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  ASIA INSIGHTS: How Asia is redrawn into the AI map SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) -The software was written in California. The intelligence is being manufactured in Asia. A Bloomberg chart circulating this week tells the story cleanly: South Korea has overtaken the United Kingdom to become the world's eighth-largest stock market, at $4.04 trillion. Six of the ten largest equity markets on Earth now sit in Asia. The United States ushered the generative AI era. But the East building its physical infrastructure is collecting the dividend May 14, 2026
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  OPINION: Hormuz, Malacca, the Taiwan Strait — and Korea's strategic choice As the recent Middle East war raises the specter of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz and even the possibility of transit tolls being imposed there, the international community has once again been forced to confront the strategic significance of maritime straits. What happens in Hormuz does not remain confined to the Gulf. It is deeply interco May 14, 2026
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  Asian Wisdom Series: Taoism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Humanity stands today at the threshold of a profound civilizational transformation. Beyond the Industrial Revolution and the Information Age, the world has now entered the era of artificial intelligence. AI is no longer merely a machine for calculation. It understands language, composes music, generates images, assists in medicine, analyzes financial markets and increasingly participates in military strategy. Domains once believed to belong exclusively to human intellect and reason May 12, 2026
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  ASIA INSIGHT: China's inflation signal, the Strait of Hormuz, and Korea's strategic crossroads For much of the past two years, the dominant concern surrounding the Chinese economy was not inflation but stagnation. Economists spoke openly of deflationary pressure, collapsing real-estate confidence, weakened domestic consumption and a manufacturing slowdown severe enough to shake the foundations of the world’s second-largest economy. Beijing’s policymakers responded with cautious monetary easing, infrastructure stimulus and selective industrial support, while glob May 11, 2026
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  OPINION: China invokes new era of regional legality KARACHI, May 08 (AJP) - In the shadow of the highly anticipated Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, a seismic shift has rattled the foundations of the global energy order—one that has far less to do with the flow of crude and far more to do with the architecture of global power. On May 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce moved beyond the realm of diplomatic protest to issue a definitive prohibition order under its Anti-Foreign Sanc May 8, 2026
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  OPINION: US cybersecurity requirements emerge as key hurdle for South Korean defense firms SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - Under the U.S. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which took effect in November last year and requires contractors to verify their cybersecurity practices to protect sensitive information, companies cannot enter the U.S. defense market without compliance. The CMMC, enforced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), applies not only to prime contractors that deliver directly to the Pentagon, but also to subcontractors supplying parts and raw materials May 6, 2026
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  OPINION: Middle East conflict sends shockwaves through North Korean economy SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - The conflict in the Middle East conflict that began with U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran in late February, has dragged on for nearly two months with no end in sight, pushing global oil prices higher and intensifying economic pressures worldwide. South Korea relies on the Strait of Hormuz for more than 70 percent of its crude oil imports, making the ongoing conflict a direct threat to its energy security. Seoul has joined a multinational effort, spearheaded by t April 29, 2026
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  OPINION: The Case for a 'Noah Accord' in the Middle East Wars may begin with grand justifications, but they end in ruin, fatigue, and overwhelming economic bills. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is no exception. What started under the banner of security and deterrence is rapidly exposing the limits of military sustainability, threatening both regional stability and the broader global economy. The financial and material toll of this war of attrition is staggering. For Israel, the illusion of limitless defense i April 25, 2026
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  OPINION: What goes up must pay - a warning on Korea's chip windfall A profit windfall is taking shape in South Korea’s chip sector. Samsung Electronics is projected to post 320 trillion won in operating profit this year, while SK hynix could reach 230 trillion won — a combined 550 trillion won. On that estimate, the two Korean chipmakers would edge past Microsoft and Google to rank among the world’s four most profitable tech companies. The temptation is to read this as a triumph of strategy and execution. It is not — April 24, 2026