• Korea to retain conscription while expanding tech-focused NCO track SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - A stable career in high-tech military service is the incentive South Korea is dangling to attract young people as it grapples with a shrinking pool of military recruits while facing a persistently hostile North Korea.
• CEPA 's signing between Korea and Thailand to elevate ties: envoy SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - Contrary to its image abroad as a holiday resort or golfing destination, Thailand is strengthening its technology-driven manufacturing base to revive economic growth.
• Strike looms at Hyundai Motor after mediation fails SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) -The labor union of South Korea's largest automaker, Hyundai Motor Co., secured the legal right to strike on Thursday after labor authorities suspended mediation in the company's wage negotiations.
• Korea debates whether to mimic 'Teach You a Lesson'-like defense of teachers SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - A hit Netflix K-drama depicting a powerful government agency that intervenes in cases of school violence, disruptive students and attacks on teachers is increasingly influencing education policy discussions.
• Korean PM reaffirms limiting prosecutors to indictment SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) -The South Korean government remains firm to its reform outline to keep prosecutorial role strictly to indictment, said Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Thursday.
• More Korean ships clear Hormuz, but hull fouling delays departures SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - Five more Korean-operated vessels stranded inside the Strait of Hormuz have passed through the waterway and resumed normal operations, South Korea’s Oceans Ministry said Thursday.

AJP Briefing

• KOSPI, Nikkei 225 refueled by revived chip fever SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) — The KOSPI moved to the brink of reclaiming the 9,000-point milestone amid a tense market rivalry between the country's two chip heavyweights, while the junior KOSDAQ sank further as bets narrowed on chip infrastructure. The benchmark KOSPI closed up 5.42 percent at 8,930.30 after briefly climbing above the 9,000-point threshold during afternoon trading. Trading was volatile throughout the session. A buy-side sidecar was triggered shortly after the open amid a r
• Korea loses to South Africa, left waiting on third-place ranking SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea failed to secure automatic qualification for the Round of 32 after losing 1-0 to South Africa in their final Group A match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday in Korea. South Korea lost at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico after conceding midway through the second half. In the other Group A match played at the same time, Mexico beat Czechia 3-0. The results sent Mexico through as Group A winners and South Africa as runners-up. South Korea finished third with th
• World Cup 26: Korea held by South Africa after disjointed first half SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea went into halftime scoreless against South Africa on Thursday after a disjointed first half in which they struggled to beat pressure, move the ball through midfield and turn possession into meaningful chances. South Korea kicked off their final Group A match at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico knowing a draw would be enough to secure second place and a spot in the Round of 32. Opta’s pre-match model had given South Korea a 59.2 percent chance of winning, mor
• Chip rally resumes on hynix ADR news and Micron earnings, KOSPI up 5% SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) — South Korean stocks surged toward reclaiming the 9,000 milestone as chip stocks were refueled by multiple catalysts, from Micron Technology's blowout earnings to SK hynix's Nasdaq listing plan and Samsung Electronics' massive buyback program. The benchmark KOSPI opened 5.55 percent higher and was up 5.61 percent at 8,946.02 as of 9:36 a.m. The junior KOSDAQ opened 1.10 percent higher before easing to 913.47, up 0.46 percent. Samsung Electronics and SK h

ASIA Insight

• Renewables ride the AI power boom, but the grid can't keep up SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Renewables are being fully employed to feed the world's hungry AI data centers as farming Mother Nature is cheap and quick to build. Yet a widening gap between green ambition and grid reality — from Beijing to Naju — is exposing the limits of an energy transition running at full tilt. Global electricity demand from data centers is set to roughly double to about 945 terawatt-hours by 2030 and reach around 1,200 TWh by 2035, the International Energy Agency s by Kim Dong-young
• Korea's new obsession: borrowing to buy stocks, not homes SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea's stock craze has reached a point where borrowing to buy shares is becoming more socially acceptable than borrowing to buy an apartment. The shift reflects a profound change in a country long defined by its obsession with real estate, as millions of Koreans pour into a handful of AI-related stocks in pursuit of rapid wealth creation. Tuesday's selloff offered a reminder of how fragile that enthusiasm can be. The benchmark KOSPI crashed nearly 10 perc by Ryu Yuna

AJP Watch

• World Cup 26: Korea misses automatic berth, awaits third-place verdict SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea failed to secure automatic qualification for the Round of 32 after losing 1-0 to South Africa, leaving their World Cup fate to the ranking of third-placed teams. South Korea were beaten at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Thursday morning in Korea in their final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the other Group A match played at the same time, Mexico defeated Czechia 3-0. Mexico finished top of the group with three wins from three matches, while Sou
• World Cup 26: More than a sporting event when identities are at stake  SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - From Norway's Viking Row to South Korea's AI anthem, the 2026 World Cup shows how nations perform identity — and how those performances now travel far beyond the stadium. Seconds after Norway secured a 3-2 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium, Erling Haaland walked toward the stands. As Martin Ødegaard pounded a drum, the striker began pulling both arms back in unison — rowing, in the style of a Viking longship. The crowd followed until the entir

AJP Focus

• Korea's migration to developed status rejected and the won is why SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - The stock market rebounded, but the Korean won slipped deeper toward crisis-era lows after South Korea once again failed to make MSCI's developed-market watchlist, a sober reminder that the currency - not the equities - is the stumbling block to an upgrade. The KOSPI has quadrupled over the past 18 months to become one of the world's best-performing equity markets since 2025, but its rally alone was not enough. For years, Seoul has tried to secure MSCI develope
• AI touts in Korean teens' hands are a growing worry for parents SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Gambling used to be a taboo word in South Korea. Real-money betting is prohibited in online games, as are casinos, bingo and lotteries for most citizens. But illegally, online gambling is proliferating — and increasingly invading classrooms. The episode in Netflix's hit drama "Teach You a Lesson," in which an ordinary high school student becomes addicted to gambling, destroys his family life and is eventually pulled into a criminal ring to repay debt