Trump hints at another round of talks with Iran 'over the next two days' SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday hinted at additional peace talks between the U.S. and Iran could take place in Pakistan within the next few days. Trump said in an interview with The New York Post, "You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days." "We are more inclined to go there. It's more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job," he added, referring April 15, 2026

South Korea recruits foreign influencers as Seoul seeks to move beyond K-pop SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - A group of 120 international content creators is set to fan out across the South Korean provinces this year, part of an aggressive push by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to diversify the national brand, the ministry said Wednesday. Starting April 17 in the traditional stronghold of Jeonju, the project marks a calculated attempt to steer global attention away from the neon-lit aesthetics of K-pop and toward the historical substance of the rural int April 15, 2026

French Cinema Week expands to nationwide scale as diplomatic milestone nears SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - The French Embassy in Seoul launches its most ambitious cinema showcase to date on April 24, deploying 10 unreleased films across five major South Korean cities to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the embassy said Tuesday. By expanding the festival footprint to Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Incheon, Paris is leveraging its cultural exports to deepen a strategic partnership that has evolved from a nineteenth-centur April 15, 2026

Korea's import-export prices surge to Asian crisis-era levels on Gulf shock SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea's import prices jumped at the steepest pace in nearly three decades as the outbreak of a full-blown war in the Gulf triggered a sharp surge in energy prices and the U.S. dollar against the Korean won, but trade terms remained robust so far as export prices rose at a similar pace on strong global demand for refined fuels and memory chips. According to preliminary export and import price data for March released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on April 15, 2026

South Korean engineers find better way to use light for AI SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - Researchers in South Korea have created a new component that makes it easier to control light on a microchip, which could significantly boost the performance of artificial intelligence and quantum computers. The team, representing both the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Hanyang University, designed a device that uses light interference to manage signals with much higher accuracy than current methods. The Korea Advanced Institute of Scie April 15, 2026

Pulmuone climbs to 3rd among global food firms in S&P sustainability ranking SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korean food maker Pulmuone announced it achieved its highest-ever ranking in S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment, climbing to third place among global food companies from fourth a year earlier. The result, based on the 2025 CSA and reflected in S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook 2026 published in February, marks the third consecutive year Pulmuone has placed in the top five of the food products category. The assessment eva April 15, 2026

Korean refiners activate 'Plan B' as Hormuz risks complicate crude diversification SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s refiners are activating contingency plans to diversify crude imports from North America as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz escalate, though analysts warn that hidden costs could limit the effectiveness of such moves. At first glance, alternative sourcing appears feasible. But industry officials say higher freight rates, refinery compatibility issues, and premiums on substitute crude could significantly raise costs. Acc April 14, 2026

KOSPI rises on easing Middle East tensions, but falls short of 6,000 threshold SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - The South Korean stock market closed higher on Tuesday, lifted by easing oil prices and signs of diplomatic progress between the U.S. and Iran, though tensions in the Strait of Hormuz kept investors cautious. The country's benchmark KOSPI rose 2.7 percent to close at 5,967.8 after briefly breaking above the 6,000 level in early morning trade. The index repeatedly hovered around the threshold throughout the session but failed to sustain its gains, losing m April 14, 2026

War resilience draws Korean retail money home, but sustainability in question SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) -South Korean equities have shown surprising resilience so far against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions, helping to bring home retail capital previously deployed in U.S. markets. Yet how durable — and how deep — this reshoring trend will prove remains uncertain. “Tax incentives can act as a supporting factor, but not the primary driver,” said Shin Hyun-han, a finance professor at Yonsei University’s School of B April 14, 2026

South Korea's refining edge turns Achilles' heel in Gulf shock SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) — South Korea’s world-class oil refining industry — long a pillar of its export strength — is fast turning into a structural vulnerability as the Gulf crisis disrupts energy flows and exposes the economy’s deep dependence on imported crude. Global investment banks are rapidly turning cautious. French lender Natixis on Monday slashed its 2026 growth forecast for South Korea to 1 percent from 1.8 percent, marking one of the st April 14, 2026