Iran war likely to sideline North Korea at Trump-Xi summit of reduced ambitions SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - North Korea is expected to take a back seat at this week’s summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as the Iran war, disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and intensifying superpower rivalry overshadow Pyongyang in what increasingly appears to be a crisis-management meeting rather than a breakthrough summit. Iran looms large over the two superpowers even as both sides seek to avoid openly framing the summit around the conf May 13, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: Bangkok's survival in socialist ring In the sweltering heat of the Indochinese Peninsula, Bangkok is performing a masterclass in geopolitical hedging that the West—and its neighbors—ignore at their peril. The thick, humid silence of the Kanchanaburi jungle is about to be broken by a sound that remains unfamiliar to many in the West. It is not the roar of an American-made turbine or the familiar cadence of English-language commands that have echoed through these valleys since the early years of the Reag May 13, 2026

Defense minister seeks US support for Korea's nuclear-powered submarine plan SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has asked senior U.S. Navy and congressional officials to support South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. Ahn, who is visiting the U.S. for the first time since taking office, met with Hung Cao, acting secretary of the U.S. Navy, in Washington on Tuesday morning to discuss key alliance issues, according to the ministry. During the meeting, Ahn stressed that May 13, 2026

KOSPI briefly sinks to 7,400 level amid AI dividend shock and Samsung labor unrest SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - South Korean shares extended losses for a second straight session Wednesday as fears of a monthlong strike at Samsung Electronics rattled investor sentiment after marathon government-mediated labor talks collapsed overnight. As of 10:20 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI was down 0.4 percent at 7,613.11 after briefly falling as low as 7,402. The junior KOSDAQ slipped 0.9 percent to 1,169.16. The decline followed an exceptionally volatile session Tuesday, when the K May 13, 2026

KAIST researchers develop AI framework for climate crisis prediction SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed an artificial intelligence framework designed to analyze the integrated impacts of climate change on global economies and energy systems, KAIST said Wednesday. The international research team, led by Professor Jeon Hae-won and Professor Oh Hye-yeon, introduced a foundation model that processes earth observation data, economic scenarios, and policy indicators within a share May 13, 2026

US treasury secretary arrives in Seoul SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with a Chinese official, just a day ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bessent is set to meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Muing at Cheong Wa Dae in the morning before holding talks with visiting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng later in the day. He is also expected to meet with South Korean Finance Minis May 13, 2026

Gov't, Samsung management jointly pressure union after wage talks collapse SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - The South Korean government and Samsung Electronics management ratcheted up pressure on the labor union ahead of a planned monthlong strike next week after marathon government-mediated talks over a profit-linked bonus system collapsed early Wednesday. “A strike must never happen under any circumstances,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol wrote on X on Wednesday, pledging to continue mediation to keep the dialogue momentum al May 13, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: The Middle East must now move toward a 'Noah Accord' Saudi Arabia’s First Direct Strike on Iranian Soil — The Middle East Must Now Move Toward a “Noah Accord” A new desert wind is sweeping across the Middle East. Reports that Saudi Arabia has directly struck targets inside Iranian territory are not merely another military headline. They represent a historic signal that the regional order has entered a new and more dangerous phase. For decades, Saudi Arabia and Iran confronted one another while carefu May 13, 2026

North Korean leader inspects munitions factories, calls for stronger artillery forces SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected munitions factories and called for strengthening "mortar and howitzer forces," state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, accompanied by senior military officials and other key aides, "gave field guidance at several munitions industrial enterprises" earlier this week to "learn about the implementation of munitions production assignments May 13, 2026

S. Korea extradites mastermind who targeted BTS' Jungkook in $25.4 mln fraud SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - South Korean authorities on Wednesday repatriated a 40-year-old Chinese national accused of leading a sophisticated hacking ring that attempted to steal 8.4 billion won from BTS star Jeon Jung-kook. The suspect, identified only as A, was escorted from Bangkok to Incheon International Airport following a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency. The extradition marks a major development in an investigation into a syndic May 13, 2026