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☆ North Korea's economy is booming thanks to its arms trade with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

North Korea's GDP grew 3.1% in 2023, according to central bank estimates. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementNorth Korea's growing trade ties with Russia are paying off, helping end a three-year downturn, according to the South Korean central bank. The bank's annual report, cited by Bloomberg, found that North Korea's 2023 GDP grew 3.1% in real terms. Since North Korea does not offer official data, indicators tracked by its southern neighbor are relied on instead.

Persons: — Organizations: Bank, Service, Bloomberg, Business Locations: Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Korean, North Korea

☆ Nvidia supplier SK Hynix to build $6.8 billion chip plan in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SK Hynix logo displayed on a phone screen as seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 30, 2023. Memory chip giant SK Hynix on Friday said it plans to invest 9.4 trillion Korean won ($6.8 billion) to build a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in an emerging chip hub in South Korea. Earlier this year, SK Hynix committed 120 trillion won to build 4 fabs in the Yongin cluster. South Korea is also home to Samsung, the world's biggest memory chip maker. SK Hynix has been riding the AI wave and its partnership with Nvidia, this week reporting that second-quarter profit came in at its highest level in six years.

Persons: SK Hynix Organizations: SK Hynix, SK Hynix's, South Korea's SK Hynix, Nvidia, SK, Samsung Locations: Krakow, Poland, South, Seoul, South Korea

☆ Samsung hints at new products as it bets on AI to drive upgrades to its latest foldable phones
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Samsung unveiled a slew of new products including foldable smartphones, new smartwatches and the Galaxy Ring. "I believe strongly that these Galaxy AI, mobile AI are strong motivation and driver for purchase of new products," he added. Still, many analysts don't expect these early AI apps alone to drive new phones sales. So we're going to provide and enhance Samsung software and apps for consumers," Roh said. He said that the hardware components required for foldable smartphones are improving, as is the relevant software.

Persons: Roh, Arjun Kharpal, Bixby, we'll Organizations: Galaxy, Samsung, CNBC, Samsung Electronics, Galaxy AI, Apple Intelligence, Apple, Google, Korean Locations: Paris, France, U.S, China

☆ Nvidia supplier SK Hynix posts highest quarterly profit in 6 years on AI chip leadership
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A man walks past a logo of SK Hynix at the lobby of the company's Bundang office in Seongnam on January 29, 2021. SK Hynix, one of the world's largest memory chipmakers, on Thursday said second-quarter profit hit its highest level in 6 years as it maintains its leadership in advanced memory chips critical for artificial intelligence computing. Here are SK Hynix's second-quarter results compared with LSEG SmartEstimate, which is weighted toward forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate:Revenue: 16.42 trillion Korean won (about $11.86 billion), vs. 16.4 trillion Korean won16.42 trillion Korean won (about $11.86 billion), vs. 16.4 trillion Korean won Operating profit: 5.47 trillion Korean won, vs. 5.4 trillion Korean wonOperating profit in the June quarter hit its highest level since the second quarter of 2018, rebounding from a loss of 2.88 trillion won in the same period a year ago. The South Korean giant supplies high-bandwidth memory chips catering to AI chipsets for companies like Nvidia. High-bandwidth memory chip supplies have been stretched thanks to explosive AI adoption fueled by large language models such as ChatGPT.

Persons: LSEG, SK Kim, Kim Organizations: SK Hynix, SK Hynix's, Nvidia, SK, Daiwa, Micron, Samsung Locations: Seongnam

☆ US indicts North Korean hacker accused of helping extort US hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US Justice Department on Thursday announced the indictment of an alleged North Korean government-backed hacker for allegedly participating in a scheme to break into US hospital computer systems and extort them for ransom. The hacks of health care providers locked up medical records and disrupted health care services in the US, US officials said. Thwarting North Korean hacking and money laundering has become a national security priority for the Biden administration. CNN previously reported on how South Korean spies and American companies try to intercept cryptocurrency stolen by North Korean hackers. Another CNN investigation identified one cryptocurrency entrepreneur who said his firm had unwittingly sent a North Korean IT worker tens of thousands of dollars.

Persons: Biden Organizations: CNN, US Justice Department, North, Court, District of, The State Department, North Korean, State Department, United Nations, cyberattacks, White Locations: Korean, Rim, Florida and Kansas, Arkansas and Connecticut, Colorado, District of Kansas, Rim ., North Korean

☆ North Korean Trash Balloons Hit South Korean President’s Compound
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Weeks into North Korea’s campaign of launching balloons loaded with trash across the world’s most heavily armed border, some of them hit a symbolically significant target in South Korea on Wednesday: the presidential office in the heart of Seoul, the capital. North Korea has released more than 3,000 of the trash balloons since May, many of which have reached the South after floating across the Demilitarized Zone between the two nations. On Wednesday, for the first time, some of them landed inside the sprawling compound in central Seoul that includes the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The authorities did not say exactly how many had reached the compound, one of the most tightly guarded places in South Korea. The team found “nothing dangerous or contaminating,” South Korea’s presidential security service said in a brief statement.

Persons: Yoon Suk Organizations: Officials Locations: South Korea, Seoul, North Korea

☆ Asia markets open lower as traders assess Aussie business activity data, U.S. tech earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Asia-Pacific markets fell on Wednesday as traders assessed July business activity data from Australia, tech earnings from the U.S. and awaited Japan PMI readings. Late Tuesday, automaker Toyota said it will buyback 806.85 billion yen ($5.17 billion) of its shares from major Japanese banks and insurers, including Tokio Marine , Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group . Heavyweight Samsung Electronics plunged 1.8%, even as Reuters reported that chip giant Nvidia had cleared its chips for use in a processor for the China market. The South Korean electronics company is still grappling with a strike from its largest workers union, with talks on Tuesday yielding no results, according to the National Samsung Electronics Union, which has about 30,000 members. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 17,474, just marginally higher than the HSI's last close of 17,469.36.

Persons: Topix, Australia's Organizations: Sydney Opera House, Japan PMI, Nikkei, PMI, Toyota, Tokio Marine, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Samsung Electronics, Reuters, Nvidia, National Samsung Electronics Union, Juno Bank . Hong Locations: Asia, Pacific, Australia, U.S, Japan, China, Korean, Juno Bank . Hong Kong

☆ North Korea’s trash balloons fall near South’s presidential office
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery at the presidential office Wednesday came after South Korean authorities warned the public to beware of falling objects as suspected North Korean trash balloons moved south toward the northern area of Gyeonggi province. “While monitoring trash balloons sent by North Korea in cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff today, we identified trash that fell in the presidential office area in Yongsan,” the presidential security service said later in a statement. “North Korea’s actions clearly violate international law and seriously threaten the safety of our citizens,” JCS said in a statement after an earlier balloon incident. Despite repeated North Korean warnings, the South Korean activists were “not stopping this crude and dirty play” she said. The South Korean Defense Ministry said the US planes will join with South Korean F-15, F-16 and FA-50 fighters in exercises that will end August 8.

Persons: –, Kim Jong, Kim Yo Jong, ” Kim Yo Jong, “, Washington Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, North, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, South Korean, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, US Marine Corps, Suwon Air Base, South Korean Defense Ministry, US Defense Department, Marine Corps, ” Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South, Gyeonggi province, North Korea, Yongsan, Pyongyang, South Korean, North Korean, North Korea’s, United States, ” North Korea, North

☆ A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber helped sink an old warship in the Pacific with new anti-ship QUICKSINK bombs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber used a new anti-ship munition to sink a decommissioned warship during a series of recent live-fire drills with partner forces in the Pacific Ocean, the US Navy said this week. US Air Force photo / 1st Lt Lindsey Heflin"This capability is an answer to an urgent need to quickly neutralize maritime threats over massive expanses of ocean around the world at minimal costs," it added. Over the years, the various elements of the US armed forces have been pursuing more and more anti-ship capabilities. AdvertisementIn addition to B-2s dropping QUICKSINK bombs, a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet used a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, to help sink the Tarawa.

Persons: —, Lindsey Heflin, Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven, Tromp, Cristian Schrik, John Wade Organizations: Service, Air Force, US Navy, Business, Defense, Research, Engineering, US Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Navy, Ship, Fleet, Malaysian, Royal, Royal Netherlands Navy, US, Task Force Locations: Hawaii, Pacific, Dubuque, South, Royal Netherlands

☆ South Korean court approves arrest warrant for Kakao founder
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A South Korean court approved early on Tuesday a prosecution request for a warrant to arrest Brian Kim, the billionaire founder of tech giant Kakao Corp, on accusations of stock manipulation during a 2023 acquisition. It is the latest legal twist for Kakao after the company and an executive went on trial last year for alleged wrongdoing during the same acquisition. Prosecutors say Kim was involved in manipulation of the stock price of SM Entertainment in February last year to hinder a competitor, Hybe, from acquiring the K-Pop agency. Not yet formally charged, Kim has denied the accusations, saying he has never ordered or tolerated any illegal activity, the company said in a statement. The high-profile tech entrepreneur is the largest shareholder of Kakao Corp, with a stake of 24% controlled by him or affiliated entities.

Persons: Brian Kim, Kim Organizations: Kakao Corp, Prosecutors, SM Entertainment

☆ Founder of South Korea’s Kakao arrested for suspected stock manipulation
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea —The billionaire founder of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp, Kim Beom-su was arrested on Tuesday on accusations of manipulating stocks during the acquisition of a K-Pop agency last year. The case is the latest legal twist for Kakao, which runs South Korea’s largest chat app, after the company and another executive went on trial last year for alleged wrongdoing during the same acquisition. Any case against him could jeopardize Kakao’s investments into artificial intelligence as well as its overseas expansion plans, industry experts said. The high-profile tech entrepreneur is the largest shareholder of Kakao Corp, with a 24% stake that he and affiliated entities control. Kakao Corp shares dropped 3.4% during morning trade to the lowest since November, after falling 24% year-to-date.

Persons: Kim Beom, su, Kim, Brian Kim, Jakub Porzycki Organizations: South, Kakao Corp, Prosecutors, SM Entertainment, Seoul Southern, Court, Detention, KakaoBank Corp Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South Korean, Korean, Kakao

The billionaire founder of South Korean technology giant Kakao, Kim Beom-Su, was arrested on Tuesday on allegations of stock manipulation related to the company’s investment in one of the country’s largest K-pop agencies. A high-profile bidding war broke out over the agency, SM Entertainment, early last year. Prosecutors allege, Kakao manipulated SM Entertainment’s stock price to hinder Hybe, the company behind BTS, from acquiring the agency, whose roster of artists includes Girls’ Generation. Last year, prosecutors indicted Kakao’s chief investment officer and the company itself on stock manipulation charges. The Seoul Southern District Court confirmed that Mr. Kim had been arrested on Tuesday morning.

Persons: Kim Beom, Kakao, Mr, Kim Organizations: SM Entertainment, Prosecutors, Seoul Southern, Court Locations: Korean, Hybe, Seoul

☆ Kim Si-woo: Perfection’: South Korean makes historic 238-yard ace on one of the Open’s most menacing holes
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It had been a relatively unremarkable Open Championship for Kim Si-woo as he stepped up to Royal Troon’s notorious penultimate tee on Saturday. One perfect thump of his three-iron later, the South Korean made history. That was more than Si-woo had managed before Saturday, having double bogeyed and bogeyed the 17th hole across his opening two rounds. Si-woo followed up his eagle with a closing par to card an even-par 71, keeping him at five-over overall for the week. That goes in and that makes it more special, especially at the major and The Open here.”

Persons: Kim Si, Royal Troon’s, ”, “ I’ve, ” Kim, Jack Gruber, Justin Ray, Frank Lickliter II’s, Nick Faldo cooed, Shane Lowry, teed, “, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Scottish, Royal Troon, USA, Sports, Reuters, Royal Lytham, St, Sky Sports

☆ Inside the world of South Korean convenience stores — the global king of one-stop shops
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In large South Korean cities like Seoul, convenience stores are on every corner, sometimes with multiple outlets from competing companies dotting the same street. Heo Ran/ReutersThere are a few things that set South Korean convenience stores apart. A quick search on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram shows an endless supply of videos about Korean convenience stores. Indeed, Korean convenience store companies have grown so successful they are even expanding overseas. But when she next returns to South Korea, she will “definitely” still visit a convenience store and hit record, she said.

Persons: ”, Chang Woo, ” Chang, Heo Ran, Chang, – they’re, Jiny, “, Emart24 –, Maeng Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Convenience Store, South, Kwangwoon University, Deloitte Korea, McKinsey, Companies, Deloitte, YouTube Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, “, United States, Korea, London, Australia, “ Korea, Sydney, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia

☆ Japan’s top general lauds closer South Korea military ties as mutual concerns grow over China, North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo CNN —America’s two most powerful allies in the Pacific are taking their defense ties to new heights amid increasing concerns over China’s assertiveness in the region and North Korean threats, Japan’s top general said Thursday. Yoshida called on Japan, South Korea and the United States to “demonstrate our strong unity domestically and globally to ensure regional peace and stability.”But bilateral cooperation between Japan and South Korea is the most noteworthy result of this week’s meeting in Tokyo. Kim said he and Yoshida “share a lot of the same thoughts,” an acknowledgment of the mutual perspective on the regional threat posed by China and North Korea. Last month, Japan and South Korea joined the US in the inaugural Freedom Edge in the Pacific, a military exercise that focused on ballistic missile and air defense, anti-submarine warfare and more. “Domestic politics remain complicated in Seoul and Tokyo, but policymakers and military professionals want to lock in coordinated responses to North Korea, Russia, and China before any major political changes occur in Washington,” Easley said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, China’s, CQ, Kim Myung, Yoshihide Yoshida, ”, Yoshida, South Korea’s Kim, Kim, Yoshida “, James Brown, Yoon Suk Yeol, Moon Jae, Brown, they’ve, Japan ”, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Camp David, Andrew Harnik, Lloyd Austin, “, ” Leif, Eric Easley, ” Easley Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, South, East, ”, Temple University, Tokyo ., Japan's, Camp, US, Korean, Japanese Defense Ministry, NATO, CNN, Ewha Womans University Locations: China, East China, South China, North Korea, ”, Russia, Japan, South Korea, United States, Tokyo, South, Seoul, Pacific, Camp, Singapore, Washington, Europe

☆ A North Korean defector was made a minister in South Korea, likely irking Kim Jong Un, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tae made a high-profile defection to South Korea in 2016, and was previously an ambassador at the North Korean Embassy in London. The appointment makes him the first North Korean defector to be given a vice-ministerial job in South Korea, according to AP. Related stories"He's definitely considered a traitor of the current North Korean regime and I think that's how they'll paint it," she said. But "North Korea doesn't consider the Council to be particularly relevant," Pardo, the KF-VUB Korea Chair, told BI. Smith added: "He has been and will continue to be actively involved in campaigns that expose the North Korean government and the problems of the North Korean population."

Persons: —, Yoon Suk, Yongho, Tae, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Sarah A ., Kim Jong, He's, Pardo, Hazel Smith, Smith, It's Organizations: Service, Korea, Advisory Council, North Korean Embassy, Business, North, KF, VUB, Brussels School, Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, National Assembly, CNN, Korean Studies, University of Sheffield, South Korea's National Assembly, Korea doesn't, SOAS University of London, South Korean, Korean Locations: North Korean, South Korea, London, VUB Korea, Vrije, North, Korea, North Korea

☆ Asia chip stocks tumble amid news the U.S. may consider trade curbs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chip stocks in Asia tumbled on Thursday following a tech selloff on Wall Street amid reports the U.S. may be considering tighter export restrictions. TSMC's suppliers also took a hit, with Japanese machinery companies Tokyo Electron slumping almost 9% while Screen Holdings fell more than 8%. Any sort of tariffs and curbs to trade are going to impact these chip companies. South Korean chip stocks were not spared. Samsung Electronics slid by nearly 2%, while SK Hynix tumbled nearly 5% and SK Square plunged nearly 10%.

Persons: Biden, Organo, Ayako Yoshioka Organizations: Bloomberg, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Screen Holdings, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, SK Square Locations: U.S, China, Asia, Tokyo

☆ As Many South Koreans Shun Marriage, Two Women Try to Redefine Family
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The event was to celebrate and discuss the book written by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana, both 47, about their life together as single women in South Korea. He told the two women that they were making the country’s birthrate, already the world’s lowest, even worse. But with millions of South Koreans shunning the institution of marriage, the family-centered support system is rapidly unraveling. The nation’s quality of support network — measured by whether people have someone to rely on in a time of need — is the lowest among developed nations. South Korea also has the highest suicide rate among those nations.

Persons: Hwang Sunwoo, Kim Hana, ” Ms, Hwang, “, ” Locations: South Korea

☆ It looks like the party's over for luxury goods in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewHugo Boss, Burberry, Richemont, and Swatch have all called out slumping sales in China this week as consumers cut back on luxury spending. Swiss watch group Swatch said it expects the Chinese market "to remain challenging for the entire luxury goods industry until the end of the year." But much of this spending has been overseas, and sales in China have fallen for some of the world's biggest luxury brands. AdvertisementBefore the pandemic, about two-thirds of Chinese luxury spending occurred outside mainland China, plummeting to less than 10% in 2021 and 2022 because of travel restrictions, according to data from Bain. The consultancy said that this started to rebound in 2023 with the return of overseas tourism, with an estimated 30% of luxury spending taking place outside mainland China.

Persons: —, Hugo Boss, Burberry, Gerry Murphy, they've, Bain, Luca Solca, Vacheron Constantin, Marc Jacobs, Versace, Richemont Organizations: Service, Swatch, Business, Bain & Company, Richemont, Cartier, Burberry, Financial Times, Bain, Prada, The Financial Times, Luxury Summit Locations: China, Swiss, Americas, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korean, East

CNN —A prominent North Korea expert and former CIA analyst has been indicted by a New York grand jury on charges of secretly working for the South Korean government in exchange for designer goods, Michelin star meals and $37,000 for a fund that she controlled. The indictment alleges Terry acted as a “valuable source” of information for the South Korean government. She has authored reports for both American and South Korean news outlets. South Korea is a key US ally in the Asia-Pacific, though Terry’s indictment is not the first case of alleged collusion to test the two countries’ friendship. Internal Pentagon documents leaked last year described, in remarkable detail, private conversations between two senior South Korean national security officials, whom the US had allegedly wiretapped.

Persons: Sue Mi Terry, ”, “, Terry, Louis Vuitton, Iva Zorić, ” Zorić, Antony Blinken, Lee Wolosky, ” Wolosky, emptively, George W, Bush, Barack Obama Organizations: CNN, CIA, New, South Korean, Michelin, US National Security Council, ROK, South, Council, Foreign Relations, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Foreign, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, East, FBI, Oceanic, National Security Council, Pentagon Locations: North Korea, New York, Republic of Korea, ROK, Korean, Korea, South Korea, United States, Seoul, Japan, Asia

The echoes of well-known North Korean songs celebrating friendship spilled into nearby neighborhoods, as families filled booths serving both North and South Korean treats such as the deep-fried confection yakgwa, and fruit punch, or hwachae. A booth at the Defectors' Day festival sells North Korean styles of traditional treats, including watermelon punch (hwachae) and the deep-fried sweet yakgwa. Maybe there (are) many thousands of thousands of North Korean defectors who want to come to (South) Korea and have a prosperous life. “We express our respect and applause to the 34,000 North Korean defectors who are pioneering new lives every day (in South Korea), he said. “I didn’t know that a day like Defectors’ Day would happen, but now that it has been established, I feel like I have to work harder,” she said.

Persons: ’, Kim Jong Un, Mike Valerio, ”, resettling, –, Daeheyon, ‘, ’ ”, “, Kwon Ji, Yoonjung Seo, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Yoon, “ It’s, Han Bong, he’d Organizations: South Korea CNN —, North, South, CNN, ”, Sunday, Blue House Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, North, South, Korean, China, Asia, South Koreans, Korea, North Koreans

☆ South Korea plans to roll out 'Star Wars' laser weapon to melt North Korean drones for just $1.50 a hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

South Korea plans to deploy a low-cost laser weapon to shoot down North Korean drones. Interest in laser weapons has increased in recent years due to their cheap operating cost and accuracy. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSouth Korea is set to deploy a low-cost laser weapon that can melt North Korean drones, the country's arms agency said earlier this week. The weapon, known as Block-I, will cost around 2,000 South Korean won ($1.45) a shot and "is capable of precise strikes against small unmanned aerial vehicles," according to South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

Persons: — Organizations: Service, South Korean, Korea's, Administration, Business Locations: Korea

☆ North Korea executed 30 teenagers for watching South Korean dramas: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewIn North Korea, watching your favorite Korean dramas could end in tragedy. According to reports from South Korean news outlets Chosun TV and Korea JoongAng Daily, around 30 middle schoolers were publicly shot last week for watching South Korean dramas. Despite eyewitness accounts compiled by Amnesty International, the North Korean government has denied that public executions take place in the country. Recently, experts have speculated that North Korean military personnel could be sent to aid Russian efforts in Ukraine, following closer ties between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin. AdvertisementRepresentatives from North Korea and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea didn't immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: —, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, North Korea didn't Organizations: Service, South, Chosun, Business, Korean Unification Ministry, Korean, Rights, South Korea's Ministry of Unification, Amnesty International, North Korean, North, Korea Herald, Human Rights Locations: Korea, South Korean, North, South Korea, Japan, UN, Kangwon Province, North Korea, Ukraine

☆ Looking for dividend stocks? Here are Morgan Stanley's top Asia picks for the quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The uncertainty has led Morgan Stanley to reiterate its recommendation to buy dividend stocks. The investment bank noted that the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan High Dividend Index has slightly underperformed the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan index in the second quarter of the year, albeit by only 0.34 percentage points. "We still prefer Dividend stocks given cautious risk sentiment in Asia/EM and see support in valuations for quality dividend stocks due to their defensiveness. Investor appetite on corporate reform and shareholder return theme in Asia/EM also remain high, which are likely to benefit dividend stocks." The company provides distillery services and Morgan Stanley sees it benefitting from "improving demand for high-end products and mid-market brands."

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Morgan, Wuliangye, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Asia, UST, U.S . Treasury, Wuliangye Yibin Company, China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange, FTSE, G, Won, Korea Exchange, American Locations: Japan, Asia, Pacific, China, FTSE China, Korean, U.S

☆ Samsung to launch upgraded voice assistant Bixby this year with its own AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The voice assistant has a variety of functions including live translations and restaurant recommendations. PARIS — Samsung will launch an upgraded version of its voice assistant Bixby this year based on its own artificial intelligence models, the head of the company's mobile business told CNBC. CNBC previously reported that Samsung was working on an upgraded Bixby, but this is the first time the company has confirmed a timeline for the launch. Roh's confirmation of its Bixby upgrade comes just over a month after Apple announced its assistant Siri will be getting an AI upgrade. I believe strongly that these Galaxy AI, mobile AI are strong motivations and drivers for the purchase of new products."

Persons: Roh, Bixby, Siri Organizations: Galaxy, Samsung's, CNBC, PARIS, Samsung, Apple Locations: Paris, France, Korean

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