• 
  South Korea honors fallen sailors of naval skirmishes in West Sea SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - South Korea honored some 50 sailors and other victims who died defending the maritime border in the West Sea at a ceremony in Daejeon on Friday. About 1,500 people gathered at Daejeon National Cemetery to mark the 11th anniversary of a joint commemoration honoring victims of naval incidents and skirmishes with North Korea including a naval battle near the border island of Yeonpyeong in June 2002, the sinking of the corvette Cheonan in March 2010, and the March 27, 2026
• 
  South Korea joins France-led defense chiefs talks on Hormuz SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - South Korea joined a France-led meeting of chiefs of defense from 35 countries Thursday to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said. France’s Ministry of Armed Forces said the video conference was chaired by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Fabien Mandon and brought together military leaders from countries interested in contributing to maritime security in the strategic waterway. “The meeting provided an opportunity to gather the March 27, 2026
• 
  Asian stocks fall as geopolitical tensions rise and tech shares weaken SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) — The Seoul bourse led broad losses across Asia as the toll from the Middle East crisis weighed heavily on the region, largely dependent on energy and commodities, with the critical transit Strait of Hormuz remaining crippled for a month. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.61 percent to 52,738.55 in morning trade, as selling pressure mounted on concerns over a possible deployment of U.S. ground troops. Expectations for ceasefire negotiations also weakened March 27, 2026
• 
  Hyundai Rotem unveils prototype of modified battle tank for Middle East exports SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean manufacturer specializing in railway vehicles, said Friday that it unveiled a newly modified prototype of South Korea's main battle tank to the public for the first time the previous day. The modified K2 tank, developed by Hyundai Rotem and its partners with the aim of exporting mainly to Middle Eastern countries, was unveiled at the manufacturer's plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, during an event attended by March 27, 2026
• 
  AI beginning to crowd out young Koreans from elite professions SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) – Jenny Kim, 23, a senior at Yonsei University, had thought finding a job would be secure once she entered a top Seoul university majoring in engineering, but many of her peers are now despondent. “There may not be much left to do in computer engineering,” she said, as artificial intelligence has already replaced much of the entry-level back-office corporate work. Sophomore Kim S.H., studying structural engineering, also said he and his p March 27, 2026
• 
  Foreign attendees account for 25% at BTS comeback show in Seoul SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - About one in four attendees at BTS’ comeback performance in central Seoul on March 21 were foreign nationals, according to city data on Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimated that 75,927 people were present in the Gwanghwamun, Deoksugung and City Hall station areas between 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) and 9 p.m. during the concert, including 19,170 foreign nationals, or roughly 25 percent. By nationality, Thai nationals made up the largest March 27, 2026
• 
  Joint team unlocks engine of water anomalies as supercooled mystery dissolves SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Water remains the only liquid on Earth that grows lighter as it freezes, a strange physical defiance that prevents the planet’s oceans and lakes from freezing into solid blocks of ice. By capturing the elusive liquid-liquid critical point of supercooled water, a joint research effort has finally explained the 4-degree density anomaly that has served as a biological necessity for life for millennia. The discovery provides the first experimental proof t March 27, 2026
• 
  Korean Inc. gloom deepens under war-driven scourges SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Pessimism deepened across the Korean Inc. in March as businesses grappled with worsening trade conditions, a sharply weaker won and rising energy costs stemming from the monthlong conflict in the Middle East. According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the all-industry composite business sentiment index (CBSI) stood at 94.1 in March, down 0.1 point from the previous month. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The reading also fell far sh March 27, 2026
• 
  Nobel laureate Han Kang wins prestigious American literary award SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Han Kang, South Korea's first Nobel laureate in literature, has won another prestigious award for her novel "We Do Not Part." Han took home an award at the annual awards ceremony of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) in New York on Thursday, which "presents awards for the finest books published in English in six categories" - fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry, and criticism. The fiction honor adds to her gro March 27, 2026
• 
  Foreign investors dumped nearly 20 trillion in South Korean stocks last month SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Foreign investors offloaded nearly 20 trillion Korean won (US$12.98 billion) worth of South Korean shares last month, extending their selling streak to a second consecutive month, according to data released by the Financial Supervisory Service on Friday. Foreign investors net sold 19.56 trillion won worth of shares - including 19.31 trillion won on the benchmark KOSPI and 239 billion won on the junior KOSDAQ - resulting in a net outflow of 12.13 trillion March 27, 2026