Hybe posts record quarterly results as BTS tour lifts revenue

K-pop giant Hybe reported record third-quarter revenue and operating profit Tuesday, propelled by BTS' ongoing world tour, putting it on track to become the first K-pop agency to surpass 4 trillion won ($2.98 billion) in annual revenue. According to its regulatory filing, the company's preliminary revenue for the July–September period jumped 109.8 percent year-on-year to 1.53 trillion won on a consolidated basis. Operating profit swung to 188.5 billion won from an operating loss of 42.2 billion

2026-11-03 19:02:22:00

JCS chief pays visit to console soldiers injured in DMZ blast

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung on Tuesday visited the soldiers injured in an explosion caused by land mines planted by North Korea inside the Demilitarized Zone and offered his condolences, officials said. Jin met with the soldiers wounded from the Sept. 21 mine blast and their family members at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, according to the JCS. During the visit, he pledged to ensure that the soldiers can focus solely on their recovery, s

2026-11-03 19:02:08:00

Asian Cup football tournament postponed due to attacks on Saudi Arabia

Asia's top men's football tournament scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January next year has been postponed to December, amid continued attacks on the host country by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Asian Football Confederation announced Tuesday that the Asian Cup, originally set for Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, will instead take place from Dec. 23, 2027, to Jan. 21, 2028. "The organizing committee for AFC Asian Cup approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the curr

2026-11-03 19:01:57:00

Seoul shares dip over 3% amid escalating AI woes

South Korean stocks plunged more than 3 percent Tuesday, driven by heavy tech sell-offs amid escalating woes about massive artificial intelligence (AI) spending. The Korean won was trading higher against the US dollar. After opening 2.46 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index extended losses to close at 5,648.79, down 210.29 points, or 3.59 percent. Trade volume was light at 192.4 million shares worth 14.1 trillion won ($10.5 billion), with decliners beating gainers 656 t

2026-11-03 17:37:16:00

Wave of cyber breaches exposes growing risks to S. Korea's digital economy

A relentless wave of cyberattacks on South Korean banks, telecom operators, businesses and government agencies has exposed growing risks to the country's digital economy, highlighting the need for stronger cybersecurity. The scale and frequency of the breaches have raised concerns that cyber threats could extend beyond personal data theft to disrupt financial services, business operations and industrial supply chains. The latest series of security breaches has brought those concerns to the highe

2026-11-03 11:54:03:00

N. Korean leader's sister blasts FBI's crypto theft probe as 'political provocation'

North Korea on Tuesday flatly dismissed the outcome of a US investigation that blamed Pyongyang for a massive cryptocurrency theft from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, calling it a "grave political provocation" against the North. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made the remarks, referring to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's announcement Saturday that the regime is responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in cryptocurrenc

2026-11-03 11:48:57:00

N. Korea slams Japan's missile reinforcement, joint drills with US

North Korea on Tuesday criticized Japan's push to acquire "preemptive attack" capabilities and last month's regular military drills between Washington and Tokyo, warning that such moves would invite a "vicious cycle" of escalating regional tensions. In an article carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, a military commentator took issue with Tokyo's deployment of a Type 25 longer-range anti-ship missile launcher during the bilateral Keen Sword exercise that took place across Japan fro

2026-11-03 10:47:42:00

Police launch investigation into leak of presidential plane passenger information

Police said Tuesday they have launched a preliminary investigation into the online leak of personal information belonging to 168 individuals, including President Lee Jae Myung, his wife and Cabinet ministers. Earlier in June, a file titled "Passenger list (South Korea-Belgium)" was posted on a paid, security-related website, according to the Korean National Police Agency. The file reportedly contained the personal information of 168 individuals, including Lee and his wife, key government officia

2026-11-03 10:27:37:00

Sales of Galaxy Z Fold 8 increase following launch of Apple's 1st foldable smartphone

Domestic sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest Galaxy Z foldable smartphone have increased following the launch of Apple Inc.'s first foldable iPhone, industry sources said Tuesday. Sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in South Korea rose about 20 percent in the week after the iPhone Duo's launch from the previous week, according to telecommunications industry sources. The increase is believed to reflect consumer recognition of Samsung's hinge technology and product durability, as well as the user e

2026-11-03 10:24:56:00

Presidential office holds emergency meeting over leak of personal data of president, trip entourage

The presidential office held an emergency meeting Tuesday to address the leak of personal information of President Lee Jae Myung and members of an entourage that accompanied him on his overseas trip in June. The meeting, presided over by presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun, followed news reports that a computer file containing personal data of Lee's entourage for his June overseas trip had been uploaded to a publicly accessible website that same month. Those affected also included the fir

2026-11-03 10:23:12:00