Trump hints at possible delay of upcoming Beijing trip, presses allies to send warships SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday hinted that his upcoming trip to China later this month might be delayed, while repeating his call for allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help keep it open and safe amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. In an interview with the Financial Times, just a day after he urged five countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the U.K., which are "affected" by the closure of the stra March 16, 2026

GULF CRISIS: South Korea to release 22.46 million barrels from strategic reserve SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) -South Korea will release 22.46 million barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves over the next three months as part of coordinated international efforts to stabilize global energy markets following supply disruptions caused by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The decision was announced Monday after a meeting between the government and the ruling party, which agreed to gradually release the oil stockpile in line with a collective action pla March 16, 2026

Egg, meat prices keep rising as avian flu and livestock diseases persist SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) - Prices of livestock products are surging in South Korea as highly pathogenic avian influenza and African swine fever spread. According to the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation, the average retail price for 10 extra-large eggs stood at 3,893 won as of the second week of this month, up more than 20 percent from a year earlier, putting the price of a single egg at nearly 400 won. About 56 avian influenza cases have been reported so fa March 16, 2026

Samsung SDI wins $1 bln U.S. ESS battery deal to offset EV setbacks SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) - Samsung SDI said Monday it has secured another large battery supply contract in the United States, underscoring the South Korean battery maker’s accelerating push into the rapidly expanding global energy storage system (ESS) market to offset the slowing demand for EV batteries in North America. The company said its Michigan-based subsidiary, Samsung SDI America, has signed a deal worth about 1.5 trillion won ($1 billion) to supply ESS batteries to a ma March 16, 2026

KPop Demon Hunters went Up, Up, winning 2 Oscars for Best Animated and Original Song *Updated with additional information SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) -KPop Demon Hunters turned Hollywood’s biggest night on Sunday into a K-pop celebration, sweeping two trophies at the 98th Academy Awards — Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song — as the Netflix sensation outshone heavyweight Hollywood contenders including Zootopia 2. Nearly a year after its global premiere, the animated hit — blending K-pop spectacle with Korean folkl March 16, 2026

OPINION: South Korea faces '3 Highs' as U.S.-Iran War jolts markets, oil and prices SEOUL, March 16-South Korea’s financial markets have swung sharply as the U.S.-Iran war rattles investors, with the won-dollar exchange rate hovering around 1,500 won per dollar. Disruptions to Middle East crude supplies have pushed fuel prices higher, prompting the first oil price-control measures in 30 years. With global logistics strained, exporters and importers face growing uncertainty over when and where shipments of key products and raw materials may be delayed. Th March 16, 2026

PHOTOS: Living heritage and neon dreams - The parallel shopping worlds of Astana ASTANA, March 15 (AJP) -A thirty-minute taxi ride from the hotel leads to the Artyom Market in the older district of Astana. It is a personal routine to visit the traditional markets of any new city to see how people actually live without the filter of tourist attractions. The ground floor of this multi-story building is a dense world of its own, smelling of fresh dough, raw honey, and cold-stored meat. It feels like a space that has aged alongside the city, retaining March 16, 2026

Seoul 'in close talks' with Washington over sending warships to Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - The government is closely consulting with Washington and carefully weighing options after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed allies, including South Korea, to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Urging countries "affected" by the closure of the strategically vital waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, Trump wrote on his social media platform the previous day, "Ho March 15, 2026

Astana braves the frost for a new Kazakhstan ASTANA, March 15 (AJP) - A leaden sky hung low over Astana on Sunday morning, stubbornly refusing to deliver the slight thaw promised by the local forecast. Instead, the mercury hovered at a biting -4°C, and the city’s wide avenues were flanked by mounds of snow stained with soot and dust, while footpaths were glazed in a treacherous layer of ice. Despite the chill, the capital’s residents appeared early. Clad in heavy winter coats, citizens moved with a hurried, q March 15, 2026

BTS Comeback D-6: Police brace for massive crowds with heightened security SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - With less than a week left before K-pop juggernaut BTS' massive comeback concert, security at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul will be heightened, with over 6,500 officers mobilized as part of a set of safety measures, police said on Sunday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, all available personnel will be deployed to the concert venue and surrounding areas to manage traffic, prevent crimes, and maintain safety, along with more than 5,400 pie March 15, 2026