South Korea will continue taking necessary measures based on clear principles in response to the recent mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the country's top security adviser said Friday, reiterating the government's focus on establishing peace that eliminates the need for fighting. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac made the remarks at a press briefing following the detonation of North Korean land mines inside the DMZ in September that wounded three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously. "Our government will continue taking necessary measures in response to the DMZ mine blast incident based on clear principles," Wi said. "The government will focus its resources on creating peace that makes fighting unnecessary by consistently pursuing its policy of peaceful coexistence," he added.

A special counsel team said Friday it has appealed the acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a political funds case linked to the 2021 mayoral by-election. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said it filed the appeal with the Seoul High Court earlier in the day, a week after the appellate court overturned a lower court ruling to acquit the mayor of violating the Political Funds Act. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won ($24,700) for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. The lower court found him partially guilty of the charges and sentenced him to a 10 million-won fine, which, if finalized, would have stripped him of his mayoralty. But the appellate court reversed the conviction, ruling that the only direct evidence for the allegations was Myung's testimony, which it said could not be fully trusted. "Denying the credibility of Myung's testimony was unlawful, as it exceeded the bounds of the principle of free evaluation of evidence," t

Growing volatility in the Korean stock market is prompting investors' attention to U.S. dividend-paying stocks, with some seeking regular income rather than relying solely on stock price gains, market watchers said Friday. One option is the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, which tracks 100 U.S. companies selected for their dividend records and financial strength. To qualify, companies must have paid dividends for at least 10 consecutive years. They are also assessed on their five-year dividend growth, return on equity and debt relative to cash flow. The index includes companies from a range of industries, including energy, consumer staples and health care. In Korea, Mirae Asset Global Investments' TIGER U.S. Dividend Dow Jones exchange-traded fund (ETF) had 4.56 trillion won ($3.41 billion) in net assets as of Thursday, making it the largest locally listed ETF tracking the index, according to the asset manager. Some asset managers are taking the strategy a step further by combining dividend-paying stocks with covered-call options, a strategy in which an investor sells call options on s

Sungkyunkwan University President Yoo Ji-beom has been reappointed for a second four-year term. The university's board of trustees approved Yoo's reappointment at a meeting Thursday. His new term will run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2030. The board credited Yoo with strengthening the university's research capabilities and global competitiveness, particularly through improvements in international university rankings. It also highlighted his vision for advancing institutional innovation in the artificial intelligence era. The university rose 19 places to 68th among 2,297 institutions worldwide in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, released earlier this month. It ranked third in Korea and first among private universities, extending its streak of annual improvements in the rankings to four consecutive years. The university also ranked among the top five universities in education, research and graduate outcomes in The Korea Times University Rankings. Yoo graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in metallurgical engineering in 1982 and later earned a master

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Friday that U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had dismissed recent speculation about strains in the Korea-U.S. alliance as “fake news” during their meeting earlier this week. Kang made the remarks to reporters as he arrived at the defense ministry in Seoul after attending the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines. Asked whether the two sides had any disagreements, Kang said there were none. “Secretary Hegseth dismissed all the talk going around as ‘fake news,’” Kang said. “And I agree with him.” “I don’t believe such talk can shake the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance, nor should it,” he added. Kang and Hegseth held their first face-to-face meeting Wednesday in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes, longer than the 15 minutes initially scheduled. Their talks came amid concerns about the state of the alliance, including the postponement of the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), differences over the timeline for transferring wartime operatio

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday it plans to establish two special purpose companies (SPCs) next month to develop artificial intelligence (AI) data centers as part of its push to expand into AI infrastructure. The automotive group said its affiliates, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai AutoEver, will participate in the investment. One SPC will oversee data center construction and infrastructure development, while the other will handle graphics processing unit (GPU) services. The group said it plans to break ground on the project in the Saemangeum reclaimed land area in Gunsan, about 200 kilometers southwest of Seoul, in March 2027. Commercial operations are targeted for early 2030. The announcement came a day after Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chang Jae-hoon visited Saemangeum, reaffirming the group's commitment to invest 9 trillion won ($6.7 billion) in the region. During the visit, Chang outlined plans to transform Saemangeum into a hub for AI data centers, robotics and hydrogen-related industries as part of the group's broade

Robert Moreno has had quite an introduction to Korean football. When interviewing for the national team job in the summer after the disaster of the World Cup, he apparently impressed Korea FA officials with his knowledge of the subject. Nothing, however, can prepare you for reality. The 49-year-old former coach of Spain was given the job until the end of November, a period that includes six games. Four have been played already, and results were mixed. There was a 3-0 win over Ecuador, a 4-1 loss to Uruguay, a goalless draw with Venezuela and then, on Oct. 6, a 2-0 victory against Uzbekistan. Performances were, however, encouraging in the sense that tactically, there were some positive signs, and a sense that after the perceived passiveness of Hong Myung-bo at the World Cup, he was a coach who looked to make things happen during games. Now, there are two left. On Nov. 13, the Taeguk Warriors will take on Saudi Arabia and then, four days later, will face Qatar. Both games will take place in Qatar as there are security concerns around Saudi Arabia at the moment, with the country coming und

Newly approved buildings across the capital of Korea are expected to generate 3,811 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually, driven by city mandates requiring solar facades and geothermal heating in building designs. According to data released Friday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the projected clean energy output — stemming from architectural plans reviewed between 2022 and 2026 — will equal roughly 8 percent of the city’s total electricity consumption once construction is complete. The output from these upcoming structures is 1.5 times the annual capacity of the Seoul Thermal Power Plant, the city’s historic energy anchor, and represents 85 percent of all renewable energy capacity installed in the capital over the previous 17 years combined. The push comes as Korea works to expand its clean energy mix, where renewable sources currently account for around 9 to 11 percent of national power generation — leaving urban centers like Seoul, which relies heavily on power drawn from outside regions, under pressure to boost local self-sufficiency. The shift reflects a broade

Korean character and content companies lined up about $16.6 million in potential licensing deals at major trade fairs in London and Shanghai this month, the culture ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) ran Korea pavilions at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), held Oct. 6-8 in London, and at the China Licensing Expo (CLE), held Oct. 21-23 in Shanghai. At licensing fairs, companies that own characters, brands and other intellectual property (IP) sell the rights to put them on toys, stationery, clothing and other products. A total of 35 Korean companies — including HYBE, the agency behind BTS, as well as The Pinkfong Company and CJ ENM — conducted 860 business consultations with overseas buyers, discussing deals valued at an estimated $33.62 million. Of that total, roughly $16.6 million is expected to result in binding contracts, according to the ministry. The participating firms also signed 11 on-site contracts and memorandums of understanding. At BLE, Europe’s largest licensing show, 10 Korean companies

Korea's tax revenue rose by 26.4 trillion won ($19.6 billion) in September from a year earlier on the back of higher corporate tax collections driven by improved earnings at chipmakers, data showed Friday. The government collected 55.2 trillion won in taxes last month, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy. Corporate tax revenue rose by 23.6 trillion won to 36.2 trillion won, with the finance ministry attributing the increase to improved earnings at chipmakers. Income tax revenue rose by 1.2 trillion won to 9.7 trillion won on the back of an increase in the number of regular workers, while more housing transactions led to higher capital gains tax collections. Other major gainers included inheritance and gift taxes, revenue from which increased by 200 billion won. The finance ministry attributed the increase partly to a rise in housing gift transactions, which reached 7,000 in June, up 31.2 percent from 5,300 a year earlier. For the January-September period, total tax collections came to 385 trillion won, up 95.4 trillion won from a year earlier.

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has slipped to below 40 percent following a brief rebound last week, a poll showed Friday. The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,000 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance fell 1 percentage point from a week earlier to 39 percent. Negative assessments also fell 1 percentage point to 49 percent. Lee's approval rating had remained below 40 percent in Gallup polls since early September, before rebounding to the 40 percent mark in the previous survey. Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 17 percent cited diplomacy, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 14 percent, and communication at 8 percent. Real estate policies and economic concerns were among the main reasons cited by those who disapproved of Lee's performance at 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Another 10 percent cited concerns over security and policies on North Korea. Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea fell 2 percentage points to 35 percent, slipping back to its lowest le

A summit between North Korea and the United States is likely to be difficult within this year, a leading Japanese scholar has said, doubting that either side is ready for a meeting that leads to any "meaningful" negotiations. Junya Nishino, a professor of political science at Tokyo's Keio University, made the remarks in a meeting with Korean reporters in Tokyo on Oct. 22, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year. "I think a summit (between Trump and Kim) this year will be difficult," Nishino said, adding Trump's interest in resuming diplomacy with Kim stems more from personal rapport than from a U.S. policy aimed at negotiations. Speculation has arisen that Trump may want to meet Kim on the occasion of his visit to China next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "What we want is a meeting that leads to negotiations," he said. "I do not think either the U.S. or North Korea is prepared for that." "A meeting could take place, but I doubt very much that it would amount to the kind of meaningful me

The deadly collapse of a boiler tower at a power plant in Ulsan last November was caused by excessive cutting of support columns ahead of its planned demolition by explosives, according to a probe result released Friday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released the findings of an investigation committee into the deadly accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. A 63.4-meter-tall boiler tower at Unit 5 of the plant collapsed during preparations for demolition, killing seven workers and injuring two others. Investigators found that too many support columns had been cut due to flawed structural assessments, leaving them unable to support the weight of the upper structure. To prevent similar accidents, the committee suggested stricter on-site inspections, new technical standards for demolition work and tighter oversight of high-risk demolition projects.

SK Group conducted its annual executive reshuffle Friday, retaining the CEOs of major affiliates, including record-setting SK hynix, while reshuffling management at its energy-related units. Having replaced numerous affiliate CEOs last year, the group focused this time on maintaining leadership stability while promoting executives with specialized expertise to enhance business competitiveness. SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, who has led the company since March 2022, will retain his post. SK Group's holding company, SK Inc., also retained CEO Jang Yong-ho. However, Jang will step down as CEO of SK Innovation, a position he had held concurrently, to focus on leading the holding company. SK Inc. promoted Kim Sun-hyuk, head of strategy at SKC, to president overseeing portfolio management as part of efforts to accelerate the group's portfolio restructuring. In the energy and chemicals sector, the group appointed executives with expertise in managing external risks and developing new businesses to key leadership positions. SK Innovation named Cheong Seung-il, president in charge of future growth at

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday extended "deep condolences" over the death of popular veteran actor Choi Bool-am, calling him the "father of our era." Choi died the previous day at the age of 87 at a hospital, where he was receiving treatment. Since beginning his television career in 1967, Choi had been known for his portrayals of paternal characters in popular TV series. "You will long remain in the hearts of people as a detective who safeguards justice and a loving father," Lee wrote on his X account, referring to the TV roles that made Choi widely loved. The president quoted Choi's remarks, "Becoming a good actor starts with becoming a good person," lauding the exemplary, heartwarming care Choi had shown for people and the world. "We will engrave in our hearts your will to look into the shadowy places of society and care for the wounds of neighbors," Lee noted. "We will remember you, who had stood by the people for a long time as the father of our era," he added, wishing him to rest in peace.

Korea's indigenous KF-21 fighter jet has made its first formation flight with U.S. aircraft over the West Sea, Seoul officials said Friday. The KF-21 Boramae, assigned to the 156th Fighter Squadron, 16th Fighter Wing, conducted the joint aerial formation flight with U.S. Air Force jets last Friday, according to military officials. The U.S. side deployed the U-2S Dragon Lady, a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and the F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, whereas the Korean Air Force mobilized its F-35, F-15K and FA-50 fighter jets, along with the KF-21 Boramae. It marked the first time the KF-21 Boramae has flown in formation with U.S. air force assets. The formation flight came shortly before the allies launched their biannual combined air drills, dubbed Freedom Flag, on Monday, aimed at enhancing the joint interoperability of their forces. A Korean Air Force official explained that the flight was aimed at accumulating experience for the KF-21 ahead of the Freedom Flag drills. "The Friendship Flight demonstrated the combined interoperability and combat readiness of the U.S. Air Force and ROKA

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook mourned the death of actor Choi Bool-am on Friday, saying his acting career was the history of Korea's culture and arts itself. Choi, widely thought of as the nation's father figure, died Thursday night at the age of 87. "The late actor's career was, in itself, a history of Korean culture and arts. We will forever cherish the emotion he brought to the nation," Han said in a message posted on the social platform X. Han also noted Choi's contributions to society, such as providing support for children from vulnerable backgrounds and those suffering from incurable diseases, as well as efforts to help locate missing children. "Together with the people, I will remember the way he warmed the hearts of the people," she said.

Korea's bourse operator on Friday activated a sell-side sidecar for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) as the stock index plunged. Program trading for the KOSPI-listed shares was suspended for five minutes at 10:04 a.m., according to the Korea Exchange (KRX). After opening 2.99 percent lower, the KOSPI fell 277.75 points, or 4.68 percent, to 5,661.7 as of 10:06 a.m. The index came under downward pressure following overnight losses on Wall Street, as renewed concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom weighed on investor sentiment. Overnight, Wall Street shares retreated, with Google parent Alphabet plunging more than 12 percent after its third-quarter revenue missed market expectations. A sell-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures Index falls 5 percent or more for at least one minute.

Nvidia is scheduled to fulfill its $1 billion investment in Naver next Friday, according to the portal giant's regulatory filing Friday, a move set to make the U.S. chip giant the third-largest shareholder of the Korean IT firm. The completion of the capital increase comes as Naver was able to secure at least $9 billion in computing infrastructure, the filing said. Naver will fix the number of common shares to be acquired by Nvidia via a rights offering on Tuesday. Currently, Korea's national pension fund is the largest shareholder with 9.49 percent, followed by BlackRock, a global asset manager, with 7.31 percent. The upcoming investment is part of a strategic partnership between Naver and Nvidia announced in July, to establish a massive, global artificial intelligence (AI) factory.

Korean stocks sank more than 5 percent late Friday morning, led by heavy losses in technology shares amid renewed concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. After opening 2.99 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) extended its losses, falling 311.84 points, or 5.25 percent, to 5,626.02 as of 11:20 a.m. The sell-off followed overnight losses on Wall Street, where concerns over lofty AI-related valuations dampened investor sentiment. As the market extended its decline, the Korea Exchange triggered a sell-side sidecar to suspend program trading for the KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes shortly after 10 a.m. The measure was activated for the first time in 11 trading days. A sell-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures Index falls 5 percent or more for at least one minute. KOSPI heavyweights traded lower. Top market cap Samsung Electronics fell 6.03 percent, and chip giant SK hynix plunged 8.65 percent. Leading automaker Hyundai Motor slipped 3.76 percent after lowering its annual sales target and investment plans a