South Korea

South Korea's economy is surging on AI chip demand, with Samsung Electronics market cap topping $1 trillion and hedge funds recording decade-high weekly buying in Korean equities. However, Samsung faces a historic strike threat after labor talks collapsed, risking chip production disruption.

• 33Samsung and SK Hynix Surge on AI Chip Boom
• 21Samsung wage deal boosts Korean stocks
• 20Samsung Electronics union to launch strike after talks collapse
• 11Samsung Faces Risk of Chip Disruption After Labor Talks Fail
• 9Starbucks Korea offers full refunds for prepaid cards amid boycott backlash - The Straits Times

South Korea's political landscape is shaped by North Korea's constitutional revision dropping reunification references and its rejection of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, while Seoul engages in diplomatic outreach with Japan and Africa. Domestically, Seoul mayoral campaigns begin for a June 3 election, and ex-PM Han's sentence is commuted to 15 years on appeal.

• 14Dua Lipa sues Samsung for $15 million for allegedly using her image to sell TVs
• 11N. Korea's revised constitution defines territory, drops reunification references - Yonhap News Agency
• 8South Korea's Lee, Japan's Takaichi to meet on Tuesday, Seoul says
• 7Seoul Hosts Korea-Africa Partnership Forum ahead of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
• 7North Korea says not bound by nuclear non-proliferation treaty

North Korea escalates with multiple short-range ballistic missile launches into the Yellow Sea and tests of new AI-guided missiles, while Kim orders border defense buildup. A South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an Iranian missile, prompting Seoul to investigate and aim for a nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s.

• 19North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles into Yellow Sea
• 15Explosion and Fire Hit South Korean Ship in Strait of Hormuz
• 5South Korea aims to launch first nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s
• 4Mysteriously sunken Russian ship may have had nuclear reactors for N. Korea
• 3North Korean leader orders border defense buildup

A dominant societal tension is the consumer boycott backlash against Starbucks Korea after a 'Tank Day' promotion, leading to the CEO's firing and full refunds for prepaid cards. Separately, loneliness is flagged as a silent epidemic, and a rare baby bump highlights population decline amid a tragic hospital refusal case.

• 9Starbucks Korea CEO fired over 'Tank Day' promotion
• 5Focus - Loneliness: South Korea's silent epidemic
• 4S. Korean posts falsely link old video to Starbucks marketing fiasco - AFP Fact Check
• 4Dua Lipa suing Samsung for $15m for 'using her image without permission'
• 3South Korean judge who hiked ex-first lady's jail sentence found dead