Why a concrete truck strike is threatening South Korea's high-tech chip ambitions SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - The sprawling industrial belt south of Seoul is the heart of South Korea's semiconductor industry, home to the massive campuses of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix that dominate the global memory chip market powering the artificial intelligence boom. But activity across the region is beginning to slow because of a shortage of one of the most basic construction materials: concrete. A strike by ready-mix concrete truck drivers is exposing a critical vul June 11, 2026

Second Korean vessel exits Strait of Hormuz after being stranded amid Middle East war SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - A second Korean vessel stranded near the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war has passed through the waterway, South Korea’s Oceans Ministry said Thursday. The latest passage came after the HMM-operated tanker Universal Winner became the first Korean vessel to exit the strait. The tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, arrived at the port of Ulsan on Wednesday. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the second vessel was a liquefie June 11, 2026

Exports for early June hit record high as semiconductor boom continues SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - South Korea's exports in early June surged more than 80 percent from a year earlier to a record, driven by booming semiconductor shipments that more than tripled. According to data released by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) on Thursday, exports in the first 10 days of this month totaled US$28.63 billion, up 85.9 percent from a year earlier and the highest for the period on record. The previous high was $25.2 billion in April. Average daily exports, June 11, 2026

LG CNS, LX Pantos to deploy humanoid robots at logistics hub SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - LG CNS and logistics firm LX Pantos have signed a memorandum of understanding to introduce humanoid and shuttle robots at a major distribution center, as South Korea's IT services industry accelerates its push into physical artificial intelligence. Under the agreement announced Thursday, the two companies will deploy an integrated robot automation system at LX Pantos' MegaWise Cheongna center. The setup envisions shuttle robots retrieving outbound g June 11, 2026

Lee arrives in Italy after wrapping up his visit to Belgium SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, who is on a trip to Europe, arrived in Italy on Wednesday after wrapping up his itinerary in Belgium. During the second leg of his two-week trip to Europe, he is scheduled to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella after a welcoming reception. Lee will also hold separate talks later in the week with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom he met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September last year and again June 11, 2026

SpaceX debut drains capital from South Korea as KOSPI falls for 2nd day SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI opened about 4 percent lower on Thursday, falling for a second straight session as foreign investors pulled money out ahead of SpaceX's record Nasdaq listing slated for Friday. The index dropped 316.2 points to 7,414.6 within minutes of morning trading, pulling further away from the 8,000 level it had only reclaimed days earlier. Investors see the world's largest-ever IPO acting as a magnet for global capital, drawi June 11, 2026

Spiritual Asia (9): Why Buddhist scriptures matter in the AI age This is the ninth installment of AJP’s Spiritual Asia series exploring the religious traditions, philosophical ideas and moral foundations that have shaped Asia’s civilizations. This chapter turns to Buddhism’s most influential scriptures — the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Lotus Sutra and Korea’s Tripitaka Koreana — and examines why their teachings may be more relevant than ever in the age of artificial intelligence. Looking back at the histo June 11, 2026

Studies reveal uneven productivity gains and job anxiety from generative AI in S. Korea SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) - Kookmin University International Business School (KIBS)'s Professor Oh Eun-young has published two research papers analyzing the varying impacts of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on industrial productivity and occupational replacement in South Korea, Kookmin University said Wednesday. The studies, published in international academic journals in February and June, examine how the adoption of AI technologies affects different sectors and how the p June 11, 2026

South Korea, EU condemn Russia-North Korea military ties upon new partnership SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) -South Korea and the European Union on Wednesday condemned what they called "Russia-DPRK illegal military cooperation" and unveiled a new strategic partnership on economic security and competitiveness against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical risks straining the global security and economic order amid protracted wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The 11th EU-Republic of Korea Summit brought together President Lee Jae Myung, Ursula von der Leyen June 11, 2026

Tesla Model Y tops Korea's car market — a first for any import SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - When Elon Musk posted "Korea is Awesome" on X last month, the comment carried more significance than it appeared. It came after Tesla achieved something no foreign automaker had managed before in South Korea. Tesla's Model Y became the country's best-selling passenger vehicle in May, with 8,762 units sold, surpassing the Kia Sorento's 7,836 units and the Hyundai Grandeur's 5,183 units. It marked the first time an imported vehicle June 10, 2026