• Europe and Korea seek scale-up partnership at NextRise 2026 SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korean and European startups explore scale up.
• Nat'l Assembly passes motion for probe into June 3 elections SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - An investigation into disruptions and alleged irregularities during local elections earlier this month began on Thursday.
• U.S. Senate panel moves to allow overseas construction of noncombat naval ships SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - A U.S. Senate panel is seeking to allow some noncombat Navy vessels to be built at shipyards in allied countries, a move that could create opportunities for South Korean shipbuilders.
• Fed's tightening signal barely dents Asian rally SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - The U.S. Federal Reserve's signal of joining a global tightening path to contain post-war inflation went largely unnoticed in Asia.
• No change in stance toward North Korea in upcoming white paper SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday quelled speculation about any change in its stance toward North Korea, saying the reclusive country will remain South Korea's enemy in its annual defense white paper.
• Seoul names new nuclear reactor sites amid AI demand SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korea has designated two coastal counties to host its first new nuclear reactors in 15 years.

AJP Briefing

• Cash stays on its toes to ride stock rally and higher rates in Korea SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) -Cash set aside for stock investments has surged and money parked in instantly accessible accounts remains elevated, underscoring the depth of fear of missing out in a stock market whose benchmark index has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Households and companies are moving cash in and out of bank accounts at the fastest pace in a decade, favoring flexible, short-term deposits over long-term savings as a record-breaking stock market rally reshapes how Kor
• KOSPI closes above 9,000 for first time as chip rally sweeps Asia SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korea's KOSPI closed above the 9,000 mark for the first time on Thursday as semiconductor stocks rallied across North Asia, lifting markets in Seoul and Tokyo while Chinese chipmakers outperformed a weaker broader market. The KOSPI gained 199.60 points, or 2.2 percent, to close at a record 9,063.8. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.6 percent to 71,053.4, while China's Shanghai Composite traded around 4,092, down about 0.4 percent. The surge was driven by semico
• World Cup 26: Portugal stumble, England respond in style SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - Portugal opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a flat draw against DR Congo on Wednesday local time, or Thursday in Korea, while England answered doubts with a convincing victory. Ghana beat Panama with a stoppage-time winner, while Colombia overpowered an inexperienced Uzbekistan side to take early control of Group K. Portugal were held 1-1 by DR Congo at Houston Stadium in Houston, Texas, in one of the most disappointing performances by a major contender so fa
• Seoul waives gas tariffs, extends diesel subsidies SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korea will cut tariffs on liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas to zero, extend diesel subsidies for transport operators and broaden tariff relief on food imports as the government moves to contain cost-of-living pressure from higher energy and commodity prices. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol chaired the 11th ministerial task force meeting on consumer price stabilization at the Government Complex Seoul on Thursday. The governme

ASIA Insight

• Many analysts see Iran, not Washington, as the strategic winner of the war SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - President Donald Trump hailed the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding as a diplomatic victory that would prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and restore stability to global energy markets. Many international relations scholars and security analysts see it differently. Several experts interviewed by AJP said the 109-day conflict ultimately strengthened Iran's strategic leverage, exposed limits to American military power and accelerated shifts already under by Lee Jung-woo
• How US-Iran ceasefire will reshape Asia and global economy The world breathed a collective sigh of relief this week when the United States and Iran agreed to a sudden ceasefire. The newly released 14-point Memorandum of Understanding officially hits pause on a highly explosive conflict, bringing quiet to the Middle East. However, when we look closely at the actual promises made on paper, the deal is quite shocking. The agreement requires the U.S. to immediately lift its naval blockade, unfreeze billions of dollars in restricted Iranian money, and allow by Park Sae-jin

AJP Watch

• World Cup 26: Korea seek win over Mexico to tighten grip on Group A SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korea face Mexico on Friday morning in Korea with a chance to move closer to the Round of 32, though the calculation will first be shaped by the result between Czechia and South Africa. South Korea and Mexico both opened Group A with wins. Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener, while South Korea defeated Czechia 2-1. That left the two sides level on three points, with Mexico ahead on goal difference. The match kicks off at Guadalajara Stadium in Za
• Beyond 'Teach You a Lesson': Why Korean teachers say real life can be more tragic SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - Netflix's hit K-drama "Teach You a Lesson" may depict elite inspectors restoring order in dysfunctional schools, but teachers in South Korea say the most unsettling aspect of the series is not its violence. It is how accurately it captures their sense of abandonment. The methods may be exaggerated. The stakes, they argue, are not. In fact, real life is often more tragic. Unlike television, there is rarely a dramatic resolution when schools fail. Conflicts

AJP Focus

• Packaging bottleneck to decide winner in Korea's HBM4E race SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - SK hynix and Samsung Electronics are locking horns to seize an early lead in next-generation AI memory by shipping samples of their 12-layer HBM4E chips to major customers such as Nvidia for future data-center GPUs including Rubin Ultra. But as the race moves beyond raw memory performance, industry watchers say the real bottleneck may lie elsewhere: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s advanced packaging capacity. SK hynix said Wednesday it had shipped samples of
• BOK chief spells it out: inflation is here to stay and rate hike is coming SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The new Bank of Korea governor left little room for doubt: inflation is heading higher and will not come down anytime soon, whether or not the monthslong Gulf war ends this week. The central bank said Wednesday that inflation would remain elevated for a "considerable period," with price pressure gradually shifting from oil and currency shocks to wages and domestic demand. It projected consumer inflation to hover around 3 percent through much of the second half o