ASIA INSIGHT: South Korea's role as Asia's "dagger" in a new civilizational era SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Why did the United States describe South Korea as a “dagger”? When Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, recently referred to South Korea as a “dagger in the heart of Asia” on a U.S. Army War College podcast, it was not a casual metaphor. His words reflected the reality that the Korean Peninsula is no longer merely a frontline against North Korea. It has become a strategic crossroads where U.S.-China rivalry, the Indo-Paci May 27, 2026

North Korea 'conducts tests of major weapons' SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - North Korea "conducted tests of newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system," state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), its leader Kim Jong-un inspected the previous day's "tests of major weapons" which were part of the country's five-year plan for "modernizing the artillery and missile armed forces&qu May 27, 2026

South Korea joins OpenAI's trusted cyber access program SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea has become one of the first two countries in Asia, together with Japan, to join OpenAI's Trusted Access for Cyber program, securing government-level access to the U.S. firm's most advanced artificial intelligence models for cybersecurity research and defense. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced Wednesday that Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung met OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon in Seoul on Tuesday to formalize Seoul's participati May 27, 2026

Samsung Live: Union approves wage deal, averting immediate strike SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ representative union approved a tentative wage agreement Wednesday, averting an immediate strike at the world’s largest memory chipmaker and easing concerns over potential disruption to AI supply chains and South Korea’s stock market. Electronic voting ran from May 22 to 10 a.m. Wednesday for the 57,302 eligible members. The deal, reached urgently on May 20 just a day before the planned strike deadline, passed with 73.7 May 27, 2026

Kim Soo-hyun's agency welcomes YouTuber's arrest in defamation case SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Korean Actor Kim Soo-hyun's management agency, Gold Medalist, said Wednesday that the arrest of the head of a controversial YouTube channel marked a turning point in the actor's yearlong effort to counter allegations linking him to the death of late Korean actress Kim Sae-ron. The agency said in a statement that it was grateful to investigators for their efforts to uncover the truth based on objective evidence, adding that the case had now entered a s May 27, 2026

KOSPI extends record-setting rally, fueled by memory stocks SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s main bourse briefly halted Wednesday after the benchmark index tracking the top 200 listed companies surged 5 percent, propelling the KOSPI past the 8,400 mark just a day after breaking into unprecedented four-digit territory. As of 9:30 a.m., the KOSPI had risen 3.63 percent to 8,355.81 after briefly testing above 8,400 shortly after the opening bell, as memory chip giants continued to shatter record highs. Samsung Electronics surged m May 27, 2026

Overpass collapse in Seoul disrupts over 120 KTX trains SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - More than 120 KTX bullet trains have been suspended or had their routes adjusted after a collapse at a demolition site in Seosomun, western Seoul, according to the state-run rail operator. The disruptions, affecting multiple lines from the first trains on Wednesday, came after an overpass under demolition collapsed the previous day, killing three workers and injuring three others. KORAIL said a power outage on overhead railway lines between Seoul Station and May 27, 2026

Anthropic opens Seoul office, names veteran tech executive to lead Korea push SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Anthropic, the U.S. artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, is to officially open a Seoul office and named industry veteran Choi Ki-young as its first country manager for South Korea, deepening its push into one of Asia's most lucrative AI markets. Senior Anthropic executives are scheduled to visit Seoul in the coming weeks to formally inaugurate the office and meet with major enterprise clients, the company said Wednesday. Choi joins May 27, 2026

Korea's May business sentiment rebounds sharply as fears over external shocks ease SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s business sentiment improved sharply in May as still-strong exports and a record-setting stock market outweighed lingering concerns over oil prices, exchange rates and Middle East tensions, data showed Wednesday. According to the Bank of Korea, the composite business sentiment index (CBSI) for all industries rose to 98.9 in May from 94.9 in April, marking a 4.0-point increase and the highest level in nearly two years. While the index remain May 27, 2026

BTS opens comeback awards year with three-trophy sweep at 2026 AMAs SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - BTS launched their comeback awards run in style on Monday, claiming three trophies at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas — including a second Artist of the Year win — in their first major awards showing since returning from a nearly four-year hiatus. The haul arrived less than a year after all seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service, an obligation that effectively suspended full-group activity May 26, 2026