South Korea joins France-led defense chiefs talks on Hormuz SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - South Korea joined a France-led meeting of chiefs of defense from 35 countries Thursday to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said. France’s Ministry of Armed Forces said the video conference was chaired by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Fabien Mandon and brought together military leaders from countries interested in contributing to maritime security in the strategic waterway. “The meeting provided an opportunity to gather the positions of nations willing to participate in joint efforts to contribute to safe maritime navigation in this strategic region,” the ministry said in a statement. French officials emphasized that the meeting was unrelated to ongoing military operations in the region and described it as “purely defensive in nature.” The discussions focused on organizing the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities subsided. South Korea was represented by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Jin Yong-sung, according to the South Korean military. A military official said the meeting served as an opportunity to exchange views and build a basic consensus on the Hormuz situation, adding that no decisions were made regarding specific military contributions. “The defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will closely monitor international developments related to the Strait of Hormuz and continue communication for joint efforts,” the official said. “In coordination with relevant ministries, the government will carefully review possible response measures.” Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump requested allied nations in Europe and Asia, including France, to dispatch naval vessels to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blockaded. However, most allies have declined the request, citing concerns about becoming entangled in the conflict. Many countries have indicated they would only consider escort missions after a ceasefire is reached. British media recently reported that the United Kingdom and France are exploring multinational efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the multinational chiefs of defense meeting led by France appears to be part of such preparatory efforts. Separately, France’s navy chief also held discussions with naval leaders from several countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India and Japan, regarding the Middle East situation, French officials said. 2026-03-27 14:20:39

Why the Name ‘Grace’ Matters in ‘Project Hail Mary’ In 'Project Hail Mary,' Ryan Gosling’s character, Grace, can look at first like a familiar genius archetype. After waking in deep space, he calculates gravity and speed and reasons that he is no longer in the solar system. Instead of collapsing into fear, he observes, forms hypotheses and tests them. He responds to panic with experiments. The film’s interest, however, is that it does not treat him as a simple hero or a one-note prodigy. Grace is tasked with saving the world, yet he is also an ordinary person with an ordinary routine. He is content teaching children, rides a bicycle to and from work, and lives within his own small comfort. He has no grand ambition to remake society and no outsized hunger for fame. He fits daily life more than sweeping history. Grace is not cold. He is the kind of person who can offer a brief prayer for someone he never knew. The issue is not indifference but distance: he has goodwill without deep ties, compassion without entanglement. He does not hate people; he is practiced at keeping them at arm’s length. That is why he cannot immediately step forward for a mission that carries humanity’s fate. Calling it cowardice only partly captures it. He is afraid and does not want to die, and he is not trained to throw himself into a heroic narrative. More fundamentally, “humanity” is too large and abstract for him. He can understand the argument that it must be saved, but that does not automatically translate into a reason to give up his life. He refuses space not because he is uniquely selfish, but because he is recognizably human. What runs through his psychology is scientific thinking. A scene in which Grace tests falling objects to understand his surroundings underscores science as more than knowledge — it is experiment, failure and repeated challenge. Even in extreme conditions, he does not linger in self-pity. He accepts what is in front of him and looks for the next task. For Grace, science is not only a professional skill but a way to endure fear: he measures instead of breaking down, and he divides problems instead of surrendering to despair. The film deepens when it shows that even Grace is not completed by science alone. What ultimately changes him is not calculation but relationship — Rocky. After meeting Rocky, Grace learns for the first time how to survive with someone else. The bond moves beyond the fact that they are different species. They supply what the other lacks: scientist and engineer, thinking and execution, explanation and making, language and sensation. Together they solve problems neither could handle alone, turning friendship into a metaphor for cooperation on a cosmic scale. The emotional shift matters most. Through Rocky, Grace first feels that he can be essential to someone. He also realizes he cannot endure without Rocky. That is why a celebration scene lands: a laptop filled with human knowledge, a knitted pouch shaped like Earth, the line “Remember me,” and the reply, “You gave me everything.” What is exchanged is not just objects, but time that eased loneliness, a reason to keep living, and the arrival of someone who understands. From there, Grace’s choices change. If he initially hesitated to risk his life for humanity, later he turns back for Rocky. The shift may seem paradoxical, but it is familiar: people often change more in front of a specific face than for an abstract cause. There are moments when “one friend” becomes a stronger ethical motive than “billions of people.” Through Rocky, Grace learns even how to love humanity — not as a starting point, but as something reached through a single relationship. That is why Grace differs from a conventional hero. He is not noble from the beginning. He wants to run, hesitates, feels fear and prioritizes his own safety. The character becomes credible not because he is perfect, but because he moves forward while still incomplete. The name “Grace” is pointed. Read symbolically, he is less a person born with heroic qualities than someone who changes through what he gives and receives in relationships. To Rocky, he is salvation, and Rocky becomes the same for him. Grace is not a figure who saves others in one direction; he is completed within a bond that keeps both alive. In the end, what sets 'Project Hail Mary' apart is that it places a deeply human question inside the scale of space and science. As critic Lee Dong-jin has said, it is both the story of an exceptional astronaut and an SF projection of problems everyone faces: loneliness, avoidance of responsibility, fear, the need for connection, and the willingness to change for someone else. Grace is a scientist solving problems in space, but also a person becoming larger through meeting another. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-27 14:12:20

Doosan E&C We’ve Golf Team Expands to Eight Players for 2026 KLPGA Season Doosan Engineering & Construction said its We've golf team has completed preparations for the 2026 season with an expanded eight-player roster. The company said the team posted its best results since its launch last season on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. Starting with Park Hye-jun, Kim Min-sol (two wins) and Lee Yul-lin won titles in sequence, giving the club a combined four victories. Doosan E&C finished third in the 2025 KLPGA club wins standings, the company said. For the new season, Doosan E&C strengthened its lineup by signing rookie Lee Se-young, described as a long-hitting player. The roster now includes Im Hee-jung, Park Gyeol, Yoo Hyun-joo, Yoo Hyo-joo, Kim Min-sol, Lee Yul-lin, Park Hye-jun and Lee Se-young. On March 20, all eight players gathered for their first official schedule at a studio in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul's Gangnam district, for a profile photo shoot. Wearing team uniforms, they took group photos and individual shots in various concepts, the company said. After the shoot, Lee Yul-lin said, "I always come to profile shoots feeling happy and excited," adding, "It was fun because we could see each other in a different, interesting way than when we're training." Park Gyeol said, "Every time we do a profile shoot once a year, I really feel we're one team," and added, "Since we've done it together several times, we work well together and the shoot went faster." Lee Se-young, entering her debut season, said, "No matter the situation, I want to stay steady and show my own bold style of play," adding, "Last year, all the older players who newly joined the team won. I will also challenge for a win." Im Hee-jung said she aims to carry over her strong form from the second half of last year and contend for victories early in the season. Kim Min-sol, who won multiple times last year, said, "Whenever someone on the team wins, our group chat goes crazy," adding, "I hope we have even more to celebrate this year." Park Hye-jun, the team's first winner, said her victory and strong second-half results last year boosted her confidence. "This year, personally, I want to win multiple times," she said. "I hope our team does well together and reaches No. 1 in club wins, too." A Doosan E&C official said the photo shoot offered an early look at the teamwork the eight players will build this season. The official pledged that, through the company's "one team" culture and support, the players will encourage one another and create synergy in the 2026 season.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-27 14:09:00

Volvik Names Jang Seok-heon as CEO Volvik said Friday it has officially appointed Jang Seok-heon as its new CEO, following a board meeting held March 26. Jang, born in 1970, graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in international economics. He has served as chief financial officer at Long-Term Credit Bank, Korea Technology Investment Corp. (KTIC), Coamagic and Hyundai Rental Service, building expertise across finance and overall management. Since April 2023, he has led Volvik’s overall management, overseeing company operations. Volvik said the appointment reflected a comprehensive review of leadership, global capability and management expertise needed to drive sustained growth and management innovation. “Volvik is a homegrown golf brand that represents South Korea, and we will strengthen our competitiveness in global markets based on the standing we have built at home,” Jang said. “We will establish a sound management culture and achieve sustainable growth built on trust and innovation.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-27 13:03:00

Asian stocks fall as geopolitical tensions rise and tech shares weaken SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) — The Seoul bourse led broad losses across Asia as the toll from the Middle East crisis weighed heavily on the region, largely dependent on energy and commodities, with the critical transit Strait of Hormuz remaining crippled for a month. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.61 percent to 52,738.55 in morning trade, as selling pressure mounted on concerns over a possible deployment of U.S. ground troops. Expectations for ceasefire negotiations also weakened following continued pressure on Iran from U.S. President Donald Trump. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.35 percent to 24,768.66, China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.22 percent to 3,880.44, and Taiwan’s TAIEX dropped 1.54 percent to 32,825.21. The retreat was sharper in Korean markets, reflecting the heavy weight of chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Samsung Electronics fell 4.39 percent to 172,200 won, while SK hynix dropped 5.47 percent to 882,000 won in morning trade. The weakness followed concerns over Google’s newly unveiled “TurboQuant” algorithm, which is expected to significantly improve data efficiency and potentially reduce memory demand for artificial intelligence workloads. The technology, which compresses data to roughly one-sixth of its original size, is seen as easing memory bottlenecks in large-scale AI models, raising doubts over the long-held equation that AI demand directly translates into memory demand. The benchmark KOSPI fell 2.79 percent to 5,308.24, while the KOSDAQ dropped 1.02 percent to 1,125.03 as of 11:00 a.m. Broader market pressure was compounded by rising oil prices as hopes for a near-term resolution between the United States and Iran faded. Brent crude futures for May delivery rose 5.66 percent to $108.01 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate gained 4.61 percent to $94.48. Overnight, U.S. stocks closed sharply lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.01 percent, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.74 percent and 2.38 percent, respectively. The Nasdaq entered correction territory, falling more than 10 percent from its recent peak, led by declines in major chip stocks including Nvidia, SanDisk and Micron Technology. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index plunged 4.79 percent. Across sectors, declines were broad-based. Autos and batteries fell, with Hyundai Motor down 4.34 percent to 468,750 won, Kia slipping 3.17 percent to 149,800 won, and LG Energy Solution losing 4.16 percent to 368,500 won. Samsung SDI dropped 4.41 percent to 379,000 won. Defense and heavy industry stocks also declined, as Hanwha Aerospace fell 4.53 percent to 1,307,000 won, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries lost 5.68 percent to 482,000 won, and HD Hyundai Electric slid 7.67 percent to 891,000 won. In chemicals and industrials, SK Square dropped 5.02 percent to 530,000 won, while Doosan Enerbility fell 5.45 percent to 95,400 won. Financials traded lower, with KB Financial down 2.50 percent to 148,400 won, Samsung Life Insurance slipping 2.25 percent to 217,000 won, Mirae Asset Securities falling 3.83 percent to 62,800 won, and Shinhan Financial declining 3.00 percent to 90,600 won. Samsung Biologics fell 2.33 percent to 1,548,000 won, Samsung C&T dropped 6.47 percent to 260,000 won, Hanwha Ocean declined 6.21 percent to 117,900 won, Hyundai Mobis slipped 1.38 percent to 393,000 won, and Naver edged down 1.89 percent to 207,500 won. The won stayed above the 1,500 level for a third straight session as U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks stalled, hovering at 1,509.20 per dollar from a previous close of 1,507.0. 2026-03-27 11:35:49

Hyundai Rotem unveils prototype of modified battle tank for Middle East exports SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean manufacturer specializing in railway vehicles, said Friday that it unveiled a newly modified prototype of South Korea's main battle tank to the public for the first time the previous day. The modified K2 tank, developed by Hyundai Rotem and its partners with the aim of exporting mainly to Middle Eastern countries, was unveiled at the manufacturer's plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, during an event attended by military and defense officials including those from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), which oversees the project. Designed to endure the extreme heat of the mostly arid desert region, it is built to carry out missions reliably in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius. Hyundai Rotem, which took on the project to modify and upgrade the tank in 2024, has sought to equip it with about 90 percent domestic parts. It was made possible after an amendment to relevant regulations was passed by the National Assembly in July last year, allowing defense firms to produce or possess defense equipment for research, development, or promotional purposes. "Amid rapidly changing global security environments, the achievements made through the K2 tank will help further strengthen the country's global competitiveness in defense weapons," said Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae. 2026-03-27 11:26:05

CRAVITY’s Hyeongjun to Star in Interactive Short-Form Drama ‘Kill the Romeo’ on KITS CRAVITY’s Hyeongjun is set to show a new side as an actor in a first-person interactive short-form drama, built around viewer choices that determine his fate. Global K-pop short-form platform KITS said on the 27th it will exclusively release the interactive series “Kill the Romeo” starring Hyeongjun at 1 p.m. “Kill the Romeo” is an interactive, multi-ending romantic comedy in which the protagonist — “you” — lives a double life: a killer by trade and a devoted fan by persona. The story begins when your next target is named as your favorite idol, Hyeongjun. A newly released main poster heightens the premise with an on-screen prompt from the viewer’s perspective: “Do you want to eliminate the target?” The series uses the FMV (Full Motion Video) format, letting viewers choose options that drive the plot. Depending on whether the viewer carries out the mission to eliminate Hyeongjun or protects him out of fandom, the ending changes. Viewers can also collect Hyeongjun digital photo cards as the story unfolds. After a shared storyline, the drama branches at four decision points, leading to four endings: two versions of a happy ending, a bittersweet ending and a bad ending. Reaching one ending takes about 45 minutes, while seeing all outcomes takes about 90 minutes. The project marks Hyeongjun’s first lead role in a drama. Despite filming in a setup that required direct, one-on-one eye contact with the camera, he handled a wide emotional range spanning comedy, romance and action, earning positive feedback on set, according to the release. It also said he created choreography himself for a dance scene. KITS, which recently released “Wind Up” starring NCT’s Jeno and Jaemin and “Jumpboy LIVE” starring VERIVERY’s Kangmin, said it plans to further strengthen its interactive content lineup with “Kill the Romeo.” All episodes of “Kill the Romeo” will be released exclusively on KITS at 1 p.m. on the 27th. Episodes 1 through 6 will be available for free, with later episodes accessible via membership or paid purchase. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-27 11:09:20

AI beginning to crowd out young Koreans from elite professions SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) – Jenny Kim, 23, a senior at Yonsei University, had thought finding a job would be secure once she entered a top Seoul university majoring in engineering, but many of her peers are now despondent. “There may not be much left to do in computer engineering,” she said, as artificial intelligence has already replaced much of the entry-level back-office corporate work. Sophomore Kim S.H., studying structural engineering, also said he and his peers are increasingly exploring career paths unrelated to their majors as the field is rapidly being reshaped by AI. College graduates in Korea now vie against AI in an already tight job market, with the average time to land a first job stretching to nearly nine months — the longest in 20 years, according to a recent survey as of May 2025. Even degrees from top universities or STEM majors no longer guarantee employment. “Many returning from military service delay graduation as long as possible to buy time to apply for jobs,” said J.W. Park, 29, a Yonsei graduate who landed a job 18 months after submitting nearly 100 applications. The employment ratio of Yonsei University graduates fell to 46.6 percent last year from 51 percent in 2024. AI is now cutting into hiring across South Korea’s traditionally secure professions, with entry-level roles shrinking in law, accounting and technology — forcing young graduates to compete not only with each other, but increasingly with machines. The strain is already visible in the labor market. Employment among those aged 25 to 29 fell to 2.346 million in February, the lowest for the month since 2017, while the employment rate slipped to 70.4 percent. Youth unemployment rose to 7.1 percent, with underemployment reaching 17.4 percent, the highest February level in three years. Losses have been concentrated in white-collar sectors. Employment in information and communications fell by 52,000 — the steepest drop since 2014 — while professional, scientific and technical services, including legal and accounting, declined by 29,000. Studies point to AI as a key driver. The Korea Employment Information Service found white-collar jobs more exposed to AI-driven displacement, identifying lawyers, accountants and journalists among the most at risk. A Bank of Korea report showed that of 211,000 youth jobs lost between July 2022 and July 2025, about 208,000 were in highly AI-exposed sectors such as programming. “AI can relatively easily replace routine tasks typically performed by less-experienced workers,” the central bank said. That shift is most visible at the bottom of the hiring ladder. “We received around 120 applications for just two positions,” said Rhee Jay Jun, managing director at Young & Jin Tax Consulting Corp. “Whether they stay depends on how well they can filter out AI errors,” he added, noting that junior roles are shifting from execution to verification. The pressure is compounded by a bottleneck in certification. Of 12,263 candidates who sat for this year’s CPA preliminary exam, only around 1,200 are expected to pass, and even fewer will secure the mandatory training positions required to qualify fully. Yet even as AI displaces routine work, its limits remain clear. In one tax appeal involving hundreds of billions of won, an AI system cited a non-existent Supreme Court ruling — a so-called “hallucination” — nearly leading to a flawed argument. “We have to fact-check everything again,” Rhee said. A similar tension is playing out in the legal sector, where AI is lowering barriers while intensifying competition. Nearly 90 percent of civil first-instance cases in 2024 involved at least one self-represented party, according to the Supreme Court of Korea, with generative AI increasingly used to draft complaints and briefs. At the same time, the number of registered lawyers has surged to 38,123, up 76 percent from 2016. “Giving the same materials to a junior associate and to Gemini, Gemini often does a better job,” said Kim Woong, managing partner at Namdang Law Firm. But within the legal profession, views diverge on how far AI will reshape hiring. Ko Eunyoung, a lawyer at Barun Law, said AI cannot replicate “practical experience” and “judgment,” stressing that strategic decision-making in complex cases remains firmly within the domain of human lawyers. She noted that large firms are better positioned to continue hiring. “Hiring a few junior lawyers is less financially burdensome for bigger firms,” she said, allowing them to maintain recruitment even as smaller firms scale back. Ko emphasized that legal work requires judgment at every stage of a case. While AI can assist with document review and analyzing opposing arguments, overall case management still depends on human experience, strategy and real-time decision-making. She also warned of longer-term risks. Reduced hiring at the junior level could weaken the profession’s pipeline, leaving fewer lawyers able to develop into mid-level practitioners. Academic experts share a similar view. “Because law is as much about persuasion and judgment as it is about raw information review and analysis, I am confident that it will survive this technological change,” said Brendan Ballou-Kelley of Stanford Law School, a former U.S. federal prosecutor. He cautioned, however, that AI remains less reliable in drafting briefs and should not replace judicial reasoning. Mark A. Lemley of Stanford Law School said AI adoption in U.S. legal practice has already expanded rapidly, with litigators using it to draft briefs and corporate lawyers to prepare contracts. But he warned of growing risks tied to AI errors. “We have seen over 800 cases in which lawyers have been caught filing briefs that use hallucinated citations,” he said. Experts say the broader question is no longer whether AI will reshape jobs — but how far it will go. Some warn that rapid AI adoption could deepen inequality and trigger economic disruption, as gains concentrate among those who control capital and technology, while others point to risks of overinvestment and asset bubbles. For young professionals in Korea, however, the disruption is already here and for jobseekers, the real task would be not just beating other candidates, but avoiding areas machines can do better. Business-major 21-year-old Gonhee says she would settle for any big-company job that won't be affected by AI. 2026-03-27 11:00:20

Foreign attendees account for 25% at BTS comeback show in Seoul SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - About one in four attendees at BTS’ comeback performance in central Seoul on March 21 were foreign nationals, according to city data on Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimated that 75,927 people were present in the Gwanghwamun, Deoksugung and City Hall station areas between 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) and 9 p.m. during the concert, including 19,170 foreign nationals, or roughly 25 percent. By nationality, Thai nationals made up the largest group at 1,740, followed by Vietnamese (1,184), Indians (1,126) and Japanese (1,098). Among foreign nationals, long-term residents, defined as those staying in Korea for over 91 days, accounted for 13,889 people, outnumbering short-term visitors at 5,281. The figures were derived from the city’s "Living Population" dataset, which estimates the number of people in a given area using aggregated mobile network data in 250-square-meter units, combined with immigration records to assess the scale and nationality of foreign residents and visitors. Separate estimates from the city’s real-time urban data platform placed the number of people in the area at between 46,000 and 48,000 at around 8:30 p.m. on the day of the event. The real-time figures exclude foreign visitors not using roaming services and are therefore less comprehensive than the delayed living population dataset. 2026-03-27 10:58:50

Joint team unlocks engine of water anomalies as supercooled mystery dissolves SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Water remains the only liquid on Earth that grows lighter as it freezes, a strange physical defiance that prevents the planet’s oceans and lakes from freezing into solid blocks of ice. By capturing the elusive liquid-liquid critical point of supercooled water, a joint research effort has finally explained the 4-degree density anomaly that has served as a biological necessity for life for millennia. The discovery provides the first experimental proof that water fluctuates between two distinct liquid states, effectively solving a thirty-year mystery that had split the scientific community. This breakthrough represents a fundamental shift in molecular physics, opening a new door for research into everything from climate patterns to the preservation of biological tissues and the fundamental stability of proteins. Ministry of Science and ICT said Friday that the results, published in the journal Science, were the product of a decade-long partnership between a team led by Kim Kyung-hwan at the Pohang University of Science and Technology and a team led by Anders Nilsson at Stockholm University. To reach this conclusion, the researchers had to peer into "No Man's Land," a temperature range between minus 40 and minus 70 degrees Celsius where water was long considered unobservable. In this extreme environment, water typically crystallizes into ice so rapidly that its liquid properties vanish in an instant. The joint team utilized the fourth-generation X-ray Free Electron Laser at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory to bypass this barrier. The facility generates light billions of times brighter than the sun, allowing the researchers to capture molecular movement in a millionth of a second. By spraying microscopic droplets into a vacuum and using a laser to melt ice into liquid for a fleeting moment, the team pinpointed the critical point near minus 60 degrees Celsius. This is the exact coordinate where the distinction between high-density and low-density liquid phases vanishes. The existence of these two phases explains why water reaches its heaviest state at 4 degrees Celsius before expanding, a quirk that ensures ice floats and warmer water remains at the bottom to shelter aquatic ecosystems. "When temperature reaches minus 45 degrees, water freezes faster than any available measurement method could previously track," Kim Kyung-hwan said during a briefing at the ministry in Sejong. "This has been called 'No Man's Land' because it was considered experimentally inaccessible. We have challenged this for ten years with persistence, and currently, our team is the only one in the world capable of measuring this region," the professor added. The roadmap to the announcement began in 2017 when the researchers first proved they could measure unfrozen water below the freezing threshold. In 2020, the team confirmed that two different liquid phases coexist at minus 70 degrees. While the findings provide a definitive answer to a historical mystery, the work serves as a starting point for further precision in how Seoul and international partners map the most essential substance in the universe. The current data carries a margin of error of 8 degrees, which the researchers intend to refine in a new round of experiments scheduled for May at the facility. Yu Sun-ju, the first author of the study and a doctoral candidate at the university, noted that achieving something never done before was incredibly difficult. "I realized how incredibly difficult it is to achieve something no one else has done," the researcher said. The experimental results provide the necessary evidence to settle the debate over the liquid-liquid critical point of water. 2026-03-27 10:35:24