Korea, Japan leaders to talk serious at Andong summit amid Gulf risks SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to move quickly beyond ceremonial diplomacy when they meet Tuesday in Andong, focusing instead on a growing list of shared strategic anxieties ranging from Middle East energy disruptions to regional security and AI-driven industrial competition. The summit, held in Lee’s hometown in North Gyeongsang Province, marks the leaders’ third bilateral meeting in jus May 19, 2026

Financial authorities to tighten liquidity rules for securities firms SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - Financial regulators are going to tighten the rules for their assessment for how securities firms can raise cash quickly during a financial crisis, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said on Monday. The stricter rules, which used to apply only to big brokerages, will now cover all firms. They will also value assets such as stocks and funds at less than their full market value, since these can be difficult to sell May 18, 2026

Andong flavors to headline Lee-Takaichi summit dinner SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - Traditional cuisine and symbolic Korean-Japanese pairings will take center stage Tuesday when South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosts Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae for a summit dinner in Andong, the country's iconic southeastern city of loyalty and tradition. According to the presidential Blue House on Sunday, the dinner will feature fusion Korean dishes inspired by “Suunjapbang,” a treasured ancient cookbook from an Andong head f May 18, 2026

South Korea deploys more service robots amid rising labor costs SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s main gateway, Incheon International Airport, has deployed autonomous service robots as the country accelerates automation across service industries amid rising wage costs and labor shortages. Incheon International Airport Corporation said Monday that it has begun full-scale operations of 31 autonomous robots, including self-check-in robots, guidance and patrol robots, and docent robots designed to assist passengers and provide cultural inf May 18, 2026

Lee attends memorial for Gwangju democratic uprising SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung attended a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in the southwestern city on Monday. The ceremony was held at the square of the former provincial office in Gwangju to remember those who rose up against military dictatorship to defend democracy 46 years ago and to comfort their bereaved families. The square, which officially reopened the same day after years of restoration work that began in 2019, May 18, 2026

Finance chief Koo departs for Paris G7 meeting, London investment relations session SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol departed on Sunday to attend the Group of Seven Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting and to host a South Korean economy investment relations session. Amid expanding volatility in international oil prices and exchange rates driven by the stalled dispute between the U.S. and Iran, the government plans to manage national creditworthiness through briefings for foreign investors a May 18, 2026

Lee discusses outcomes of recent US-China summit with Trump in phone call SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, Cheong Wa Dae said on Monday. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the phone call, which was arranged at Seoul's request to hear about the outcomes of last week's summit in Beijing between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, lasted about 30 minutes. Trump said he and Xi held meaningful discussions on issues related to peace on May 18, 2026

Korea's Lee replaces health and customs deputies SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung replaced the country’s top health and customs officials Friday in a vice-ministerial reshuffle carried out less than a year after both incumbents took office, the presidential office said. Hyeon Su-yeop, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was named first vice minister of health and welfare, while Lee Jong-wook, vice commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, was appointed customs commissioner, presi May 15, 2026

Lee scores high on US ties in first-year diplomacy review SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung may appear domestically focused — his cabinet meetings are live-streamed and his social-media presence is constant — but his first year was defined by foreign affairs. He traveled to 15 countries and held 45 summit meetings, according to his vice foreign minister, a pace that far outstrips his recent predecessors: both Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk Yeol visited nine countries in their respective first years. Much May 15, 2026

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi to visit President Lee's hometown of Andong SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, the hometown of President Lee Jae Myung, for a summit with the South Korean leader on May 19, the presidential office said Friday. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Takaichi will make a two-day visit to Andong from May 19 to 20 to meet Lee. The two leaders are scheduled to hold both a small-group summit and an expanded summit, followed by a joint press announcement, a May 15, 2026