OPINION: Why Iraq now matters As tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran intensify, global attention has fixed on Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv. Yet the most consequential variable in this widening conflict lies elsewhere — largely overlooked, but increasingly decisive. That variable is Iraq. At first glance, Iraq appears peripheral, spared the sustained bombardment seen elsewhere. In reality, it is fast becoming the space where the logic of war is most deeply embedded. What un March 23, 2026

BTS comeback and legacy SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - On the night of March 21, Gwanghwamun Plaza became a festival ground for the world. 'BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG,' BTS members' first full-group stage in 3 years and 9 months since their military discharge, concluded with long preparation and a spectacular finale. That day, Gwanghwamun was not simply a concert venue. It was a place of harmony, a moment when the world became one. A plaza where the world gathered March 22, 2026

Shin nomination signals BOK shift toward financial stability, external shock shield SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday nominated Shin Hyun-song, economic adviser and head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), as the next governor of the Bank of Korea, tasked with navigating monetary policy amid the economic fallout from the Gulf war crisis. The presidential office said Shin’s combination of academic depth and policy experience makes him well suited to manage rising uncertainty linked to March 22, 2026

SONGZIO X BTS turns comeback stage into a living archive of Korean history SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) — BTS’s comeback stage at Gwanghwamun was not only a musical return but a carefully constructed visual manifesto, where fashion became the medium through which history, identity and future ambition converged. At the center of that statement was “Lyrical Armor,” a collaborative collection with Korean designer Songzio, which transformed the seven members into embodiments of Korea’s evolving cultural narrative March 22, 2026

BTS comeback draws 104,000 to Seoul, lifts retail sales as event concludes safely SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -The BTS’s comeback concert in central Seoul on Saturday drew more than 100,000 people and ended without a single major incident, delivering both a powerful display of K-culture’s global reach and a sharp boost to retail sales around the event zone. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday, an estimated 104,000 spectators gathered around Gwanghwamun Plaza on Saturday, as global fans — known as ARMY — joined Seoul resid March 22, 2026

Daejeon factory fire kills 14; company chief apologizes amid probe into cause SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - The head of a South Korean auto parts manufacturer publicly apologized on Sunday after a devastating factory fire in Daejeon left at least 14 workers dead and dozens injured, as authorities launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the blaze. Sohn Ju-hwan, CEO of Anjeon Industry, visited a joint memorial altar set up at Daejeon City Hall, where he bowed deeply and expressed remorse before the victims. Holding a white chrysanthemum, Sohn stood March 22, 2026

Korea's 20-something employment slumps to 9- year low in Feb SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -Employment of South Koreans in their late 20s has hit the lowest in nearly a decade as rapid engagement of artificial intelligence worsens job prospects for entry level amid economic slowdown. According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) and job data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 2.346 million people ages 25-29 were employed in February, down 62,000 from a year earlier. It was the lowest February figure since 2017. The employment March 22, 2026

Retail inflows sustain KOSPI with bubble warning triggered SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market remains one of the world’s top performers over the past year, backed by heavy retail influx despite rapid foreign pullback due to the economy's heavy exposure to the crippled Strait of Hormuz, causing warnings of bubbly risks. The benchmark KOSPI hovers around 5,800 despite escalating oil prices and tensions in the Gulf after rising more than 150 percent in less than a year amid heavy swings since the war. It hel March 22, 2026

BTS' comeback album and show 'ARIRANG' make a splash on Spotfiy and Netflix SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -BTS’ first studio album in six years, “Arirang,” has opened with a blockbuster showing on Spotify, underlining the group’s enduring global pull and setting the pace for music releases in 2026. The album recorded 110 million streams worldwide on its first day, according to figures cited in the report, making it the biggest Spotify debut of the year so far and the largest opening day ever for a K-pop release on the platform. It also ran March 22, 2026

OPINION: A century show, carried with care SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -It was billed as a comeback. It became something larger: a test of scale, identity and control — and, ultimately, a quiet assertion of how far K-pop, and Korea, have come. BTS returned to Gwanghwamun Plaza not just as artists resuming a career, but as men who had completed a national duty and reassembled a global phenomenon. Thirteen years into their journey, the performance was less about proving relevance than about defining legacy. T March 22, 2026