Korea's first tanker slipping past Hormuz on its way home SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -A tanker carrying petroleum products is heading to South Korea after passing through the Strait of Hormuz during a brief reopening, in what would mark the first such arrival since the waterway’s intermittent blockade began amid tensions between the United States and Iran. According to shipping industry sources on Sunday, the vessel — identified as the Navik 8 McAllister — transited the strait on the evening of April 18, when access was tempor April 19, 2026

A quarter of the unemployed in South Korea are under 30 as jobless tops 1 million SEOUL, April 19 (AJP)-One in four unemployed South Koreans are young people under 30, as the country’s total jobless climbed back above 1 million for the first time in five years, pointing to a structural cliff at the entry level in the labor market. According to data released Sunday by Statistics Korea via KOSIS, the number of unemployed averaged 1.029 million in the January–March quarter, up 49,000 from a year earlier. It marked the first time since 2021 that first-q April 19, 2026

Han Kang leads Korea's book market for a decade SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -South Korean author Han Kang, the country’s first Nobel laureate in literature, is not just a literary heavyweight but the defining commercial force in South Korea’s book market over the past decade with her bestsellers "The Vegetarian" and "Human Acts", data showed. According to data released Sunday by Kyobo Book Centre ahead of World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, the two novels ranked first and second, respectively, in April 19, 2026

South Korea's India–Vietnam state visit targets security, energy recalibration SEOUL, April 19 (AJP)-South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed Sunday for a five-night, six-day state visit to India and Vietnam, a trip that goes beyond ceremonial diplomacy to probe whether Seoul can turn its “Global South” pivot into a workable economic and strategic hedge in an increasingly fractured world. The back-to-back visits — Lee’s first to India and the first state-level engagement with Vietnam’s new leadership — come at a moment April 19, 2026

Korea's debt ratio to surpass advanced non-reserve peers next year, IMF warns SEOUL, April 19 (AJP)-South Korea’s government debt burden is set to cross a key threshold next year, overtaking the average of advanced economies without reserve currencies, as fiscal expansion continues to outpace economic growth, according to the latest assessment by the International Monetary Fund. The IMF projected in its April Fiscal Monitor that Korea’s general government debt-to-GDP ratio will rise from 54.4 percent this year to 56.6 percent in 2027, exceeding April 19, 2026

N. Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea, suspected as sub-linked launch *Updated with additional information SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles from its submarine hub of Sinpo early Sunday in its latest string of weapons tests over the last two months amid ongoing war in the Gulf, raising the possibility of a submarine-linked launch as Pyongyang advances its sea-based nuclear ambitions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launches were detected at around 6:10 a.m. from the Sinpo area, with the missi April 19, 2026

Seoul flags supply shift as Hormuz tensions flare again after brief reopening SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -South Korea will push ahead with diversifying its energy supply chain as renewed instability in the Strait of Hormuz underscores persistent risks to global oil flows, even after a brief reopening of the key shipping route. The Gulf chokepoint slipped back into tension over the weekend, with Iran warning it would again restrict transit unless the United States lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, while Washington rejected the demand and signaled continued enfo April 19, 2026

Seoul Mayor Oh to face DPK's Chung in June mayoral race SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been confirmed as the main opposition People Power Party’s candidate in the June 3 local elections, facing Chung Won-o of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The PPP’s nomination committee announced Saturday that Oh won the party’s primary, defeating Rep. Park Soo-min and former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook. If elected, he would secure a third consecutive term since returning to office in 2021 and a fifth overall term April 18, 2026

Hanwha's new K9 wheeled howitzer draws global attention after viral test video SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - A test video of Hanwha Aerospace’s new wheeled self-propelled howitzer, the K9MH, has spread widely on social media, drawing attention to its performance. The U.S. Army is pursuing a major program to replace its current 155mm M777 towed howitzers with wheeled self-propelled systems. Hanwha’s U.S. unit, Hanwha Defense USA, said last month it had proposed the K9MH for the program. The company is also reviewing plans to produce the system in Alab April 18, 2026

Trump warns of no ceasefire extension as U.S.-Iran talks set for April 20 SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday warned that the United States may not extend the ceasefire with Iran if no agreement is reached by April 22, stepping up pressure on Tehran. “Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. So you have a blockade, and unfortunately we’ll have to start dropping bombs again,” he said aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from Phoenix, Arizona. The United States and Iran April 18, 2026