UAE in talks with TSMC to build advanced chip plant

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - The United Arab Emirates is in preliminary discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication facility as Gulf nations accelerate efforts to position themselves at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence race. TSMC has reportedly held multiple meetings in recent months with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and representatives of MGX Fund Management, a UAE-base

June 2, 2025

Samsung in talks to integrate Perplexity AI in Galaxy S26: report

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is in discussions to integrate technology from Perplexity AI into its next generation of smartphones, potentially marking a significant departure from the firm's long-standing reliance on Google’s artificial intelligence services. The proposed deal, first reported by Bloomberg, would see Samsung embedding Perplexity’s AI assistant and search tools in its upcoming Galaxy S26 series, expected to launch in the first half of 2

June 2, 2025

Fans flock to Incheon for K-pop's global gathering

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - Thousands of K-pop fans from across the globe converged on Incheon’s Inspire Entertainment Resort over the weekend for the 2025 Weverse Con Festival, the fourth installment of Hybe’s annual music celebration. Spanning two days, the event drew such a surge of international visitors that local restaurants within the sprawling resort struggled to accommodate the influx. The festival has evolved into a global pilgrimage for fans of Korean pop music,

June 2, 2025

Samsung Pay outage disrupts morning transactions across country

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - A three-hour outage of Samsung Pay, the popular mobile payment service, disrupted morning routines across South Korea on Monday, leaving customers unable to complete transactions and prompting widespread frustration among users and retailers. The disruption began around 7 a.m. and was resolved by 10:22 a.m., according to Samsung officials. During the outage, users attempting to make purchases with their smartphones reported failures at convenience stores, ca

June 2, 2025

Candidates make last-ditch appeals to voters on eve of presidential election

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - Monday is the final day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's presidential election, with candidates set to canvass until the last minutes to win over voters. Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) kicked off his final day of campaigning with a visit to the southern resort island of Jeju, before making stops in Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon, and wrapping up in Seoul as the final leg of his rally. According to a PPP spokes

June 2, 2025

Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo enter final stage of campaign as snap election nears

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - With just one day remaining before South Korea’s Jun. 3 snap presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo launched their final push to win over voters on Monday morning. Lee is spending his last campaign day in the Seoul metropolitan area, a key battleground in previous elections. His campaign is highlighting policies focused on economic revitalization, balanced regional development, and

June 2, 2025

Astana International Forum wraps up with call for stronger global cooperation

SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - A two-day international forum aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation and tackling global challenges wrapped up in Kazakhstan’s capital on Friday. The Astana International Forum (AIF), held from Thursday to Friday, brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 70 countries, including heads of state, business executives, renowned academics, and representatives. Throughout the event, over 40 panel discussions, side events, and specia

June 1, 2025

Candidates blitz key battlegrounds as presidential race enters final stretch

SEOUL, June 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s leading presidential contenders crisscrossed the country on Sunday in a final bid to rally voters ahead of Tuesday’s election, with both major candidates making strategic forays into regions outside their political comfort zones. Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party spent the day traversing the conservative stronghold of Yeongnam, seeking to peel away support from traditional bastions of right-wing dominance.

June 1, 2025

Public opinion manipulation allegations roil final days of election

SEOUL, June 01 (AJP) - With just two days remaining before South Korea's presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung on Sunday accused a far-right group of orchestrating an online campaign to manipulate public opinion in favor of his conservative rival, calling the alleged operation an “insurrection.” Lee urged law enforcement authorities to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into what he described as a "systematic attempt to distort the el

June 1, 2025

Korea's exports slip in May, undermined by US tariffs

SEOUL, June 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports declined in May, snapping a three-month streak of gains, as shipments to key markets including the United States and China weakened, government data showed Sunday. Exports fell 1.3 percent from a year earlier to $57.3 billion, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The downturn was attributed largely to a sharp drop in shipments to the United States, where the Trump administration’s tariff policies have

June 1, 2025