South Korean president offers olive branch in Vatican despite Pyongyang's snub SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used a Vatican peace gathering on Sunday to renew his offer of dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea, insisting that the "ember of hope" for inter-Korean cooperation remains alive despite Pyongyang's continued refusal to engage with Seoul. Speaking at a special Mass for peace and solidarity at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Lee framed his administration's North Korea policy a June 14, 2026

The four tigers are back, and AI is their new factory SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -For two decades, Asia's economic hierarchy appeared settled. China was the factory of the world. Silicon Valley owned innovation. Europe consumed. Japan aged. And the original Four Asian Tigers — South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore — were widely regarded as mature economies whose most consequential chapters were behind them. Then came artificial intelligence, and the entire map shifted. The greatest beneficiaries of the AI era a June 14, 2026

Jamsil elections protest swells as Seoul election authorities face probe SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -Protests demanding a rerun of South Korea's June 3 local elections swelled back to hundreds over the weekend as investigators moved closer to questioning election officials over the ballot paper shortage scandal that has triggered the country's biggest election-related demonstrations in years. The demonstrations around Seoul's Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Jamsil, which served as a vote-counting center, entered their 10th day Sunday, with police i June 14, 2026

Korea, U.S. to set target year for wartime OPCON transfer by year-end: defense chief SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -South Korea and the United States will propose a target year for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to their presidents by the end of this year, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Sunday, signaling fresh momentum behind President Lee Jae Myung's goal of regaining command authority during his term. Speaking in an interview with KBS, Ahn said the allies will discuss verification of Full Operational Capability (FOC) at the annual Security Co June 14, 2026

Trump says Iran deal could be signed Sunday, reopening Hormuz Strait SEOUL, June 14 (AJP)- U.S. President Donald Trump said a peace and nuclear agreement with Iran could be signed as early as Sunday, potentially ending months of conflict in the Middle East and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. "The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL," Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social, describing the prospective agreement as a complete break f June 14, 2026

Fukushima study traces spread of radioactive cesium particles amid discharge disruptions SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -Researchers have for the first time reconstructed how highly radioactive cesium-rich microparticles released during the Fukushima nuclear disaster spread across northeastern Japan, uncovering a previously hidden contamination pathway that may reshape how future nuclear accidents are assessed. The findings, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, come from an international research team led by scientists from National Taiwan University and the Univers June 14, 2026

Korea's employment insurance deficit stretches amid record unemployment benefit SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -South Korea's labor market weakness is increasingly spilling into public finances, with rising unemployment benefit payments and a growing economically inactive population exposing cracks beneath an economy still buoyed by semiconductor exports. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's 2025 Employment Insurance Fund settlement report, benefit expenditures surged to a record 20.94 trillion won ($15.3 billion) last year, up 12.3 percent from June 14, 2026

BTS marks 13th birthday in Busan as fans celebrate group's post-military homecoming SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) - BTS returned to Busan this weekend not as a group preparing to disappear into military service, but as a global act celebrating its 13th anniversary with 110,000 fans at the midpoint of what is already shaping up to be one of the biggest tours in K-pop history. The sold-out two-night run at Busan Asiad Main Stadium drew a combined audience of about 110,000 and served as both a homecoming and a milestone for the seven-member group, whose "ARIRANG" w June 14, 2026

Middle East, Ukraine wars loom over G7 summit, Lee to join in France SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) - Leaders of the Group of Seven and invited partner nations will gather in France this week as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the protracted war in Ukraine dominate the agenda, with President Lee Jae Myung set to attend for a second consecutive year. The summit will take place from June 15 to 17 in the French lakeside resort town of Evian-les-Bains, bringing together leaders of the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan June 14, 2026

Chip boom deepens Korea's jobs divide as manufacturing employment shrinks SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -South Korea's worsening employment data is exposing a growing K-shaped divide in the labor market, where a historic semiconductor boom continues to create high-paying jobs while much of the broader manufacturing sector sheds workers. The country's employment rate posted its steepest decline in more than five years in May as weakness in manufacturing and youth hiring highlighted the limited spillover from a recovery increasingly driven by memory chip e June 14, 2026