• AJP Poll: BOK likely to hold this week, with rate peak seen at 3.50% SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) — The Bank of Korea (BOK) will likely wait to assess the impact of back-to-back rate hikes at its first rate-setting meeting since the latest increase, even as hot U.S. inflation data bolstered the odds of another Federal Reserve hike on Oct. 27–28.
• Seoul's files complaint over USFK Brunson's DMZ remarks SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - South Korea has lodged complaint with Washington over U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson's remarks on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the U.S. has sympathized with its concerns, according to a government source Monday.
• Korea's growth could reach 3.6% this year: finance chief SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) — South Korea's economy could grow around 3.5 percent, beating earlier government estimate of around 3 percent and helping to bolster growth potential, said finance minister Lee Hyung-il. "I would say 3.4, 3.5, or 3.6 percent," he told reporters .
• Celltrion eyes record Q4 operating profit SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Celltrion aims to post an operating profit of more than 600 billion won ($450.7 million) in the fourth quarter, the South Korean biosimilar maker said Monday, after hitting every quarterly target it set for shareholders earlier this year.
• Record tourist arrivals bring rising complaints in South Korea SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) -Tourism complaints in South Korea have surged alongside record foreign arrivals, with persistent overcharging adding to concerns about the country’s welcome for overseas visitors.
• JMS founder sentenced to 33 years in prison for sexual abuse SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Cult leader Jung Myug-seok was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Monday for sexually assaulting and molesting female followers.

AJP Briefing>

• South Korean stocks rebound as battery, biotech shares lead recovery SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - South Korean stocks extended their rebound for a second consecutive session on Monday, supported by institutional buying and gains in battery and biotechnology shares, which helped the market recover from a sharp drop at the open. The benchmark KOSPI rose 1.76 percent to close at 5,768.01, after opening 3.17 percent lower at 5,488.41. The index reversed its early losses and finished at its intraday high. Institutional investors bought 575.6 billion won (US$432.3 milli
• AI debt scare knocks Seoul and Tokyo stocks at open SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) -Wall Street jitters over debt-financed AI spending amid expectations of faster interest-rate hikes weighed heavily on Asian markets Monday, hitting chip-heavy Seoul particularly hard. The KOSPI fell 3.2 percent at the open before foreign investors turned net buyers and helped halve the loss. They had sold more than 11 trillion won ($8.2 billion) of South Korean shares last week. Decliners outnumbered gainers 615 to 221. The benchmark traded at 5,576.1 early in the ses

AJP ScaleUP

• LS ELECTRIC shares fall despite major deal for US data center project SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Shares of South Korean power equipment maker LS ELECTRIC fell more than 4 percent in early trading on Monday amid broader concerns over a potential artificial intelligence (AI)-related investment bust, despite securing a 168.9 billion won (US$125.2 million) contract to supply electrical equipment for a U.S. data center project in 2027. The stock fell as low as 150,000 won before recovering to 158,800 won as of around 9:50 a.m. LS ELECTRIC will supply switchgear to its
• Four firms win preliminary approval for KOSDAQ listings SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) — Four South Korean companies have cleared preliminary reviews for listings on the KOSDAQ, moving closer to initial public offerings (IPOs) on the country's junior stock market. The Korea Exchange (KRX) approved listing applications on Thursday from four companies across financial technology, pharmaceuticals, battery materials and manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI). They include E9pay, an international money transfer company, and Innovo Therapeutics, a

ASIA Insight

• Indonesia's rout revives Asia's crisis ghosts, but risks diverge SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) — Indonesia’s stock market rout has reawakened the spectre of Asia’s 1997 financial crisis, but the diverging fortunes of neighboring markets suggest the turmoil has yet to become contagious. Indonesia is confronting a crisis of market credibility. South Korea is reckoning with the price of its AI boom. Both face the pull of higher U.S. bond yields, but economists caution against mistaking simultaneous market stress for a repeat of the financial contagi by Ryu Yuna
• South Korea can help close AI divide: World Bank VP SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s digital expertise, manufacturing strength and rapid modernization make it well placed to help narrow a global wealth divide that artificial intelligence could deepen, a senior World Bank executive said. “What we call Big AI is an ecosystem dominated by just a handful of advanced countries — not even all advanced countries — and a small number of global corporations,” said Kim Sangbu, the World Bank Group’s vice presiden by Lee Jung-woo

AJP Watch

• Ctrl+C goes pro SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Adobe has spent 36 years perfecting Photoshop. A lone developer armed with artificial intelligence needed about a week to produce a free lookalike. The imitation is far from the finished article. But when a familiar set of tools can be recreated in days, the companies that spent decades building them face an uncomfortable question: What will customers still pay for? U.S. developer Brandon Thomas released ArtCraft in early October, a collection of seven free apps model
• Miss Gee Collection brings a vintage glow to timeless elegance SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) — The Seoul Arts Center added color offstage as Miss Gee Collection brought a softly faded vision of spring to its autumn grounds, reaffirming the enduring appeal of one of South Korea’s longest-running designer labels. For spring/summer 2027, founder Gee Chun-hee stayed close to the classical, feminine grace that has defined her work. The freshness came through color, texture and movement — familiar silhouettes seen in a gentler light. Pastels carried

AJP Focus

• Korea's own children, still waiting to belong SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - High school senior Kim Min-jeong is like many other university applicants in South Korea — hopeful about what comes next and anxious about getting there. For relief, she turns to her favorite K-pop group, ATEEZ. Her face lights up as she talks about the band and shows off its dance moves to their latest hit "BAD." Her family history is something she has been taught to share less freely. “My mother always tells me, ‘Never tell other people
• Korean bonds join global safe-haven rally on equity rout SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) — An equity rout driven by concerns over AI overspending is steering investors toward government bonds in Seoul and other major markets despite stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation and the prospect of a prolonged monetary tightening cycle. The three-year Korean government bond yield closed Thursday 1.6 basis points lower at 3.867 percent, while the 10-year yield fell 6.8 basis points to 4.193 percent, its lowest since Aug. 5. The 20-year and 30-year yields droppe