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  Trump assures US Navy will step in to protect tankers in Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - The U.S. Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "if necessary," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, amid growing concerns that the ongoing Middle East conflict could disrupt oil shipments through the strategically vital waterway. "If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible," Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social. "No mat March 4, 2026
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  South Korea, Philippines agree to expand cooperation in emerging sectors SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - South Korea has agreed to expand bilateral cooperation with the Philippines in emerging sectors for future growth, such as artificial intelligence (AI), shipbuilding, and nuclear energy, as part of the two countries' strategic partnership. During a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. in Manila on Tuesday, the two countries signed about a dozen memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to str March 4, 2026
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  UPDATE: Korea's factory output turns negative in Jan on reduced chip activity **Additional data information added** SEOUL, Mar 04 (AJP) - South Korea’s factory output turned negative for the first time in three months in January on slower semiconductor and construction activity, underlining the fragility of the economic recovery as the year-end base effect faded. Mining and manufacturing output fell 1.3 percent in January from the previous month — the first decline since October, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Da March 4, 2026
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  Middle East turmoil pounds Korean stocks and won for second session SEOUL, March 04 (AJP) - South Korean shares extended their downward spiral in the aftermath of the Middle East crisis, losing more than 5 percent at the opening bell Wednesday following Tuesday’s rout. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI tumbled 6.09 percent to 5,444.51 on panicky retail selling after a 7.24 percent plunge in the previous session. The retreat later eased to around 3 percent by about 9:20 a.m., as foreign and local institutional investors moved to scoop up la March 4, 2026
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  About 140 South Koreans in Iran and Israel evacuated to neighboring countries SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - About 140 South Koreans who had been staying in Iran and Israel have been evacuated to neighboring Turkmenistan and Egypt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Wednesday. In Iran, about two dozen South Koreans split into two buses arranged by the South Korean Embassy there and left Tehran on Monday and safely arrived in neighboring Turkmenistan the following day amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region following last Saturday's U.S.-led airs March 4, 2026
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  Arrest warrant issued for Ex-DP lawmaker over bribery allegations SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - Kang Sun-woo, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) was arrested on Tuesday over alleged bribery and breach of trust. The Seoul Central District Court issued arrest warrants for Kang, along with Kim Kyung, a former Seoul city official, citing concerns that they might destroy evidence. Their arrest comes about two months after the allegations surfaced late last year, prompting the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to launch an investigation. March 4, 2026
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  The first full moon of the year is red GYEONGGI, March 03 (AJP)-On the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, Korea steps outside. The holiday is Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the year — a night when neighborhoods, not just families, gather under the open sky. If Lunar New Year belongs to the dining table, Jeongwol Daeboreum belongs to the fields, the hills, the riverbanks. People tilt their heads upward and wait for the moon to rise, round and bright in the brittle winter air. The full moon h March 4, 2026
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  Elementary school greets new students through spring entrance ceremony SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - First-grade students wearing paper crowns attend their entrance ceremony for the 2026 academic year at Wonchon Elementary School in Seocho District, Seoul, on Monday. The new students took commemorative photos with their families at a designated photo zone before touring their classrooms and school grounds where they will spend the coming years. Instead of delivering a traditional welcome speech, the school principal read aloud the children’s book March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis: Brewing oil shock sparks tantrum across Seoul markets SEOUL, Mar 03 (AJP) - Oil supply disruption following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the critical artery through which most Middle Eastern crude flows to Asia — is raising fears of another wave of currency volatility and fuel-driven inflation, analysts warned. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the waterway shut, threatening to “set on fire” vessels entering waters bordering Iran. The strait handles roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies a March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis: Is Seoul's market binge over — or will it survive? SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) — Is the two-year bull run in Seoul finally running out of steam, or will the market once again absorb an oil shock and move on? Tuesday’s verdict was brutal. The KOSPI plunged 7.24 percent to 5,791.91, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell 4.62 percent to 1,137.70 — one of the sharpest single-day routs in recent memory. History offers some comfort. In six major Middle East military crises since 2000, the KOSPI was March 3, 2026