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  OPINION: South Korea faces '3 Highs' as U.S.-Iran War jolts markets, oil and prices SEOUL, March 16-South Korea’s financial markets have swung sharply as the U.S.-Iran war rattles investors, with the won-dollar exchange rate hovering around 1,500 won per dollar. Disruptions to Middle East crude supplies have pushed fuel prices higher, prompting the first oil price-control measures in 30 years. With global logistics strained, exporters and importers face growing uncertainty over when and where shipments of key products and raw materials may be delayed. Th March 16, 2026
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  PHOTOS: Living heritage and neon dreams - The parallel shopping worlds of Astana ASTANA, March 15 (AJP) -A thirty-minute taxi ride from the hotel leads to the Artyom Market in the older district of Astana. It is a personal routine to visit the traditional markets of any new city to see how people actually live without the filter of tourist attractions. The ground floor of this multi-story building is a dense world of its own, smelling of fresh dough, raw honey, and cold-stored meat. It feels like a space that has aged alongside the city, retaining March 16, 2026
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  Seoul 'in close talks' with Washington over sending warships to Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - The government is closely consulting with Washington and carefully weighing options after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed allies, including South Korea, to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Urging countries "affected" by the closure of the strategically vital waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, Trump wrote on his social media platform the previous day, "Ho March 15, 2026
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  Astana braves the frost for a new Kazakhstan ASTANA, March 15 (AJP) - A leaden sky hung low over Astana on Sunday morning, stubbornly refusing to deliver the slight thaw promised by the local forecast. Instead, the mercury hovered at a biting -4°C, and the city’s wide avenues were flanked by mounds of snow stained with soot and dust, while footpaths were glazed in a treacherous layer of ice. Despite the chill, the capital’s residents appeared early. Clad in heavy winter coats, citizens moved with a hurried, q March 15, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-6: Police brace for massive crowds with heightened security SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - With less than a week left before K-pop juggernaut BTS' massive comeback concert, security at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul will be heightened, with over 6,500 officers mobilized as part of a set of safety measures, police said on Sunday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, all available personnel will be deployed to the concert venue and surrounding areas to manage traffic, prevent crimes, and maintain safety, along with more than 5,400 pie March 15, 2026
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  North Korea conducts 'firepower strike drill,' with leader hinting at more drills to come SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - North Korea conducted a "firepower strike drill," attended by its leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported on Sunday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the drill "involved twelve 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies," with Kim quoted as referring to it as "aimed at making the army do what it should do." Photos released later also showed he was accompan March 15, 2026
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  Hyundai launches self-driving taxi service with Uber in Las Vegas SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group's Ioniq 5-based robotaxis can now be hailed through ride-hailing app Uber in Las Vegas, Nevada. Motional, the automaker's autonomous driving joint venture, said Sunday it has launched a pilot robotaxi service with Uber in the city. The service area includes hotels and shopping districts along the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, with coverage expected to continue expanding. The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, March 15, 2026
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  More South Koreans airlifted from Saudi Arabia amid escalating Middle East conflict SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - More than 200 South Korean nationals are on their way home from Saudi Arabia after being evacuated amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. A multipurpose aerial tanker and transport aircraft carrying 204 South Koreans and seven foreigners departed from Riyadh on Saturday and is expected to arrive at a military air base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on Sunday afternoon, according to the foreign and defense ministries. They had been staying in Bahr March 15, 2026
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  Analysis: Iran war puts Korea and US allies to test as Trump asks for warship support SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) -As the war with Iran enters its third week, the conflict is no longer a distant geopolitical crisis for South Korea as it is rapidly becoming a test of alliance politics, energy security and the limits of Seoul’s willingness to project military power far beyond the Korean Peninsula. The shift came after Donald Trump on Saturday openly urged energy-dependent countries — including South Korea — to send naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz to s March 15, 2026
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  Kazakhstan prepares for national constitutional referendum ASTANA, March 14 (AJP) - Kazakhstan stands on the threshold of a truly historic stage in its development as citizens prepare to vote in a national referendum on a new draft of the Constitution. Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov stated that the new draft serves as a foundation for the long-term stability of the state and a timely response to global challenges. The reform process involved a Constitutional Commission of 130 members that reviewed more than 12,000 proposals submitt March 15, 2026