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  PM Kim holds surprise meeting with Trump at White House SEOUL, March 14 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok held a brief, surprise meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Kim, who is visiting Washington, met Trump briefly and exchanged remarks after holding talks the previous day with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, according to the office. Details of the conversation were not disclosed. Observers believe the two may have discussed pending Korea-U.S. March 14, 2026
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  Washington slaps another Section 301 probe on South Korea SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) -South Korea has been drawn into another U.S. trade investigation as Washington launched a new probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 targeting forced-labor imports, only a day after opening a sweeping investigation into global manufacturing overcapacity. The back-to-back actions suggest the United States is assembling multiple Section 301 cases in an effort to rebuild the legal basis for tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a key March 13, 2026
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  Nat'l Assembly passes bill to implement investment pledges under trade deal with US SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - A bill outlining South Korea's massive investment pledges to the U.S. was passed at a plenary session in the National Assembly on Thursday. Of the 242 lawmakers present, 226 voted in favor, eight against and another eight abstained, clearing the way for South Korea's pledges to invest US$350 billion in the U.S. as part of a broader trade deal reached between the two countries last fall. The bill would provide a legal framework to establish a fund March 12, 2026
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  PM heads to US, Switzerland to bid for UN AI hub SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok left for the U.S. on Thursday to promote South Korea's bid to host an artificial intelligence (AI)-related hub for the U.N. and its agencies. During his weeklong visit, Kim is scheduled to meet with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and other officials in New York, where he will promote South Korea's initiative for global cooperation on AI-related projects. He is also expected to hold a meeting with seni March 12, 2026
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  Analysis: U.S. turns to Section 301 to sustain tariff strategy, what it means for Korea SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) -The Trump administration’s decision to launch a sweeping Section 301 investigation into South Korea and 15 other economies signals that Washington’s tariff-centered trade policy remains firmly intact despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key legal foundation for earlier duties. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced Wednesday that it is opening investigations into “structural excess capacity a March 12, 2026
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  U.S. targets Korea and 15 others for Section 301 trade probe after tariff setback SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) -The United States has opened a trade investigation into South Korea and 15 other economies over alleged structural overcapacity in manufacturing sectors, a move that could eventually lead to new tariffs as the Trump administration rebuilds its trade policy after a recent Supreme Court setback. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said Wednesday it had initiated investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the “act March 12, 2026
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  South Korea releasing 22.46 million barrels of oil reserves in IEA joint action SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) -South Korea will release 22.46 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves as part of the International Energy Agency’s largest-ever coordinated emergency action to stabilize global energy markets shaken by the war in Iran. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Wednesday the decision follows an emergency meeting of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where its 32 member countries agreed to release a combined 400 million barrels from e March 12, 2026
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  South Korea moves to build its own AI backbone SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to build its own AI backbone — an "AI Highway" of massive data centers, specialized semiconductors and autonomous software — as it seeks to avoid falling behind the United States and China in the global artificial intelligence race. Government officials and industry executives outlined the strategy at a briefing at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club on Wednesday, describing an effort to link large-scale co March 11, 2026
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  Seoul may revive decades-old fuel price cap, but experts urge caution SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - South Korea is considering reviving a rarely used cap on retail gasoline prices as policymakers brace for a potential third wave of global oil shocks if the Middle East conflict drags on, though economists warn the government should move cautiously given the risks of distorting market prices. President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed his cabinet to explore emergency measures to curb surging fuel costs, urging officials to move beyond “normal procedu March 10, 2026
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  Weak won, Middle East risks weigh on Korean economy as Taiwan pulls ahead SEOUL, Mar 10 (AJP) — South Korea’s economy is increasingly lagging behind technology-driven regional peers such as Japan and Taiwan, weighed down by a structurally weak currency and fading industrial competitiveness — pressures that could deepen if the Middle East conflict drags on. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Tuesday, South Korea’s GDP per capita stood at about $35,800 in 2025, largely unchanged from recent years. Per capita gross national March 10, 2026