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  ASIA INSIGHTS: India's AI summit and Asia's quiet inflection point Global leaders and technology executives gathering in New Delhi this week for India’s artificial intelligence summit are not simply attending another diplomatic forum. They are meeting at a moment when the direction of technological change feels unusually consequential. The summit, attended by more than 20 heads of state including Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflects how deeply artificial intellige February 17, 2026
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  OPINION: What Bangladesh's democratic transition means for Asia SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Asia is no longer on the margins of the global order. Population, production, technology, and culture are increasingly shifting east, with major trade and logistics networks centered on Asian ports. Digital innovation and cultural industries are also expanding rapidly across Asian cities. Yet political developments are still often judged through a Western lens, with democracy and market economies assessed by how closely they align with Western standards. T February 15, 2026
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  OPINION: Korea's economic lifeline: Why its financial system must become transparent SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - Finance is the bloodstream of an economy. When it flows cleanly—transparent, disciplined, and responsive to real demand—industry strengthens, innovation compounds, households build durable wealth, and the state gains room to maneuver without resorting to panic. When that bloodstream is clogged—by political favoritism, regulatory inconsistency, and the quiet tolerance of chronic underperformance—the economy does not merely slow. It deca February 14, 2026
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  OPINION: Data as power and Korea's strategic dilemma Oil shaped global power in the 20th century. Data replaces that role in the 21st. Artificial intelligence does not run on ideology. It runs on information — vast, structured, constantly updated streams of digital activity that have become the basic input of modern economies. Algorithmic sophistication matters. But the scale, reliability, and governance of data often matter more. Yet major powers continue to differ on a fundamental question: Is data primarily a strateg February 13, 2026
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  OPINION: The collapse of a narrative - Bithumb's "ghost coin" episode Winter has returned to crypto. But this is not merely a period of falling prices. It is also a period of thinning confidence. In recent feature, The Economist observed that the latest “crypto winter” feels colder than previous downturns not because the numbers are worse, but because the story has weakened. Bitcoin, once framed as a symbol of decentralization and defiance, now stands in an ambiguous position. Its outsider image has faded, yet it has not fully February 13, 2026
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  OPINION: Stock market is roaring, and now for the economy South Korea’s stock market is roaring ahead. After the Kospi’s long rally, the Kosdaq has regained momentum, settling above 1,000 for the first time in 25 years. Once dismissed as a speculative sideshow, the junior market is now part of what investors are calling a new era of “Kospi 5,000, Kosdaq 1,000.” Yet the real economy is moving in the opposite direction. Production has weakened, investment has fallen and domestic demand remains slu February 11, 2026
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  OPINION: Takaichi's sweeping win in a high-ground gamble - and democracy's test Politics has always been war by other means. Weapons have been replaced by language, battlefields by parliaments and social media. But the logic of victory has changed far less than we like to believe. In this sense, the most enduring manual for understanding modern politics remains The Art of War. Sun Tzu located victory not in manpower or tactics, but in shi—the configuration of power, momentum, and terrain. The decisive battle, he argued, is often won before it is fought February 9, 2026
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  OPINION: Seoul bourse in precarious rally South Korea’s stock market, for now, remains an impressive outlier. While major U.S. and European indices have struggled to sustain momentum, the KOSPI closed at 5,089.1 on Feb. 6, up more than 20 percent from the end of last year. The technology-heavy KOSDAQ has risen nearly 17 percent over the same period. Few advanced markets can match that performance. Yet strong numbers can obscure weak structures. This week, the KOSPI fell to around 4,949, surged to 5,371, and February 7, 2026
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  OPINION: BTS and the king's way When BTS step onto the stage for their upcoming Arirang performance, they are expected to open the show not with pyrotechnics, but with a procession — along a path once reserved for kings. The route is deliberate: from Geunjeongmun to Heungnyemun, onward to Gwanghwamun, and finally to the Woldae. Plans reportedly include a pre-recorded or partially live sequence of the group walking this restored axis — known historically as the “king’s road.” February 4, 2026
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  OPINION: Canadian PM's voice against Trump's 'America First' doctrine Recently, one of the most closely watched figures on the international stage has been Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a speech at the World Economic Forum late last month, Carney sharply criticized what he called the United States’ predatory “America First” policy, saying it has “cracked the world order,” drawing a standing ovation. Arguing that the rules-based international order long led by the United States is breaking down, Carney called fo February 3, 2026