Korea, India discuss expanding arms cooperation in first defense talks in 7 years SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back discussed ways to expand defense and defense industry cooperation with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in Seoul on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. During the meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul, the two ministers agreed to further broaden cooperation in defense and arms industry fields, building on the “joint strategic vision” adopted at last month’s summit between the lea May 20, 2026

S. Korea pushes nuclear submarine plan, but fuel supply remains key hurdle SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s long-running ambition to deploy nuclear-powered submarines has gained fresh momentum as Seoul and Washington move to implement security agreements reached at their latest summit, though securing nuclear fuel remains the project’s biggest obstacle. The challenge facing the program is no longer simply whether South Korea can build or acquire nuclear-powered submarines, but how it would fuel them. According to data submitted by the Min May 20, 2026

AWS' annual tech expo in Seoul showcases agentic AI, robotics innovations SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The annual tech expo hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday, offering a space to experience the latest agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and physical AI technologies. The two-day AWS Summit Seoul brought together companies from various industries including beauty, media, manufacturing, security and robotics, showcasing their AI solutions, drawing more than 50,000 pre-registrations and about 6,000 on-site attende May 20, 2026

Seoul and Tokyo equities fall, Asian currencies and debt tumble on inflation fears SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Seoul and Tokyo bourses extended losses in a broad Asian retreat as investors moved past AI euphoria toward a reality check on the economic toll of prolonged Gulf conflicts and renewed inflation fears. The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.86 percent to close at 7,208.95 after swinging between an intraday high of 7,324.52 and a low of 7,053.84. Foreign investors sold a net 2.9293 trillion won ($1.94 billion) worth of shares, while retail and institutional investors bou May 20, 2026

CJ Group seeks police probe over leak of female employees' personal data SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - CJ Group filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency over the leak of personal information belonging to about 330 female employees via a Telegram channel, in the latest in a string of data security breaches rattling corporate Korea. The disclosed material the group revealed on Wednesday included mobile phone numbers, internal extensions, job titles and profile photographs, all of which matched current and former staff records, the company said. May 20, 2026

Two-week-long campaigning for local elections set to begin Thursday SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The official campaign period for next month's local elections is set to begin on Thursday, as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) prepare to launch full-scale campaigning across the country in an already-heated race. According to the National Election Commission (NEC) on Wednesday, candidates and their supporters will be allowed to actively canvass at the stroke of midnight and will have about two weeks to win o May 20, 2026

'More time on paperwork than artwork': Bureaucratic hurdles haunt Korean artists SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - In South Korea, artists must prove they are artists before qualifying for public grants, and many complain the opaque and exhausting certification process has become a bureaucratic ordeal that leaves them spending more time on paperwork than artwork. Artist Certification falls under the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation (KAWF), an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is effectively required to apply for government aid, public grants an May 20, 2026

Samsung Live: Labor minister steps onto the mound to save talks and stop strike SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) -With a nationwide strike at Samsung Electronics just hours away, South Korean Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon on Wednesday personally stepped into wage negotiations after government-mediated arbitration collapsed, underscoring mounting fears in Seoul that a prolonged walkout could destabilize the semiconductor industry at the center of the global AI boom. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Kim would directly oversee renewed talks between Samsung managemen May 20, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: Can South Korea and Japan turn shuttle diplomacy into substantive cooperation? SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea and Japan have long had a relationship that goes back and forth, sometimes improving, sometimes worsening, and then improving again. This cycle has been driven not only by practical interests, but also by historical issues between the two neighboring countries. But a quieter shift now seems to be taking place. It is not marked by dramatic breakthroughs or major progress on long-standing historical disputes. Instead, it is more gradual, built on the May 20, 2026

Korea, India to sign MOU on honoring Korean War veterans SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea and India will work together on international veterans affairs projects to honor Indian veterans who served in the 1950-53 Korean War as part of a medical support unit, Seoul’s Veterans Affairs Ministry said Wednesday. Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul and visiting Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will sign a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in international veterans affairs at the Indian Korean War May 20, 2026