Category: South Korea

Politics

Lee Jae Myung Meets Hyundai Chief Behind Closed Doors—What’s Really at Stake for Korea’s $6.6 Billion AI Push?

SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has held a closed-door meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, as Seoul intensifies efforts to keep major corporate investment projects moving and accelerate the country's push into artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced industries. The meeting took place on Wednesday, Sept. 2, according to sources cited by Yonhap and other Korean media. Details of the private discussion were not officially disclosed, but reports indica

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South Korea

South Korean Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Spying for North Korea After Crypto-Funded Intelligence Operation

SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean man has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found that he gathered information on North Korean defectors and active-duty military personnel under instructions from a North Korean operative. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21 sentenced the 43-year-old man, identified only as A, on charges including espionage under South Korea's National Security Act. He was also given five years' suspension of civil rights, according to So

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Japan

Korea Wasn’t Colonized in a Single Day—The Hidden Steps That Put Japan in Control

SEOUL — The story of how Korea became part of the Japanese Empire is often reduced to a single date: August 29, 1910. That was the day the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was formally promulgated and took effect. But historians and historical records tell a more complicated story. Korea did not suddenly lose its sovereignty in one afternoon. Japan's takeover developed over several years through military pressure, diplomatic agreements, the removal of Korea's control over foreign affairs, incre

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South Korea

Son Heung-min Almost Said No to LAFC—Then One Conversation Changed Everything

LOS ANGELES — Son Heung-min's move to Los Angeles FC became one of Major League Soccer's biggest transfers, but the South Korean superstar has revealed that LAFC was not initially his preferred destination. What changed his mind was not simply the club's offer or the prospect of playing in Los Angeles. It was a conversation with LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington that ultimately convinced Son to make the move. The revelation adds a fascinating twist to the blockbuster tran

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South Korea

🇰🇷 Robert Moreno Has a Message for South Korea: Work, Honesty and Respect — But Now He Has to Prove It

South Korea's national football team has a new man in charge — and he isn't promising miracles. He's promising work, honesty and respect. Spanish coach Robert Moreno, appointed interim head coach of the South Korean men's national team this week, has made it clear that he would rather let his football do the talking. In a statement published Friday, Moreno described the appointment as both an honor and a responsibility, saying he has followed and respected Korean football for years. But inst

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South Korea

Busan’s New Urban National Park Is Changing the Way Tourists See the City — And It’s Not Just About Hiking

Busan has long sold itself to the world through its beaches, seafood markets and spectacular coastline. Now, the South Korean port city is betting that its mountains could become just as powerful a tourism draw. At the center of that strategy is Geumjeongsan National Park, a new national park surrounding Mount Geumjeong that is already attracting hikers from across Korea and overseas. The park became South Korea’s 24th national park in November 2025 and, according to The Korea Times, is the c

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Business

KRX Teams Up With NYSE as Korea Pushes Longer Trading and Faster Settlement — But the Bigger Goal Is Winning Global Investors

South Korea is taking another major step toward remaking the way its stock market operates — and this time, it is turning to Wall Street for help. Korea Exchange Chairman Jeong Eun-bo and New York Stock Exchange President Lynn Martin have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at sharing expertise on longer trading hours, faster settlement and the infrastructure needed to run increasingly global capital markets. On paper, it is a memorandum of understanding. Strategically, however, it comes at

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Business

South Korea Is Moving to Calm Its Markets as Bond Yields and Oil Prices Rise — But an Unexpected AI Debt Boom Is Adding to the Pressure

SEOUL — South Korea is stepping up efforts to shield its financial markets from a dangerous mix of rising global interest rates, expensive oil and renewed Middle East tensions — just as another unexpected force, the artificial intelligence investment boom, adds pressure to borrowing costs worldwide. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol convened financial officials on September 4 to review conditions in domestic and global markets and discuss possible stabilization measures as volatility intensifies.

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Business

Samsung Surges to 33% of Global HBM Market, Cutting SK Hynix’s Lead as HBM4 Battle Heats Up

SEOUL — The global race to supply the memory chips powering artificial intelligence is suddenly looking far more competitive. Samsung Electronics captured 33% of global high-bandwidth memory revenue in the second quarter of 2026, surging from just 21% in the previous quarter and dramatically narrowing the lead of longtime HBM frontrunner SK hynix, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. SK hynix remained firmly in first place with 50% of global HBM revenue, but its share slipped from

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Entertainment

BLACKPINK’s Lisa Breaks Her Silence on Secret Relationships: “We Can’t Date”

MANILA, Philippines — BLACKPINK’s Lisa is giving fans a rare glimpse into the private sacrifices behind her rise to global superstardom, revealing that she once kept several relationships secret because she feared her dating life could hurt BLACKPINK’s popularity. The revelation comes from Lisa’s upcoming documentary “Always Lalisa,” which explores her journey from a teenage trainee in Thailand to one of K-pop’s biggest global stars. Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, moved to South Kore

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