Seoul to roll out Korea's first Level 4 robotaxi service this fall SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Seoul metropolitan government announced Tuesday that it will become the first city in South Korea to put a Level 4 autonomous taxi on the road, with the self-driving service set to launch in November in the Sangam neighborhood of Mapo District. The plan is part of a list of policy changes and public services the city has scheduled for the second half of 2026. The robotaxi will be available through a regular taxi-hailing app, allowing passengers to call th June 30, 2026

Not everyone in Korea stock-crazy. Some chase Pokémon cards instead SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - For many South Koreans in their 20s and 30s, priced out of homeownership and wary of the stock market, a rare Pokémon card has become both a comfort and a hard-won luxury. Dozens, then hundreds, of collectors lined up outside a shop in Yongsan, downtown Seoul, long before its 10:30 a.m. opening. Ten minutes after registration began, 63 groups were already queued on the kiosk tablet, tapping their feet impatiently for the doors to open. Security gua June 30, 2026

Korea lowers oil crisis alert as supplies stabilize after ceasefire SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - South Korea's government downgraded its resource security crisis alert for crude oil from "caution" to "watch," the second-lowest of four tiers, citing the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and a steady recovery in energy supplies. The "caution" alert for natural gas was lifted entirely. Vice Industry Minister Moon Shin-hak reported the energy supply plan at a Cabinet meeting doubling as an emergency economic response session at the pres June 30, 2026

Chipflation fears cool Korea's chip output SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - South Korea's sharp pullback in chip output in May is adding to signs that the global memory crunch is no longer confined to data centers, with chipflation from soaring memory prices beginning to strain consumer spending and factory floors. Factory output fell 3.0 percent from the previous month in May, matching its steepest monthly drop in a year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Tuesday. The index of all-industry production, exclu June 30, 2026

Jeju Air carries over 1 million foreign passengers in first five months of this year SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Low-cost carrier Jeju Air carried more than 1 million foreign passengers during the first five months of this year, driven by demand from Japanese and Chinese travelers amid growing interest in K-pop and Korean culture. The budget carrier said that out of about 3.59 million passengers on international routes from January to May, about 1.06 million or 29.5 percent were foreigners, up 23 percent from about 860,000 a year earlier. Japanese passengers were th June 30, 2026

Canada says split submarine order unlikely due to higher costs SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Canada is unlikely to divide its planned submarine order between South Korean and German bidders because operating two different fleets would increase costs and complexity, the country’s defense minister said. The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, or CPSP, calls for the acquisition of up to 12 diesel-powered submarines to replace Canada’s aging Victoria-class fleet. The total value of the project, including construction and 30 years of maintenance June 30, 2026

Samsung Electronics' largest union votes to retain chief SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - The Samsung Electronics chapter of Samsung Group's Super Enterprise Labor Union (SELU), the company's largest labor union, has reaffirmed confidence in its head Choi Seung-ho after he brokered record compensation package for chipmaking employees, the union said Monday. According to the union, 33,550 of 38,336 participating members, or 87.52 percent, voted in favor of retaining Choi as chairman. The vote was held from June 24 to June 30, with 38,336 June 30, 2026

Samsung, SK, and Micron face class action amid consumer IT price surge SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) -A U.S. antitrust class action accusing Samsung Electronics and SK hynix of South Korea and U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology who dominate the global random memory market of conspiring to restrict conventional memory supplies has emerged as soaring AI-driven DRAM prices ripple through the consumer electronics industry, forcing manufacturers to raise prices for smartphones, PCs and gaming devices. The proposed class action, filed June 25 in the U.S. District Co June 30, 2026

Samsung, SK bet over $650 billion on Korea's second memory hub SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are joining forces to build a second memory semiconductor hub along South Korea's southwestern coast, committing more than 1,000 trillion won ($650 billion) in what would become one of the world's largest semiconductor expansion projects as the country races to preserve its leadership in AI-era memory chips. The initiative, unveiled during President Lee Jae Myung's "Three Mega Projects" briefing at the p June 29, 2026

Language, alliances emerge as new fronts in Canada's submarine race SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Outsourcing submarines was never expected to become this complex, as the head-to-head contest between South Korean and German shipbuilders for Canada's fleet of 12 new submarines increasingly extends beyond price, technology and delivery schedules to language, industrial partnerships and geopolitical alliances. The latest twist came after a senior executive at Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) argued that Canada's long-term interests wou June 29, 2026