• Korea's single-stock leveraged ETF trading falls below one-tenth after curbs SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — Average daily trading in South Korean single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs fell to less than one-tenth of pre-rule levels in the month after tighter cash-deposit requirements took effect, Korea Exchange data showed Sunday. Daily trading value across 16 ETFs tracking leveraged or inverse moves in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix shares dropped to 990 billion won ($729 million).
• Korea's 5-year overseas chip tech leak tally more than triples SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — South Korea detected 40 cases of semiconductor technology being leaked overseas from 2021 to 2025, more than triple the 12 cases recorded during the previous five years, government data showed Sunday. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) detected 107 industrial technology leaks overseas during the latest five-year period, according to Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
• Korea's Q3 profit estimates rise, chip forecasts climb SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — Third-quarter operating-profit estimates for South Korean listed companies rose over the past three months, with forecasts for chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix revised higher even as nearly half of covered firms saw cuts, FnGuide data showed Sunday.
• Data-center AI chip market seen at $860 bln by 2030 SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — The global market for artificial intelligence chips used in data centers is projected to reach $860 billion by 2030 from $124 billion in 2024, a state-run bank research institute said. The market is expected to expand at an average annual rate of 38 percent over the period as investment in AI infrastructure continues to increase.
• Korea's 2026 excess tax revenue seen topping 50 tln won SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — South Korea is expected to collect more than 50 trillion won ($36.8 billion) in excess tax revenue this year, pushing annual tax receipts to a record, said government officials. The Ministry of Finance and Economy is preparing to release a revised 2026 tax revenue estimate at the end of September, with annual receipts seen above 465.4 trillion won.
• Trump, Xi set AI talks, oppose tolls on global waterways SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to establish a new dialogue on advanced artificial intelligence and oppose tolls on international waterways, a position that could add pressure on Iran over its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreements were among a series of trade, security and technology measures announced after Xi’s state visit to

AJP Briefing>

• Samsung Electronics carries Seoul stocks into Chuseok break SEOUL, September 23 (AJP)-Chip heavyweights pushed South Korea's main stock index higher on Wednesday, the last session before a four-day Chuseok autumn harvest holiday. Foreign investors turned net sellers, and retail investors cashed out 1.44 trillion won ($1.06 billion) on the way into the break. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 63.0 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,080.9. Samsung Electronics led the gain, climbing 3.3 percent to 285,500 won ($210.14) and closing above 2
• AJP Factbox: When and where for fall foliage in S.Korea SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korea's autumn foliage will start turning in the northern Gangwon mountains in early October and reach its nationwide peak later that month, the Korea Forest Service said Wednesday. Peak dates, defined as half a forest changing color, are forecast for Oct. 20 at Seoraksan, Oct. 28 at Songnisan, Nov. 4 at Naejangsan and Nov. 6 at Hallasan, about 0.8 day later than the average of the past five years.

AJP ScaleUP

• Wiseplanet jumps nearly fourfold on KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korean consumer brand company Wiseplanet Company surged more than 270 percent on its first day of trading on the KOSDAQ Wednesday, after strong demand from institutional and retail investors ahead of its listing. Shares traded at 45,150 won ($33.2) as of 4:55 p.m., up 276.25 percent from the initial public offering price of 12,000 won. The stock opened at 42,750 won and rose as high as 48,000 won during the session before paring some gains. Wiseplanet had earl
• 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

ASIA Insight

• What's in a face? In Korea, seemingly a lot SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) -A gifted physiognomist played by Song Kang-ho sits at the center of the 2013 Korean film The Face Reader, able to divine a person's character and destiny simply by looking at a face. His gift eventually draws him into a struggle over the Joseon throne. After studying the face of Prince Suyang, he sees the makings of a ruthless usurper. His judgment proves accurate. But knowing what is coming does not mean he can stop it. Despite his efforts to protect the young K by Kim Hee-su
• When AI becomes a confidant, how much should we tell it? SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Plug in your personal details, desires, weaknesses and troubles. Artificial intelligence suddenly becomes a confession box, healer, consultant, judge, friend and even accomplice. For Jang, an office worker in his 30s from Bundang, south of Seoul, the familiarity is unsettling. "When I talk to AI about my problems, sometimes it scares me to think that it will eventually know me better than I know myself," he said. The sense of privacy and closeness can be by Ryu Yuna

AJP Watch

• For Gen Z, adulthood comes in small treats SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Once a week, a 28-year-old nurse working at a small hospital in central Seoul walks into a gift shop in Jongno-gu and buys herself something small. It has become a ritual since she changed jobs two years ago. She does not drink or have particularly expensive hobbies. After rent, student loan payments, food, transportation and her phone bill, she says there is little left to save. The life she once imagined for 28 looked very different. “When I moved from Nort
• 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

AJP Focus

• AI giants go straight to memory makers SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - The artificial intelligence boom is beginning to reshape not only how memory chips are used, but who buys them. OpenAI and Anthropic are expected to begin purchasing memory directly from manufacturers in 2027 as leading AI developers take greater control over the chips and data centers that power their models, according to an industry report. The shift could create a new class of direct customers for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which have traditionally supplie
• Korea looks beyond HBM. Can HBF prove as big? SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korean memory makers racing to sustain a comfortable lead on the next-generation chip front have their eyes on the next big thing; high-bandwidth flash, or HBF. Six months ago, one prominent chip researcher predicted it would define the AI path. "HBM defined the last decade, but HBF will likely determine the next," Joung-ho Kim, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), told AJP in March. The proposition is now a