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  Tools to detect deepfakes and voting fraud showcased ahead of local elections SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - A demonstration to detect artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes and prevent other election-related fraud was held at the government complex in central Seoul on Tuesday. It was part of efforts by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to prevent any illegal activities in voting and other violations ahead of local elections slated for early June. The ministry said it has worked with the National Forensic Service since 2024 and ca March 10, 2026
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  No booze, just brews: Morning rave in Seoul SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) -Music filled a beauty brand store in Bukchon, central Seoul, early in the morning as people gathered with coffee cups in hand, swaying to a DJ set to begin the day. The gathering followed the format of a “morning rave,” a lifestyle event gaining popularity overseas. Instead of alcohol and late-night partying, participants came for music, coffee and conversation. Around 200 people attended, moving between dance space, makeup experiences and person March 10, 2026
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  Seoul may revive decades-old fuel price cap, but experts urge caution SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - South Korea is considering reviving a rarely used cap on retail gasoline prices as policymakers brace for a potential third wave of global oil shocks if the Middle East conflict drags on, though economists warn the government should move cautiously given the risks of distorting market prices. President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed his cabinet to explore emergency measures to curb surging fuel costs, urging officials to move beyond “normal procedu March 10, 2026
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  Korea spearheads Asia rebound as crude falls below $90 SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) -South Korean stocks posted the strongest advance in Asia on Tuesday, reversing course after leading the region’s losses a day earlier as oil prices retreated sharply from above $100 a barrel and eased fears of a prolonged energy shock from the Middle East conflict. Korea’s benchmark KOSPI closed up 5.35 percent at 5,532.6, recouping much of Monday’s nearly 6 percent drop triggered by the surge in crude prices. The rally gathered momentum March 10, 2026
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  Weak won, Middle East risks weigh on Korean economy as Taiwan pulls ahead SEOUL, Mar 10 (AJP) — South Korea’s economy is increasingly lagging behind technology-driven regional peers such as Japan and Taiwan, weighed down by a structurally weak currency and fading industrial competitiveness — pressures that could deepen if the Middle East conflict drags on. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Tuesday, South Korea’s GDP per capita stood at about $35,800 in 2025, largely unchanged from recent years. Per capita gross national March 10, 2026
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  Independence fighter's lifelong dedication remembered SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - People gathered at a memorial hall in southern Seoul on Tuesday to mark the 88th anniversary of the death of independence fighter Ahn Chang-ho. They laid flowers and bowed their heads in remembrance of his enduring devotion and sacrifice for the country. It was the Sino-Japanese War that changed everything for him. At the age of just sixteen, watching foreign powers clash on Korean soil in 1894, he realized that it was because the country had no strength to March 10, 2026
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  Middle East conflict squeezes Korean chip supply chain as helium shipments face disruption SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - The widening Middle East conflict is beginning to bite into South Korea’s industrial supply chains, with the semiconductor sector facing growing concern over disruptions to helium shipments — a critical gas used in advanced chip manufacturing. The de facto disruption of shipping routes through the Persian Gulf has hit South Korea particularly hard given the country’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern energy and industrial materials that fe March 10, 2026
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  Annual South Korea–US joint military exercise underway SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - The annual joint military exercise between South Korean and U.S. troops has been underway since early this week. The exercise, dubbed "Freedom Shield," which kicked off on Monday, aims to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula while assessing combat readiness to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul. Approximately 18,000 troops are participating in this year's exercise, similar to last yea March 10, 2026
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  USFK diverts air-defense assets to Middle East as Freedom Shield scales back  SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - The United States has redeployed portions of its air-defense architecture from South Korea to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, coinciding with this year's scaled-back Freedom Shield (FS) joint exercise. According to reports from the Washington Post and real-time flight tracking data, the Pentagon has shifted elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system out of South Korea while also drawing Patriot interceptor units fro March 10, 2026
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  Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung named Asian winner of IOC's annual award SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - Volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung has been named one of the recipients of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) annual awards, which recognize efforts to promote gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in sport, along with winners from other continents. The Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions awards are presented annually across continents with one at the world level and one each for Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, hono March 10, 2026