Europe and Korea seek scale-up partnership at NextRise 2026 SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korean and European startups explored ways to scale up together as both sides seek complementary roles in a rapidly changing technology landscape at the opening of NextRise 2026 in Seoul. The two-day event at COEX, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association, Korea Development Bank, Korea Venture Business Association and Korea Venture Capital Association, is one of Asia's largest startup fairs. This year's program spans artificial i June 18, 2026

Nat'l Assembly passes motion for probe into June 3 elections SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - An investigation into disruptions and alleged irregularities during local elections earlier this month began on Thursday. The National Assembly passed a motion for the investigation earlier in the day by a vote of 250–1, setting up a committee of ruling and opposition lawmakers to look into why ballot papers ran short at about 26 polling stations in Seoul and other areas during the June 3 local elections. Chaired by lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun of the main June 18, 2026

The Iran war by the numbers: 109 days down, 60 days to go SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - One hundred and nine days after the United States and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran, Washington and Tehran unveiled a 14-point memorandum intended to end the war. The document calls for an immediate halt to hostilities, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations toward a final agreement. It also outlines sanctions relief and a proposed $300 billion investment fund to rebuild Iran's economy. Yet the document postpones r June 18, 2026

Cash stays on its toes to ride stock rally and higher rates in Korea SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) -Cash set aside for stock investments has surged and money parked in instantly accessible accounts remains elevated, underscoring the depth of fear of missing out in a stock market whose benchmark index has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Households and companies are moving cash in and out of bank accounts at the fastest pace in a decade, favoring flexible, short-term deposits over long-term savings as a record-breaking stock market rally re June 18, 2026

Uzbek expats celebrate historic World Cup debut in Seoul SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - On the morning of June 18, the underground floors of S Tower in Seongsu-dong—Seoul’s renowned hipster district—were transformed into a cauldron of Central Asian football passion. Roughly about 200 Uzbekistan expatriates, international students, and workers living in South Korea gathered to witness a monumental milestone: the Uzbekistan national football team’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match against Colombia. June 18, 2026

Packaging bottleneck to decide winner in Korea's HBM4E race SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - SK hynix and Samsung Electronics are locking horns to seize an early lead in next-generation AI memory by shipping samples of their 12-layer HBM4E chips to major customers such as Nvidia for future data-center GPUs including Rubin Ultra. But as the race moves beyond raw memory performance, industry watchers say the real bottleneck may lie elsewhere: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s advanced packaging capacity. SK hynix said Wednesday it had sh June 18, 2026

KOSPI closes above 9,000 for first time as chip rally sweeps Asia SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korea's KOSPI closed above the 9,000 mark for the first time on Thursday as semiconductor stocks rallied across North Asia, lifting markets in Seoul and Tokyo while Chinese chipmakers outperformed a weaker broader market. The KOSPI gained 199.60 points, or 2.2 percent, to close at a record 9,063.8. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.6 percent to 71,053.4, while China's Shanghai Composite traded around 4,092, down about 0.4 percent. The surge was dr June 18, 2026

No change in stance toward North Korea in upcoming white paper, Defense Ministry says SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday quelled speculation about any change in its stance toward North Korea, saying the reclusive country will remain South Korea's enemy in its annual defense white paper, due out at the end of this year. The ministry said it is "not true" that it is reviewing whether to change its stance in line with the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to engage the North. The defense white paper, pub June 18, 2026

KOSPI leaps to new four-digit milestone SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) -South Korea's benchmark KOSPI crossed another four-digit threshold on Thursday, racing from 7,000 to 9,000 in less than two months in one of the fastest equity rallies in its history. The index closed 2.4 percent higher at 9,072.86, up nearly 50 percent from 6,191.92 just two months ago. The latest milestone arrived in 22 trading sessions after KOSPI first broke above 8,000 on May 15. The pace itself has become the story. The benchmark June 18, 2026

Hormuz to reopen, but the war has redrawn Asia's energy map for good SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - The Strait of Hormuz may reopen within the next 60 days under a U.S.-Iran deal, and oil prices have already retreated close to prewar levels. But Asia's energy order will not return to what it was. The war taught the region a costly lesson: dependence on a single supplier and a single shipping lane is no longer a risk worth taking. Brent crude fell below $79 a barrel on Thursday, its lowest level since early March and nearly 40 percent below its wartime June 18, 2026