PRE-MARKET JAPANESE AND SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Tech stocks in focus after the sell off in the sector stateside, while SK Hynix cancels plan to list Solidigm unit on the Nasdaq

JAPAN Dai-ichi Life Holdings (8750 JT) - Co.'s insurance subsidiary has begun investing in gold to hedge inflation and market risks, targeting a 1% allocation of assets under management. (Nikkei) Dentsu (4324 JT) - Co. will continue to handle Coca-Cola's media operations in Japan and South Korea following the completion of Coca-Cola's global marketing operating system review, with WPP Open X retained globally and Omnicom selected for North America. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. has agreed to begin selling Mitsubishi Motors (7211 JT)-made pickup trucks in 2028, primarily targeting Southeast Asian markets. (Nikkei) Itochu (8001 JT) - Co. is reportedly set to acquire Hitachi Construction Machinery's (6305 JT) Taiwan-based sales subsidiary by the end of 2026 to capitalise on robust construction demand for semiconductor-related facilities. (Nikkei) Nippon Steel (5401 JT) - Co. reportedly plans to invest around USD 3bln to upgrade US Steel's Mon Valley works in Pennsylvania, as part of its USD 11bln US investment commitment through 2028. (Nikkei) Subaru (7270 JT) - Co. plans to reintroduce a manual-transmission version of its WRX sports sedan in Japan following a successful limited run earlier this year. (Nikkei) Other News Japan's government plans to establish a specialised entity to promote Japanese content, including anime and video games, in international markets, with a task force holding its first discussions on Thursday. (Nikkei) SOUTH KOREA Hyundai Motor (005380 KS) - Co. plans to increase investment in its Illinois manufacturing operations to USD 600mln and expand its job commitment to 3,750 full-time positions, with a third production shift adding USD 150mln in investment and 1,250 jobs. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Samsung E&A (028050 KS) - Co. Q3 (KRW) net rose 37.7% Y/Y to 216.7bln, driven by growth in large-scale projects and improved profitability. (Yonhap) Samsung Heavy Industries (010140 KS) - US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel highlighted the potential for greater shipbuilding cooperation between Washington and Seoul following a visit to the Co.'s Geoje shipyard. (Yonhap) SK Hynix (000660 KS) - Co. has cancelled plans to list its subsidiary Solidigm on the Nasdaq. (Newswires) Geopolitics South Korea sent a letter to the UN Security Council president over a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border last month that injured three South Korean soldiers, calling on North Korea to apologise and take responsibility. (Yonhap) Other News South Korea's Labour Ministry plans to fine Coupang (CPNG) and its subsidiaries a combined KRW 1.96bln for more than 100 labour and workplace safety violations. (Yonhap)