• North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles as US-South Korea exercise winds down SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - North Korea fired a dozen ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, as the annual U.S.-South Korea military exercise neared an early end.
• US ambassador meets American executives in first Seoul business talks SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The new U.S. ambassador to South Korea met senior executives from American companies operating in the country on Thursday.
• Chief justice faces mounting pressure for impeachment amid political rift SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The nomination of two Supreme Court justices by chief justice Cho Hee-dae earlier this week has escalated into a broader political confrontation.
• South Korea extends curbs on hoarding urea, syringes for two more months SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea will extend anti-hoarding measures on automotive urea solution and medical syringes for two months through the end of October, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday.
• Listed companies see profits more than triple in H1 on chip boom SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's major listed companies saw their first half profits more than triple, driven by strong semiconductor earnings and broader gains across industries.
• South Korea's short-term external debt ratio hits 15-year high SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's short-term external debt relative to its foreign-exchange reserves rose to the highest level in about 15 years in the second quarter.

AJP Briefing

• SK hynix buyback, foreign buying send KOSPI up nearly 6% SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rebounded sharply on Thursday, as a record share buyback plan sent SK hynix surging and foreign investors piled back into the country's semiconductor heavyweights following the previous day's rout. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,852.58 points, up 5.89 percent from the previous session, after rising as high as 6,904.55 during the day, as sharp gains in SK hynix and Samsung Electronics helped the index recover from Wednesday's nearly 6 per
• Hot Stock: SK hynix surges over 10% on 40 trillion won buyback plan SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Shares of SK hynix surged more than 10 percent Thursday afternoon after the chipmaker announced a 40 trillion won ($28 billion) share buyback plan the previous day. Its shares traded at 1,676,000 won around 3 p.m., up 11.73 percent or 176,000 won from the previous session. The stock climbed as high as 1,720,000 won during intraday trading. The sharp rebound came a day after the shares tumbled 9.75 percent to 1,500,000 won amid a broader selloff in semiconductor stocks.

AJP ScaleUP

• Chip equipment maker rides surprise rally in tandem with Moderna's triple-digit surge SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Shares of semiconductor equipment maker N2TECH hit their daily limit on Thursday as investors rushed into related South Korean stocks following Moderna's positive results from a late-stage cancer vaccine clinical trial. N2TECH's shares closed at 1,925 won on the junior KOSDAQ, up 29.98 percent from the previous session. The stock opened at 1,831 won and fell as low as 1,646 won before rebounding to the daily limit. The rally came after U.S. biotech firm Moderna
• KOSDAQ-listed medical device maker recognized for growth potential SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Medical device maker Next Biomedical has been recognized as a rising KOSDAQ-listed firm for the second year in a row, it said on Wednesday. It said it was selected for the Korea Exchange's "rising star" program again this year, which recognizes promising companies based on factors such as technology, financial health and growth potential. The firm attributed the recognition to its technology for controlling bleeding during endoscopic procedures and its gro

ASIA Insight

• US Treasury boosts bond buybacks as long-term yields surge SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The U.S. Treasury has calmed a surge in long-term borrowing costs by doubling buybacks of longer-dated bonds, but the move does little to address the forces behind the selloff as Washington continues to run large deficits and federal debt pushes past US$40 trillion. The Treasury said it would raise individual buybacks in the 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year sectors to at least $4 billion from $2 billion, with the higher limits applying from Sept. 9 through Nov. 4. The r by Kim Yeon-jae
• MASGA gets liftoff with drones with Washington's push  SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Washington's push to rebuild strategic industries at home while reducing dependence on China is creating new openings for South Korean companies in two seemingly different sectors: shipbuilding and drones. The latest U.S. moves point to a broader strategy of tapping production capacity from trusted allies where American industry cannot immediately meet demand, while using tariffs, investment and procurement rules to steer strategic supply chains away from China. Fo by Kim Hee-su

AJP Watch

• Won extends gains, bonds end mixed SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The South Korean won extended its gains against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, while government bond yields ended mixed as longer maturities drew support from a decline in U.S. Treasury yields. The won strengthened 5.1 won from the previous session to close daytime trading at 1,392.6 per dollar, compared with Wednesday's close of 1,397.7. It marked the second straight daytime close below 1,400 and the lowest closing level since Sept. 23, 2025, with the currency brief
• South Korea's net foreign assets shrink as stock rally boosts foreign-held shares SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's net foreign assets fell sharply to US$64 billion in the second quarter, as a stock market rally boosted the value of South Korean shares held by foreign investors, even as the country's net debt balance improved. The country's net international investment position or net IIP fell by $689.5 billion from $753.6 billion at the end of March, according to preliminary data released by the Bank of Korea on Thursday. "What matters, ultimately, is

AJP Focus

• BigBang's 20th anniversary comes as older K-pop acts find new life SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - K-pop boy band BigBang marked their 20th anniversary on Wednesday with their first digital single in four years, hoping to continue attracting attention years after their heyday. Their return comes as older K-pop groups are gaining renewed attention, attracting both longtime fans and younger listeners discovering their music years after their debut. But another shift is unfolding at the same time. While veteran acts are finding ways to stay together, some younger idols
• Moody's raises growth forecast for South Korea, putting BOK in dilemma over rate hike SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Global ratings agency Moody's raised its growth forecast for South Korea to 3.5 percent in a report published last week. The stronger outlook could support another interest rate hike, although strong exports and already high borrowing costs may reduce the need for the Bank of Korea to raise rates again soon. The forecast also put South Korea's growth at 2.7 percent for next year. The 2026 forecast was 1 percentage point higher than Moody's 2.5 percent estima