AJP DEEP INSIGHT: Hormuz's final tug-of-war — nuclear stakes, civilizational fault lines, and a new world order in the AI age SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - In late May 2026, the world is watching the Middle East once again with unflinching attention. Explosions continue to echo across the Strait of Hormuz. The United States and Iran are simultaneously pursuing negotiations and military action. The White House signals "progress." Yet in the same breath, President Donald Trump warns that he could "finish it again" if necessary. Iran insists it intends to uphold the ceasefire, while condemning limite May 28, 2026

Hyundai Mobis joins Eclipse Foundation's open-source SDV project SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Hyundai Mobis announced it has joined the Eclipse Foundation's Software-Defined Vehicle working group and will contribute to the S-Core project, a global open-source initiative to standardize the software platforms that underpin next-generation connected vehicles. The S-Core project, launched in late 2024 by a consortium of European firms, aims to build a common middleware layer for SDV systems certified to functional safety standard ASIL-B — the firs May 28, 2026

Naver pledges 1 trillion won for creators in AI shift SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Naver will pour 1 trillion won ($663 million) into its content creator ecosystem over the next five years, the South Korean internet giant pledged, betting that proprietary data and creator partnerships — not raw model performance — will decide the next phase of the artificial intelligence race. The announced was unveiled at a media round table in central Seoul on Thursday led by Kim Kwang-hyun, Naver's chief data and contents officer, in his fi May 28, 2026

Impeached ex-president cleared of perjury charges in martial law-related case SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday was cleared of perjury charges, one of several allegations related to his botched martial law debacle. Yoon had been accused of making false accounts during former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's trial, which was also related to the debacle. During the trial in November last year, when asked whether he had planned from the beginning to convene a Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2 May 28, 2026

K-chip and defense boom reshapes career paths for Korea's elite talent pipeline SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Over the past year, South Korea's manufacturing powerhouses — semiconductors and defense — have staged an epic rise with soaring share prices and record earnings reshaping the ambitions of the country's brightest young people. Semiconductor departments at Yonsei University and Korea University, once considered niche engineering tracks, are now competing directly with medical schools for top science students. The Air Force, meanwhile, has b May 28, 2026

KOSPI flattens as foreign selling and narrow breadth test record run SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI traded little changed on Thursday morning after hitting a record high the previous day, as foreign investors turned net sellers and the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven rally broadened beyond the country's two chip giants that had carried the market into batteries, displays and components. About an hour after trading began, the index stood at 8,220.63, down 0.1 percent, after briefly slipping toward 8,080 before recoveri May 28, 2026

Samsung Electronics poised to join US$2 trillion club on memory upcycle, KB Securities forecasts SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is poised to reach a US$2 trillion market capitalization, KB Securities said Thursday, citing an intensifying memory upcycle, the chipmaker's leverage to Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin platform, and an emerging humanoid robotics strategy anchored by ties to Hyundai Motor Group. The brokerage raised its target price on Samsung to 530,000 won from 450,000 won, its second upgrade in two weeks following a 15 May revision. With the s May 28, 2026

North Korea snubs Quad's call for denuclearization SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - North Korea said Thursday it will "never give up its nuclear weapons," denouncing a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. earlier this week that called for the North's complete denuclearization. In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson for the country's Foreign Ministry said the denuclearization of North Korea will "never happen." North Ko May 28, 2026

Retail money floods leveraged chip ETFs as Korea's chip rally finds new outlet SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - South Korea's red-hot semiconductor rally spilled into the exchange-traded fund market Wednesday, as the country's first single-stock leveraged ETFs tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix drew explosive trading on their debut, giving retail investors a leveraged route into an already crowded chip trade. Sixteen leveraged and inverse ETFs linked to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were listed simultaneously, generating a combined trading value of abo May 28, 2026

AJP Focus: Seoul's nuclear submarine push raises broader regional security questions SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea's new "Jangbogo N" nuclear-powered submarine program is raising questions over whether the project is designed primarily to deter North Korea or whether it could eventually become part of a broader U.S.-led effort to counter China. Officials have described the submarine as a symbol of Seoul's determination to take greater responsibility for its own security. But the move comes after the commander of U.S. Forces Korea recently descr May 27, 2026