• Japan quake puts Korea's AI ambitions on seismic alert SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Every powerful earthquake beneath the East Sea sends more than tremors across South Korea. As the country races to build the world's next artificial intelligence manufacturing hub — from semiconductor fabs to hyperscale data centers — seismic resilience is becoming an industrial necessity.
• Seoul's ETF fallout leaves a costly lesson and search for accountability SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Funeral flowers stood outside the National Assembly, while online protesters called for the "death of single-stock leveraged ETFs."
• New US envoy arrives in Seoul, pledges stronger alliance SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - New U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel arrived in Seoul on Thursday afternoon. In a brief statement shortly after arriving at Incheon International Airport, Steel first greeted reporters in Korean.
• Hanwha chairman's three sons promoted in major leadership reshuffle SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Hanwha Group said Thursday it will promote Chairman Kim Seung-youn’s three sons and replace the heads of five affiliates, in a major leadership reshuffle set to take effect on Aug. 1.
• Seoul says China's stance on denuclearization unchanged SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that China's position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has not changed, setting the tone for a planned visit to Seoul by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the first by a top Chinese diplomat since President Lee Jae Myung took office.
• SK hynix scraps paperwork in hunt for AI-native talent SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) -Generous bonuses and an extraordinary AI boom are not the only appeals that have made SK hynix South Korea's most sought-after employer for a second consecutive year, as the chipmaker continues to break hiring norms in search of AI-native talent.

AJP Briefing

• KAI signs MOU with Embraer on aircraft structures SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian aerospace company Embraer to begin strategic cooperation in the field of aircraft structures, the company said Thursday. The agreement was signed on July 28 during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Brazil, laying the groundwork for broader cooperation between the two companies in future aerospace technologies. KAI said the MOU is aimed at exploring potential business opportuni
• Won hits strongest level in about 5 months after Fed sends mixed signals SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - The South Korean won strengthened to its highest level in about five months on Thursday, while government bond yields rose as currency and fixed-income markets drew contrasting signals from the Federal Reserve's latest policy decision. The won closed daytime trading at 1,437.4 per dollar, strengthening by 9.3 won from the previous session's close of 1,446.7. The currency traded between 1,435.9 and 1,447.7 during the session before returning below the 1,440 mark,

AJP ScaleUP

• KOSPI extends losses as chipmakers' strong earnings fail to lift sentiment SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korean stocks extended losses for a third straight session on Thursday, with the benchmark KOSPI hovering around 5,600 points despite strong foreign and institutional buying, as retail investors sold shares following this week's market rout. The index opened higher and appeared likely to climb back above 6,000 points, but fell in afternoon trading as concerns over semiconductor demand, renewed tensions in the Middle East and a weak overnight session on Wall Stre
• KOSPI plummets nearly 6 percent in Seoul SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - An electronic board shows the KOSPI and other market indexes at the dealing room of Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 5,663.24, down 360.42 points, or 5.98 percent, from the previous session, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ finished at 662.68, down 43.17 points, or 6.12 percent, on July 29, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun

ASIA Insight

• Korea bets on being indispensable in U.S.-China AI rivalry SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - When the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week barred new imports of Chinese-made humanoid robots, it marked another escalation in the technology war that began with semiconductors and rare earths. More importantly, it showed that strategic competition has entered the age of physical artificial intelligence — where robots, AI models and communications networks are increasingly treated as national-security assets. For South Korea, the decision also s by Kim Dong-young
• Fed, BOJ policy paths may be behind foreign exodus from Korean equities SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Foreign investors have sold nearly 20 trillion won ($14.5 billion) worth of South Korean equities this month, including about 10 trillion won this week, extending first-half outflows of roughly 170 trillion won as global investors reposition portfolios ahead of diverging monetary paths in the United States and Japan rather than simply locking in profits after Seoul's year-long rally. The sustained selling suggests global liquidity conditions—not domestic valuat by Kim Yeon-jae

AJP Watch

• After BTS comeback year, what's next for K-pop? SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - K-pop continues to debut new groups, dominate global streaming platforms and fill concert halls from Los Angeles to Bangkok. The industry's talent pipeline remains as prolific as ever, producing acts not only in South Korea but increasingly through overseas partnerships and local adaptations. Yet beneath the steady flow of new debuts lies a quieter reckoning. While visibility has never been broader, far fewer acts are reaching the commercial scale needed to generate t
• Why South Korean women are drinking more while men cut back SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) — Grabbing a beer after work, unwinding with a glass of wine while watching Netflix or sharing a highball with friends has become a familiar scene in South Korean dramas. Increasingly, it is reflecting real life. Every evening, Kim Ji-hyun, a 45-year-old office worker in Ilsan, pours herself a glass of wine or mixes a highball before settling in with Netflix. Her husband sometimes joins her. "It's not that I drink because of stress," she said. "It

AJP Focus

• Chip boom fuels Samsung heyday, beggars its device business SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - A trophy child often comes at the expense of a sibling, and the "beggar-thy-family" concept can scarcely be better illustrated than by Samsung Electronics' second-quarter results. The South Korean technology behemoth reported that its Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor division generated an operating profit of 89.2 trillion won ($64.4 billion) on revenue of 127.5 trillion won in the second quarter, translating into a jaw-dropping operating margin of 70.0 pe
• SK hynix is today's chip profit king, But what next? SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - SK hynix achieved something no major semiconductor company has done before: it became the world's most profitable chipmaker – albeit with little fanfare. Its record-breaking 76.1 percent operating margin in the second quarter surpassed those of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Micron Technology, demonstrating how an early bet on artificial intelligence memory has turned the South Korean company into the industry's earnings powerhouse.