Hearts2Hearts to release second EP 'Lemon Tang' SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts will release its second EP, “Lemon Tang,” at 6 p.m. Monday, its agency SM Entertainment said. The release comes about eight months after the group’s first EP, “FOCUS,” which came out in October last year. The new EP contains six tracks, including the title track of the same name and “RUDE!,” a single released in February. “Lemon Tang” is a dance-pop track with a brig June 22, 2026

Korea's baffling vitals: an economy puffing hot and cold SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) -The South Korean economy is running hot and cold — and the honest answer to whether the hot part is real isn't yes or no. It's that the boom is genuine and the headline numbers are still misleading you about what it means for the economy as a whole. By the headline numbers, Asia's fourth-largest economy is doing exceedingly well, seemingly unfazed by nearly four months of disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for roughly a fifth o June 22, 2026

AI hiring spreads across South Korean industries SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - Job postings seeking artificial intelligence skills in South Korea have surged about 70 percent so far this year, a sign that demand for AI talent is spilling well beyond the technology sector into nearly every corner of the economy, according to recruitment platform Jobkorea. About 15,000 postings carrying the keyword "AI" were registered between January and May, a record high and seven times the 10 percent growth in overall job listings during the June 22, 2026

Two ships run by Korean carriers exit Hormuz under U.S.-Iran deal SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - Two ships run by South Korean carriers have left the Strait of Hormuz under a U.S.-Iran agreement, marking the first such departures since the two countries reached a deal aimed at ending the war. No South Korean crew members were aboard the vessels, and neither ship was bound for South Korea, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. “The vessels have not yet fully cleared the danger zone,” the ministry said. “Consideri June 22, 2026

Samsung Electronics to supply HVAC systems for premium housing project in India SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will supply air conditioning systems for a premium residential complex in India, as the company seeks to expand its HVAC business beyond commercial buildings into the residential market, the company said on Monday. The South Korean tech giant said it has partnered with Indian real estate developer Central Park to install more than 3,000 units of its residential air conditioning systems across 300 households at "The Orchard," a r June 22, 2026

High-income workers hit record high but wage gaps between industries widen SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - The number of workers earning at least 5 million won ($3,600) a month reached a record high in the second half of last year. According to data released by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) on Monday, some 3.71 million people earned an average monthly wage of at least 5 million won including bonuses and before taxes in the second half of 2024, up 296,000 from a year earlier. They accounted for 16.5 percent of the country's 22.49 million June 22, 2026

U.S.-Iran talks stalled and Hormuz remains uncertain SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) -The fate of the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain as fragile negotiations between the United States and Iran teeter on the brink of collapse, raising the risk of another energy shock for a global economy still grappling with the worst inflationary aftermath since the pandemic. Talks in Switzerland broke down after Iranian negotiators walked out in protest over fresh threats from President Donald Trump, underscoring the fragility of a memorandum of understandin June 22, 2026

When AI talks markets: Three chatbots, one Samsung question, and the $620 bet behind it SEOUL, June 21 (AJP) - The world has always found curious ways to talk about the future. Sometimes the storyteller is a philosopher, sometimes an economist. In 2026, a new narrator has joined them: artificial intelligence. Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT — three large models built by three rival labs — were each handed the same question. A Wall Street analyst has put an 850,000-won target on Samsung Electronics. What to make of it? What stands out is not that the three June 21, 2026

S.Korea seeks site for second spaceport to meet launch demand SEOUL, June 21 (AJP) - South Korea will open a nationwide search for the site of a second spaceport, the country's space agency said, as it prepares for an expected surge in launches driven by reusable rockets. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced Sunday it would invite bids from local governments until August 6 to host the facility, which is intended to support more than 10 reusable-rocket launches a year from the mid-to-late 2030s. The agency aims to complete June 21, 2026

Amorepacific chief's younger daughter weds in private Seoul ceremony SEOUL, June 21 (AJP) - The younger daughter of Suh Kyung-bae, chairman of South Korea's Amorepacific Group, married on Sunday, drawing fresh attention to the cosmetics empire's third-generation succession. Suh Ho-jeong, 30, exchanged vows at 6:30 p.m. at the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul's Jangchung-dong, according to business sources. The groom is an investment and management consultant at a foreign firm who has studied abroad, and the couple were introduced through acq June 21, 2026