S. Korea, Malaysia deepen energy cooperation after Hormuz shock SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - South Korea and Malaysia agreed to strengthen energy security cooperation, from stable liquefied natural gas supplies to potential nuclear power collaboration, as Seoul works to shore up supply lines battered by this year's war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The stakes for South Korea are hard to overstate. The country routes about 70 percent of its crude oil imports through the strait, and the effective blockade that began in late Febr July 9, 2026

Türkiye emerges stronger from Ankara NATO summit SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Türkiye closed out the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit ever held in its capital on Wednesday with its standing in the alliance visibly enhanced, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed to progress on F-35 fighter jets, a thaw in relations with Washington and a defense industry that he said now outpaces many allies. "We have successfully concluded our NATO summit, which we hosted in our country for the second time in 22 years and f July 9, 2026

Asian soccer officials face 'fallout' after poor World Cup performance SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - Disappointing results by Asian teams at this year's World Cup in North America have sparked criticism and calls for accountability across the region's soccer community, including in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday. "The fallout in Asian football continues as the continent comes to terms with an underwhelming World Cup performance," the AP said, adding that the criticism has gone beyond the res July 8, 2026

Hanwha Aerospace pledges stronger role in NATO defense supply chains SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Hanwha Aerospace has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding defense industrial cooperation in Europe as NATO allies seek to strengthen their defense production capacity and supply chain resilience, the company said Wednesday. The pledge was made during the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, held on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. Jacek Cyrek, president and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace Europe, said at a panel session that the company will continue to suppor July 8, 2026

UNDP, Hyundai foundation name winners of Asia-Pacific start-up programme SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Ten impact start-ups from five Asia-Pacific countries presented solutions linked to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals at a Demo Day in Seoul this week, concluding a three-month accelerator programme co-hosted by the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre and the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation. The programme, Global ImpactPreneur, ended with a networking event and final pitch session held on July 6 and 7 at ONDREAM SOCIETY in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. It wa July 8, 2026

KOTRA sees UAE defense openings for Korean firms after Middle East war SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency has published a new guide for Korean defense companies seeking to enter the United Arab Emirates market, as demand in the Middle East shifts from arms purchases to broader defense-industrial cooperation. The report, titled “From Arms Exports to Full-Cycle Cooperation: Strategy for Entering the UAE Defense Market,” is aimed at helping Korean firms expand in the UAE after the recent U.S.-Iran war. The UA July 8, 2026

Seoul, Washington, Tokyo forge SMR export alliance SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - South Korea, the United States and Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday to jointly export small modular reactors, turning three countries that have long competed for the same nuclear contracts into a coordinated bloc aimed at the fastest-growing corner of the global energy market. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Mot July 8, 2026

Kazakhstan tightens grip on flagship gas projects SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - Kazakhstan has placed construction work at its three largest gas processing projects under weekly government monitoring, a step aimed at keeping the flagship developments on schedule as the country races to meet surging domestic demand and expand its role as a Eurasian energy supplier, the state news agency Qazinform reported Tuesday. The projects under watch sit at the heart of Kazakhstan's plan to lift marketable gas output to 34.6 billion cubic meters July 7, 2026

Bethlehem to name road Korea Street after aid SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - A road in Bethlehem will be named Korea Street this week, a symbolic gesture of appreciation for South Korea’s development and humanitarian support for Palestinians as the West Bank city struggles with the economic fallout from the prolonged Gaza war. The Palestinian Authority and Bethlehem Municipality will hold a ceremony Wednesday with the Representative Office of the Republic of Korea to Palestine and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, or July 7, 2026

Hormuz oil shock splits Asian industry in two SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - South Korea's factories just lived through the most violent oil shock in history, and the strange part is that the country posted record exports while it happened. The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway carrying about a fifth of the world's oil, did not hit Asian industry evenly in the first half of 2026. It split it. Semiconductors sailed through on artificial intelligence demand, automobiles took a glancing blow, July 7, 2026