KB Kookmin Bank, AIA Life Sign MOU to Expand Insurance Claim Rights Trust Services KB Kookmin Bank said March 5 that it signed a memorandum of understanding with AIA Life to promote insurance claim rights trusts and expand linked trust-and-insurance services. The signing ceremony was held March 4, attended by Yoo Shin-ok, head of AIA Life’s Customer Division, and Jeon Hyo-seong, deputy head of KB Kookmin Bank’s WM Customer Group, along with officials from both companies. An insurance claim rights trust allows a policyholder to place the right to claim death benefits into a trust while still alive and to design in advance how the proceeds will be managed and paid out after the insurer makes the payment. Unlike simply naming a beneficiary, the arrangement lets the policyholder set the purpose and payout method as needed. The companies said the agreement combines KB Kookmin Bank’s trust-based wealth management capabilities with AIA Life’s insurance expertise to support structured asset management and asset transfers. They said they plan to build a stable asset succession service reflecting customer demand, aimed at more predictable transfers. A KB Kookmin Bank official said the agreement creates conditions for customers’ insurance proceeds to be transferred more securely after death, adding that the bank will continue expanding financial services as a trusted wealth management partner. 2026-03-05 09:12:00

NH NongHyup Bank Partners With U.S. Real Estate Platform Koriny on Investment Advice NH NongHyup Bank said March 5 that it has signed a business agreement with Koriny, a U.S. real estate platform company, to cooperate on U.S. real estate investment advisory services. Under the agreement, the two sides plan to provide professional, reliable information to customers interested in investing in U.S. real estate and to identify a range of investment opportunities. Cooperation will include providing U.S. property listings and investment information, tailored advisory services for top clients, and seminars on U.S. real estate investing. The bank said seminars and advice based on local market information and investment trends will help customers build more systematic overseas real estate strategies. “This agreement is a strategic partnership to respond more precisely to customers’ global wealth-management needs,” Yoo said. “We will continue to expand differentiated investment advisory services, including global investments, and provide customers with a wider range of wealth-management solutions.” 2026-03-05 08:54:00

Air Premia to Increase Incheon-Narita Flights to 10 Weekly Starting March 29 Air Premia said Thursday it will add an afternoon service on its Incheon-to-Narita route, increasing frequency from seven flights a week to 10 starting March 29. The airline will also adjust its operating days. From March 29 to April 19, flights will operate on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. From April 20 to 26, service will run on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. From April 27, the schedule will be fixed to Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The flight will depart Incheon International Airport at 1:50 p.m. and arrive at Narita International Airport at 4:30 p.m. The return flight will leave Narita at 5:40 p.m. and arrive in Incheon at 8:25 p.m. Air Premia launched the Narita route in December 2022 with four weekly flights and has expanded service as demand grew: to five a week in 2023, six a week in 2025, and daily service in January 2026. With the latest increase, the route will operate 10 times a week. From its launch through the end of January this year, the airline operated 1,709 flights on the route and carried 513,412 passengers. The average load factor was 91.8%. To mark the expansion, Air Premia will offer a 10% discount promotion for the Narita route from March 5 to 12. The travel period runs from March 5 to Oct. 24. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:45:16

Hana Financial Partners With Crypto.com on Won Stablecoin Use in South Korea Hana Financial Group said it is building an early partnership around a won-denominated stablecoin and expanding cooperation with global digital-asset firms as it seeks to lead the digital-asset ecosystem. The group said Hana Card is working with an affiliate of Circle, the issuer of the global stablecoin USDC, and with global digital-asset operator Crypto.com to promote payment marketing in South Korea, drawing on the group’s global network. Hana Card will run a cashback event for foreign customers who hold a Crypto.com Visa card and either hold USDC or have a record of topping up USDC. When they pay at participating merchants in South Korea, Hana Card will return 5% of the purchase amount in Crypto.com’s native token, Cronos (CRO). Hana Financial said the effort is aimed at giving foreign customers experience with digital-asset payments and identifying new payment demand centered on major domestic merchants. A Hana Financial official said, “This project is a process of confirming the potential use of stablecoin-based payments and broadening the scope of cooperation with global digital-asset operators.” The official added, “Hana Financial Group will continue to pursue various use cases that consider the entire process from distribution to use after stablecoins are institutionalized.” Separately, Hana Financial said it is also expanding ties with global digital-asset firms, including preparing licensing for digital-asset custody services at BitGo Korea, a joint venture it established with BitGo, a global digital-asset custodian listed on the New York Stock Exchange.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:42:12

Oh Seung-hwan Says He Received About 1,000 Don of Gold as Rewards Oh Seung-hwan spoke about the gold he received as rewards during his baseball career. On MBC’s “Radio Star,” which aired on the 4th, Oh appeared with Lee Cheol-min, Jo Hyun-ah and Yang Sang-guk. Oh said the number 21 was meaningful to him, noting that he got married on the 21st by coincidence and played for 21 years. He said that when he retired, he received gifts tied to the number, including a 21-don gold padlock and a gold trophy. Oh added that when he set a record at age 47, he received a 470-don gold baseball, which he said is now worth more than 400 million won, compared with 30 million to 40 million won at the time. He also said he received a 400-don gold bar when he reached 400 saves. Asked by Yang how much gold he has in total, Oh said it was about 1,000 don, worth about 900 million won.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:39:23

Korea's FX reserves rise in Feb on debt issue amid war-time volatility SEOUL, Mar 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves increased for the first time in three months in February, helped by a $3 billion overseas debt issuance aimed at bolstering ammunition to stabilize the Korean won against major currencies. However, questions remain over how long the increase can be sustained, with the local currency hovering near crisis-era levels in the war aftermath. Foreign reserves rose $1.72 billion from the previous month to $427.67 billion as of end-February — the first increase since November — according to data released Thursday by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The BOK attributed the monthly rise to the successful issuance of foreign exchange stabilization bonds and subsequent investment gains from those funds. Earlier in the month, the central bank tapped global markets with a $3 billion bond issuance to strengthen its intervention capacity. The government issued the U.S. dollar-denominated bonds on Feb. 5, aiming to calm the exchange rate and respond to shifting market dynamics. FX reserves had been declining as authorities intervened to buttress the won, which weakened sharply against major currencies amid rapid capital outflows into U.S. securities. Korean financial authorities deployed a total of $4.7 billion — including $2.6 billion in December and $2.1 billion in January — primarily through a currency swap arrangement between the BOK and the National Pension Service. The currency’s average exchange rate in December consequently appreciated 2 percent to 1,434.9 won per dollar from November’s 1,464.8. It gained a further 0.6 percent in January to 1,427, aided by a broader softening of the U.S. dollar. Those gains were largely erased after the launch of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran last Friday and the widening conflict across the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory strikes on neighboring countries. The dollar briefly surged to around 1,480 won as the KOSPI lost more than 20 percent in two sessions after the war broke out. It later eased to 1,463.50 won as of 8:00 a.m. Thursday amid a partial recovery in oil prices. Despite the volatility, South Korea’s standing in global FX reserve rankings remains largely intact. The country slipped to 10th place globally, losing its ninth-place position to Hong Kong. The shift was primarily driven by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), whose reserves rose $7.7 billion to $435.6 billion in January after realizing substantial gains from asset management operations. 2026-03-05 08:36:46

AI meets Realpolitik: How the U.S.–Anthropic rift turned a drone strike into a tech crisis SEOUL, March 05 (AJP) - In the latest contradiction from Washington, President Donald Trump last Friday ordered federal agencies to “immediately” stop using what he called the “radical-left” artificial intelligence systems developed by Anthropic, while the U.S. defense secretary labeled the company a risk to “national security.” Only hours later, the president authorized Operation Epic Fury. Within days, the very system Washington had just denounced proved instrumental in the operation — and in Operation Roaring Lion, the parallel Israeli campaign. The same AI platform that helped track and capture the Venezuelan president in February was again deployed to process intelligence and coordinate battlefield decisions. The paradox reveals how deeply generative AI has become embedded in modern warfare — and how dependent even the world’s most powerful military has grown on privately developed algorithms. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations across the Middle East, relied extensively on Anthropic’s Claude AI to process vast volumes of imaging and signal intelligence, identify potential targets, and simulate strike scenarios. The tool remained in active use even after Trump publicly ordered a government-wide phaseout of Anthropic software. The administration cited the company’s refusal to allow its models to be deployed in “all lawful scenarios,” including intelligence operations that could involve U.S. citizens or autonomous weapons. The Iran strike therefore ignited not only a new debate over AI ethics and civilian oversight but also an unexpected reshuffling of the global AI market. A clash of ethics and wartime pragmatism At the heart of the dispute lies a philosophical and contractual standoff between Anthropic — one of the United States’ leading AI research firms — and the Trump administration. Founded by former OpenAI engineers with a reputation for cautious, human-centered design, Anthropic has placed explicit limits on how its systems may be used. Its internal policies prohibit deployment in large-scale domestic surveillance, autonomous weapons, or operations lacking human oversight. Those guardrails collided directly with the Pentagon’s wartime requirements. In late January, defense officials argued that generative AI operating within classified networks must be unrestricted — usable for “all lawful purposes.” Anthropic’s refusal effectively froze the renewal of its defense contract. The White House responded by designating the company a “supply chain risk entity” and began shifting intelligence infrastructure toward competing models developed by OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI. Yet disentangling Claude from U.S. military systems is far from simple. For more than a year, the model had been integrated across critical elements of CENTCOM’s operational environment, from communications filtering to satellite imagery analysis. Its ability to transform raw surveillance data into actionable intelligence made it indispensable to analysts and commanders. Defense experts say replacing the system will take months — an eternity in conflicts defined by real-time decision-making and algorithmic speed. The battlefield paradox The February strike against Iran illustrated the contradiction with unusual clarity. Even as Trump publicly branded Anthropic a national security threat, CENTCOM units continued using Claude-enabled analytics to coordinate drone and mortar operations, identify high-value targets, and estimate potential civilian casualties before strikes. According to intelligence officials, no commercially available AI currently matches the system’s ability to adapt rapidly to dynamic battlefield data without creating internal network vulnerabilities. The episode exposes a deeper strategic dilemma. As militaries integrate generative AI into operational planning, the line between ethical constraint and strategic disadvantage becomes increasingly blurred. Anthropic’s position — that democratic societies should restrict AI use in surveillance and autonomous warfare — resonates with digital rights advocates. For defense planners, however, such restrictions risk slowing decision cycles in conflicts where milliseconds matter. The result is a distinctly twenty-first century paradox: moral restraint may now carry logistical costs. Silicon Valley solidarity The political fallout spread quickly through Silicon Valley. In the days following the Iran strikes, traffic to Anthropic’s Claude platform surged to record levels, briefly causing service outages, according to Bloomberg. The spike reflected growing demand among developers and businesses seeking what many describe as “ethically aligned AI.” OpenAI, whose models underpin several major U.S. government systems, found itself in the opposite position. Recent defense contracts — combined with reports that company executives donated to a pro-Trump political action committee — sparked a social media backlash dubbed the “QuitGPT” movement, as critics warned that AI leadership was becoming politically entangled. Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini platform seized the moment to close the competitive gap. Internal teams reportedly accelerated security certification processes for defense-related deployments, hoping to capture government contracts displaced by the Trump–Anthropic dispute. Industry analysts now describe an emerging “tripolar” race for AI dominance, where corporate ethics, geopolitical alignment, and national security priorities are increasingly intertwined. The confrontation also triggered an unusual display of solidarity across Silicon Valley. Hundreds of employees from Google, Anthropic, and even OpenAI signed an open letter titled “We Will Not Be Divided.” The statement condemned the Trump administration’s designation of Anthropic as a security risk and warned against “state interference in scientific research ecosystems.” Academics and civil society leaders echoed the concern, arguing that the dispute reflects a broader struggle over political control of technological innovation. The rhetoric recalled earlier moments in American tech history — the encryption wars of the 1990s, the Snowden revelations, and the pandemic-era battles over online speech. But the stakes are now significantly higher. Never before has a militarized AI system become a central geopolitical controversy while an active conflict was unfolding. Global ripple effects The repercussions are already spreading beyond the United States. European policymakers, wary of unregulated military AI, have cited the dispute as evidence supporting stricter oversight under the forthcoming EU AI Act. In Israel — a key participant in the Iran operation — defense officials have privately expressed concern about the reliability of U.S. technology partnerships. Chinese state media, meanwhile, portrayed the episode as proof of what it called “chaotic dependence” within American digital infrastructure. Financial markets have reflected the uncertainty. Venture capital has begun flowing toward smaller “responsible AI” startups in Canada and the United Kingdom, as investors bet that ethical compliance could become a competitive advantage. At the same time, U.S. defense technology firms such as Palantir and Anduril rallied on expectations that the Pentagon will accelerate investment in AI-driven battlefield systems. The end of the civilian–military divide The deeper shift, analysts say, is structural. Military strategy, software governance, and domestic politics are rapidly converging into a single ecosystem. AI systems that once belonged in academic laboratories now sit at the center of global power projection. Every algorithm carries geopolitical consequences. The Trump administration’s confrontation with Anthropic has forced the technology sector to confront a fundamental question: whether “civilian AI” can still exist separately from military applications. For decades, defense-funded research produced technologies that later became civilian infrastructure — the internet, GPS, and the neural networks underpinning today’s AI models. Generative AI, however, is different. Its adaptability and general-purpose nature make strict boundaries almost impossible to enforce. For companies like Anthropic, ethical safeguards are core to their identity. For governments operating in crisis, those limits increasingly appear impractical. The Iran operation exposed that divide in stark terms: a president eager to project power, a company defending its principles, and a military choosing performance over politics. That tension may define the next stage of the AI revolution. 2026-03-05 08:35:13

Jang Hang-jun’s ‘A Man Living With the King’ Tops Box Office for 21st Day, Nears 10 Million Admissions Jang Hang-jun’s “A Man Living With the King” held the No. 1 spot at the box office for a 21st straight day, pushing its cumulative audience past 9.6 million and putting it within reach of the 10 million milestone. According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing network, the film drew 189,643 moviegoers on March 4 to remain on top. Since opening Feb. 4, it has not relinquished the No. 1 position for a single day. Total admissions stand at 9,597,461. Set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, the film follows the exiled King Danjong and local residents. Strong performances by Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do have fueled expectations it will surpass 10 million admissions this week. New releases are beginning to close in. Disney and Pixar’s animated film “Hoppers” opened March 4 and ranked No. 2 with 17,155 admissions for the day. Its cumulative total reached 69,566, making it the clear leader among foreign films. “Hoppers,” about a girl who becomes a robot beaver and goes on an adventure, has posted strong audience scores, including a 98% rating on CGV’s Golden Egg Index. No. 3 went to “Bride!,” which also opened March 4. It drew 7,358 admissions for the day and 7,626 in total. Set in the United States in the 1930s, the film depicts an unconventional romance between the revived “Bride” (Jessie Buckley) and “Frankenstein” (Christian Bale), drawing attention from adult audiences. With “A Man Living With the King” extending its lead and distinctive foreign titles joining the lineup, competition at theaters in March is expected to intensify.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:33:16

Actor Noh Sang-hyun Signs Exclusive Contract With HiZium Studio Actor Noh Sang-hyun has signed an exclusive contract with HiZium Studio, the agency said. In a statement released on the 5th, HiZium Studio said it was “very pleased” to partner with Noh, calling him an actor with solid skills and a distinctive look who appeals to audiences at home and abroad. The company said it will support him as a “reliable partner” so he can showcase his abilities across a range of projects. Noh drew global attention in 2022 with the drama “Pachinko,” then expanded his work across genres and roles in dramas including “Survive as a Celebrity Manager,” “Curtain Call” and “Will Everything Come True,” as well as the film “Love in the Big City,” emerging as a rising actor. In “Love in the Big City,” he played Jang Heung-su, portraying varied forms of love. He won the Blue Dragon Film Awards’ best new actor prize at the 45th ceremony and also received the new actor award at the 11th Korea Film Producers Association Awards. Following the contract, Noh is expected to continue active work in both film and television. In the MBC drama “21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife,” set to air in April, he will play Min Jeong-woo, the prime minister of South Korea, described as both cool-headed and humane, leading the series alongside IU and Byeon Woo-seok. He will also appear in the Netflix film “Byeoljit” as Hyeon-tae, an installation artist with firm beliefs and a stubborn streak, reuniting with actor Kim Min-ha. HiZium Studio is a management company representing actors including Go Bo-gyeol, Kwon Seung-woo, Kim Ji-won, Ryu Hae-jun, Bae Kang-hee, Seo Eun-su, Song Joong-ki, Yang Kyung-won, Oh Eui-sik, Lee Chan-ju, Lim Cheol-soo, Jung Jae-kwang and Han Ji-won. It is also a full-service entertainment company that has planned and produced dramas including “UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces,” “The Moon Flows in the River,” “My Youth,” “Mr. Plankton” and “A Virtuous Business.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:24:21

Urban Zakapa’s Jo Hyun-ah Says Suzy Stayed Through Her Mother’s Three-Day Funeral Urban Zakapa singer Jo Hyun-ah has spoken publicly about her friendship with singer Suzy. On MBC’s “Radio Star,” which aired March 4, Jo appeared with Oh Seung-hwan, Lee Cheol-min and Yang Sang-guk. Jo described Suzy as “a truly kind-hearted kid,” saying that if Jo does not respond, Suzy will come to her home “to check on me — even my toes — and then leave.” Jo said her mother collapsed one day, leading to the discovery of an illness, and the family later held a funeral. She said Suzy stayed at the funeral for all three days. Jo said many mourners recognized Suzy at the funeral home, but Suzy remained there. Jo added that Suzy even went to the burial site and prayed for her mother. “Thanks to her, I was able to heal a lot from the wound of losing my mom,” Jo said. “Suzy is my guardian angel.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 08:12:26