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  FMs of South Korea and Brazil seek closer cooperation on supply chains SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira to discuss measures to address supply chain disruptions amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. According to the ministry, Cho spoke with him by phone the previous day, during which he explained South Korea is making an all-out effort to secure alternative routes and sources for crude oil and other resources, citing the count April 16, 2026
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  HMM to launch West Africa container service, expanding global network SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - HMM will launch a new shipping route connecting Spain and West Africa in July, marking its first foray into the African continent as part of a broader push to extend its global reach. The new service announced Thursday, designated MA2 (Mediterranean West Africa), will operate out of Algeciras, Spain — a key Mediterranean hub — and call at ports in Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d'Ivoire. The round voyage takes about 35 days and wil April 16, 2026
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  BLACKPINK's Jennie named among TIME magazine's '100 Most Influential People' SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Jennie, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has been included in TIME magazine's annual list of the "100 Most Influential People" for this year released on Wednesday. "What makes Jennie a true star is that even in her quiet moments, she possesses the same kind of undeniable presence that cuts through all the noise, and she carries that with kindness and warmth," the magazine wrote. "She is the type of person who will grab April 16, 2026
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  Foreigners dump over $30 bn KOSPI shares and turn net bond sellers in March SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) -Foreign investors staged a record monthly sell-off in South Korean equities in March amid risk aversion and concerns over the energy-dependent economy from the outbreak of the conflicts in the Gulf and de-facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday, foreigners net sold 43.5 trillion won ($31.8 billion) worth of locally listed shares last month, more than doubling from February’s 19.6 trillion won out April 16, 2026
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  Remembering Sewol classmates, the silence still speaks 12 years later SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) -Desks remain as they were—names etched in pencil, jackets draped over chairs, notebooks opened mid-sentence. Time, here, does not move forward. It pauses, deliberately, asking each visitor to look closer. There are shoes that never made it home, ID cards that still carry smiling faces, and letters that were never meant to be final. Each object resists abstraction. This is not a number, not a headline, but 250 students and 11 teachers whose ordinary April 16, 2026
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  KOSPI recovers above 6,000 for first time since Trump's war in Iran SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,091.39 on Wednesday, up 2.07 percent from a day earlier, regaining the 6,000 mark for the first time in about 30 trading sessions. The index had last closed above that threshold on Feb. 27, when it was at 6,244.13, just a day before the U.S. and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran, throwing the already volatile Middle East region into deeper conflict. The gain was driven by foreign investors, who bought ab April 15, 2026
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  BOK nominee Shin faces intense scrutiny over foreign assets, family issues SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) — The nominee to head the Bank of Korea (BOK) came under intense scrutiny Wednesday as opposition lawmakers questioned his foreign-denominated wealth and family-related issues, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest. Lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Finance and Economy Committee focused on nominee Shin Hyun-song’s asset structure, noting that the central bank chief is tasked with stabilizing the Korean won and the housing April 15, 2026
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  Samsung Electronics faces April walkout as bonus dispute escalates SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is heading toward a partial walkout next week, with its largest labor union pushing ahead with industrial action over a profit-linked bonus system despite stalled negotiations. The union plans a rally and walkout on April 23, with a full-scale strike scheduled from May 21 if talks fail to produce a compromise. “We are open to negotiations if management puts the 15 percent operating profit payout and the removal of the bonus cap April 15, 2026
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  S. Korea claims North Korean economy on recovery SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday that North Korea’s economy is entering a gradual recovery phase in line with closer ties and trade activities with Russia and China. The ministry cited deepening “alliance-level” ties between Pyongyang and Moscow — including cooperation in advanced weapons and technology — alongside increased exchange with China, as key drivers supporting the country’s economic stabili April 15, 2026
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  Latin Forum maps US' ambitions to become self-sustaining 'technate' as regional order shifts SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - The January storming of Venezuela by United States naval forces and the subsequent apprehension of Nicolas Maduro was not merely a regime-toppling maneuver to secure the world's largest crude reserves. It marked the definitive end of Washington's reliance on global oil markets and the birth of an energy-independent, self-sustaining continental fortress. Speaking at this year's Latin Forum on Wednesday, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Profes April 15, 2026