National cemeteries see surge of visitors as South Korea commemorates Korean War SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - Visitors have been flocking to national cemeteries across the country to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and war heroes, as June is observed as the month commemorating the Korean War (1950~1953). Many visitors paid tribute with flowers and moments of silence at the Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul, where soldiers and others who died for the nation are laid to rest. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Af June 1, 2026

How shaved ice tells different stories across East Asia SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - Shaved ice is a summer staple across Asia, but the same dessert has taken sharply different paths in South Korea, Japan and China. In South Korea, bingsu has become a luxury item, a social media prop and a marker of changing consumer habits. This summer, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is selling its Jeju apple mango bingsu for 149,000 won, the highest price among major Seoul hotels. The Shilla Seoul charges 130,000 won for its signature apple mango bingsu at its loun June 1, 2026

SK Group chairman attends GTC Taipei to solidify Nvidia partnership, discuss customized AI memory SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won attended the GTC Taipei 2026 keynote on Monday, reinforcing the South Korean conglomerate's ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure partnership with Nvidia. Accompanied by SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, Chey observed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's presentation, which outlined the U.S. chipmaker's "Vera Rubin" mass production roadmap and future AI platforms. This marks the third major engagement between th June 1, 2026

South Korean bond yields surge on hawkish BOK remarks amid lingering Middle East conflict SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - South Korean government bond yields surged following a double blow of U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of a draft peace memorandum of understanding with Iran and hawkish remarks from the Bank of Korea (BOK) governor. The local currency, in contrast, erased early losses to close slightly higher as a clearer path toward interest rate hikes cushioned the market. The three-year government bond yield rose 5.9 basis points to 3.790 percent, its highest June 1, 2026

Food retailers launch BTS-themed products SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - South Korean food companies Paldo and hy have launched 28 products under ARIH, a food and beverage brand themed with K-pop group BTS, the companies said Monday. Paldo is a South Korean instant noodle maker, while hy is a food and beverage company known for its probiotic products. The companies said BTS took part in the brand from the planning stage. ARIH is built around the concept of balance and health in everyday life. The brand name comes from a Korean wo June 1, 2026

BTS to celebrates 13th anniversary with special event and concert in Busan SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - K-pop super group BTS will host an event to mark the 13th anniversary of their debut, the group's agency BigHit Music said on Monday. The event named "BTS FESTA" is the group's annual celebration held around June 13, the date the septet debuted in 2013. This year's edition will run for about two weeks and coincide with the Busan leg of the group's "ARIRANG" world tour, scheduled for June 12 and 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium June 1, 2026

WNMC 26: AI dominates day one as annual World News Media Congress opens in Marseille SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - The annual gathering of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) opened at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille, southern France, with artificial intelligence (AI) shaping every major session on the first day of the three-day event. About 1,000 publishers, editors and chief executives from more than 60 countries packed the venue at the global news media association's 77th congress on Monday. The program moved through pre-Congress Deep June 1, 2026

ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: US Defense Chief speech in Singapore brings tough choices for Seoul The world is changing fast, and the recent defense meeting in Singapore proved it. United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue, and his words carry a heavy message. For South Korea, sitting right between major global powers, his speech is a loud wake up call. The days of relying on a system where America promises to protect everyone without asking for much in return are officially over. Washington wants friends to pay more and do much more on their June 1, 2026

New ad solution to connects mobile navigation with digital billboards in South Korea SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - Innocean has launched what it describes as South Korea's first advertising solution linking mobile navigation services with large digital billboards, it said on Monday. Innocean is a Seoul-based advertising agency affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group. The solution links TMAP, one of South Korea's most widely used navigation apps, with Innocean's digital out-of-home, or DOOH, media network in major commercial districts. The service aims to reach co June 1, 2026

South Korea to launch 24-hour FX trading amid concerns over won stability SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - As authorities prepare to open South Korea's foreign exchange market full-time on weekdays, expectations are growing that the move could partially ease exchange rate volatility. Experts, however, say longer trading hours alone cannot stabilize the won unless trading volume and global trust in the currency also improve. That came after revisions to the foreign exchange market code of conduct were approved last Friday, paving the way for expanded U.S. dollar& June 1, 2026