Energy watchdog warns looming transit fees in Hormuz SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - A temporary truce between the United States and Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, providing a critical lifeline to energy-dependent manufacturing hubs in South Korea and Southeast Asia. The International Energy Agency warned Thursday (local time) that despite the immediate relief, the crisis has permanently altered the global energy map. The unblocking of the maritime chokepoint eases a severe bottleneck for production-based Asian economies June 19, 2026

KOSPI, Nikkei extend record-setting run SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) — Seoul's stock market pushed deeper into uncharted territory on Friday, with the KOSPI testing new highs and total market capitalization reaching a record $5.2 trillion, propelled by the extraordinary ascent of SK hynix, whose market value alone exceeded $1.3 trillion and helped Seoul outshine Tokyo's simultaneous record-setting rally. The KOSPI stood at 9,371.8, up 307.9 points, or 3.4 percent intraday while the Nikkei traded at 71,632.4, up 578 June 19, 2026

Researchers develop unified database to reduce AI errors SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence agents often struggle with generating false information, a major obstacle for corporate adoption. To solve this, researchers have developed next-generation database technology that simultaneously understands documents, data, and their relationships to improve answer accuracy and processing speed. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Friday. Current artificial intelligence retrieval systems typically rely on vect June 19, 2026

Iran opens Hormuz transit applications, paving way for 24 Korean ships SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - Iran has begun accepting transit applications from vessels stranded inside the Strait of Hormuz under its agreement to end the war with the U.S., paving the way for 24 stranded Korean-related ships to leave the waterway. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or PGSA, began receiving applications through its website, according to industry sources Friday. The move follows a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S. that calls for the strait June 19, 2026

N. Korea denuclearization remains top priority for US: senior US diplomat SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) -The Trump administration places North Korea's denuclearization high on its foreign policy agenda and remains open to dialogue with Pyongyang, while signaling that any transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea will proceed cautiously and under military guidance, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday. David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan, Korea and Mongolia, made the remarks during a Korea-U.S. Strategic Industries and Se June 19, 2026

KOSPI extends historic rally beyond 9,200 as chip giants lead charge SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) -South Korean stocks extended their record-breaking rally Friday, with the benchmark KOSPI surging further above the 9,000-point mark as a global semiconductor boom, aggressive foreign buying and renewed optimism over artificial intelligence demand continued to fuel gains. The benchmark KOSPI opened at 9,292.71, up 2.53 percent from the previous session, extending its record-breaking rally after closing above the 9,000-point mark for the first time a day earli June 19, 2026

LG CNS, Doosan forge sweeping AI and robotics alliance SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - LG CNS announced it has agreed to a broad business partnership with Doosan spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, data centers and cloud computing, as South Korea's industrial giants race to commercialize so-called physical AI. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday at LG Science Park in Seoul's Magok district, with LG CNS CEO Hyun Shin-kyun and Doosan President Yoo Seung-woo among the executives present. Under the deal, June 19, 2026

Inside KF-21, a test pilot pushes Korea's indigenous fighter to its limits SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - The moment can come low above the ground, when the aircraft is turning hard and the pilot's vision begins to fade. For Maj. Song Min-seok, a test pilot for South Korea's KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, one of the most demanding parts of the job is not flying fast. It is holding the aircraft at the edge of its limits long enough to finish the test — even as his body tells him to stop. "When you keep turning under G-force, blood moves down towar June 19, 2026

Intel taps former SK hynix CEO to ride on AI wave SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - Intel, seeking to reverse years of decline in the AI era after losing its semiconductor crown, has appointed former SK hynix and SK On chief Lee Seok-hee to lead key foundry operations that the company views as its quickest route back to growth. Lee was named executive vice president of Intel Foundry and will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan, overseeing advanced packaging, system integration, and back-end technology development and manufacturing. The app June 19, 2026

Many analysts see Iran, not Washington, as the strategic winner of the war SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - President Donald Trump hailed the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding as a diplomatic victory that would prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and restore stability to global energy markets. Many international relations scholars and security analysts see it differently. Several experts interviewed by AJP said the 109-day conflict ultimately strengthened Iran's strategic leverage, exposed limits to American military power and accelerated shif June 18, 2026