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

ASIA 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

Korea's red-hot rally demands a cooler head SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - South Korea's stock market has moved to the center of the global financial conversation. The country once defined by the "Korea discount" — that catch-all phrase for chronic undervaluation — is now one of the hottest markets that international investment banks and the financial press are watching. The Financial Times noted recently that the speed of Korea's rally has outpaced even the U.S. Nasdaq's climb during the late-1990s d May 24, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: The AI Semiconductor age and new strategic heart of global economy SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - In 2026, the global economy increasingly revolves around three semiconductor giants: Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and TSMC. In the 20th century, oil, automobiles, steel, and finance defined the architecture of global power. In the 21st century, however, the center of gravity is shifting decisively toward artificial intelligence and semiconductors. AI is no longer merely a technology sector. It is rapidly becoming the operating infrastructure of modern civil May 24, 2026

ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: The truth and illusion of Samsung Electronics' strike and tasks ahead SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - South Korea's industrial order is again standing at a critical crossroads. The labor dispute at Samsung Electronics, together with the broader controversy over performance-based bonuses, is no longer merely an internal matter between management and labor. It has become a national question about the structure of South Korean capitalism, the future of industrial competitiveness and the rules of distribution in the age of artificial intelligence. Samsung Elect May 21, 2026

ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy evolving to civilian-led partnership Andong in May 2026 was not merely a provincial Korean city. It became a symbolic stage in the diplomatic history of Northeast Asia. Under the evening winds of Hahoe Village and the cascading sparks of the traditional Seonyu Julbulnori fire ritual, President Lee Jae-myung and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a message to the world that extended far beyond the formalities of another summit meeting. It was, in essence, a declaration that relations between South Korea and Japan a May 20, 2026

OPINION: Beijing summit and structural stabilization of global commerce KARACHI, May 19 (AJP) - The international economic order has entered a period of profound structural transformation, forcing a reassessment of how the world’s two largest economies manage their deep systemic interdependencies. For the past several years, the prevailing consensus across global capitals dictated that the financial and industrial relationship between Washington and Beijing was headed toward a permanent and destructive fracturing. However, the high-stakes Beijing s May 19, 2026

ASIA DEEP INSIGHT: Pacific forgets ghosts as Japan embraces arms trade By welcoming Japanese military exports, Manila helps Tokyo dismantle an eighty-year pacifist legacy in the name of regional deterrence. When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently addressed the press to welcome Japan’s decision to loosen its post-war ban on lethal weapon exports, his phrasing was carefully calibrated for the current geopolitical moment. Japan and the Philippines, he noted, have faced "the same difficulties." He was referring, of cour May 19, 2026

[AJP Spiritual Asia ①] Why humanity must rediscover Asia's spiritual heritage in age of AI A Grand Asian Journey Toward Civilization, Religion, Humanity and the Future Humanity in the 21st century stands at the threshold of a profound civilizational transformation. Artificial intelligence has begun to learn human language and patterns of thought. Robots and algorithms are steadily replacing large portions of human labor and judgment. Never before has mankind enjoyed such material abundance, and yet never before has it entered such a deep psychological unease. Econ May 19, 2026