• South Korea ranks 10th in AI competitiveness SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - South Korea ranked 10th overall in global digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness among 70 countries, up eight places from a year earlier.
• Hanwha Qcells earns top ratings for US-made solar modules SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - South Korean solar manufacturer Hanwha Qcells said its U.S.-made solar modules received top ratings across all eight categories in a major industry reliability assessment on Wednesday, strengthening its position in the American solar market.
• South Korea, Japan pursue nuclear submarines at different speeds SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - South Korea and Japan are stepping up efforts to field their own nuclear-powered submarines despite unresolved legal and fuel challenges, seeking a greater role in their own defense against threats in Northeast Asia.
• AI shocks strengthen case for longer BOK pause SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) – A pair of U.S. shocks — Democratic election victories in major data center states and a scandal engulfing Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang — is strengthening the case for the Bank of Korea to keep interest rates steady for longer as uncertainty clouds South Korea’s chip-driven economy.
• Korean envoy seeks French support for Korean business ZURICH, November 10 (AJP) -South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has asked France to help ensure a stable business environment for Korean companies in Europe as the two countries deepen ties in their 140th year of diplomatic relations.
• Samsung Electronics' startup army marches into robotics SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics commanding an empire in memory chips and smart devices big and small aspires to extend its reach into robotics — with help from its army of startups.

AJP Briefing>

• Samsung tops supplier partnership rankings SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has received South Korea's highest corporate partnership rating for the 15th consecutive year, becoming the only company to maintain the top grade since the assessment system was introduced in 2011. The tech giant received the highest rating in the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership's 2026 assessment, based on corporate performance in 2025, the company said Wednesday. The annual index evaluates how major corporations work with smal
• KOSPI rebounds after early losses amid US rate hike concerns SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Seoul shares turned higher on Wednesday after opening lower, as investors weighed concerns that stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation could lead to further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed to 5,245.95 at around 10 a.m., while the KOSDAQ also advanced on buying in chip equipment and battery stocks. Foreigners sold a net 88.9 billion won (US$66.4 million) of KOSPI shares, one session after their

AJP ScaleUP

• Korean biotechs pitch cancer drugs at BIO-Europe ZURICH, November 10 (AJP) - South Korean biotech firms are pitching cancer treatments, liver disease drugs and drug-delivery technologies to global pharmaceutical companies at BIO-Europe in Cologne, seeking partners to finance development and reach overseas markets. Licensing, joint development and investment discussions continued Tuesday as the three-day event entered its second day. No Korean company had announced a signed agreement by then, according to the Korean media reports cited, thoug
• Semiconductor parts maker makes roller-coaster KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Semiconductor parts maker Dongwon Parts more than doubled its initial public offering (IPO) price on its KOSDAQ debut on Tuesday before giving up most of its gains later in the session. Shares closed at 29,400 won (US$21), up 10.94 percent from their IPO price of 26,500 won. The stock opened at 51,100 won and surged as high as 57,300 won, more than double its offering price, before giving up most of its gains. The sharp reversal came as investors took profits follow

ASIA Insight

• Experts advise Seoul safeguards over blanket teen social media ban This is the second installment in an AJP series bringing together international perspectives as Seoul weighs age limits and other restrictions on minors’ access to social media. SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - As South Korea prepares to build public consensus on the scope and means of regulating minors’ access to social media, international experts urge a careful balance between freedom of expression and safeguards against harm. The Korea Media and Communications Commission plans to sur by Lee Jung-woo
• Won defies stock selloff as export dollars offer support SEOUL, November 9 (AJP) — South Korea’s won strengthened alongside the Japanese yen Monday despite continued foreign selling of Korean equities as exporters’ dollar conversions helped cushion the currency against concerns over slowing AI investment. The divergence reflects two different forces: stock investors are reassessing future semiconductor earnings, while exporters are still converting dollars earned from strong overseas sales. The won closed daytime trading at 1,347.1 by Kim Yeon-jae

AJP Watch

• AJP Review: Lost in K-beauty, found in translation SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Beauty shopping has become something of a ritual for visitors to South Korea, whether they arrive with a skincare shopping list or barely enough Korean to say hello. So AJP stepped into the K-beauty world of Olive Young as a pretend first-timer, armed with a smartphone, the Papago translation app and no particular expertise in cosmetics. The first Korean label refused to cooperate. The second translated in seconds. The difference wasn’t my Korean, which I was
• The no-sweat Namsan: A hiking guide in which nobody hikes SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - One bus, three snacks, a churro, and a fortune about a crate of liquor. AJP takes the introvert's route up Seoul's favorite mountain. This is a hiking guide in which no hiking takes place. Namsan, the 265-meter peak in the middle of Seoul, is on every visitor's list, and in crisp late autumn it fully deserves its place. But you don't need boots, a training plan or a single conversation with a stranger to reach the top. You need a transit card, a bus t

AJP Focus

• More talk, little progress on Korea's sovereign AI SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Another alliance to advance South Korea's sovereign AI ambitions was announced Monday, adding to a growing roster of partnerships that have yet to deliver a clear breakthrough 17 months into the national push. This time, the partners are Nvidia, SK Telecom and Korean chip startup Rebellions. Their agreement at Nvidia AI Day Seoul will connect Rebellions' Rebel R200 neural processing unit (NPU) to Nvidia's platform through its NVLink Fusion technology. SK T
• Data center reckoning: A blessing in disguise for Korean chipmakers? SEOUL, November 09 (AJP) - The foreign flight from Korean chip stocks over fears of slower U.S. data center construction need not spell the end of the AI fairy tale since power constraints unsettling investors could instead reward Korean chipmakers’ years of investment in energy efficiency, according to a semiconductor expert. Investors risk equating fewer new data centers with fewer memory orders, overlooking demand for upgrades at existing facilities, said Lee Jong-hwan, a professor of