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ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: Architecture of South Korean reconciliation At exactly 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the abstract statistics of South Korea’s ninth nationwide local elections collided with physical reality. Across 258 counting centers, the seals on the first ballot boxes were broken. As millions of paper slips began feeding into automated sorting machines—the initial step before a grueling, newly mandated manual verification process—the republic stood at a critical institutional juncture. Joint exit polls released at the close o June 3, 2026

OPINION: The Strait of Hormuz Legal Aspects of the New Arrangements in Light of Aggression and Fundamental Change of Circumstances Prelude For a long period, maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz did not proceed on the basis of exercising an asserted right, but rather within the framework of an i June 2, 2026
ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: US Defense Chief speech in Singapore brings tough choices for Seoul The world is changing fast, and the recent defense meeting in Singapore proved it. United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue, and his words carry a heavy message. For South Korea, sitting right between major global powers, his speech is a loud wake up call. The days of relying on a system where America promises to protect everyone without asking for much in return are officially over. Washington wants friends to pay more and do much more on their June 1, 2026
ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: Is declaration of second national founding necessary Now? From AI Semiconductors to Physical AI, South Korea's 100-Year Strategy Physical AI and Manufacturing AX: South Korea's Second Industrial Revolution [This is the second installment of AJP’s “Asian Semiconductor Industry Analysis” series exploring the intersection of advanced chipmaking and national strategy. This piece examines South Korea's 100-year blueprint to transcend its traditional role as a semiconductor powerhouse and lead the next global ind June 1, 2026
Spiritual Asia: Encountering Korean people's spirit of heaven in era of AI This is the fifth installment of AJP’s “Spiritual Asia” series exploring the religious traditions and philosophical foundations that have shaped Asia’s spiritual consciousness. This chapter turns to the ancient texts of Hinduism — the Vedas and Upanishads — and their enduring ideas on cosmos, consciousness and the nature of existence in the emerging AI era. In the 21st century, humanity once again stands before its oldest questions. Artif May 29, 2026
A siren song from the BOK: the leverage party is over SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) -For a full year, the Bank of Korea sat motionless on a 2.50 percent benchmark while the KOSPI staged the most spectacular rally on the planet — up more than 93 percent since year-end, briefly flirting with 8,450 before Wednesday's close. On Thursday, the central bank's new governor finally said out loud what the bond market had been bracing for: the only questions left are when, how fast, and how far rates rise. A plain-spoken siren to the lever May 28, 2026
ASIA INSIGHT: South Korea's role as Asia's "dagger" in a new civilizational era SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - Why did the United States describe South Korea as a “dagger”? When Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, recently referred to South Korea as a “dagger in the heart of Asia” on a U.S. Army War College podcast, it was not a casual metaphor. His words reflected the reality that the Korean Peninsula is no longer merely a frontline against North Korea. It has become a strategic crossroads where U.S.-China rivalry, the Indo-Paci May 27, 2026
OPINION: Starbucks, memory wars and South Korea's new political taboos SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - There are taboos in South Korea that never fully fade with time. They remain politically radioactive, emotionally unresolved and socially unforgiving. Japanese colonial rule is one. The democratization movement is another. For decades, anti-communism and North Korea defined the country’s ideological fault lines. But modern South Korea has undergone a profound political inversion. Under the dominance of liberal President Lee Jae Myung and the ruling May 26, 2026
The executive who sent his AI to the meeting SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - Reid Hoffman has given dozens of talks since 2024 without always being in the room. The LinkedIn co-founder built "Reid AI," a digital twin trained on 22 years of his books, speeches, articles and podcasts, using HeyGen for the face and ElevenLabs for the voice. It speaks in languages he doesn't, answers questions in his style, and stands in for him at events he never attends. It is not a chatbot. It is, by design, another him. The Wall Street May 24, 2026
AJP DEEP INSIGHT: Middle East still needs 'Noah Covenant' for lasting peace SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - In May 2026, the Middle East once again reminded the world how fragile the arteries of global civilization truly are. The United States and Iran moved perilously close to direct confrontation. Financial markets trembled. Oil traders watched every movement in the Persian Gulf with mounting anxiety. Governments across Asia and Europe feared that a single miscalculation could ignite a regional war capable of sending shock waves through the entire global economy. May 24, 2026