Samsung Executives Call for Unconditional Dialogue Amid Strike Threat Samsung Electronics executives, including Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun and President Roh Tae-moon, have reiterated their call for 'unconditional dialogue' with the union amid indications that the union may proceed with a general strike. In an official statement titled 'We Apologize to the Public,' the executives acknowledged, "We have caused significant burden and concern to the public and the government due to labor-management issues at Samsung Electronics," adding, "As our achievements grow, the expectations from society for Samsung have become stricter and greater, which we have failed to adequately address." The executives expressed a deep sense of responsibility for the current situation, stating, "We feel a heavy responsibility for how things have come to this point. We sincerely apologize." They urged the union to resume dialogue, emphasizing, "We consider the union as part of our family and a community of shared destiny, and we will approach discussions with an open mind. We again request the union to engage in dialogue promptly, keeping in mind the concerns of the public and the national economy." Additionally, Samsung highlighted its commitment to resolving internal issues amicably and strengthening its core competitiveness. The executives noted, "We are in an era of infinite competition where the global business environment is rapidly changing, and we cannot afford to waste time on internal problems. It is time for labor and management to unite and secure business competitiveness through continuous technological innovation and bold investments for the future." They further stressed the importance of maintaining operations in the semiconductor industry, stating, "Unlike other industries, semiconductors require continuous 24-hour operations, and strikes should not occur. Failing to meet our commitments to customers would result in a complete loss of trust." The executives pledged to collaborate on addressing the current economic situation and the long-term future of South Korea, promising, "We will become a steadfast pillar of the national economy through sound management, continuous technological innovation, and bold future investments." The statement was signed by all members of the executive team, including Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun, President Roh Tae-moon, and other executives such as Kim Soo-mok, Kim Yong-kwan, Kim Woo-jun, Kim Won-kyung, Nam Seok-woo, Mauro Porcini, Park Seung-hee, Park Yong-in, Park Hong-geun, Baek Soo-hyun, Song Jae-hyuk, Yong Seok-woo, Yoon Jang-hyun, Lee Won-jin, Choi Won-jun, and Han Jin-man. 2026-05-15 14:10:41

Korea and India in One Frame: Bridging a translation gap SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) -The meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on April 20 was amicable, but slow. The words of both leaders traveled through English first then into Hindi because the Korean entourage lacked a translator who spoke Hindi. Technically, communication occurred. But something was lost in that detour, and everyone in the room knew it. Back at home, Lee complained out loud. At a cabinet meeting on April 28, he rebuked Foreign Minister Cho Hyun directly: find a way, he said, to make sure this never happens again. Train someone. Grow one. It is absurd, he argued, to navigate a country of 1.4 billion people through double translation. The rebuke was warranted. But the problem it exposed runs deeper than a staffing gap in the foreign ministry. Korea and India are not strangers by any reasonable measure. They share a continent. They share the memory of colonial humiliation and the hard-won pride of recovery. They share booming trade figures, growing diplomatic ties, and — increasingly — the attention of the same geopolitical moment. And yet, for decades, India has occupied a curious blind spot in the Korean imagination: present in the abstract, absent in the particular. A civilization of 1.47 billion people, reduced in popular consciousness to a handful of images. The interpreter was missing because, for a long time, the genuine curiosity was too. Language is a measure of intent. The languages a nation chooses to learn are a record of where it has decided to look. By that measure, India has long sat outside Korea's field of vision. Not out of hostility — out of something perhaps more consequential: indifference dressed as familiarity. This is what made the response to this year's Korea-India Essay and AI Video and cohosted by the Indian Cultural Centre and the Embassy of India in Seoul and Aju Press (AJP). Over 550 people answered to our call. They were students, writers, and ordinary citizens who had decided, for reasons of their own, to look. What they saw was worth recording. Sonali Ray, whose essay One Frame, Two Worlds took the top prize, wrote about kimchi and Indian achar — not as the same food, but as the same idea. Two cultures that understood, long before modern science confirmed it, that fermentation is philosophy: the patient transformation of humble ingredients into something alive and complex. She wrote about Korean pojangmacha and Indian dhabas operating on identical democratic principles — honest food, generous portions, a cook with opinions no critic could shake. She wrote about the way a Korean grandmother's doenjang jjigae and an Indian mother's dal speak the same grammar of love: slow-cooked, unpretentious, irreplaceable. These are not the observations of someone looking at a foreign country. They are the observations of someone recognizing a reflection. Kim Ji-young, who took the gold prize, arrived at India from a different direction — through language itself. In Hindi, she discovered, a single word carries two opposite meanings: kal means both yesterday and tomorrow. For a student of Hindi, it is an early lesson in grammar. For Kim, it became something else: a lens through which to examine a culture that refuses the false comfort of finality. She encountered this refusal everywhere — in the Indian professor who answered questions with a tilt of the head meaning perhaps, in the philosopher Sri Aurobindo's words that man is a transitional being, never complete, always becoming. She returned to Korea with a quieter mind and a more honest question: why are we so desperate to conclude? It is a question worth sitting with. Korea is a society that has, at remarkable speed, built extraordinary things. That speed has costs. Among them is a certain intolerance for ambiguity — a cultural impatience that manifests in everything from the pressure to declare one's MBTI type within minutes of meeting a stranger, to the fear that a classroom moment of genuine connection might constitute a legal liability. Kim's essay does not argue for India over Korea. It argues for what each might offer the other: that a civilization comfortable with kal — yesterday and tomorrow in a single breath — might have something to teach one that has forgotten how to wait. This is what cultural exchange looks like when it works. Not the exchange of tourist impressions, not the soft diplomacy of trade delegations, but the slow, unglamorous work of one person genuinely trying to understand how another civilization has organized its experience of being human. The awards ceremony takes place tomorrow, May 16th, at Yeouido Hangang Park, alongside India Day festivities that will fill the riverbank with color, music, and the specific warmth of two cultures meeting in the open air. It is, by any measure, a small event. It will not produce a Hindi interpreter overnight. It will not, by itself, close the distance that an empty chair at a translation table exposed. But 550 people looked toward India this year and found, in that looking, something that surprised them. A word that contains its own opposite. A pickle that is not the same pickle but the same wisdom. A civilization that has been there all along, patient as fermentation, waiting to be seen whole. The summit will happen again. Next time, perhaps, the words will travel direct. 2026-05-15 14:09:47

Nobel Laureate Peter Howitt: Education, Finance, and Welfare Must Adapt to AI Era Peter Howitt, a Nobel laureate in economics and professor at Brown University, emphasized that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally transform not only industries but also education, social safety nets, and financial systems. He urged South Korea to undertake a comprehensive redesign of its economic framework. The Korea Development Institute (KDI) and the Economic and Social Research Institute hosted a conference on May 15 at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, where Howitt delivered a keynote address on innovative growth strategies for the South Korean economy in the AI era. Howitt diagnosed that the South Korean economy faces multiple challenges, including the spread of AI, rising protectionism, demographic changes, and the transition from follower to leading growth. He defined AI as a “General Purpose Technology,” akin to electricity, electric vehicles, and personal computers, indicating that it is a technology that can reshape the entire economic structure rather than being confined to specific industries. “General Purpose Technologies tend to go through initial disruption and prolonged adjustment periods before their productivity-enhancing effects spread across industries,” Howitt said. “To reap future benefits, all countries need to actively embrace this technology.” He stressed the necessity for a comprehensive institutional redesign that encompasses education systems, social safety nets, and the stability of financial systems to respond to the spread of AI. He also highlighted the importance of collaborative industrial policies among government, businesses, and academia. Howitt underscored the need to maintain an open economic system despite the rise of protectionism. “International trade enhances competitive pressure and provides access to global markets and learning opportunities, which fosters innovation,” he said, suggesting that South Korea should seek new trade alliances while also strengthening its domestic market in response to declining demand from existing trading partners. Regarding the issue of population decline, he cautioned against excessive pessimism. “Population decline is not necessarily a constraint on growth, as some may fear,” he noted, adding that expanding selective immigration policies to attract talented individuals from abroad is a desirable direction. Howitt proposed establishing a “leading growth system” as a key objective for South Korea's economic strategy. He stated that for the economy to transition to leading growth, a more innovative corporate ecosystem is needed, emphasizing the importance of strengthening support for small and medium-sized enterprises, expanding antitrust policies, and creating a technology-friendly financial system. Concerns about the structural slowdown in the South Korean economy were prominently raised during the conference. Kim Se-jik, head of KDI, remarked, “It is time for a new growth strategy focused on ‘real growth’ rather than short-term economic responses,” referring to the trend of the economy experiencing a decline of 1 percentage point in growth rates every five years over the past three decades. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Ku Yun-cheol also emphasized in his congratulatory remarks the need for a shift from a follower-type economy to an innovation-driven transformation based on “creative destruction” to address external uncertainties such as the Middle East conflict and the structural issue of declining potential growth. 2026-05-15 14:05:29

Government to Announce Employment Stability Plan Amid Industrial Transition The South Korean government plans to unveil a basic employment stability plan during the first half of the year in response to growing concerns about job disruptions caused by industrial changes, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and carbon neutrality. This initiative aims to proactively address the potential for large-scale job shifts resulting from these transitions. On May 15, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a meeting at the Seoul Business Center to gather input from labor representatives, business leaders, and youth organizations. Since November of last year, the government has been working with expert forums to develop policies aimed at preventing job shocks and creating new employment opportunities stemming from industrial transitions. The urgency arises from the rapid spread of AI, digitalization in manufacturing, and the restructuring of green industries, which could destabilize existing sectors and labor markets. There is a growing awareness that while some jobs may quickly disappear during the transition, new roles may not be created in time to replace them. A notable example is the decline in jobs for workers at traditional power plants due to the shift toward renewable energy. Similarly, workers in the internal combustion engine vehicle sector face increasing pressure as the industry shifts to electric vehicles. As job restructuring pressures mount, concepts like 'just transition' are gaining traction in the United States and the European Union. These regions are strengthening policies to mitigate labor shocks resulting from industrial changes, and there are calls for South Korea to adopt a more systematic transition strategy. To this end, the government has been accumulating foundational data on the status of industrial transitions and their employment impacts through a first phase of forums held from November last year to March this year. The second phase, conducted in April and May, focused on five specialized areas: job outlook, employment safety nets, business support, vocational training, and social dialogue. During the recent meeting, reports prepared by the expert forum and review materials from the labor ministry were discussed. The government plans to announce the basic employment stability plan next month, following public discussions and feedback from an expert committee on employment stability during industrial transitions. Lim Young-mi, head of the Employment Policy Office, stated, "There is a gap between the speed of industrial transition and the readiness of the labor market. If we do not train the necessary talent in line with facility and equipment investments, successful transitions will be difficult." She added, "We will establish a robust support system in collaboration with relevant ministries to ensure that talented individuals can work in a timely manner throughout the entire cycle of industrial transition." She emphasized the need to strengthen measures to ensure that workers' jobs and livelihoods remain stable during the transition period while also seizing new opportunities.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 14:03:00

KOSPI Drops Over 4% After Briefly Surpassing 8000 Mark, Trading Curbs Activated The KOSPI index, which fluctuated around the 8000 mark throughout the week, briefly surpassed this threshold for the first time during trading but then plummeted by over 4% due to a surge in profit-taking sales. The index fell to the 7600 range, prompting the activation of a trading curb. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:30 PM, the KOSPI was trading at 7611.51, down 369.90 points (4.63%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 7951.75, down 29.66 points (0.37%) from the previous day but managed to rise above 8000 early in the session. However, a rapid increase in profit-taking sales, primarily from foreign investors, led to a swift decline. At approximately 1:28:49 PM, a trading curb was activated due to significant fluctuations in the KOSPI 200 futures index, halting program sell orders for five minutes. At the time of activation, the KOSPI 200 futures index was recorded at 1182.00, down 63.50 points (5.09%) from the previous day's close. This marks the first activation of a trading curb in the KOSPI market since April 2. Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, noted, "After surpassing 8000 points early in the session, the market turned downward as foreign selling increased. Following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would 'no longer tolerate' Iran, U.S. futures fell, leading to an expansion of declines in the Korean market." In the securities market, individual investors made a net purchase of 4.3927 trillion won to help defend the index. In contrast, foreign and institutional investors sold a net 4.1735 trillion won and 321.3 billion won, respectively, focusing on profit-taking. Most of the top market capitalization stocks declined, with the exception of Samsung Electro-Mechanics (0.20%). Samsung Electronics (-6.25%), SK Hynix (-5.74%), SK Square (-5.83%), Hyundai Motor (-1.40%), LG Energy Solution (-3.62%), Doosan Enerbility (-4.87%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-4.17%), and Samsung Biologics (-0.62%) all showed weakness. The KOSDAQ index also turned downward. At the same time, the KOSDAQ was recorded at 1145.25, down 45.84 points (3.85%) from the previous trading day. The index opened higher at 1197.23 but quickly reversed as investor sentiment deteriorated. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign investors were net buyers of 85.1 billion won, while individuals and institutions sold a net 25.8 billion won and 10.4 billion won, respectively. Top KOSDAQ stocks also experienced declines, including Alteogen (-3.64%), EcoPro BM (-6.22%), EcoPro (-6.61%), Rainbow Robotics (-2.50%), Kolon TissueGene (-2.19%), Samchundang Pharm (-3.58%), Rino Technology (-8.76%), Rigakem Bio (-1.38%), HLB (-1.50%), and ABL Bio (-4.46%).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:51:57

Kim Jong Un Takes Commemorative Photo with Participants of the 9th Workers' Federation Congress Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, took a commemorative photo with participants of the 9th Congress of the Korean General Federation of Trade Unions on May 14.According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on May 15, Kim urged the entire working class and union members to lead the changes of the era under the banner of the three revolutions and to drive the country toward the achievement of the new five-year goals.He emphasized that the significant transitional period ahead requires the unwavering leadership and extraordinary efforts of the working class, which is the main force of creation and construction. He stated, "It is the fundamental task facing the working class and union members at this stage of socialist construction to further elevate the spirit of self-reliance and self-sustenance across all areas of ideology, technology, and culture."Kim also congratulated the newly elected chairman and vice-chairmen of the 9th Central Committee of the Federation and acknowledged the contributions of union members.To commemorate the 9th Congress, the Federation held a performance titled "Forward with the Great Party!" featuring the Central Workers' Art Propaganda Troupe and grassroots propaganda workers at the Central Workers' Hall. The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Yong Sop, deputy director of the Party Central Committee, Ri Won Jong, chairman of the Federation's Central Committee, and other officials attended the performance, although it did not specify the date and location of the event. The 9th Congress of the Federation was held in Pyongyang from May 11 to 12.The Federation is considered one of North Korea's "four major labor organizations," alongside the Socialist Women's Union, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, and the Agricultural Workers' Union.These organizations serve to disseminate and implement the policies and lines determined by the Party, with mandatory membership for youth, women, workers, and farmers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:49:06

President Lee Emphasizes Innovation Growth in Meeting with Nobel Laureate Peter Howitt President Lee Jae-myung met with Peter Howitt, a professor at Brown University and last year's Nobel Prize winner in Economics, on May 15 at the Blue House. During the meeting, Lee credited Howitt's guidance through his former student, Chief Economic Advisor Ha Joon-kyung, for helping South Korea achieve the highest global growth rate in the first quarter of this year."Your mentorship has greatly benefited our national policies," Lee said, acknowledging Howitt's influence on Ha, who was advised by Howitt during his doctoral studies at Brown University in 2003.Lee noted that Ha is directly overseeing South Korea's economic growth strategy, emphasizing that the country is focusing on innovation-driven growth, as taught by Howitt.He also requested Howitt's insights on South Korea's economic growth strategy, adding, "I apologize for the delay, but congratulations on your Nobel Prize win."Howitt expressed gratitude for the meeting, mentioning that he had heard it was Teacher's Day in South Korea. He expressed joy in seeing Ha implement the teachings he provided.He remarked, "The large corporations that have driven South Korea's economic growth for decades are not resting on their laurels but are continuing to innovate at a high level. I found that South Korea's R&D spending is the second highest in the world relative to GDP."Howitt praised President Lee's support for startups and small businesses, calling them the key drivers of economic growth and highlighting the incentives and financial support being provided under Lee's leadership. He noted the importance of ensuring that the benefits of growth are distributed inclusively and that rational policies are established.He also commended the government's efforts to maintain a sound fiscal policy while minimizing deficits and effectively managing inflation targets.Howitt concluded by emphasizing that despite the current unstable and uncertain global environment, South Korea has achieved impressive results, stating, "While many countries face various headwinds, few have navigated these challenges as successfully as South Korea."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:46:26

Daewoo Engineering's CEO Visits Austria and Czech Republic to Enhance Nuclear Cooperation Daewoo Engineering has initiated extensive communication efforts with local communities to successfully advance new nuclear power projects in Europe. The company announced that CEO Kim Bohyun visited Austria and the Czech Republic from May 11 to 14 to assess collaboration frameworks for nuclear projects and engage in community development activities. On May 12, Kim met with key officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, where they discussed global trends in the nuclear power market and the status of small modular reactor (SMR) development. During the meeting, Daewoo Engineering emphasized its strong construction capabilities and project management skills in the South Korean nuclear industry, expressing a commitment to expand international collaboration opportunities starting with the Czech nuclear project. On May 13, Kim traveled to the Czech Republic, where he participated in a fire truck donation ceremony in the municipality of Náměšť nad Oslavou, near the planned nuclear site. This donation was initiated in response to the need for enhanced local firefighting infrastructure, with the specialized vehicle completed after approximately 14 months of production. The ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including Náměšť Mayor Jan Kotásek and Vysočina Region Governor Martin Kukla. Representatives from South Korea, including CEO Kim, Ambassador Hong Young-ki, and officials from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Doosan Enerbility, were also present, reinforcing the unity of 'Team Korea.' Following the donation ceremony, Kim held discussions in Prague with key figures from the Czech Ministry of Industry regarding practical cooperation measures. A Daewoo Engineering official stated, "This visit goes beyond mere sales efforts; it is a genuine initiative to gain the trust of local residents and municipalities. We aim to successfully lead the Czech nuclear project based on our accumulated construction capabilities and establish a foothold for entering the European market." Shin Dae-hyun, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, noted, "In the first quarter, overseas plant sites recorded high margins, resulting in profitability exceeding expectations. We anticipate securing the Czech Dukovany nuclear project in the second quarter, along with contracts for the Papua New Guinea LNG project throughout the year."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:40:03

Korea-India Cultural Contest Highlights Language Barriers and Understanding There was no Hindi interpreter present. In a meeting with a country of 1.5 billion people, South Korea could not provide a single person fluent in that language. Instead, a double interpretation through English conveyed the words of both leaders.During a Cabinet meeting on April 28, President Lee Jae-myung directly reprimanded Foreign Minister Park Jin. "We need to ensure that we can avoid double interpretation in the future by training at least one person in special education," he said.While the reprimand focused on the lack of personnel, it also highlighted a more uncomfortable reality. South Korea and India are both located on the Asian continent, share thousands of years of civilization, and have experienced colonial pain together. Despite having established diplomatic relations long ago and increasing trade each year, the two countries still feel distant from one another. The absence of a single interpreter was not a coincidence but a result of structural indifference.Language is a measure of interest. The languages we choose to learn reflect how seriously we regard those countries. By that standard, India has long been a low priority.To bridge this gap, the Indian Cultural Center in Korea, the Indian Embassy, and Aju Media collaborated to launch the '2026 Korea-India AI Video and Essay Contest,' which drew a passionate response from about 550 participants. The responses were remarkable.Sonali Ray, who won the essay grand prize, compared Seoul's Gwangjang Market with India's bazaars. She noted that while kimchi and achar (Indian pickles) are not the same food, they share a common philosophy. Both civilizations understood the wisdom of transforming simple ingredients into something complex and vibrant through fermentation and patience.Kim Ji-young, who won the gold prize, approached India from a different angle. His essay began with the observation that the Hindi words for 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow' are expressed with the same term, 'kal.' This led him to reflect on India's philosophy of rejecting definitive conclusions.Quoting independence activist Aurobindo, who said, "Humans are transitional beings and never complete," he quietly examined the impatience of modern Korean society, which often defines each other by four letters of the MBTI. In a country where yesterday is tomorrow and tomorrow is yesterday, he learned a life attitude of not rushing to conclusions.Ultimately, the two essays, though expressed in different languages, convey the same message: we have not known India well enough.Kim Dong-hee's AI video titled 'Together We Soar Higher,' which won the top prize in the video category, captured a similar sentiment in a different format. It showcased what could emerge when Korea's planning capabilities meet India's creative sensibilities in a rapidly changing digital environment.Double interpretation is a language issue. However, at a deeper level, it is a matter of understanding. The 550 participants took the opportunity to explore India through this contest. They researched Indian cuisine, read about Indian history, and pondered the meaning of a single Hindi word. Each of these actions, in a different way but no less significant, helped bridge the distance between the two countries.On May 16, an India Culture Day event will be held at Yeouido Hangang Park. Contest winners will stand on the podium that day. As the colors and sounds of India spread over the Han River, it may mark the first scene where the distance of double interpretation transforms into a bridge of bilingual understanding. In a country where yesterday and tomorrow are the same word, we are just beginning to greet that nation properly.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:26:10

Kumho Construction Reports 121 Billion Won Operating Profit in Q1, Up 112% Year-on-Year Kumho Construction has achieved a significant rebound in its financial performance for the first quarter of 2026 through improved profitability and solid management practices.In its quarterly report released on May 15, Kumho Construction announced that its consolidated revenue for the first quarter reached 453.4 billion won, with an operating profit of 12.1 billion won and a net profit of 10.8 billion won. While revenue saw a slight decline compared to the same period last year, operating profit surged by 112% from 5.7 billion won in the first quarter of the previous year, more than doubling. Net profit also saw a substantial increase, rising from 800 million won last year to 10.8 billion won this quarter.The reduction of risks associated with previously high-cost projects, which have now been completed, has contributed to this improvement, along with a greater focus on profitable new ventures.Kumho Construction is expanding its operations beyond public housing and private participation projects to include energy sectors such as LNG combined cycle power plants and electrical infrastructure projects, which are currently in high demand. Analysts attribute the rise in profit margins to a strict selective bidding strategy, enhanced site management, and efforts to reduce interest expenses.The stabilization of financial indicators is also noteworthy. With improved performance, the collection of receivables has become smoother, significantly increasing cash liquidity. As of the first quarter, cash and cash equivalents stood at 275.6 billion won, a 72% increase from 160.7 billion won at the end of last year.With the secured cash, the company is also reducing its debt levels. During the first quarter, Kumho Construction repaid approximately 26 billion won in borrowings, accelerating its financial structure improvement. Consequently, total borrowings decreased from 157.1 billion won at the end of last year to 131.1 billion won in the first quarter.A Kumho Construction official stated, "We are maintaining a management policy that strengthens both profitability and financial stability. We plan to continue our stable profit structure based on thorough cost management and a selective bidding strategy."Shin Dae-hyun, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, commented, "Kumho Construction is expected to continue its growth in size and profitability through the expansion of private participation projects. The government is planning to focus on public housing supply, and the increase in private participation project tenders this year is also a favorable factor. However, many private participation projects have experienced delays in commencement, so government action is needed to initiate these projects."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-15 13:22:01