FMs of South Korea, Iran hold phone talks as Hormuz deployment debate grows SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran talked over the phone on Friday as Seoul considers how to help ensure maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi at the latter's request to discuss the situation in the Middle East, bilateral relations and the protection of South Korean nationals, according to the Ministry of Foreign Ministry here. The government has yet to deci September 11, 2026

South Korean team returns from UAE after assessing Hormuz deployment conditions SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - A South Korean team sent to the United Arab Emirates to assess conditions for a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz is set to return home Thursday, as Seoul weighs its response to mounting U.S. pressure for a military contribution. The team, which departed for the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, completed its assessment and is expected to return through Incheon International Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter. September 10, 2026

Uzbekistan, Serbia sign environment pact SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - Environmental protection was written into the package of agreements that lifted relations between Uzbekistan and Serbia to a strategic partnership this week, giving formal shape to environmental contacts that had been building since last year. Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Aleksandar Vucic signed a joint declaration establishing the partnership in Belgrade on Tuesday, at the close of the Uzbek president's first official visit to Serbia. The two sides excha September 10, 2026

Seoul weighs coalition role in Hormuz amid U.S. pressure, Iran warnings SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korea is keeping its options open on a possible military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz, but President Lee Jae Myung's talks in Paris risk sending the impression to Washington that Seoul is placing greater weight on a French-British multinational mission. The framework could offer Seoul a middle ground between mounting U.S. pressure for support and Iran's warnings against military involvement. “The broad direction for internat September 9, 2026

Aju chairman joins Shenzhen media forum ahead of APEC summit SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korean media executives joined more than 400 delegates at a Chinese government-organized media forum in Shenzhen on Sept. 5, two months before the city hosts this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting. The Asia-Pacific Media Forum drew representatives from over 40 countries and regions, along with United Nations agencies and other international bodies. It was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party September 9, 2026

Japanese-style torii at Tashkent's Korea-themed landmark draws criticism SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) -Seoul Mun, a popular Korean Wave attraction in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent, has come under scrutiny over a prominent structure resembling a Japanese shrine gate that critics say could confuse visitors about the site's Korean identity. Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University and a prominent campaigner for promoting Korean culture and history overseas, raised concerns Tuesday over the large structure resembling a Japanese t September 8, 2026

Seoul's Hormuz dilemma puts Tokyo on notice SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - The heat from Washington is rising on Seoul to contribute to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and Tokyo is increasingly feeling it too as Japan braces for the possibility that it could be next in line for a U.S. call to act. South Korea has yet to decide whether to send military assets to the strategic waterway, but the Trump administration has become increasingly explicit in demanding support from an ally heavily dependent on Middle Eastern energy. The September 7, 2026

Coupang dispute to loom over Korea-U.S. ties beyond midterms SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) -South Korea’s dispute with e-commerce giant Coupang is likely to loom over ties with Washington beyond the U.S. midterm elections as concerns over Seoul’s regulation of American technology companies have taken root across party lines, South Korean lawmakers and policy experts observed Monday. “There is no guarantee the situation will improve even if the Democrats take the majority in the November midterm elections,” Woo Jeong-yeop September 7, 2026

Iran warns S. Korea against Hormuz deployment as U.S. pressure builds SEOUL, September 06 (AJP) - Iran has warned that any South Korean military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz would be regarded as participation in the war, as Washington steps up pressure on Seoul to contribute. The unnamed official made the warning in an interview with Al Mayadeen, a Lebanon-based media outlet close to Hezbollah, according to a report Thursday. “If South Korea takes action against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, it will be considered direct military aggres September 6, 2026

Korean rescuers pull Chinese worker alive from Nepal tunnel SEOUL, September 05 (AJP) -A Chinese worker was pulled alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, 10 days after catastrophic floods swept through the Himalayas, in the first successful live rescue involving South Korea's 44-member disaster relief team dispatched to the disaster zone. The rescue carries particular significance for Seoul because the man was found at the Upper Trishuli-1, or UT-1, hydropower project in Rasuwa District, where nine South Korean workers rema September 5, 2026