight Korean participants boycotted the second day over the handling of suspected cheating. Krafton removed two Vietnamese participants, revoked their PUBG Partner status and, on Sunday, canceled the final day. It said by Kim Dong-young
• Seoul draws Hormuz line as Tokyo weighs mine-clearing role SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Friday ruled out any South Korean military deployment that would draw the country into the war involving Iran, while leaving room for a narrowly defined mission to protect Korean vessels, citizens and energy routes around the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks marked Lee’s clearest attempt yet to draw a line between joining a war and contributing to maritime security as Seoul faces sustained U.S. pressure over Hormuz. “There will be by Kim Hee-su

AJP Watch

• Giant hand to truck-boat, local projects raise questions on cultural spending SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Lee Ji-hye, a 33-year-old resident of Songdo in Incheon, took her young son to see a new sculpture that had appeared along the waterfront in their neighborhood. His immediate reaction was "Rock and roll," she said, copying the hand gesture. Her son also thought it looked like Spider-Man's hand. "There was a lot of discussion because we simply couldn't make it out," Lee told AJP. She could only laugh when she read the explanation at the b
• Will Xi's Washington visit bring North Korea back to dialogue table? SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - A busy week of global diplomacy lies ahead as the world's major powers face a familiar but increasingly difficult challenge of managing a growing number of conflicts while their own rivalries deepen. In New York, the U.N. General Assembly will bring world leaders together as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue to grind on, adding to a growing sense of fragility in the international order. In Washington, President Donald Trump will meet Chinese Presi

AJP Focus

• Care leavers remain on South Korea's social periphery SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Home is easily taken for granted. Some people grow up never quite knowing what it means to have one. A Korean activist in her 20s, who asked not to be named because she does not want her childhood history to follow her into adulthood, is one of them. When she was six or seven, she and her younger sibling were placed in a residential child care facility after their father found himself unable to raise them alone. She remained in institutional care into her early 20s
• Trump-Xi chip bargaining puts Korean memory makers on alert SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) -From tariffs and rare earths to Iran and artificial intelligence, the U.S.-China summit on Sept. 24 has a crowded agenda. For South Korean chipmakers, the business issue to watch would be whether semiconductors become bargaining currency in a broader trade deal between the world's two largest economies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to be assembling an unusually large business delegation, possibly to match the high-profile entourage U.S. President Donald T