Iran war offers lesson and warning for Asia's U.S. allies SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - As the war in Iran stretches longer and wider than expected, security analysts are increasingly applying its battlefield dynamics to other flashpoints — raising concerns among Asian countries that host U.S. military bases. For some strategists, Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes on American facilities across the Middle East offer a preview of how a future conflict in the Taiwan Strait could unfold — and how Washington’s Asian March 13, 2026

Iran war may feel closer at home for South Korea and Japan if conflict stretches SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - The war with Iran may be unfolding thousands of kilometers away, but for U.S. allies in Northeast Asia it could begin to feel much closer if the conflict drags on. Questions are emerging in Seoul and Tokyo over whether Washington could eventually ask its key regional allies — South Korea and Japan — to support operations tied to the conflict, particularly given their reliance on energy shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the presenc March 12, 2026

Op Ed: Remembering humility on St. Patrick's Day In a world as fast-moving and unpredictable as the one we are navigating currently, it is nice to know there are some certainties upon which we can depend. One of those is St. Patrick’s Day. Every 17 March, this is an occasion that Irish people, and people of Irish heritage, celebrate all over our world, including here in South Korea. For our small island, from which so many people emigrated throughout our history, this really is a global celebration of history, culture, connecti March 11, 2026

Qatar government organizes emergency flight for South Koreans stranded in Doha SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - An emergency direct flight carrying South Koreans departed Doha on Monday following negotiations between the South Korean Embassy in Qatar and the Qatari government. The Qatar Airways flight, carrying some 300 South Korean nationals, took off at approximately 3:45 p.m. (0645 GMT). According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the aircraft is scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport at 12:21 a.m. on Tuesday. The flight was arranged as the March 9, 2026

World-OKTA wraps up entrepreneurship training for global AI startup hopefuls SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA) said on Monday it has completed a four-day online entrepreneurship training program designed to sharpen the skills of aspiring founders ahead of its 2026 OKTA Global AI Startup Pitch Competition slated for March 31 in Seoul. Faculty from UC Berkeley, Stanford University and San Jose State University, alongside active venture capital professionals based in Silicon Valley, delivered six s March 9, 2026

Iranian embassy in Seoul opens condolence book for late supreme leader SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - The Iranian embassy in South Korea notified the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 8 of the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, whom the mission described as a martyr. In a formal diplomatic note, the embassy said the Iranian leader died February 28 in what it characterized as a "brutal and unjust attack" by the United States and Israel. The message marks the first formal communication from the mission to the Sout March 9, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: Trump's Iran war exposes fractured alliances and global ripples SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury have done more than cripple Tehran’s leadership and military infrastructure. They have also exposed deep fractures in the Western alliance system and revived questions about the future of the post–World War II international order. The campaign began with the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28 — a dramatic opening move that President Donald Trump March 6, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: Why shockwaves hit Seoul markets hardest  As the war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran enters its first week, AJP examines how the conflict began and evolved, the emerging power vacuum in Tehran and its implications for Iran and the Gulf states, and the broader impact on global energy routes, financial markets and the international order. SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market entered 2026 in a euphoric rally. The benchmark KOSPI surged nearly 50 percent in the first two months o March 6, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: Hormuz chokepoint jolts Korean macroeconomy SEOUL, Mar 06 (AJP) - The war in the Middle East is reverberating far beyond the battlefield. For South Korea — one of the world’s most energy-dependent industrial economies — the shock is moving rapidly through the core channels of the macroeconomy: the currency, bond yields, financial markets and ultimately consumer prices. The immediate trigger is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor off Iran’s coast through which a large share of the world March 6, 2026

Day 7 Middle East War: Tehran power vacuum rattles Gulf order As the war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran enters its first week, AJP examines how the conflict began and evolved, the emerging power vacuum in Tehran and its implications for Iran and the Gulf states, and the broader impact on global energy routes, financial markets and the international order. SEOUL, March 06 (AJP) - Exactly who is in control in Tehran remains unclear after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening hours of the U March 6, 2026