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  North Korea-China passenger train resumes service ahead of Trump's visit to Beijing SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - A passenger train linking North Korea and China arrived in Beijing on Friday, resuming service for the first time in six years shortly after Pyongyang closed its border due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The train, which departed Pyongyang at around 10:30 a.m. the previous day, arrived at a railway station in Beijing the next morning after its lengthy journey of about 25 hours. Another passenger train from Beijing to Pyongyang also departed at a March 13, 2026
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  French president to visit Seoul for summit next month SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Seoul next month, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said Macron will arrive in Seoul on April 2 for a summit with President Lee Jae Myung. The visit will mark his first trip to South Korea since his inauguration in 2017 as the youngest president in French history and also the first by a French president in about 11 years. After a formal welcoming March 13, 2026
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  Asian stocks fall as oil tops $100 on Hormuz tensions SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) — Asian stock markets opened lower Friday after oil prices surged above $100 a barrel amid escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about prolonged disruptions to global energy supplies. Investor anxiety intensified after Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to maintain pressure on shipping through the strategic waterway and warned Tehran could open another front in the conflict, stoking fears that the war could dr March 13, 2026
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  South Korea PM meets US vice amid war and tariff tensions SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Wednesday, using the talks to underscore Seoul’s passage of a new law to support Korean investment in the United States and to press for faster implementation of broader bilateral security and industrial agreements. The meeting came as the alliance faces renewed strain from a U.S. tariff offensive and deepening energy insecurity caused by the Iran war and di March 13, 2026
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  Krafton, Hanwha Aerospace forge physical AI alliance with joint venture plans SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - South Korean gaming giant Krafton and defense heavyweight Hanwha Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop physical AI technologies and pursue the establishment of a joint venture spanning defense and other industrial applications. The partnership announced Friday marries Krafton's AI research capabilities and simulation expertise — honed through operating large-scale virtual worlds such as PUBG: Battlegrounds — with Ha March 13, 2026
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  Proposal to expand overnight delivery draws resistance from mom-and-pop stores SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - Seeing delivery boxes from Coupang or Kurly outside front doors on the way to work has become an everyday sight in South Korea. Ordering something at night and finding it on your doorstep the very next morning is now a common practice - it's simply how online shopping works here. Lawmakers now want to open overnight delivery to more players. Under a proposed revision led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), large discount retailers would be allowed to off March 13, 2026
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  Hanmi Pharmaceutical taps first outside CEO in 53-year history SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced it has nominated Hwang Sang-yeon, head of private equity at HB Investment, as its new chief executive, marking the first time in the South Korean drugmaker's 53-year history that an outsider has been tapped to lead the company. The board of Hanmi Science, the group's holding company, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical approved the nomination at separate meetings on Thursday. The appointment is subject to approval at the annual gen March 13, 2026
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  Korean Inc. in a rush to retire shares but risks losing key management tool SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) — South Korea’s largest companies have rushed to retire 36.3 trillion won ($25 billion) worth of treasury shares in the first quarter of 2026 under a new Commercial Act amendment, but analysts warn the mandatory move may do little to improve corporate value while stripping management of a key strategic tool. A string of blue-chip firms including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Samsung C&T have unveiled large-scale treasury share cancellation March 12, 2026
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  Iran war may feel closer at home for South Korea and Japan if conflict stretches SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - The war with Iran may be unfolding thousands of kilometers away, but for U.S. allies in Northeast Asia it could begin to feel much closer if the conflict drags on. Questions are emerging in Seoul and Tokyo over whether Washington could eventually ask its key regional allies — South Korea and Japan — to support operations tied to the conflict, particularly given their reliance on energy shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the presenc March 12, 2026
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  Asian stocks weaken as oil prices climb toward $100 amid Hormuz attacks SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) — Asian stock markets ended mostly lower Thursday as oil prices surged toward the $100 mark following renewed attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, heightening concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies. Crude prices climbed sharply after a series of attacks on commercial vessels near the strategic waterway, which carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil shipments. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 4.8 perc March 12, 2026