Former Trump aide says AI can redefine Korea-U.S. alliance SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - South Korea's AI ambitions align with Washington's push to redefine the alliance beyond traditional security, as the two countries seek deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and economic security, a former White House national security official under President Donald Trump said Monday. "Economic security is national security," Alexander B. Gray told a National Assembly forum in Seoul. "South Korea' August 3, 2026

Korea to import Argentine crude next year as Lee, Milei deepen energy ties SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - South Korea will begin importing crude oil from Argentina next year as the two countries move to diversify energy supply chains and expand cooperation in critical minerals, the presidential office said Friday. President Lee Jae Myung, who is on an official visit to Argentina, held a summit with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires to discuss energy, critical minerals, trade and investment cooperation. The two leaders held a 25-minute preliminary August 1, 2026

Seoul reviewing options for contribution to Hormuz security, top security adviser says SEOUL, August 01 (AJP) - South Korea is reviewing various options for a possible contribution to international efforts to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz, but no specific measure has been decided yet, Presidential National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday. “We are at the stage of reviewing various possibilities,” Wi told reporters when asked about Seoul’s possible practical contribution to ensuring stability in the key Middle East waterway. “We are August 1, 2026

Arrival of new US envoy presents fresh test for alliance SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - The arrival of a new U.S. ambassador to South Korea would, under ordinary circumstances, have been a routine moment in the long history of the bilateral relationship. He or she would present credentials, offer familiar words about friendship and cooperation, and begin the quiet work of diplomacy. But these may not be ordinary circumstances. Michael Steel's arrival on Thursday has drawn unusual attention here, not so much because she is another Korean-Ameri July 31, 2026

Seoul says China's stance on denuclearization unchanged SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that China's position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has not changed, setting the tone for a planned visit to Seoul by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the first by a top Chinese diplomat since President Lee Jae Myung took office. Wang is expected to travel to Seoul on August 19 and 20 for talks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, according to diplomatic sources cited in Korean media reports, July 30, 2026

Why Kazakhstan puts more women to work than Korea or US SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Kazakhstan's female workforce grew again in the first quarter of 2026, extending the reach of one of the world's higher rates of working women, a distinction the Central Asian country owes less to recent policy than to a century of history. The number of employed women reached 4.527 million in the first three months of the year, up 42,600 or 0.9 percent from a year earlier, according to Kazakhstan's National Statistics Bureau under the Agency for July 30, 2026

US ambassador Steel to land in Seoul after 18-month vacancy SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - The new United States ambassador to South Korea lands in Seoul on Thursday afternoon, ending a vacancy of about 18 months at the top of the American mission and filling the post for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to office. Michelle Steel is expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport at about 3:20 p.m. She will deliver an arrival statement to reporters at 4 p.m. in the briefing room at the first-floor entrance to the VIP lounge i July 30, 2026

Powerful quake in Japan prompts South Korea to step up preparedness SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - The government convened a meeting of seismological experts to discuss response measures after a powerful earthquake struck Japan the previous day, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Wednesday. Participants analyzed the cause of the quake in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu and its potential impact on South Korea, while reviewing the country's preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis as well as coordinatio July 29, 2026

Kazakhstan pushes factory contracts to unblock utility overhaul SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Kazakhstan's government has set a September 1 deadline to break a logjam in the industrial side of its largest infrastructure program, a 13 trillion tenge effort to rebuild the country's aging heating, power and water systems by 2029. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov told a cabinet meeting that work to conclude potential offtake contracts for new and expanded production facilities under the national project "Modernization of Energy and Utilities July 29, 2026

Trump stresses 'steadfast alliance' with Seoul on Korean War armistice anniversary SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed the "steadfast alliance" between Seoul and Washington on Tuesday, marking the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War armistice. "More than seven decades after the war, the remain united in a steadfast alliance, tested by shared sacrifice, and bound by an abiding love of freedom," Trump said in a message released by the White House. Trump paid tribute to the "extraordinary c July 29, 2026