U.S. eases Mythos 5 curbs as Korean access remains unclear SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - The U.S. government has eased restrictions on Anthropic’s advanced artificial intelligence model Claude Mythos 5, allowing the company to provide access to more than 100 approved companies and organizations. The Commerce Department authorized Anthropic on Friday to make Mythos 5 available to selected “trusted partners,” according to a letter obtained by Reuters. The approved list includes a number of Fortune 500 companies and institutions, June 27, 2026

Kakao union to halt work for a day as wage talks stall SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Kakao's labor union will press ahead with a one-day "log-off day" on June 29, halting work across the South Korean tech giant's affiliates after negotiations with management failed to yield a wage and collective bargaining agreement. Members at five entities — Kakao, Kakao Pay, Kakao Enterprise, DK Techin and XL Games — will use annual leave or paid days off to step away from their duties for the day and log out of company work sy June 26, 2026

Seoul plans K-LUCAS deployment in broader military drone overhaul SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - South Korea will pursue the deployment of a domestically developed long-range one-way attack drone, the Defense Ministry said Friday, as it seeks to rapidly expand its unmanned combat capabilities. The system, named K-LUCAS — short for K-Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System — is a key part of a new drone and counter-drone development policy drawn up in response to lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. “Every service membe June 26, 2026

Government rolls out record agricultural discounts to tame summer food prices SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - South Korea will pour 350 billion won ($226 million) into an unprecedented discount campaign covering every eligible agricultural, livestock and fisheries product this summer, in its most aggressive bid yet to ease a stubborn cost-of-living squeeze. The measures, unveiled at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol on Friday, form part of a wider 1 trillion won package aimed at keeping second-half inflation b June 26, 2026

World-OKTA signs MOU with Guangdong trade bodies ahead of October expo SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade's Guangdong committee and other global economic groups, laying the groundwork for a Korea-China trade expo set for Shenzhen in October. The agreement was sealed on the sidelines of the 2026 Invest Guangdong Promotion Conference, held Monday in Beijing. Through the pact, World-OKTA June 26, 2026

RIMPAC begins with S. Korean Navy taking first command role SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - The U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific exercise, the world’s largest multinational maritime drill, has begun in and around Hawaii, with the South Korean Navy taking charge of a major command role for the first time. The biennial exercise, known as RIMPAC, began Wednesday and will run through July 31 in waters off Hawaii and across the Pacific, according to the U.S. Defense Department. About 30,000 personnel from multiple countries are taking part. The Pentag June 26, 2026

SK Telecom to invest 738 billion won in SK hynix's US AI arm SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - SK Telecom said it will commit about 738.4 billion won ($77.3 million) to SK hynix's new US-based artificial intelligence investment company, deepening the broader SK Group's push to build a foothold across the AI value chain. In a regulatory filing submitted to South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday, the country's largest wireless carrier said its board had approved a subscription agreement to acquire new shares in SK hynix NA June 26, 2026

Naver launches AI-powered conversational search for all users SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Naver said it had rolled out its generative AI-driven conversational search service "AI Tab" to all users, replacing the familiar green dot icon that has long anchored the search homepage of South Korea's dominant web portal. The launch announced Friday puts the agentic search tool within reach of the roughly 50 million daily visitors to Naver's main page, who can now tap the AI Tab button on both mobile and PC search bars. The firm explai June 26, 2026

Samsung Elec expected to unveil over $600B 10-yr capex plan in Korea SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics, foreseeing over $550 billion in profits across this and next year on an exceptional AI-related chip boom, is expected to pledge over $600 billion in investments to reinforce AI infrastructure in South Korea over the next 10 years. The colossal investment plan — tantamount to nearly half of the country's annual gross domestic product — was outlined during a meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung Group Chairman Le June 26, 2026

Korean Air to absorb Asiana, launch new carrier Dec. 17 SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - South Korea’s transport ministry has conditionally approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, clearing the way for the country’s two largest full-service carriers to launch an integrated airline on Dec. 17. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday it had completed its review of Korean Air’s application to merge with its subsidiary Asiana under the Aviation Business Act. The two airlines signed a merger a June 25, 2026