Lee's approval rating ticks up after weeks of decline: Gallup SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose 2 percentage points from a week earlier to 39 percent, a modest rebound from a record low after weeks of decline, pollster Gallup Korea said on Friday. In its survey of over 1,000 people nationwide conducted earlier this week, some 52 percent said Lee was not doing a good job, up 1 percentage point from the previous week. About nine percent were undecided or declined to answer. Lee's approval rati October 16, 2026

Fire at Bucheon factory injures several, one firefighter in cardiac arrest SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - A fire at a factory in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, left seven people injured on Friday including a firefighter who suffered cardiac arrest, according to fire authorities. The blaze broke out at around 8:40 a.m. at a four-story metal-parts painting factory, prompting authorities to deploy about 80 firefighters. Two firefighters were seriously injured including one who was rushed to a hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. Three other firefighters and two October 16, 2026

Korea targets ADHD drug misuse ahead of college entrance exam SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) -South Korea will tighten checks on prescriptions and illegal sales of the ADHD drug methylphenidate ahead of next month's college entrance exam, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Friday. Methylphenidate prescriptions reached 58.05 million pills in the first half of this year, up 12.1 percent from a year earlier. People aged 19 or younger accounted for 28.81 million, or nearly half of the total. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will insp October 16, 2026

KOSPI rebounds nearly 3% after seven-day rout SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) — After an epic 20-percent slide in just seven trading sessions, Seoul shares finally reversed direction as local players turned to the two chip majors for bargain hunting. The benchmark KOSPI stood at 5,704.91 as of 10 a.m., up 2.71 percent from Thursday’s close of 5,554.22. It opened 1.80 percent higher at 5,653.99 and extended its gains. The rebound offered some relief after seven consecutive sessions of losses that wiped about 20 percent of October 16, 2026

Three Samsung products named among TIME's list of best inventions SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - Three products from tech giant Samsung Electronics have been included in TIME magazine's list of the "Best Inventions" for this year. In its annual list of 300 inventions that make the world "better, smarter, and more fun," TIME selected Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered refrigerator and advanced gaming monitor in the consumer electronics, household, and entertainment and gaming categorie October 16, 2026

Ukraine POW disclosure complicated Seoul's diplomacy: US experts SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - Ukraine's public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea has complicated President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to restore dialogue with Pyongyang and improve relations with Moscow, U.S. experts said Thursday. The assessment came during a discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where former U.S. officials and Korea specialists examined the diplomatic fallout from Ukrainian Pre October 16, 2026

Seoul weighs Cheonghae mission extension amid Hormuz concerns SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - South Korea is considering extending its Cheonghae anti-piracy mission beyond December, but has yet to finalize the details, the defense ministry said Friday. The clarification came after reports that the military was reviewing plans to extend the unit's operational area from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, and potentially deploy additional surveillance aircraft. "Piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia h October 16, 2026

Seoul fails to fully sell second tax-friendly public stock fund SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) —In contrast to overwhelming demand for the inaugural offering in May, South Korea failed to fully sell the second batch of its tax-deductible public equity fund, according to the Financial Services Commission on Thursday. The latest offering raised 519.8 billion won ($387.5 million), or 86.6 percent of its 600 billion won target, over 10 trading days from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15, the FSC said. The first offering in May was fully subscribed within six tr October 16, 2026

Hanwha Solutions clears 500kV cable material test in China SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions' insulation materials for 500-kilovolt alternating current power cables have passed qualification testing in China, the South Korean company said Friday. The type test, overseen by Shanghai-based certification body TICW, put Hanwha's cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation and semiconductive materials through separate trials with Chinese cable makers Qingdao Hanhe and TBEA. It assessed insulation performance and long-term rel October 16, 2026

SK joins Samsung's Sejong investment drive SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - SK Trichem, a semiconductor materials maker under SK Group, is seeking to expand its operations in Sejong, where Samsung Electro-Mechanics is also pursuing a multibillion-dollar factory expansion, according to the city government Friday. SK Trichem, which produces precursors used in semiconductor manufacturing, submitted its expansion plans to Sejong officials last month. The company is seeking additional land and infrastructure near its existing facility October 16, 2026