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  Apple weighs Samsung for chip supply as Samsung joins $1 trillion club SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - Apple Inc. is reportedly exploring partnerships with Samsung Electronics and Intel to reduce its heavy reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for processor production, a shift that coincides with Samsung securing a new 4-nanometer artificial intelligence (AI) chip order from a U.S. firm. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Apple is in early-stage discussions with Samsung and Intel to manufacture its core processors. The move is widel May 6, 2026
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  Judge in former first lady's corruption case found dead in Seoul SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - The presiding judge of the Seoul High Court who oversaw the appeals trial on corruption charges involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee was found dead on Tuesday, according to legal officials. Police found judge Shin Jong-oh's body at around 1 a.m. near the court compound in southern Seoul, after receiving a report from his family that they had been unable to reach him about an hour earlier. The 55-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he was pronoun May 6, 2026
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  South Korea to send special envoy to Costa Rican president's inauguration SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - South Korea will send former lawmaker Yang Kyung-sook as a special envoy to Costa Rica as the country's new president is set to be inaugurated this week. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Yang is set to attend Costa Rican President-elect Laura Fernandez's inauguration ceremony on Friday. She will deliver a personal letter from President Lee Jae Myung to Fernandez and discuss South Korea's foreign policy p May 6, 2026
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  Police 'liberate ' iconic Statue of Peace for first time in six years SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - The barricades surrounding the Statue of Peace were dismantled by police on Wednesday after six years of isolation and confinement. The bronze monument, which symbolizes victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery, is now publicly accessible and free from the immediate threat of vandalism. The Statue of Peace depicts a teenage girl sitting on a chair, staring toward the former site of the Japanese embassy in central Seoul. Since its first installation in 2011, May 6, 2026
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  Prelude to U.S.-China summit, scholars discuss fault lines in Korea SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) -Scholars from South Korea and China gathered in Seongnam on Tuesday to dissect the shifting balance between Washington and Beijing ahead of a closely watched meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping due next week. At Gravity Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province, academics and policy experts filled the conference hall for a special seminar examining how intensifying U.S.-China rivalry is reshaping diplomacy, technology and security a May 6, 2026
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  Fire-stricken HMM's cargo vessel to be towed to Dubai for investigation SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - South Korea's shipping and logistics company HMM's Panama-flagged cargo vessel Namu, which was disabled after a fire while anchored near the Strait of Hormuz, is expected to be towed to a port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), as early as Thursday for investigation and repair work. According to industry insiders, HMM has secured tugboats for the vessel and will begin a full-scale towing operation late this afternoon. If all goes as planned, the vesse May 6, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor Group revamps labor command at Mobis SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group has reportedly created a vice president-level post dedicated to labor affairs at parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis and tapped Jeong Sang-bin, head of Hyundai Motor's policy development office, to fill it, as the country's largest automaker tightens its grip on union risk across the supply chain. The group also elevated oversight of labor relations to the president level, naming Kia President Choi Jun-young as the new chief of the policy May 6, 2026
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  AI boom reshapes South Korea's top 500 companies by sales SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - South Korea's top 500 companies by sales saw a major reshuffle, with 35 firms newly joining or dropping off the list amid the growing influence of artificial intelligence-related sectors including semiconductors, defense, and batteries. According to a report released Tuesday by corporate tracker CEO Score, electronics giant Samsung Electronics remained No. 1 with 333.61 trillion won (US$230 billion) in sales as of the end of last year, up 10.9 percent from a May 6, 2026
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  KOSPI rockets above 7,300 in record-breaking chip rally *Updated with performance of other Asian markets. SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - What once seemed improbable has rapidly become reality as South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI vaulted above the 7,300 mark on Wednesday, just three weeks after reclaiming the 6,000 level as feverish foreign buying turbocharged semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks despite lingering uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz crisis. As of 10:09 a.m., the KOSPI stood at 7,325.31, up 5.60 percent from M May 6, 2026
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  OPINION: US cybersecurity requirements emerge as key hurdle for South Korean defense firms SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - Under the U.S. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which took effect in November last year and requires contractors to verify their cybersecurity practices to protect sensitive information, companies cannot enter the U.S. defense market without compliance. The CMMC, enforced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), applies not only to prime contractors that deliver directly to the Pentagon, but also to subcontractors supplying parts and raw materials May 6, 2026