ASIA INSIGHT: While Hormuz burns, Hong Kong ships AI revolution As conflict turns the Middle East into a maritime graveyard, the Pearl River Delta is quietly monopolizing the world's most valuable supply chain. At the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, the air carries the scent of ozone and hydraulic fluid. There are no bulk carriers of iron ore or massive tankers of crude lining the piers today. Instead, the focus is on a single, climate-controlled container being winched onto a freighter bound for the Port of Long Beach. Inside are hig May 15, 2026

Korea and India in One Frame: Bridging a translation gap SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) -The meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on April 20 was amicable, but slow. The words of both leaders traveled through English first then into Hindi because the Korean entourage lacked a translator who spoke Hindi. Technically, communication occurred. But something was lost in that detour, and everyone in the room knew it. Back at home, Lee complained out loud. At a cabinet meeting on Apr May 15, 2026

Teachers' Day in Korea without pride, gratitude and... cake SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) -South Koreans, whose Confucian roots instill deep reverence for educators, have observed Teachers' Day for more than six decades. Yet the tradition endures largely in name, as schoolteachers' authority and morale languish under the weight of compounding regulations and increasingly assertive parenting. The interference extends to the absurd: provincial education offices have issued specific directives on how cakes may be shared on Teachers' Day, le May 15, 2026

Seoul to unveil nuclear-powered submarine roadmap as early as this month SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korea is expected to unveil a roadmap for its nuclear-powered submarine program as early as the end of this month, government sources said Friday. The move is seen as an attempt by Seoul to present its own timeline for the long-sought project, as follow-up talks with Washington have been slow. The Ministry of National Defense, which leads an interagency task force on the issue, is expected to announce the plan, though the exact timing has yet to be fin May 15, 2026

Military to conduct annual computer-based simulation exercise next week SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - The military will stage a five-day computer-based simulation exercise next week to strengthen readiness against North Korean threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Friday. According to the JCS, the annual command post exercise, known as Taegeuk, is scheduled to begin on Monday. The exercise is conducted based on scenarios that reflect changes in the security environment and the evolving landscape of modern warfare. The military aims to strengt May 15, 2026

Lee expresses respect on Teachers' Day SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Friday expressed "deep respect and gratitude" to teachers as the country marked Teachers' Day. In a Facebook post, he thanked teachers across the country "who are working tirelessly in schools and classrooms even at this moment." He added, "Because of their efforts and dedication, today's Korea exists." He also pledged to do his best to create better environments in which May 15, 2026

Government signals emergency powers as Samsung strike clock ticks SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and its overarching labor union are waging a war of nerves to settle their dispute on their own under competing deadlines, as the government signals it may invoke a rarely used emergency strike suspension authority. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the company’s largest labor group, sent an official letter to Vice Chairman and Device Solutions chief Jun Young-hyun on Thursday, giving management until 10 a.m. Friday to p May 15, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: AI and semiconductors become global power amid recession of tariff war As the Tariff War Recedes, Artificial Intelligence and Semiconductors Rise to the Center of Global Power Beijing in May 2026 was not a city of Cold War hostility. Yet neither was it a city of complete reconciliation. Beneath the red carpets of the Great Hall of the People and along the quiet stone paths of the Temple of Heaven, one could sense both tension and restraint — the unmistakable weight of two powers attempting to manage the future of the international order. May 15, 2026

Samyang Foods promotes Buldak architect Kim Jung-soo to chair SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Samyang Foods announced that its board has elevated Vice Chair Kim Jung-soo, the executive widely credited with creating its globally popular Buldak instant noodles, to chair effective June 1, as the company tightens its grip on a fast-expanding overseas business. The promotion is Kim's first since she became vice chair in December 2021. Kim joined the noodle maker during the 1998 financial crisis and launched the Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, or Buldak, brand May 15, 2026

KOSPI hits 8,000-point mark as Trump-Xi summit further fuels AI rally SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rose above the 8,000-point mark for the first time on Friday, extending a powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-driven rally. Investor sentiment was further lifted by an ongoing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, while overnight gains on Wall Street, led by technology stocks, also boosted momentum. As of 9:25 a.m., the KOSPI was trading at 8,032.67, up 0.64 percent, while the May 15, 2026