Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

This article is by Cho Yong-jun and read by an artificial voice.

Chinese milk tea giant Chagee will enter the Korean market in the second quarter of 2026, opening stores in Gangnam, Yongsan and Sinchon simultaneously.

The milk tea brand began teasing its flagship store in Gangnam, located outside Exit 10 of Gangnam Station in southern Seoul, with big posters of Chagee on the construction barrier.

Similar teasers will also be unveiled at the Sinchon branch in Mapo District, western Seoul, and at the Yongsan I'Park branch in Yongsan District, central Seoul, soon, according to the company on Monday.

The brand received attention in Korea after IVE member Jang Won-young was seen drinking Chagee milk teas during a livestream she had in China.

There will be QR codes on the construction barriers where customers can solve a quiz and sign up to the Chagee app to receive 50 percent discount coupons on its Boya Jasmin Milk Tea and Peach Oolong Milk Tea.

"We are glad to share the information of Chagee's official launch in Korea to the Korean customers, who have been showing great interest even before the launch of the brand," a Chagee spokesperson said.

Chagee said the brand specializes in "premium tea drinks" that are based on fresh tea brewed in the stores, paired with dairy.

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

[INTERVIEW]

Where do K-pop idols go when the spotlight on them begins to fade?

It's a question that a certain idol-turned-producer hopes to tackle head-on as she launches her own K-pop agency in an industry notorious for the fleeting relevance of its young stars.

"I've seen a lot of colleagues and friends who felt lost, asking themselves, 'What should I do now?' after their contracts expired," said Lee Hae-in, the chief creative officer of All My Anecdotes, in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

"I asked myself the same question."

Few figures in the turbulent K-pop scene have experienced a dramatic career trajectory as Lee has.

She first became known as a contestant on the first season of Mnet's audition program "Produce 101" (2016–) and later debuted as a member of the short-lived project girl group I.B.I. She then competed on "Idol School" (2017) but failed to become a member of the resulting girl group fromis_9. Both shows were embroiled in one of K-pop's biggest scandals years later, involving voting manipulation.

Lee pivoted to more behind-the-scenes work, gaining recognition as the creative director behind the successful debut of the girl group Kiss of Life in 2023 and did the same for the boy band Close Your Eyes, formed through JTBC's audition program "Project 7" (2024).

Now, Lee has co-founded her own company, All My Anecdotes, alongside Jay Kim, the former CEO of DOD, Lee's previous agency.

Through All My Anecdotes, Lee hopes to find artists who are capable of thinking and creating independently so they can stand on their own without a company guiding their every move.

"I don't want idols [...] to feel lost if or when our time together comes to an end," said Lee.

All My Anecdotes is set to launch the five-member girl group OWIS on March 23. While OWIS is a virtual act, the members have publicly hinted at their real identities behind their digital personas — a rare move for a virtual team. Lee herself is believed to be one of the voices behind the project, though she has not directly commented on her involvement.

The label also plans to debut a nonvirtual girl group and a boy band in the future.

The Korea JoongAng Daily sat down with Lee in western Seoul on Feb. 26, ahead of OWIS's debut. Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

Q. How did your experience as a trainee under multiple labels shape the way you lead as a creative director?

A. When I was younger, that experience actually made me question myself. I remember thinking, 'Why can't I seem to settle in one place?'

Looking back, I now realize that every company is unique, so I was able to experience firsthand an expansive range of systems and philosophies regarding how things should be done.

I was also able to witness how someone who might not stand out at first could grow over the long run. Watching this process up close became an extremely valuable asset for me as a director, as it helped me learn how to spot someone's potential.

As an idol, I don't think that I was someone who exceptionally excelled at singing or dancing, but I was well-balanced. In the entertainment industry, people often specialize in a specific discipline, so my broad perspective allowed me to look at the bigger picture and bring together insights from different areas, which I believe is one of my strengths.

What kind of agency will All My Anecdotes be?

The kind of company I want to build is reflected in the name.

Every agency has its own standards when it comes to recruiting trainees. For example, some may prefer to find trainees who are blank slates and shape them to encapsulate the company's vision and identity.

At All My Anecdotes, we wish to bring in those who have a sense of what kind of musical direction or career path they wish to pursue. I believe that kind of independence is also a form of talent. Even if someone's ideas for their future are not perfectly aligned with the ...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

한국의 대표 영어신문, 코리아중앙데일리가 특종과 단독 인터뷰, 주요 기사를 한글로 요약해 드립니다. 독자들의 많은 성원 바랍니다.

현대자동차그룹의 조지아 메타플랜트(HMGMA)에서 첫 하이브리드(HEV) 차량이 올해 9월부터 본격 양산을 시작한다. 차종은 기아의 미국 시장 베스트셀러 모델인 스포티지다. 본래 전기차 전용으로만 지어진 이 공장에서 하이브리드 생산에 나서면서 관세 리스크를 줄이고 전기차 수요 둔화 속에서도 미국 시장 점유율을 방어하겠다는 전략이다.

8일 관련 사안에 정통한 한 관계자는 코리아중앙데일리에 "현재 하이브리드 생산 라인 추가 작업이 진행 중이며 양산 개시는 오는 9월로 예정되어 있다"면서 "스포티지부터 생산을 시작하고 생산량은 점차 늘려갈 계획"이라고 덧붙였다.

현재 이 공장에선 현대차의 전기차 아이오닉5와 아이오닉9을 생산하고 있는데, 메타플랜트에서 생산하는 세 번째 차종이 하이브리드 스포티지가 될 전망이다.

하이브리드 모델 투입은 도널드 트럼프 행정부의 관세 정책으로 불확실성이 커진 미국 시장에서 판매가 늘고 있는 하이브리드 차량을 현지에서 직접 생산 및 판매해 비용을 절감하겠다는 목적이다. HMGMA는 연간 30만대의 생산량으로 지난해 3월 가동을 시작했지만 전기차 수요 둔화 등의 여파로 지난해 생산량은 6만2000대에 그치는 등 가동률이 높지 않은 상태다. 해당 공장은 지난해 말부터 보스턴다이내믹스의 휴머노이드 로봇 '아틀라스'의 시범 투입이 진행되고 있다. 추후 연간 생산량이 50만대로 늘어날 현대차그룹의 미국 '핵심 제조 거점'이다.

스포티지는 지난해 미국에서 18만2823대가 팔려 기아가 미국에서 판매 중인 모든 모델 중에서 판매량 1위를 기록했다. 이 가운데 하이브리드 모델 판매(6만3390대)의 비중은 34.7%에 달할 정도로 수요가 높다. 지난해 기준 스포티지 HEV는 현대차와 기아가 미국에서 판매하는 모든 하이브리드 모델들 중 판매량 기준으로 2위를 차지하며 투싼 HEV(72,578대)의 뒤를 이었다.

기아는 지금까지 미국에서 팔리는 스포티지 하이브리드 물량 전량을 국내 광주 공장에서 생산해 수출해왔다. 투싼 HEV는 현재 울산 공장에서 생산돼 전량 수출 중인데 이 또한 현대차 앨라배마 공장에서 현지 생산을 하기 위해 추진 중이다. 현대차는 현재 싼타페 HEV를 미 앨라배마 공장에서 생산 중이고, 기아 또한 최근 조지아 공장에서 텔루라이드 HEV 생산을 시작했다.

한국은 그동안 자유무역협정(FTA)에 따라 미국에 한국에서 생산한 자동차를 수출할 때 관세를 적용받지 않았다. 하지만 트럼프 행정부의 공격적인 관세 정책으로 약 15%의 품목 관세를 부과받은 상태다. 게다가 트럼프 대통령이 한국의 대미투자특별법 입법 절차의 지연을 이유로 관세를 25%로 인상한다고 압박하면서 비용 부담이 더욱 가중될 가능성이 있다.

하이브리드가 현대차그룹의 미국 시장 점유율 확대에 주역을 하고 있다는 점도 배경이다. 현대차·기아의 지난해 미국 시장 HEV 판매량은 전년 대비 48.8% 급증한 33만 1,023대를 기록, 역대 최다 판매 기록을 경신했다. 합산 판매량에서 하이브리드의 비중은 18%로 2025년(16%)과 2024년(11.1%)를 넘어서 최고치를 기록했다. 현대차의 하이브리드 판매량은 18만9881대로 전기차(6만9533대)의 3배에 달했다.

하나증권 송선재 연구원은 "HEV는 기존 가솔린 등 ICE 모델 대비 평균 10% 이상 가격이 높기 때문에 미국 내 평균 판매 단가(ASP) 상승에도 기여할 전망"이라고 말했다. 이어 "HMGMA에서 2026년 하이브리드 모델을 생산하면 점유율 상승의 계기가 될 것이며 현대차, 기아의 미국 내 합산 시장 점유율은 2026년 12%에서 2027년 12.4%로 상승할 것으로 예상한다"고 덧붙였다.

영어 원문

The first hybrid model to roll off Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia will be the Kia Sportage SUV, with mass production set for September, according to a source familiar with the plan.

The production of the Sportage, Kia's best-selling model in the U.S. market, marks the auto group's landmark push towards hybrids as the EV slump drives up sales. Currently, only the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 EVs are in mass production at the factory.

"Work is currently underway in the Georgia plant to install an additional production line for hybrid vehicles, with mass production scheduled to begin around September," the source told the Korea JoongAng Daily on the condition of anonymity.

"Production will start with the Sportage, and capacity will be expanded gradually over time," the source added.

The latest decision is aimed at easing the tariff burden imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Korean automakers now face tariffs of about 15 percent on vehicles shipped to the United States, a striking departure from the long-standing zero-tariff regime that prevailed under the bilateral free trade agreement.

HMGMA, which has an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles, began operations in March last year. Yet production has remained subdued at some 62,000 units for the whole year amid a slowdown in EV models.

The Sportage was Kia's top-selling model in the United States last year, with 182,823 units sold. Hybrid variants accounted for 63,390 of those vehicles, or roughly 34.7 percent of total sales.

By volume, the Sportage hybrid ranked as the second best-selling hybrid model among all vehicles sold in the United States by Hyundai Motor and Kia, trailing only the Tucson Hybrid, which recorded sales of 72,578 units.

Until now, Kia has produced all Sportage hybrids destined for the U.S. market at its plant in Gwangju and exported them overseas. Hyundai is also pushing to localize production of the Tucson Hybrid, which is currently produced at Hyundai's Ulsan plant, at its Alabama plant. Hyundai already manufactures the Sant...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

The first hybrid model to roll off Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia will be the Kia Sportage SUV, with mass production set for September, according to a source familiar with the plan.

The production of the Sportage, Kia's best-selling model in the U.S. market, marks the auto group's landmark push towards hybrids as the EV slump drives up sales. Currently, only Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 EVs are in mass production at the factory.

"Work is currently underway in the Georgia plant to install an additional production line for hybrid vehicles, with mass production scheduled to begin around September," the source told the Korea JoongAng Daily on the condition of anonymity.

"Production will start with the Sportage, and capacity will be expanded gradually over time," the source added.

The latest decision is aimed at easing the tariff burden imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Korean automakers now face tariffs of about 15 percent on vehicles shipped to the United States, a striking departure from the long-standing zero-tariff regime that prevailed under the bilateral free trade agreement.

HMGMA, which has an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles, began operations in March last year. Yet production has remained subdued at some 62,000 units for the whole year amid a slowdown in EV models.

The Sportage was Kia's top-selling model in the United States last year, with 182,823 units sold. Hybrid variants accounted for 63,390 of those vehicles, or roughly 34.7 percent of total sales.

By volume, the Sportage hybrid ranked as the second best-selling hybrid model among all vehicles sold in the United States by Hyundai Motor and Kia, trailing only the Tucson Hybrid, which recorded sales of 72,578 units.

Until now, Kia has produced all Sportage hybrids destined for the U.S. market at its plant in Gwangju and exported them overseas. Hyundai is also pushing to localize production of the Tucson Hybrid, which is currently produced at Hyundai's Ulsan plant, at its Alabama plant. Hyundai already manufactures the Santa Fe Hybrid at its Alabama plant, while Kia has recently begun producing the Telluride hybrid at its Georgia facility.

Hyundai and Kia's foothold in the U.S. market has been accelerating in recent years, despite the EV slowdown, thanks to robust hybrid sales. Combined hybrid sales by Hyundai and Kia in the United States came in at a new high of 331,023 units last year, up 48.8 percent on year.

Hyundai alone sold 189,881 hybrid vehicles in the U.S. market, nearly three times its EV sales of 69,533 units. Of total sales, hybrids accounted for 18 percent, also hitting a new high from 16 percent last year and 11.1 percent in 2024.

"Hybrid vehicles typically command prices more than 10 percent higher than comparable internal-combustion models, meaning they are also likely to contribute to rising average selling prices in the U.S. market," said Song Sun-jae, an analyst at Hana Securities.

"The start of hybrid production at HMGMA in 2026 will serve as a catalyst for market-share gains," Song added. "We expect the combined U.S. market share of Hyundai and Kia to rise from 12 percent in 2026 to 12.4 percent in 2027.

HMGMA is central to the group's long-term growth in the United States, where it also deployed Atlas humanoid robot, developed by Boston Dynamics, for pilot operation. Once at full operational capacity, the automaker plans to expand the plant's annual production to 500,000 vehicles.

The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

On March 9, 1776, Adam Smith published "The Wealth of Nations." This monumental work appeared in two volumes, yet public interest was immediate. Within six months, the first printing of 3,500 copies had sold out. Readers responded so strongly because the book clarified the most pressing economic, social and political questions facing Britain at the time while also charting a direction for the future, as Smith attempted to explain what truly constituted the wealth of a nation.

In the book, Smith summarized the idea as follows: The wealth of a country, he argued, is not the gold stored in royal treasuries or the silver accumulated by merchants. It is the annual supply of the necessities and conveniences of life produced by the labor of its people. The yearly income of a society therefore corresponds to the exchange value of the total output generated by its industry.

In modern terms, Smith was describing something close to what economists today call real national income. His argument sharply challenged the dominant thinking of the time. Under mercantilism, many believed that national wealth consisted of gold and silver earned through overseas trade under royal protection. Smith instead insisted that creative and diligent labor was the true source of prosperity. His famous idea of the invisible hand supported that claim. People cannot be forced through coercion to work creatively and productively.

"The Wealth of Nations" is sometimes compared to the U.S.'s "Declaration of Independence" (1776). The two texts appeared in the same year and each suggested a direction for the modern world. Smith defended the expansion of productivity through division of labor and supported free trade as an economic principle. The U.S. document declared that all people are equal and possess basic rights and sovereignty.

Two hundred fifty years have passed since those ideas were articulated. Built on the foundations of liberal democracy and a market economy, humanity has achieved remarkable progress. Yet the present moment often feels unsettling. As Iran's theocratic dictatorship kills its own citizens and the Trump administration attacks Iran, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have threatened global stability. At such times it is worth asking again where the ideals of market economy and liberal democracy are heading.

Smith's question about the source of wealth still echoes in debates over power trade and freedom today. The challenge is whether governments and societies will preserve the conditions that allow labor creativity and exchange to flourish rather than be suppressed by fear, conflict and coercion.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

The author is an editorial writer and the director of the Unification and Culture Research Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo.

On June 16, 1994, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Pyongyang and met Kim Il Sung, then North Korea's leader. The next day the two continued their discussion aboard a sightseeing boat on the Taedong River. Their talks produced a tentative agreement: North Korea would freeze its nuclear program and the international community would provide light-water reactors in return. The two sides also agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit a month later.

Nearly a decade later another moment of tension unfolded. On Feb. 12, 2003, Kim Jong-il, then chairman of the National Defense Commission, visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang's Jung District to attend a ceremony marking a birthday message and gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Soon afterward, Kim disappeared from North Korean media coverage. For nearly 50 days, until April 3, he remained absent from public view.

Since the 1990s the most persistent issue on the Korean Peninsula has been North Korea's nuclear program. Pyongyang repeatedly entered negotiations with the international community, pledging freezes and later abandoning them while advancing its nuclear capabilities. During the era of Kim Il Sung the bargaining chip was plutonium. Under Kim Jong-il it became highly enriched uranium. In the period of Kim Jong-un, intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads have emerged, accompanied by declarations of nuclear weapons possession and claims of warhead miniaturization.

At critical moments, the United States repeatedly considered military options. One of the most dramatic examples occurred in June 1994. North Korea had obstructed inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and heightened tensions with threats such as its warning that Seoul could become a "sea of fire." It also shut down the 5-megawatt graphite-moderated reactor at Yongbyon, removed spent fuel rods, declared the armistice agreement invalid and withdrew from the Military Armistice Commission.

Washington responded by secretly preparing an attack on Yongbyon. The plan resembled what the United States later described as a "surgical strike," targeting nuclear facilities in order to disable North Korea's nuclear capacity. Although the South Korean government of then-President Kim Young-sam warned that such action could escalate into a broader conflict, the United States continued its preparations.

Former President Bill Clinton later wrote in his memoir "My Life" (2004) that intelligence estimates predicted as many as one million casualties in the event of war. The report, he wrote, was "a sobering read." Nevertheless Washington moved toward a scenario that included deploying 10,000 additional troops along with aircraft carriers, long-range cruise missiles and F-117 stealth bombers. The peninsula stood on the brink of armed conflict.

The crisis was defused only when Carter traveled to Pyongyang and met Kim Il Sung. After the meeting Carter telephoned the White House and reported that North Korea would freeze its nuclear program if the United States supported the construction of light-water reactors that could not produce weapons-grade plutonium. Clinton accepted the proposal, allowing the Korean Peninsula to step back from the edge of war.

Nine years later, in January 2003, a new crisis emerged over North Korea's pursuit of highly enriched uranium, another material used in nuclear weapons. Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and warned that it would restart previously frozen nuclear facilities. The second North Korean nuclear crisis further intensified after a visit by U.S. envoy James Kelly to Pyongyang in October 2002.

At the same time, the United States was preparing for the second Gulf War to eliminate Iraq's chemical and biological weapons capabilities. President George W. Bush stated that military action again...

The author is a senior columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.

The U.S. president is facing growing distrust. When U.S. President Donald Trump first ran for the presidency in 2016, he repeatedly promised that there would be "no new wars." He criticized America's history of attempts at regime change in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, arguing that such interventions had failed. Trump also denounced the Republican Party's mainstream neoconservatives as "warmongers." Supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, built around the slogan "America First," welcomed that message.

Today Trump appears to be a very different leader. Since beginning his second term in 2025, he has approved military actions involving seven countries. The conflict has even reached Iran, a nation of roughly 90 million people and the leading center of Shiite Islam. Airstrikes carried out together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the reported death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have pushed the Middle East and Europe into a conflict many never wanted.

Trump has also requested a massive increase in U.S. defense spending. He has proposed raising the 2027 defense budget to $1.5 trillion, a 50 percent increase that would mark the largest military budget in American history. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower left office in 1961, he warned that the influence of the military-industrial complex could threaten democracy. Trump's reversal of earlier antiwar rhetoric now echoes that warning from a former four-star general who later became president.

The moral foundation of Pax Americana has been shaken by Trump's actions. Former President George W. Bush, whom Trump once criticized, sought congressional authorization before launching the Afghanistan War in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003. Trump, by contrast, initiated the present conflict despite opposition from a majority of Americans and without securing approval from Congress.

Critics say the war began after Trump repeatedly signaled that meaningful negotiations were possible, only to launch military action while talks were underway. Traditional allies including Britain, France, Spain and Canada have expressed concern, some describing the move as a violation of international law.

Wars often have clear starting points but uncertain endings. If a risky strategy pursued without transparency drags on, both the United States and the global community could face severe consequences. The United States spent about $2.2 trillion over two decades in the Afghanistan War. More than 2,400 American troops died along with roughly 170,000 Afghan soldiers, police officers, civilians and Taliban fighters. The democratic government the war sought to build collapsed and the Taliban returned to power.

The outcome of the Iraq War, which lasted eight years and nine months, also remains controversial. Iran presents an even more complex challenge. If reserve forces are included, Iran could mobilize as many as 1.2 million troops and much of the country is mountainous terrain. Even a leader as confident as Trump could find it difficult to escape such a conflict once it expands.

The United States is currently spending about $900 million a day on the war. If a similar conflict were to continue for 20 years, the cost could reach $6.5 trillion. That would strain an American budget already carrying a deficit of roughly $1.8 trillion and could also damage the global economy.

Such a prolonged war might also weaken America's ability to counter China's expansion in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region. Energy disruptions have already had global effects. Sanctions on Russian oil imports have loosened under pressure from energy shortages, pushing prices higher and benefiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The cohesion of NATO and the broader Atlantic alliance has begun to show signs of strain. If Iranian refugees begin arriving in Europe, political tensions there could intensify further. It is unc...

As the war between the United States and Israel against Iran spreads across the Middle East, protecting Korean citizens in the region has become an urgent task. But several Korean diplomatic missions in that region remain without appointed chiefs, fueling concerns about whether the government can respond effectively if the situation deteriorates.

Nine months have passed since the Lee Jae Myung administration took office, but six of Korea's 19 diplomatic missions in the Middle East still lack chiefs. The ambassadorial posts in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are vacant, despite the two countries facing Iranian missile attacks, as are the ones in Turkey, Kuwait, Egypt and Algeria. The Korean Consulate General in Dubai, a major aviation hub, also lacks a chief, even as Korean travelers remain stranded due to flight cancellations linked to the conflict.

The absence of leadership has drawn criticism because missions in the region play a crucial role in protecting Korean nationals and coordinating with local authorities.

President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials last Thursday to prepare detailed evacuation plans for Koreans in the Middle East, stating that the government should cooperate with friendly countries and consider using military aircraft, chartered flights or land transportation to ensure the safety of Korean citizens abroad. He also urged authorities to develop contingency measures and mobilize all available resources if evacuation becomes necessary.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 18,000 Korean citizens are currently staying in 14 Middle Eastern countries. Among them are around 4,900 short-term visitors, of which roughly 3,500 are reportedly waiting to return home after flight cancellations disrupted travel plans.

However, the officials who would normally coordinate such efforts on the ground are absent in several key missions. Most Korean diplomatic missions in the region operate with fewer than five Korean staff members, excluding locally hired employees. Without ambassadors or consuls general to lead them, those missions may struggle to respond quickly during emergencies. Middle Eastern governments also tend to prefer communication with senior officials, making the absence of mission chiefs even more problematic.

Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties criticized the situation during a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting last Friday. They questioned why key diplomatic posts remain vacant despite rising tensions.

The issue is not limited to the Middle East. Since the current administration took office, ambassadorial appointments have been delayed across the network. Currently, 49 overseas missions worldwide reportedly remain without appointed chiefs.

Past incidents have shown the risks that such vacancies create. In previous cases involving Korean workers detained in the U.S. state of Georgia or Korean nationals killed or detained in Cambodia, responses were criticized as slow or insufficient when diplomatic leadership was absent.

Protecting overseas citizens is a basic responsibility of the government. The administration should accelerate ambassadorial appointments and avoid delays that weaken Korea's diplomatic capacity.

The Middle East crisis also appears unlikely to end soon. Once the conflict subsides, Korea will need diplomatic leadership to pursue national interests in the region, including defense cooperation and economic ties.

If circumstances make immediate appointments difficult, the government should at least prioritize filling key posts in the Middle East. Only then can the administration fulfill President Lee's call to ensure the safety of Korean citizens abroad.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Used cars are tightly packed at a secondhand car export complex in Yeonsu District, Incheon, on March 8, as exports to the Middle East, a region that accounts for roughly one-third of Korea's total used car exports, face disruptions amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. [YONHAP]

Books related to the Joseon Dynasty are displayed at the Kyobo Book Centre's Gwanghwamun branch in central Seoul on March 8 as the popularity of the film 'The King's Warden' spills over into bookstores. [YONHAP]