Op-Ed: Uzbekistan pushes Trans-Caspian corridor toward Europe Shifting international supply chains and expanding trade in Asia are driving demand for sustainable transport routes. For businesses, predictable delivery times, competitive rates, and reliable access to foreign markets are becoming increasingly important. Against this backdrop, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, linking China and Central Asia t October 16, 2026

OPINION: Korea's chip boom meets AI reality check South Korea’s chipmakers are minting profits, but investors are heading for the exits. For an economy riding the semiconductor windfall, the baffling disconnect demands a more sober reckoning than any single day’s market plunge. In seven trading sessions through Thursday, the KOSPI shed about a fifth of its value. The final session alone delivered a 7.57 percent rout. A rebound may soothe investors, but it should not lull policymakers into believing the storm has passed October 16, 2026

REVIEW: Heroine of our time: Sol Chin and her 10-year journey with Mahler An improbable undertaking begun by a 29-year-old woman conductor reached its culmination at Seoul’s Lotte Concert Hall on October 9, 2026. A decade devoted to Gustav Mahler’s symphonies became a story of artistic courage, collective endeavor, and the human spirit’s journey from death toward resurrection. According to the conductor, she is the youngest woman to have completed a Mahler symphony cycle. Her achievement has also drawn attention from figures associated October 15, 2026

OPINION: South Korea's path in the era of U.S.–China rivalry The world is undergoing profound turmoil. Yet upheaval does not arrive overnight. It emerges when long-standing balances of power collapse, when the values and institutions sustaining an established order weaken, and when new technologies transform the foundations of international society. The strategic rivalry between the United States and China represents just such a historical transformation. Their competition extends beyond military strength and economic influence to semicond October 14, 2026

Editorial: The education debt we owe our children “Étudier est un droit qu’on ne négociera pas.” (Studying is a right we will not negotiate.) The chant rose in Brussels. In neighboring France, students have taken to the streets demanding teachers, safe classrooms and conditions fit for learning. That these demands should erupt into protests marked by violence and clashes in a cradle of the Enlightenment is a rude awakening for a society that helped define education as a public duty. &ldqu October 12, 2026

OP-Ed: Uzbekistan bets on Turkic world tourism Editor's Note: The following opinion article is contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the Republic of Korea. In recent years, tourism has become one of the strategic areas of development in the Republic of Uzbekistan, playing an increasingly important role in the economy, as well as in strengthening international ties, cultural exchange, and public diplomacy. In this context, the development of cooperation in the field of tourism with brotherly countries that are membe October 12, 2026

OPINION: Blame AI, change nothing SEOUL, October 10 (AJP) - The Steam alert hardly registers anymore. Another sign-in attempt from a country you have never visited, another warning that someone, somewhere, has your password. For many South Koreans who grew up online, the losses follow a familiar timeline. A KakaoTalk account hijacked in high school, a Facebook account in college, and later a profile photo resurfacing on a stranger’s Instagram, attached to a life that is not yours. Deleting old accounts does October 10, 2026

OP-Ed: A Century of archaeological friendship Editor's Note: The following opinion article is contributed by Choe Chong-dae, a longstanding member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea and an enthusiast of international cultural and historical affairs. October 10, 2026, marks the centennial of a truly historic event: the excavation of the Seobongchong (Seobong Tomb) golden crown in Gyeongju. In October 1926, a remarkable encounter between European royalty and East Asian antiquity unfolded in the ancient city of Gyeongju. October 7, 2026

Korea's Asian Games gold is worth more than a medal — and that's the problem Two things were riding on Tom Kim’s putt - an Asian Games gold medal and the course of his young life. When the 24-year-old golfer sank it, he put his hands on his head, overcome with emotion. “It’s a crazy feeling. I’m just glad it’s over,” Kim said afterward. He was talking about a tournament. But for a South Korean man in professional sports, everyone knew there was more to it. Gold meant he could continue his career without the 18 m October 5, 2026

OPINION: A sober Armed Forces Day as North Korean threat looms over DMZ South Korea marks its 78th Armed Forces Day with grand ambitions for its military and three servicemen recovering from a mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone. Between the promise of a stronger defense and the ordeal of those wounded in its service lies an obligation the country has yet to fully meet. Artificial intelligence, automation and advanced weapons are reshaping warfare. Yet someone must still walk the uncertain ground. Behind every technological advance remains a October 1, 2026