T'way Air returns to black in Q1, ending two years of losses SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Budget carrier T'way Air posted an operating profit of 19.9 billion Korean won (US$14 million) in the first quarter of this year, returning to the black for the first time in eight quarters. In a preliminary report released on Wednesday, the airline posted first-quarter revenue of 612.2 billion won, up about 37 percent from a year earlier, and an operating profit of 19.9 billion won, marking its first return to the black after eight consecutive quarters o May 13, 2026

Defense minister seeks US support for Korea's nuclear-powered submarine plan SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has asked senior U.S. Navy and congressional officials to support South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. Ahn, who is visiting the U.S. for the first time since taking office, met with Hung Cao, acting secretary of the U.S. Navy, in Washington on Tuesday morning to discuss key alliance issues, according to the ministry. During the meeting, Ahn stressed that May 13, 2026

Gov't, Samsung management jointly pressure union after wage talks collapse SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - The South Korean government and Samsung Electronics management ratcheted up pressure on the labor union ahead of a planned monthlong strike next week after marathon government-mediated talks over a profit-linked bonus system collapsed early Wednesday. “A strike must never happen under any circumstances,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol wrote on X on Wednesday, pledging to continue mediation to keep the dialogue momentum al May 13, 2026

Samsung Electronics union heads toward strike after govt-mediation talks collapse SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union failed to bridge differences over bonuses in a final round of government-mediated wage negotiations, raising the likelihood of a monthlong strike that could ripple through the global semiconductor supply chain starting next week. The breakdown came after 17 hours of overnight talks at the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong, where labor and management sought to reach a 2026 wage agreement but ulti May 13, 2026

Cockpit feud poses stumbling block in final-leg race toward Dec. 17 Korean Air-Asiana merger SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are entering the final-leg race toward their Dec. 17 integration deadline, but a growing feud over cockpit hierarchy poses as a major stumbling block to a smooth merger. The Korean Air Pilots’ Union held a closed-door meeting in Seoul on Tuesday, bringing together about 200 members to discuss how pilot seniority should be managed after the merger, according to union officials. “This meeting was not convened to call May 12, 2026

Crimson Desert hit propels Pearl Abyss Q1 profit 26-fold SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Pearl Abyss reported that its first-quarter operating profit surged nearly 26-fold from a year earlier, propelled by the runaway success of action-adventure title Crimson Desert, which has reshaped the studio's financial trajectory since its March 20 launch. According to regulatory filings released Tuesday, operating profit on a consolidated basis came in at 212.1 billion won ($142.4 million), a whopping 2,597.4 percent jump from May 12, 2026

EV chasm redraws East Asia's auto map SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - A widening electric-vehicle demand divide across Asia is reshaping the region's automotive hierarchy, pushing Japanese automakers into retreat while opening once-impenetrable markets to Chinese exporters. Caught between the two forces, South Korea's battery makers are pivoting aggressively toward energy storage systems and lower-cost chemistries to weather the global EV slowdown. The clearest sign of Japan's retreat came on April 23, when Honda May 12, 2026

Anthropic to open office in southern Seoul as it expands Asia presence SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - American artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic is expected to open its office in South Korea in the first half of this year. According to industry watchers, the developer of the AI assistant Claude reportedly met with South Korean government officials recently to discuss its plans. The development comes after Anthropic earlier told foreign media outlets including Reuters that it planned to open an office in southern Seoul. In July last year, the May 12, 2026

Jeju Air launches trial route to make Jeju more accessible to international visitors SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Jeju Air has begun trial operations on a route linking Incheon and Jeju, the low-cost carrier said on Tuesday. The airline will operate the route twice a week for three months on a trial basis to gauge demand, aiming to make it easier for foreign tourists arriving from overseas to reach the southern resort island. The first flight for the route departed from Jeju International Airport at 9:45 a.m. earlier in the day and arrived in Incheon at 11 a.m. Fligh May 12, 2026

Nexon reopens revamped Jeju game museum SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Nexon reopened its museum on Jeju Island after a four-month renovation, recasting Asia's first computer museum as a destination devoted to the South Korean publisher's three-decade catalogue of online games and the players who built its communities. The Jeju City venue, originally launched in July 2013 as the Nexon Computer Museum, has been rebranded simply as Nexon Museum, its grand opening on Tuesday. The overhaul shifts the institution away from a May 12, 2026