Quad launches joint Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance initiative SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - The U.S., Japan, India and Australia agreed Tuesday to launch a joint maritime surveillance initiative in the Indo-Pacific, as growing concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea sharpened fears over the vulnerability of global shipping lanes and energy supplies. The four nations — known collectively as the Quad — announced the "Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration" during a foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, according to a statement released by the U.S. State Department. The initiative will initially focus on the Indian Ocean, including maritime routes linked to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, where Iran and its regional proxies have threatened freedom of navigation amid ongoing regional tensions. In a joint statement, the Quad countries said they were united by "a common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, underpinned by robust economic and energy systems." "Recognizing shifts in the global energy landscape and escalating geopolitical complexities, we are accelerating collaboration to ensure energy stability and security," the statement said. The four countries emphasized the need to protect shipping routes and maintain uninterrupted trade flows, warning that disruptions to oil, gas and petrochemical markets disproportionately affect Indo-Pacific economies. "We reiterate the importance of ensuring unimpeded freedom of navigation and uninterrupted flow of global commerce, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and opposing any restrictive measures hampering the flow of commercial vessels," the statement said. The Quad members also pledged to strengthen maritime coordination by expanding the group's existing Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative into the Indian Ocean and developing a shared "Common Operating Picture" for maritime operations. India will host a maritime monitoring mission involving coast guards from participating countries to coordinate responses to illegal maritime activities, while Australia will host counterterrorism tabletop exercises next month focusing on state-sponsored terrorism threats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The announcement appeared to signal the Quad nations' readiness to coordinate efforts to safeguard shipping routes if Iran seeks to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz following the recent conflict in the Middle East. They also underscored broader concerns over China's expanding military presence and territorial claims in the East and South China seas. They added resilient supply chains and stable energy markets were essential to regional security. "We reaffirm the importance of resilient and diversified supply chains, including energy products and other downstream commodities," the statement said. The four countries also announced plans to establish a "Quad Fuel Security Forum" aimed at coordinating high-level discussions on energy security and emergency response cooperation. "To this end, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan will work to identify areas of cooperation for the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security in technology, management, policy, international market analysis, and emergency response exercises," the statement said. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the meeting alongside Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The Quad was formed in 2004 as a strategic partnership aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The grouping was elevated to the leaders' level in 2021 under then-U.S. President Joe Biden. 2026-05-27 11:02:25

ASIA INSIGHT: South Korea's role as Asia's "dagger" in a new civilizational era SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Why did the United States describe South Korea as a “dagger”? When Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, recently referred to South Korea as a “dagger in the heart of Asia” on a U.S. Army War College podcast, it was not a casual metaphor. His words reflected the reality that the Korean Peninsula is no longer merely a frontline against North Korea. It has become a strategic crossroads where U.S.-China rivalry, the Indo-Pacific order, and the security of AI, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, space and maritime routes all intersect. Recent developments in Northeast Asia have only sharpened the weight of that remark. The summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May 2026 was intended to manage tensions between Washington and Beijing, but it did not resolve the fundamental disputes over Taiwan, semiconductors, AI, trade and the Middle East. After the meeting, the U.S. side stressed that there had been no change in its Taiwan policy. This means that while the two powers may temporarily contain confrontation, neither is willing to step back from their structural competition. At that very moment, North Korea again launched missiles and other projectiles. On May 26, Pyongyang fired what was believed to be short-range ballistic missiles and other weapons toward the Yellow Sea, marking its first armed provocation since April. The launch showed that security risks on the Korean Peninsula remain very much alive, and that the North Korea issue is once again moving within the broader framework of U.S.-China strategic rivalry. The summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Andong also belongs to this wider picture. The two leaders met for about 100 minutes on May 19 to discuss Korea-Japan cooperation and regional stability. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo still carry the heavy burden of history, but today’s international order has reached a point where the two neighbors can no longer afford to turn away from each other. These three scenes are connected by a single line. The U.S.-China summit in Beijing, North Korea’s missile launch and the Korea-Japan summit in Andong were not separate events. Together, they signal that the regional order in Northeast Asia is being reshaped. The U.S. and China seek to avoid outright conflict, yet their struggle for supremacy continues. North Korea is trying to expand its military presence in the space between them. South Korea and Japan, despite historical disputes, are once again facing each other in the reality of security, supply chains and technological cooperation. In this shifting landscape, South Korea is no longer on the periphery. South Korea is one of the closest U.S. allies to China’s eastern coast. To its west lies China; to its north, North Korea and Russia; to its south, Japan and the Pacific. The Korean Peninsula is where continental and maritime powers meet. In the past, this geography was a source of tragedy. Today, however, the meaning of that location has changed. South Korea has become a global powerhouse in manufacturing, semiconductors, batteries, shipbuilding, nuclear energy, AI and cultural content. Brunson’s reference to cooperation with Samsung on cloud infrastructure is especially significant. Future warfare will not be fought only with tanks and fighter jets. Cloud systems that function even when communications are disrupted, AI-based command structures, satellite networks, semiconductor supply chains, power grids and undersea cables are all becoming core elements of security. Korean companies are no longer merely private enterprises. They are becoming strategic assets of the alliance. But South Korea must not remain merely someone else’s “dagger.” Its strategy must not be reduced to serving as a U.S. forward base. Nor should it become a gray zone vulnerable to Chinese pressure. The Korea-U.S. alliance is the pillar of South Korea’s security. But the house built on that pillar must be South Korea’s own national strategy. Trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is necessary. But that cooperation must aim not at a chain of war, but at a balance of peace. What South Korea needs now are three things. First, it must be firm against North Korea’s military threats. In the face of missiles, nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missile threats, South Korea must transform itself into an advanced military power. President Lee’s emphasis on future defense capabilities, including AI, drones and nuclear-powered submarines, fits into this broader direction. Second, South Korea must approach China with clarity and composure. China is South Korea’s largest trading partner, but it is also a source of strategic pressure. Neither emotional anti-China sentiment nor passive dependence is the answer. Seoul must cooperate where cooperation serves its national interest, while firmly defending what must be protected. Third, South Korea must open the door to future-oriented cooperation with Japan. This does not mean forgetting history. It means standing history on the right foundation while building both pragmatism and principle in the face of shared challenges: security, the economy, technology, energy and demographic decline. Ultimately, South Korea now stands before a moment of choice. The United States sees South Korea as a “dagger.” China watches South Korea with caution. North Korea continues to pressure it. Japan faces the reality that it must work with South Korea. But the real question is how South Korea sees itself. South Korea must not be a pawn on the strategic chessboard of great powers. It must become a designer of Asia’s future order. Beyond serving as a military outpost of an alliance, it should become a center of technological partnership, a hub of industrial civilization, and a balancer of democracy and peace. In the late 19th century, Joseon failed to read the changing currents of the world. But 21st-century South Korea is different. It is now a country capable of reading global trends, building its own strategy and speaking about the future of Asia. The path toward becoming a true central state does not lie simply in possessing stronger weapons. It lies in having strong industry, strong technology, strong culture, strong democracy and a strong will for peace. The phrase “Asia’s dagger” is both a warning and an opportunity. Will South Korea become a dagger held in someone else’s hand? Or will it become a civilizational strategic state that shines with its own light? The future of the Republic of Korea depends on how it answers that question. *The author is a senior columnist of AJP. 2026-05-27 10:56:25

North Korea 'conducts tests of major weapons' SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - North Korea "conducted tests of newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system," state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), its leader Kim Jong-un inspected the previous day's "tests of major weapons" which were part of the country's five-year plan for "modernizing the artillery and missile armed forces" to strengthen its defense capabilities. The KCNA said the tests were aimed at analyzing and assessing tactical cruise missiles, as well as "the reliability of a 240-mm controlled artillery rocket" equipped with an ultra-precision autonomous navigation system and artificial intelligence (AI)-guided hit accuracy. Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over the tests, saying they showed "great technical progress in the strengthening of our army's combat power." He also praised the military "worth of the tactical cruise missile to be deployed at the long-range artillery brigades in the southern border area in particular," describing it as a powerful weapon system capable of striking targets 100 kilometers away with ultra-high precision. KCNA's coverage came just a day after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had detected multiple projectiles including short-range ballistic missiles, fired toward the West Sea from the area of Jeongju in North Pyongan Province. Military authorities here assessed that they flew about 80 kilometers. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the tests included weapons "Russia most needs on the Ukraine front," adding that North Korea's emphasis on "cutting-edge specifications" such as AI guidance and automated fire control appeared aimed at actively marketing them to Russia and highlighting military cooperation. 2026-05-27 10:51:45

South Korea joins OpenAI's trusted cyber access program SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea has become one of the first two countries in Asia, together with Japan, to join OpenAI's Trusted Access for Cyber program, securing government-level access to the U.S. firm's most advanced artificial intelligence models for cybersecurity research and defense. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced Wednesday that Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung met OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon in Seoul on Tuesday to formalize Seoul's participation in the program, which grants vetted governments and institutions-controlled access to OpenAI's frontier models for defensive cyber work. The Korea Internet & Security Agency will serve as the implementing body, the ministry said, adding that the two sides agreed to continue talks on broader applications of AI in cybersecurity. The arrangement is expected to give Seoul a window into how rapidly advancing AI systems could be weaponized, and how to blunt that threat. "Through this cooperation with OpenAI, Korea has laid the groundwork to get ahead of AI-driven cyber threats," Ryu said, pledging to deepen engagement with global AI companies to sharpen the country's defensive capabilities. The two sides also discussed building a working framework between Seoul's AI Safety Institute and OpenAI for joint safety evaluations and research on increasingly capable models. OpenAI said it would actively review the proposal. Separately, the Korean government is exploring participation in Project Glasswing, a rival coalition led by Anthropic that pairs its unreleased Claude Mythos Preview model with about a dozen launch partners — including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia — and some 40 additional organizations to hunt down software vulnerabilities. No Korean entity has yet joined the initiative. 2026-05-27 10:43:49

Samsung Live: Union approves wage deal, averting immediate strike SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ representative union approved a tentative wage agreement Wednesday, averting an immediate strike at the world’s largest memory chipmaker and easing concerns over potential disruption to AI supply chains and South Korea’s stock market. Electronic voting ran from May 22 to 10 a.m. Wednesday for the 57,302 eligible members. The deal, reached urgently on May 20 just a day before the planned strike deadline, passed with 73.7 percent in favor. It includes an average 6.2 percent wage increase and a newly created special performance bonus. The agreement, however, still faces a legal hurdle. A day before the voting deadline, the Samsung Electronics Co. Union (SECU), a minority union representing mainly the Device eXperience (DX) division, filed for an injunction, accusing the majority union of abruptly stripping its 12,000 members of voting rights. If the court grants the injunction or a later lawsuit invalidates the vote over procedural flaws, Samsung management could be forced to restart negotiations from scratch. As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Samsung Electronics shares have hit new heights, surging 6.7 percent to 319,000 won ($212). 2026-05-27 10:31:38

Kim Soo-hyun's agency welcomes YouTuber's arrest in defamation case SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Korean Actor Kim Soo-hyun's management agency, Gold Medalist, said Wednesday that the arrest of the head of a controversial YouTube channel marked a turning point in the actor's yearlong effort to counter allegations linking him to the death of late Korean actress Kim Sae-ron. The agency said in a statement that it was grateful to investigators for their efforts to uncover the truth based on objective evidence, adding that the case had now entered a stage in which the facts could be verified through legal procedures and a thorough investigation. "Kim Soo-hyun said at a press conference a year ago, 'I will not ask you to believe me. I will prove it,'" the agency said. " The past year has been a time spent solely to keep that promise." Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, was arrested Tuesday after the Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant, citing concerns that he could destroy evidence or flee. Garosero Research Institute, often referred to as Gaseyeon in Korea, is a YouTube-based outlet known for publishing allegations and commentary about celebrities, politicians and other public figures. Kim Se-ui is accused of spreading allegedly false claims through YouTube and other online channels, including allegations that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side over debt repayment was directly linked to her death. Kim Se-ui is also suspected of using artificial intelligence to manipulate Kim Sae-ron's voice in a way that allegedly damaged Kim Soo-hyun's reputation. Gold Medalist said it viewed the arrest as a sign that authorities were treating the case seriously, while maintaining that the allegations and materials presented by Garosero Research Institute against Kim Soo-hyun were false. The agency also said the court had recognized the seriousness of the case, including allegations of defamation and coercion. Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference in March last year to address the allegations. He acknowledged that he had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron but denied that the relationship took place when she was a minor. Kim Sae-ron, a former child actress who appeared in films and television dramas, had largely withdrawn from public view following a drunk-driving incident in 2022. Her death later triggered intense online speculation and renewed scrutiny of her private life. Kim Soo-hyun and his agency later filed complaints against Kim Se-ui and members of Kim Sae-ron's family, accusing them of spreading false information and damaging his reputation. The arrest does not amount to a conviction or a final determination of guilt, but it represents a significant procedural development in one of South Korea's most closely watched celebrity defamation cases. 2026-05-27 10:22:27

KOSPI extends record-setting rally, fueled by memory stocks SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s main bourse briefly halted Wednesday after the benchmark index tracking the top 200 listed companies surged 5 percent, propelling the KOSPI past the 8,400 mark just a day after breaking into unprecedented four-digit territory. As of 9:30 a.m., the KOSPI had risen 3.63 percent to 8,355.81 after briefly testing above 8,400 shortly after the opening bell, as memory chip giants continued to shatter record highs. Samsung Electronics surged more than 6 percent to 318,000 won, while SK hynix jumped more than 9 percent to 2.24 million won on strong institutional and foreign buying. The KOSDAQ, however, fell 1.52 percent, to 1,154.68. 2026-05-27 09:47:50

Overpass collapse in Seoul disrupts over 120 KTX trains SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - More than 120 KTX bullet trains have been suspended or had their routes adjusted after a collapse at a demolition site in Seosomun, western Seoul, according to the state-run rail operator. The disruptions, affecting multiple lines from the first trains on Wednesday, came after an overpass under demolition collapsed the previous day, killing three workers and injuring three others. KORAIL said a power outage on overhead railway lines between Seoul Station and Sinchon Station halted some KTX services and suspended commuter train operations, as restoration work could take considerable time. Among the dead were two men in their 60s who worked as site supervisors and a man in his 50s who was an outside engineering expert. They are believed to have died after falling or being struck by collapsing debris. The three injured men suffered cuts and injuries to the head, waist and ribs. They included Seoul city officials and a district official who was reportedly passing beneath the overpass and was not involved in the construction work. The dismantling of the old overpass had been underway since last summer as part of the city's broader effort to remove aging infrastructure, and the structure was scheduled to be fully demolished by early next month. Workers were reportedly conducting a safety inspection after discovering cracks in the overpass early in the morning, several hours before it collapsed at around 2:30 p.m. 2026-05-27 09:47:18

Anthropic opens Seoul office, names veteran tech executive to lead Korea push SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Anthropic, the U.S. artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, is to officially open a Seoul office and named industry veteran Choi Ki-young as its first country manager for South Korea, deepening its push into one of Asia's most lucrative AI markets. Senior Anthropic executives are scheduled to visit Seoul in the coming weeks to formally inaugurate the office and meet with major enterprise clients, the company said Wednesday. Choi joins from Snowflake, where he served as Korea country manager, and brings more than three decades of experience steering global technology firms in the Asia-Pacific region. He previously led Korean operations for Google Cloud, Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft. "Korea ranks among the world's most mature AI markets in terms of hardware innovation, developer talent and corporate adoption," Choi said. "Domestic companies combine strong technical capabilities with a genuine commitment to responsible AI, and we are building our Korea business for the long term." The Seoul team is to pursue tailored go-to-market strategies and forge partnerships across enterprises, developers and research institutions. According to Anthropic's Economic Index report published in March, Claude usage in South Korea runs at about 3.5 times the level expected for its population size, with particularly strong adoption in technology and creative sectors. Domestic users already include legal tech startup Law&Company, which has built a Claude-powered legal assistant, and SK Telecom, which has deployed the model in customer service operations. Anthropic enters a Korean market where global rivals have moved quickly. OpenAI launched its Korean subsidiary in May 2025 and formally opened a Seoul office last September, naming former Google Korea chief Kim Kyoung-hoon as country manager — its third Asian base after Tokyo and Singapore. Google has been pushing its Gemini models in Korea through existing Google Cloud and Android channels, including a high-profile partnership with Samsung Electronics that has embedded Gemini in flagship Galaxy devices and the Ballie home robot. The rush reflects South Korea's strategic weight in the global AI value chain. The country dominates high-bandwidth memory chip production through Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — critical inputs for AI training infrastructure — and houses some of the world's heaviest enterprise AI adopters in semiconductors, automotive, shipbuilding and consumer electronics, giving foreign model developers both a supply base and a high-value customer pool to court. 2026-05-27 09:46:32

Korea's May business sentiment rebounds sharply as fears over external shocks ease SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s business sentiment improved sharply in May as still-strong exports and a record-setting stock market outweighed lingering concerns over oil prices, exchange rates and Middle East tensions, data showed Wednesday. According to the Bank of Korea, the composite business sentiment index (CBSI) for all industries rose to 98.9 in May from 94.9 in April, marking a 4.0-point increase and the highest level in nearly two years. While the index remained just below the benchmark level of 100, the latest reading suggested that corporate sentiment was approaching its long-term average. The rebound followed a turbulent spring in which businesses were rattled by the Middle East conflict, surging oil prices, fears over the Strait of Hormuz and a sharp weakening of the Korean won. In March, corporate sentiment deteriorated as companies grappled with soaring energy costs, logistics disruptions and stagflation concerns tied to the Gulf conflict. April then saw a partial rebound, though much of that improvement stemmed from falling inventories rather than a genuine recovery in demand. The latest data suggest May marked a shift away from that inventory-driven rebound toward broader-based improvement in actual business conditions. Manufacturing CBSI rose to 100.8 in May from 99.1 in April, turning positive for the first time this year, while non-manufacturing CBSI jumped to 97.5 from 92.1. Service-sector sentiment also rebounded sharply to 97.3 from 92.9. Unlike April, when falling inventories accounted for a large share of the improvement in manufacturing sentiment, May’s rebound was driven primarily by business conditions and funding environments. The BOK said manufacturing sentiment was lifted mainly by business conditions, which contributed 1.4 points, and funding conditions, which added 1.3 points. Product inventories, by contrast, exerted a negative contribution of 1.8 points. The shift was significant because April’s rebound had relied heavily on inventory effects, raising concerns that headline improvements overstated the actual state of demand. Underlying manufacturing indicators also strengthened in May. The manufacturing business conditions BSI rose to 80 from 74, while sales climbed to 93 from 87. Production increased to 90 from 88, and new orders rose to 87 from 85. Profitability and funding conditions also recovered after weakening sharply in April. Manufacturers’ profitability BSI rose to 74 from 68, while funding conditions improved to 79 from 76. Cost pressures, while still elevated, showed tentative signs of easing. Manufacturers’ raw material purchase price BSI fell to 143 from 149 the previous month, while the product selling price BSI rose further to 112 from 110, suggesting some firms were beginning to pass higher costs on to customers after months of margin compression. The rebound was even more pronounced in the non-manufacturing sector. The non-manufacturing CBSI rose 5.4 points, driven by gains in profitability, sales and business conditions. Transportation and storage firms posted especially strong improvements, with their business conditions BSI jumping to 84 from 67, while accommodation businesses rose to 85 from 72. Exporters continued to outperform domestic-oriented firms, though the gap narrowed somewhat as domestic businesses also improved. Exporters’ CBSI rose to 105.3 from 103.4, while domestic-oriented firms climbed to 98.4 from 96.4. Large firms improved to 103.4, but small and medium-sized enterprises edged down slightly to 96.2, underscoring that the recovery remained uneven across company sizes. The latest survey also indicated that some of the acute fears surrounding exchange rates and geopolitical uncertainty seen earlier this spring had begun to ease. Lee Heung-hoo, head of the BOK’s economic sentiment survey team, said the improvement was driven by robust IT exports in manufacturing and improving conditions in wholesale and warehousing-related businesses despite the prolonged Iran conflict. “Media reports earlier this month regarding possible negotiations involving Iran appeared to raise expectations for a de-escalation of the conflict,” Lee said. “That likely affected responses related to exchange rates and rising raw material prices.” Among manufacturers, the share of firms citing exchange rates as their biggest management difficulty fell to 5.0 percent in May from 6.5 percent in April, while the share citing uncertain economic conditions dropped to 17.7 percent from 19.3 percent. The proportion citing rising raw material prices also eased slightly to 32.8 percent from 34.2 percent. Instead, concerns over weak domestic demand became more prominent. The share of manufacturers citing sluggish domestic demand rose to 15.5 percent from 13.8 percent, while among non-manufacturers the corresponding figure increased to 17.0 percent from 16.7 percent. The data suggest businesses are gradually shifting their focus away from external shocks such as oil prices and exchange rates toward more structural concerns surrounding domestic consumption and demand recovery. The economic sentiment index (ESI), which combines corporate and consumer sentiment, rose sharply to 97.5 in May from 91.7 in April. However, its cyclical component remained unchanged at 95.2, indicating that the broader economic recovery has yet to establish a sustained upward trend. Companies also became more optimistic about the near-term outlook. The June all-industry CBSI outlook rose to 97.6 from 93.9, while manufacturing and non-manufacturing outlooks climbed to 100.3 and 95.9, respectively. 2026-05-27 09:00:53