South Koreans return home from Middle East SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - Korean travelers who departed for the Middle East are returning home one by one as many air routes have been disrupted in the aftermath of Middle East tensions. Additionally, the Dubai-Incheon route, which had been suspended due to the aftermath of Iran's airstrikes, resumed on March 6. The flight took off three hours and ten minutes later than scheduled due to local airport conditions. Korean Air has suspended flights to the Middle East March 6, 2026

Winter Paralympics: Intense Strategy in Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s wheelchair curling mixed doubles team of Lee Yong-seok and Baek Hye-jin defeated Britain and Japan in succession to improve to 2–1 in the preliminary round at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Paralympics. After narrowly losing to host Italy in their opening match, Lee and Baek bounced back with a 14–3 victory over Britain in the morning session before overpowering Japan later in the day. Eight teams are competing in t March 6, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: Tehran power vacuum rattles Gulf order As the war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran enters its first week, AJP examines how the conflict began and evolved, the emerging power vacuum in Tehran and its implications for Iran and the Gulf states, and the broader impact on global energy routes, financial markets and the international order. SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - Exactly who is in control in Tehran remains unclear after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening hours of the U March 6, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: How Operation Epic Fury was born in the AI age As the war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran enters its first week, AJP examines how the conflict began and evolved, the emerging power vacuum in Tehran and its implications for Iran and the Gulf states, and the broader impact on global energy routes, financial markets and the international order. SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) — Residents of Tehran did not immediately grasp what had happened. Shortly before 10 a.m. local time on Feb. 28, explosions ripped across t March 6, 2026

Hyundai, Kia face challenges amid EU's push for local EV production SEOUL, March 6 (AJP) - Auto industry workers are closely monitoring developments as the European Union unveiled its Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) earlier this week, a proposal aimed at boosting local manufacturing by imposing stricter requirements on global automakers. In a press release out on Wednesday, the European Commission said it has "adopted a legislative proposal to increase demand for low-carbon, European-made technologies and products," adding that IAA will March 6, 2026

Korean makers bet on ultra high-nickel batteries to challenge China's supremacy SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - South Korea is positioning ultra high-nickel batteries as its trump card in the global battery war, betting that a widening technology gap with China and fresh regulatory tailwinds from Europe will reshape the competitive landscape for premium electric vehicles and humanoid robots. The push comes at a pivotal moment, with the European Union this week unveiling its Industrial Acceleration Act (IAA) — a policy framework that effectively erects a double-la March 6, 2026

Asian markets ending the first war week muddled  SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - Asian markets finishing the first week of a new war became muddled Friday amid mixed messages from Washington and the battlefields in the Middle East about how long the conflict could continue and how large the impact on the global economy. Overnight, U.S. equities returned to declines as geopolitical risks surrounding the Iran conflict weighed on investor confidence. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.61 percent to 47,954.74, while the S&P 500 sli March 6, 2026

South Korea to face Japan this weekend after huge win in WBC opener SEOUL, March 6 (AJP) - South Korea will face Japan in its second game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this weekend, as the quadrennial tournament's regional rounds kicked off on Thursday. South Korea, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, defeated the Czech Republic 11‑4 in its WBC opener in Tokyo, hitting four home runs. The dominant win boosted the team's morale ahead of a game against archrival and defending champion Japan slated for Saturday evening at the Tokyo Dome. March 6, 2026

Korea's inflation steady in Feb, but at risk as it is mostly fed by soft energy prices SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) -South Korea’s inflation held steady in February despite the Lunar New Year factor - keeping consumer prices within the central bank’s 2 percent target range for a sixth straight month - but may come under pressure as the recent easing mostly came from cheaper energy prices that have reversed following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. The consumer price index rose 2.0 percent from a year earlier in February to 118.40 (2020=100), unchanged March 6, 2026

Exports feed black in Korea's C/A surplus for 33rd month in Jan, U.S. stock invest narrows SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - South Korea extended its current-account surplus streak to a 33rd consecutive month in January, though the black figure narrowed from the record level seen the previous month as investment in overseas securities cooled from the frenetic pace of late last year. The current account surplus reached $13.26 billion in January, narrowing from $18.7 billion in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Friday. The robust surplus was fed by expo March 6, 2026