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  Korea and France hold summit to elevate ties to strategic partnership SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) -South Korea and France are elevating bilateral ties to a “global strategic partnership” during French President Emmanuel Macron’s two-day state visit — his first to Korea since taking office in 2017 and the first by a French president in 11 years — which began Friday amid mounting geopolitical tensions. Macron arrived in Seoul on Thursday for a two-day visit following a trip to Japan, in what French officials described as an eff April 3, 2026
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  INTERVIEW: How Jay Songzio shaped BTS's return in armor and restraint SEOUL, April 3 (AJP) — More than 18 million viewers tuned in live. Add to that over 30 million registered fans worldwide, and the scale of the moment becomes clear. When the lights rose on March 21 over all seven members of BTS — together on one stage for the first time in nearly four years — it was less a comeback than a global event. The afterglow has yet to fade. The album ARIRANG has climbed the Billboard charts, and its music videos continue to ripple across April 3, 2026
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  KAIST's student team qualifies for global Mars rover finals in Utah SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - A team of undergraduate students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (in South Korea has reached the final stage of the world's largest Mars rover competition. This is the first time a team from the university has qualified for the final round of the international event that is designed to spotlight rovers capable of carrying out missions in environments that are similar to Mars. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Techno April 3, 2026
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  Nexon opens 'Maple Island' permanent theme zone at Lotte World Adventure SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - South Korean gaming giant Nexon has officially opened "Maple Island," a permanent story-themed attraction at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul's Jamsil district, bringing the beloved "MapleStory" franchise off the screen and into the real world. The roughly 2,000-square-metre zone, built within the outdoor section of the park, immerses visitors in the iconic landscapes of the MapleStory universe — including fan-favourite regions Hen April 3, 2026
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  Korea's FX reserves slip $4 bn as won defense cost soars SEOUL, April 3 (AJP) — South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell by nearly $4 billion in March, underscoring the growing strain on the country’s external buffers as authorities continue to defend the won against crisis-era pressure. The Bank of Korea said Friday that reserves stood at $423.66 billion at end-March, down $3.97 billion from $427.62 billion a month earlier. That marked the steepest monthly decline since April 2024, when reserves fell by $5.99 bill April 3, 2026
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  Who says religion can't be cool? Buddhism expo SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) - Crowds poured into COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam District on Thursday as the Seoul International Buddhism Expo opened, with visitors lining up from the morning to enter one of the city’s most unconventional cultural events. Hosted by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the annual expo — running through April 5 — has been held since 2013 to showcase traditional Buddhist culture and its evolving industries. Inside, April 2, 2026
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  S. Korea to join UK-led virtual meeting on Hormuz as US shift burden on allies SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) -South Korea will join a U.K.-hosted virtual foreign ministerial meeting Thursday aimed at coordinating international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington signals that responsibility for safeguarding the core oil route should fall on its primary dependents. Chung Eui-hae, deputy foreign minister for political affairs, will participate via video link in the meeting involving 35 countries that have backed a joint statement condemning attempts April 2, 2026
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  Spring in full bloom across Seoul SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) -Spring has burst into full bloom in Seoul, with magnolia, fosythia, and cherry blossoms painting the city in soft shades of white, yellow, and pink. Citizens enjoyed the mild weather at the former officers’ housing complex in Yongsan Park in Seoul’s Yongsan District on Wednesday, strolling along tree-lined paths and pausing beneath clusters of blossoms that have reached their peak. The site, once part of a U.S. military residential area, was April 2, 2026
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  Seoul leads Asian selloff as Trump speech lacks Hormuz roadmap SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) -Asian stocks sank Thursday, with Seoul bearing the brunt after U.S. President Donald Trump’s primetime address on the Iran war failed to offer clarity on the endgame or a strategy to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil trade. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2.38 percent to 52,463.27, reversing earlier gains as selling accelerated in the afternoon. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.83 percent to 25,085. April 2, 2026
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  Seoul forced to swallow Trump's call, increase US share in energy SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) - South Korea is scrambling to shore up dwindling energy supplies and diversify away from the Middle East after U.S. President Donald Trump ruled out an immediate end to the Iran war, vowing instead to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks." In a primetime address from the White House on Thursday, Trump made clear the operation would last through April, destabilizing not just Iran's military infrastructure but also the core Mi April 2, 2026