Korea, US to open talks on nuclear submarine, uranium enrichment rights SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - South Korea and the U.S. will hold talks in Seoul next week on implementing agreements reached by their leaders, including Seoul’s plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Seoul from June 2 to 3 to discuss follow-up measures in the security field under the Joint Fact Sheet issued last November after the Korea-U.S. summit, according to the ministry. South Korea’s delegation will be le May 29, 2026

Korea's April industrial activity and spending retreat on Gulf energy shocks SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - The energy shocks from months-long disruption of the Strait of Hormuz from the Middle East conflicts arrived on South Korean shores, battering industrial activity, corporate and consumer spending in April, data showed Friday. Factory output fell 0.7 percent from the previous month in April, the first contraction since January, as the refining sector was hit hard by the suspension of shipments from the Gulf, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Data. Industry-wide o May 29, 2026

U.S. and Iran are "within reach" of a deal, news that may uplift Asian markets SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) -The United States and Iran are “within reach” of an agreement to end the three-month war that has rattled global energy markets, and the prospect of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may help lift Asian stocks Friday after a broad retreat the previous session. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Tehran “perhaps have the makings of a deal,” with negotiations centering on a 60-day framework that would gradually unwind blockades May 29, 2026

Chinese Embassy says USFK chief 'crossed the line' with 'dagger' remarks on Korea SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - The Chinese Embassy in Seoul has strongly criticized Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, after he described South Korea as a “dagger” in Asia from China’s strategic perspective. In a written response to reporters Thursday, the embassy said Brunson’s recent remarks portrayed South Korea and USFK as a forward base aimed at China, warning that he had “clearly crossed the line.” Brunson said in a U.S. Army War College podca May 28, 2026

Stocks, bonds tumble as BOK chief signals potential rate hikes in 2nd half SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - South Korea's stock and bond markets were jolted on Thursday after the Bank of Korea (BOK) hinted at potential rate hikes in the second half of the year. While the benchmark KOSPI recovered most of its intraday losses near the close on institutional interpretations of a "healthy" rate hike, government bond prices collapsed, ending sharply lower as monetary tightening was seen as almost certain. The index finished at 8,185.29, down 0.53 percent, while the tec May 28, 2026

KOSPI slips after record rally while BOK holds rate but signals hikes ahead SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea held its benchmark interest rate steady on Thursday but delivered its clearest signal yet that a tightening cycle is coming, pulling the KOSPI back from this week's record highs as traders repriced for higher borrowing costs ahead. The central bank kept its policy rate at 2.5 percent, a decision nearly every economist had expected, at the first meeting chaired by new BOK governor Shin Hyun-song. The news lay in the dissent: five of the seven board mem May 28, 2026

Kookmin University student racing team KORA unveils EV ahead of international competition SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Kookmin University student racing team Kookmin Racing (KORA) unveiled its new electric formula vehicle, F-26, during a launch ceremony on campus in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of an international engineering competition, Kookmin University said Thursday. KORA will participate in the 2026 Formula SAE Electric, an international student vehicle design competition hosted by SAE International (SAE). The event will take place from June 16 to June 20, 2026, at the Michigan Internat May 28, 2026

S. Korean researchers resolve clogging in water electrolysis to improve green hydrogen production SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - A team of researchers in South Korea has developed a new structural design for water electrolysis systems that prevents gas bubbles from obstructing energy flow, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Thursday. The research team, which includes scientists from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), and Konkuk University, redesigned the internal pathways of the catalyst la May 28, 2026

Foreign investors collected more in Korean dividends than domestic retail in 2025 SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Foreign investors collected a larger share of dividends from South Korean listed companies than domestic individual investors did last year, drawing 11.89 trillion won ($7.9 billion) as record corporate payouts — swollen by the semiconductor boom — flowed disproportionately to overseas shareholders. Total dividends paid by companies with December fiscal years reached 37.75 trillion won, up 16.9 percent from a year earlier, according to data released Thursday by May 28, 2026

Defense Minister Ahn to attend Shangri-La Dialogue, meet Japanese counterpart SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will attend the 23rd Asia Security Summit in Singapore from May 29 to 31 and hold talks with defense ministers from several countries, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday. The Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, is an annual security forum hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, bringing together defense ministers and senior officials for multilateral and bilate May 28, 2026