Journalist
Han Jun-gu and Yoo Na-hyun
jungu141298@ajupress.com
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War in Middle East echoes through Seoul SEOUL, March 05 (AJP) - The war unfolding across the Middle East may be thousands of miles away from Seoul, but its shockwaves are being felt sharply in the capital of South Korea. Rockets are flying across borders in the region with no sign of the conflict abating. On the far eastern edge of the globe, the repercussions are unfolding in diplomatic halls, financial markets and even gas stations across the South Korean capital. A Tale of Two Embassies At 10 a.m. Thursday, Iran’s ambassador stepped to the microphone inside the Iranian Embassy in Itaewon. “The attack is a clear violation of international law,” the ambassador said, unleashing a sharp denunciation of Israel and the United States. The briefing ran long. What had been scheduled as a short press conference stretched well past noon as journalists pressed for answers on Iran’s next move and the risk of a wider war. Yet even before the Iranian envoy finished speaking, another diplomatic confrontation was already unfolding across the city. At 11 a.m., Israel’s ambassador faced reporters at the HJ Business Center near Gwanghwamun. “We could no longer tolerate Iran’s nuclear threat,” he said, defending the strikes and accusing Tehran of destabilizing the region. Two ambassadors. Two narratives. On the same day, in the same city, each laying out opposing justifications for a war that shows little sign of diplomatic resolution. Markets Reeling, Government Scrambling While diplomats traded accusations, South Korean authorities were scrambling to contain financial turmoil triggered by the Middle East conflict. Emergency meetings stretched across government agencies after Seoul’s stock market suffered one of its steepest sell-offs in decades. President Lee Jae Myung ordered the immediate deployment of a 100 trillion won ($68 billion) market stabilization program, while instructing regulators to crack down on oil hoarding and price manipulation. The measures helped trigger a dramatic rebound. On Thursday, the KOSPI surged 9.63 percent, recovering much of the previous session’s historic drop of more than 12 percent. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ jumped about 14 percent, reversing an equally steep fall. The Korean won also stabilized slightly, with the dollar trading around 1,466 won after briefly approaching 1,480 the previous day. Oil Shock Reaches the Streets The ripple effects were not confined to financial markets. As global oil prices surged — with Brent crude rising above $81 a barrel — gas stations across Seoul began raising prices through the afternoon. South Korea imports more than 70 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, making the country particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic shipping lane through which much of that oil passes. The spike in energy prices, combined with a weaker currency, threatens to push up import costs across the economy. A War 3,700 Miles Away — Felt at Home Analysts warn that if the conflict expands or disrupts energy flows through the Gulf, the economic impact could deepen quickly for Asia’s fourth-largest economy. For many Seoul residents, the geopolitical crisis came into focus not through diplomatic statements or market charts, but through everyday costs — the price displayed on a gas pump or the volatility flashing on a smartphone trading app. At the very moment the two ambassadors traded sharp accusations in Gwanghwamun and Itaewon, motorists across the city were watching fuel prices climb. A war more than 3,700 miles away had suddenly become impossible to ignore. 2026-03-05 17:06:02 -
AW 2026 opens as showcase of AI-native manufacturing innovation SEOUL, March 04 (AJP) - The present and future of manufacturing innovation led by autonomous manufacturing and physical AI gathered in one place. AW 2026 (Smart Factory & Automation World) opened at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on March 4, presenting the largest-ever exhibition with 453 companies from 24 countries and 2,300 booths. From humanoid robots and smart logistics to AI factory special pavilions, the event showcasing a convergence of intelligent automation technologies is drawing attention as a practical stage for the industrial field declaring a shift to "AI-native manufacturing." This year's exhibition features major Korean robotics and logistics companies including Hyundai Motor Group Robotics LAB, Hyundai Glovis, Hyundai Movex, Robotis, Eugene Robot, and Wonik Robotics. The exhibition runs through March 6. 2026-03-04 17:47:29 -
The first full moon of the year is red GYEONGGI, March 03 (AJP)-On the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, Korea steps outside. The holiday is Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the year — a night when neighborhoods, not just families, gather under the open sky. If Lunar New Year belongs to the dining table, Jeongwol Daeboreum belongs to the fields, the hills, the riverbanks. People tilt their heads upward and wait for the moon to rise, round and bright in the brittle winter air. The full moon has long stood for abundance and well-being. In agrarian times, it was more than a celestial body; it was a calendar, a compass, a quiet oracle. Its fullness promised ripening crops and steady fortunes. To greet the year’s first full moon was to ask — gently, collectively — for balance. This year, the sky offers a rare spectacle. A total lunar eclipse coincides with Jeongwol Daeboreum. As Earth’s shadow slowly swallows the moon, its silver glow dims, then deepens into a muted red. Science explains the color: sunlight bending through Earth’s atmosphere, scattering blue and leaving crimson behind. Yet knowing the physics does not dispel the awe. Suspended in darkness, the red moon feels ancient, almost sentient — a reminder of how small and how connected we are. Below that darkened moon, another light ignites. The heart of the festival is daljip taeugi, the burning of the “moon house.” Villagers stack pine branches and straw into a towering cone, sometimes taller than a house. At dusk, the structure is set alight. Flames surge upward in an instant, sparks spiraling into the night. The fire roars, crackles, breathes. It is not spectacle for spectacle’s sake. The blaze carries away misfortune, illness and ill luck. The higher the flames climb, the more auspicious the year ahead is believed to be. Smoke becomes a messenger, rising toward the moon with whispered wishes for health and harvest. On a night of eclipse, the symmetry feels almost scripted: a red moon shadowed above, a pillar of fire blazing below. One is astronomical, governed by orbital precision. The other is ritual, shaped by human hands and memory. Yet both mark the same truth — that darkness and light are not opposites but partners. The moon may lose its brilliance for an hour, but it never vanishes. The moon house may collapse into ash, but from its embers begins another cycle. Even in a society wired to satellites and screens, people still pause for this moon. Children clutch roasted peanuts and crack them with laughter. Elders murmur old sayings about the year’s fortune. Cameras flash, but so do quiet prayers. On Jeongwol Daeboreum, people bite hard nuts to prevent boils and share five-grain rice to wish for abundance. These customs have continued despite changing times. Jeongwol Daeboreum endures because it binds sky to earth, science to story, past to present. Under the red-stained moon and beside the leaping flames, time seems to fold in on itself. The first full moon does what it has always done: gathers strangers into a shared circle of light. And as the shadow slips away and the fire dies down, what remains is simple — a sky restored, warm ashes underfoot, and the steady, human hope that the year ahead will burn bright. 2026-03-04 07:23:44 -
First reserve forces training begins amid heightened global tensions SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - Amid growing global uncertainty, this year’s first reserve forces training began on Tuesday in South Korea. As military clashes between Iran and the United States and Israel continue for a fourth consecutive day, reserve troops conducted urban combat drills and video-based simulated live-fire training at the Pyeongtaek–Osan Advanced Reserve Training Center under the Republic of Korea Army 51st Infantry Division in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Amid ongoing international security instability, this year’s reserve training exercises will be carried out nationwide in phases. 2026-03-03 17:10:09 -
Suwon's UNESCO world heritage Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion and Hwahongmun Gate stand as iconic symbols of Suwon's UNESCO World Heritage site, Hwaseong Fortress. Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion, meaning "a pavilion where one can enjoy flowers and willows while water flows," sits elegantly at the northeastern corner of Hwaseong Fortress. Built in 1794 during King Jeongjo's reign, this hexagonal pavilion offers stunning views where the fortress walls meet Suwoncheon Stream. The pavilion was designed as a resting place for soldiers and a strategic military post. Its unique architectural beauty, reflected in the water below, creates one of Suwon's most photographed scenes. Hwahongmun Gate, also known as Buksumun (North Water Gate), was constructed in 1794 as part of Hwaseong Fortress. This seven-arched stone gate allows Suwoncheon Stream to flow through while serving as a defensive structure. The gate combines practical flood control with military defense, featuring openings that could be closed during attacks. Today, it becomes especially beautiful during the evening when illuminated, and hosts a spectacular waterfall display during the Hwaseong Cultural Festival. Both structures represent the architectural excellence of the Joseon Dynasty and remain beloved gathering places for locals and tourists alike. 2026-02-26 14:21:28 -
Towers of books: Heaven or hell? SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) -Inside Starfield Suwon, a soaring cathedral of books rises through four floors, blurring the boundary between retail space and reading room. Opened as the second Starfield Library after the flagship at COEX Mall, the Suwon branch features bookshelves stretching nearly 22 meters high, spanning from the fourth to the seventh floors. From almost any angle, visitors can look up into towering rows of spines — or gaze down into a layered landscape of light, steel, and paper. A Library Without Walls Unlike traditional libraries confined to a single level, Starfield’s design dissolves vertical boundaries. Escalators, open balconies, and glass railings connect each floor visually, allowing the space to be experienced as one continuous volume. Whether standing on the upper decks or passing through lower corridors, visitors remain part of the same architectural conversation — one shaped by height, openness, and quiet spectacle. Reading Meets Retail Each floor integrates cafés and lounge-style seating, encouraging visitors to linger rather than simply pass through. Coffee cups and novels coexist. Shoppers pause mid-errand to read. Students settle into armchairs beneath shelves that seem to vanish into the ceiling. The result is a hybrid space: part library, part living room, part social hub. A Cultural Stage Beyond books, the library hosts regular performances, talks, and lectures, positioning itself as a cultural venue as much as a reading space. Weekly and monthly programs bring authors, musicians, and speakers into the atrium, transforming the quiet tower into a communal forum. To some, the vertical library feels like a modern sanctuary — a rare place where reading is celebrated at monumental scale. To others, its location inside a shopping mall raises questions about whether books have become another aesthetic backdrop for consumption. Yet perhaps its appeal lies precisely in that tension. By embedding literature into everyday commercial life, Starfield Library does not isolate reading from modern routines. Instead, it inserts it — boldly and visibly — into them. In Suwon, books no longer whisper from hidden shelves. They rise, unmistakably, toward the sky. 2026-02-25 17:46:01 -
Flowers greet early spring in Suwon SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - Suwon City, south of Seoul, is holding a special exhibition themed around geraniums titled "We, Spring Starts Now" at Ilwol Arboretum from Feb. 3 to March 15. The exhibition takes place at the Ilwol Arboretum greenhouse and visitor center. It features geraniums, a representative companion plant that allows visitors to enjoy flowers and leaves year-round. The exhibition greenhouse showcases approximately 300 varieties of geraniums, including rare species such as K-geraniums, Russian geraniums, and European geraniums. Explanations of each variety's characteristics and care methods are provided to help visitors understand. The exhibition also displays award-winning entries from the Geranium Love Contest, allowing visitors to appreciate various geraniums cultivated by citizens. 2026-02-25 17:38:28 -
The Great Map of the East unfolds SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - On the first floor of the National Museum of Korea, there is a "History Path." On one wall hangs a massive map—the Daedong Yeojido (Great Map of the East) by Gosan Kim Jeong-ho. The exhibition "Unfolding Daedong Yeojido" has been on display since Feb. 12. Originally, the Daedong Yeojido was a folding map divided into 22 volumes for portability. However, to commemorate the 160th anniversary of Gosan's death, the museum connected and mounted all 22 volumes printed on traditional Korean paper to recreate the map in its complete form on the wall, measuring approximately 6.7 meters in height and 3.8 meters in width, equivalent to a three-story apartment building. Kim Jeong-ho, who created the Daedong Yeojido in 1861, was a geographer who dedicated his life to mapmaking. To create the map, he traveled around the country's eight provinces three times over 30 years and climbed Mt. Baekdu eight times. The name "Daedong Yeojido" means "Map of the Great Eastern Country," reflecting an independent consciousness free from Chinese influence. 2026-02-24 17:01:49 -
Spring waits indoors at Gwangmyeong flower complex SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) -Cold mornings and sharp winds still signal the tail end of winter. Frost lingers on sidewalks, and heavy coats remain necessary outdoors. Inside the garden shops at the Gwangmyeong flower complex, however, the season looks different. Rows of flowers are already in full bloom under controlled temperatures and lighting. Brightly colored blossoms line shelves and tables, while potted plants are arranged neatly along narrow aisles. Wholesale owners are preparing early for the spring shopping season. Each day, they water plants, adjust humidity and temperature, and inspect leaves and roots. Many begin work before sunrise to manage new shipments and organize displays. The complex supplies more than seasonal flowers. It also handles a wide range of succulents, small fruit trees, herbs and ornamental plants. Gardening tools and decorative items are stacked nearby, ready for customers planning home and balcony gardens. Most visitors have yet to arrive in large numbers. For now, shop owners focus on cultivation and maintenance, anticipating increased demand as temperatures rise. While winter remains outside, these indoor gardens are already set for spring. By the time warmer days arrive, the flowers will be ready — grown, arranged and waiting for shoppers seeking an early taste of the new season. 2026-02-23 15:38:05 -
Taegeukgi in full bloom ahead of March 1 Independence Movement Da SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) -A line of Taegeukgi stretches quietly through the trees at Hyochang Park, marking the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement. From Hyochang Park Station to the park’s main entrance, a 510-meter walkway has been transformed into a corridor of national symbols. More than 300 Korean flags are attached to tree trunks and branches, creating a continuous display that follows the natural curve of the path. Installed from Feb. 21 to March 8, the project is designed to bring remembrance into everyday spaces. Rather than gathering people in a single square, it places history along a route used daily by commuters, joggers and nearby residents. As pedestrians pass beneath the flags, the scene invites a brief pause. Some slow their steps. Others lift their phones. Many simply look up, momentarily drawn out of routine. The white fabric, marked by red, blue and black, stands out against bare winter branches. From a distance, the rows resemble blossoms, suggesting both renewal and continuity. Up close, each flag recalls the collective spirit of 1919, when ordinary citizens filled the streets to demand independence. The installation honors independence activists while encouraging reflection in ordinary moments — on the way to work, during an afternoon walk, or while heading home. In this corridor of trees and symbols, remembrance does not rely on speeches or ceremonies. It unfolds quietly, one step at a time, reminding visitors that history remains present in daily life. 2026-02-23 15:30:53