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  US and Iran arrive in Islamabad as Hormuz deadlock threatens global energy supply SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Iranian and American delegations arrived in the Pakistani capital on Saturday for a summit intended to end their six-week war, though the specific timing of the first session remains unannounced as mediators attempt to resolve a last-minute impasse over Iranian preconditions. While both teams have checked into the Serena Hotel, the high-security venue where the negotiations are set to occur, officials from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed t April 11, 2026
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  Asian markets rise as Japan leads gains ahead of Washington-Tehran talks SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Japan leads gains in Asian markets Friday as optimism over planned Washington-Tehran talks lifts risk appetite, even as lingering supply concerns keep sentiment in check. This shift toward diplomatic engagement disrupts the recent pattern of defensive trading, as investors weigh the potential for a breakthrough in the Islamabad summit against persistent geopolitical friction. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 jumped 1.84 percent, led by gains in semiconductor and la April 10, 2026
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  A Korean love story, made in Nigeria: The new face of Korea–Africa relations SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - A poor but spirited girl, who by chance ends up attending a private high school for elite students, falls in love with a wealthy fellow student. It sounds like the plot of a Korean drama, but this is in fact the storyline of the Nigerian film My Sunshine – Korean Naija. Directed by Nigerian rapper and television producer JJC Skillz, it was written by actress Kemi Ikuseedun who also plays the protagonist Charis. The setting is the Korean-language April 10, 2026
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  Rival parties reach deal on supplementary budget to weather Middle East crisis SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday agreed on a supplementary budget to cope with the prolonged Middle East crisis while easing the burden on those hit hardest by soaring fuel prices. The extra budget of about 26 trillion Korean won (US$17 billion), which is expected to be passed at a parliamentary plenary session later in the day, also includes cash handouts to be provided to those in the bottom 70 perc April 10, 2026
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  Hanwha's capital playbook under scrutiny as FSS halts Solutions' rights offering SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - South Korea’s financial regulator has put the brakes a 2.4 trillion won ($1.7 billion) rights offering by Hanwha Solutions, in a move that is drawing attention to the group’s broader capital-raising practices and governance structure. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on April 9 ordered the company to revise its securities filing, citing incomplete formal requirements and insufficient or unclear disclosure of key information that could hin April 10, 2026
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  Seoul readying to redraw energy map with Hormuz substitutes in postwar order SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - It remains uncertain whether — or how — the war will wind down and the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen after U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday. But one thing is already clear: access to the strategic waterway along Iran and Oman will not return to what it was. Against those odds — and the rising cost burden — Seoul is moving to rethink its energy routes. A presidential envoy mission to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia April 10, 2026
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  PlayStation's March pick Crimson Desert storms past 4 million sales SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Action-adventure game Crimson Desert has surpassed 4 million copies sold in just 12 days, turning its turbulent launch by Pearl Abyss into one of the most dramatic comeback stories in recent gaming history and cementing the South Korean studio's first single-player title as a global commercial juggernaut. The open-world game, built on Pearl Abyss' proprietary BlackSpace Engine, logged 2 million sales on its first day on March 20 across PlayStation 5, April 10, 2026
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  Hyundai unveils two Ioniq concepts in Beijing SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor's two concept cars for electric vehicles have been unveiled at a three-day event in Beijing, the automaker said on Friday. The event, which kicked off last Tuesday, was held to mark the launch of its flagship Ioniq brand in the world's most populous country. Stressing that it has "invested years in preparing" the brand to meet the demand and tastes of Chinese customers, it explained that Ioniq "evolves beyond a traditional April 10, 2026
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  BOK opts "strategic patience", swan-song warning on housing SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) — The Bank of Korea (BOK) unanimously held the base rate steady at 2.5 percent, opting for what it called “strategic patience” as the Black Swan shock from the Middle East conflict exerts both upward and downward pressure. “The freeze at 2.5 percent is not a simple suspension,” Governor Rhee Chang-yong said Friday after presiding over his final monetary policy meeting before his term ends later this month. “Given the sever April 10, 2026
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  OPINION: The hidden genius in our pockets SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Last October, I had the pleasure of visiting the Korea University Museum at the invitation of its director, Professor Song Wan-beom. The visit was organized by the second graduating class of the ‘Creative CEO’ program, originally established by the National Museum of Korea in 2010. Among the many treasures on display, the Honcheonui (National Treasure No. 230) was the m April 10, 2026