news highlight

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  ASIA INSIGHT: Hidden danger behind Japan's new defense plan By mixing business supply lines and robot drones into its military strategy, Japan is turning factories into front lines. SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - When Chinese officials stopped shipping rare minerals to Japan last year, nobody saw a military attack. There were no warplanes in the sky and no warships at sea. Instead, the blow hit Japan right on its factory floors and technology labs. It was a silent punishment. Japan's Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae, had just warned China about Taiwan, so Ch May 27, 2026
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  Iran denies seeking transit tolls in Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - The Iranian government rejected allegations that it plans to impose transit tolls on commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, announcing a joint maritime security mechanism with Oman, the Embassy of Iran in Seoul said Monday. Any financial or logistical shifts in the strait directly impact South Korea, which faces a deepening energy security crisis. Thanks to the country's effort to diversify its sources for crude oil, South Korea's reliance on Middle Ea May 27, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: China takes wheel in EV era while Japan and South Korea feel pinch SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - There was a time when the global automobile world felt almost immutable. Germany stood for engineering precision. Japan perfected reliability. America sold aspiration. And China simply assembled parts. That no longer holds. Electric vehicles are not simply a new kind of car. They are a new kind of industrial system. In that shift, China has done something few expected, moving from the margins of manufacturing to the center of technological competition. Chinese automakers May 26, 2026
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  Spiritual Asia series: Vedas, Upanishads, and Cheonbugyeong cosmos in AI era This is the third installment of AJP’s “Spiritual Asia” series exploring the religious traditions and philosophical foundations that have shaped Asia’s spiritual consciousness. This chapter turns to the ancient texts of Hinduism — the Vedas and Upanishads — and their enduring ideas on cosmos, consciousness and the nature of existence in the emerging AI era. In the twenty-first century, humanity stands at the threshold of a vast civilizational transition. Art May 26, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: With South Korea's local elections weeks away, how AI is changing political scene across Asia SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - With South Korea's local elections less than two weeks away, the political landscape looks strikingly different from what it was just a few years ago, with voters now witnessing entirely new forms of campaigning shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology. Loudspeaker trucks still circle neighborhoods and candidates still bow at subway stations during the morning rush, but increasingly, the real campaign is unfolding elsewhere, driven by algorithms an May 22, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: Samsung dispute exposes wider risks to chip supply despite last-minute deal SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - For the past couple of weeks, Samsung Electronics was locked in a labor dispute that, on its surface, looked like a routine clash between management and workers over wages and performance bonuses. But the tremors it sent through markets suggested something far larger was at stake, not just a labor standoff over pay but the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain. Even before a tentative agreement was reached late last night, the negotiations, described by one an May 21, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: Can South Korea and Japan turn shuttle diplomacy into substantive cooperation? SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea and Japan have long had a relationship that goes back and forth, sometimes improving, sometimes worsening, and then improving again. This cycle has been driven not only by practical interests, but also by historical issues between the two neighboring countries. But a quieter shift now seems to be taking place. It is not marked by dramatic breakthroughs or major progress on long-standing historical disputes. Instead, it is more gradual, built on the steady rebui May 20, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: Twelve weeks on, Middle East conflict still has no way out SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - Now about 12 weeks into the conflict in the Middle East which began with joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran in late February, there is still no end in sight. What some expected to be a short, contained confrontation has instead become a prolonged regional crisis with widening economic and political consequences. At the center of the prolonged standoff is a fundamental issue. Both sides say they want a deal, but they remain far apart on what that deal should loo May 19, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: What back-to-back visits by Trump and Putin mean for China SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - Just days after U.S. President Donald Trump left Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive there this week. The timing appears to be no coincidence. According to China's Foreign Ministry, Putin will visit China on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional security and other broader global issues before signing a series of agreements. On the surface, May 18, 2026