Wednesday, Sep 09, 2026
  • Seoul weighs coalition role in Hormuz amid U.S. pressure, Iran warnings SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korea is keeping its options open on a possible military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz, but President Lee Jae Myung's talks in Paris risk sending the impression to Washington that Seoul is placing greater weight on a French-British multinational mission.
    Seoul weighs coalition role in Hormuz amid U.S. pressure, Iran warnings
  • Smilegate divorce sets Korean tycoon record as SK chief partly yields SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) – South Korea saw its two biggest tycoon divorce battles move in opposite directions Wednesday, as Smilegate founder Kwon Hyuk-bin was hit with a record 2.55 trillion won ($1.8 billion) property-division ruling while SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won moved to end most of his own dispute.
    Smilegate divorce sets Korean tycoon record as SK chief partly yields
  • U.S. bidder challenges Hanwha with higher offer for Austal USA SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A U.S.-led investment group has emerged as a rival to Hanwha in the race for Austal USA, offering as much as $1.35 billion for the American shipbuilding business, above the South Korean company.
    U.S. bidder challenges Hanwha with higher offer for Austal USA
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ASIA Insight>

South Korea takes state-led route in AI race as latecomer SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - America's biggest technology companies are preparing to pour roughly $725 billion into artificial intelligence infrastructure this year. South Korea cannot come close to matching that private-sector firepower. So Seoul is reaching for something Silicon Valley does not need nearly as much — the state balance sheet. The government's 2027 budget bill submitted to the National Assembly on Sept. 3 lifts spending on AI and three linked mega-projects by 97.2
South Korea takes state-led route in AI race as latecomer
How social media is rewriting presidential politics How social media is rewriting presidential politics SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - Donald Trump did not need a podium or a press conference to dominate the political conversation over the U.S. Labor Day weekend. He needed his social media account. The U.S. president posted more than 60 times on Truth Social on Sunday alone, filling his feed with political messages, memes and AI-generated images. Some mocked foreign countries and political opponents, while others depicted Trump in exaggerated or imaginary scenes. An independent archive tracking his

AJP Focus>

Korea's Gen Z is running out of first-job options SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Gen Z may be an unlucky lot. The pandemic stole much of their college life, and the shift to artificial intelligence is now stripping away some of their first chances to gain real work experience. Lee Jae-hong, 27-year-old living in Seoul with his parents, has been applying jobs for two years, and this year, he finds fewer places to apply. "I feel like standing nowhere. I've started hard all my life and graduated from a decent school. But I cannot even pass
Koreas Gen Z is running out of first-job options
Seouls nuclear sub project reaches IAEA, yet nowhere with Washington Seoul's nuclear sub project reaches IAEA, yet nowhere with Washington SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korea has moved to clear a major safeguards hurdle for its nuclear-powered submarine program, formally opening consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. But substantive negotiations cannot advance far until Washington provides clearer guidance on how Seoul can secure nuclear fuel for the submarines. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday that South Korea "has formally notified the Secretariat of its intention to start consultatio

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