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  OPINION: The essence of the Iran war — beyond the wounds of religion and ethnicity, toward an order of coexistence SEOUL, March 29 (AJP) - When examining the war in the Middle East, the first instinct to resist is oversimplification. The ongoing Iran conflict may appear on the surface as a clash between Israel and Iran, but in reality it is a multi-layered war entangling U.S. military and diplomatic intervention, the strategic interests of Gulf states, the involvement of pro-Iranian proxies such as the Houthis and Hezbollah, and the mounting pressure surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the global March 29, 2026
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  EDITORIAL: Tokenized securities are reshaping U.S. markets — Is Korea ready? SEOUL, March 28 (AJP) - The U.S. capital market is once again attempting to reshape the backbone of financial infrastructure. This time, the catalyst is not artificial intelligence, but tokenized securities — asset tokenization built on blockchain technology. The Financial Times recently observed that tokenized stocks may succeed precisely because investors hardly notice the transition. In an opinion piece titled “Tokenised stocks are coming, and ideally nobody will noti March 28, 2026
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  OPINION: A third oil shock — and why Korea must not return to price controls SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -The latest U.S.-Iran war is no longer just another geopolitical flare-up. It is rapidly taking on the contours of a systemic shock — one that is already pushing oil prices higher and exposing vulnerabilities across the global economy. President Donald Trump, who once unsettled markets with tariff threats, is now presiding over a far more destabilizing development. Damage to key oil facilities in the Middle East and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz h March 26, 2026
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  OPINION: BTS concert proves live stage power in AI age Last weekend’s BTS live show swept South Korea into a rare, collective high. Staged in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun and livestreamed globally on Netflix, the concert reached 300 million viewers across the world — a simultaneous celebration of BTS and a showcase of Seoul itself. Beyond the spectacle, the group’s first full reunion performance in nearly four years underscored a deeper shift: live events are emerging as K-pop’s most powerful growth March 24, 2026
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  OPINION: Why Iraq now matters As tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran intensify, global attention has fixed on Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv. Yet the most consequential variable in this widening conflict lies elsewhere — largely overlooked, but increasingly decisive. That variable is Iraq. At first glance, Iraq appears peripheral, spared the sustained bombardment seen elsewhere. In reality, it is fast becoming the space where the logic of war is most deeply embedded. What un March 23, 2026
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  OPINION: A century show, carried with care SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -It was billed as a comeback. It became something larger: a test of scale, identity and control — and, ultimately, a quiet assertion of how far K-pop, and Korea, have come. BTS returned to Gwanghwamun Plaza not just as artists resuming a career, but as men who had completed a national duty and reassembled a global phenomenon. Thirteen years into their journey, the performance was less about proving relevance than about defining legacy. T March 22, 2026
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  SPECIAL OPINION: Song crosses century as BTS stands at Gwanghwamun SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Songs rarely defy the gravity of time. Even those that define an era typically fade as the industry of music demands rapid production and immediate consumption. Most melodies remain trapped within their own chronology, yet Arirang stands as the definitive exception. It is not the work of a single composer or a finished product born at a specific moment; it is a collective creation, an accumulation of voices across a century of records and even longer oral trad March 21, 2026
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  OPINION: South Korea faces '3 Highs' as U.S.-Iran War jolts markets, oil and prices SEOUL, March 16-South Korea’s financial markets have swung sharply as the U.S.-Iran war rattles investors, with the won-dollar exchange rate hovering around 1,500 won per dollar. Disruptions to Middle East crude supplies have pushed fuel prices higher, prompting the first oil price-control measures in 30 years. With global logistics strained, exporters and importers face growing uncertainty over when and where shipments of key products and raw materials may be delayed. Th March 16, 2026
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  Proposal to expand overnight delivery draws resistance from mom-and-pop stores SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - Seeing delivery boxes from Coupang or Kurly outside front doors on the way to work has become an everyday sight in South Korea. Ordering something at night and finding it on your doorstep the very next morning is now a common practice - it's simply how online shopping works here. Lawmakers now want to open overnight delivery to more players. Under a proposed revision led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), large discount retailers would be allowed to off March 13, 2026
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  OPINION: Middle East conflict enters second week, leaving Trump with few options SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - The ongoing Middle East conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran has entered its second week, with fighting and retaliatory attacks spreading across the region and no end in sight as attention now turns to U.S. President Donald Trump's next move. Since the killing of Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei shortly after the Feb. 28 U.S.-led military operation, senior Iranian military figures have been targeted and killed, and key March 11, 2026