United News of Bangladesh

An explosion in South Korea’s heavily fortified border area with North Korea injured three military officers on Monday, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The blast occurred during an unspecified operation inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the buffer area separating the two Koreas. The ministry said the cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Officials did not say whether the blast may have been caused by a land mine planted by North Korea. The North has increased border fortifications in recent months, including mines and anti-tank barriers, as tensions between the two countries have worsened. Two of the injured officers were airlifted from the area by helicopter, while the third was taken out by land before being flown to a hospital, according to the ministry. All three are receiving treatment at a military hospital near Seoul. The DMZ stretches about 248 kilometres and is 4 kilometres wide, making it one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. An estimated 2 million land mines are scattered in and around the area, which is also protected by barbed-wire fences, tank traps and troops from both sides. The zone was established as part of the 1953 armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. The two countries, however, have never signed a peace treaty. Concerns have grown in South Korea over increased activity by North Korean troops near the Military Demarcation Line as Pyongyang strengthens its border defenses. South Korea’s military has not officially confirmed media reports that North Korean troops crossed the demarcation line more than 20 times during front-line operations in August. In April 2025, South Korean troops fired warning shots after about 10 North Korean soldiers crossed the line in the eastern section of the DMZ. The North Korean troops withdrew after South Korea issued audio warnings and fired the shots, with no clashes reported. In June 2024, North Korean troops crossed the border three times, prompting similar warning shots. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has in recent years suspended nearly all cooperation and diplomacy with South Korea and called Seoul his country’s most hostile enemy amid a broader deadlock in nuclear negotiations with the United States. North Korean land mines have also previously been washed into South Korea by swollen rivers, killing or injuring civilians. In August 2015, land mine explosions seriously injured two South Korean soldiers, further raising tensions between the two Koreas.

The United States, South Korea and Japan will hold a five-day trilateral military exercise next month as they seek to strengthen their response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, South Korean officials said Friday. The announcement came a day after North Korea warned that it would take “serious, immediate and powerful” action against what it described as hostile moves by the United States. The planned exercise could further reduce the chances of an early restart of talks between Washington and Pyongyang, despite US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to reduce the scale of a major military exercise with South Korea. South Korea’s military said the Freedom Edge exercise will begin September 7 in waters near the southern island of Jeju. It described the drill as defensive and said it aims to improve the three countries’ ability to respond to North Korean nuclear and missile threats while supporting regional peace and stability. North Korea has repeatedly condemned the trilateral exercise, calling it a “reckless show of strength.” Pyongyang has also accused the US and its allies of using the drill to pressure China and Russia. Launched in 2024, Freedom Edge combines air and naval exercises to improve cooperation in areas including ballistic missile defence, anti-submarine warfare and surveillance. Last week, US and South Korean forces ended their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise six days earlier than planned after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the drill. North Korea considers such exercises preparations for an invasion. Trump cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when announcing the reduction. But Pyongyang rejected the gesture, saying shortening the exercise did not change its “provocative, aggressive nature.” North Korea subsequently fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, apparently in response to the US-South Korean military exercise. Pyongyang has said it will not return to talks with Washington unless the US drops its demand for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as a condition for negotiations. Since talks with Trump broke down in 2019, Kim has expanded North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and strengthened ties with Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Experts say Pyongyang could now seek major concessions from Washington, including recognition as a nuclear-armed state and broad sanctions relief, in exchange for giving up part of its nuclear programme. On Thursday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused Washington of carrying out a series of hostile actions, including a possible plan to sell air-to-air missiles and related equipment to South Korea. It warned that Pyongyang would respond strongly to what it called hostile acts in various areas.

Asian shares rose Thursday, following gains on Wall Street, while South Korea’s benchmark Kospi jumped more than 6% after the US Treasury announced plans to significantly increase its purchases of longer-term government debt. US stock futures also edged higher after the Treasury said it would at least double the size of its planned buybacks of longer-term government bonds. The move could reduce pressure on stock markets from rising bond yields. Increased government bond purchases can push bond prices higher and, in turn, lower yields. South Korea’s Kospi surged 6.1% to 6,858.91 after falling 5.8% on Wednesday as investors sold shares linked to artificial intelligence. Samsung Electronics rose 9.7%, while SK Hynix, a major memory chipmaker, gained 14.1% after announcing a large share buyback programme. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.3% to 66,178.26, recovering from losses earlier in the week. Japan reported a trade deficit for the third consecutive month in July, with both imports and exports reaching record levels. SoftBank Group, which has invested in OpenAI, gained 3.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.1% to 25,786.32, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.3% to 3,905.23. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.3% to 9,066.40. Taiwan’s Taiex was little changed, while India’s Sensex gained 0.7%. US government bond yields fell after the Treasury announced its expanded buyback plans. Bond prices and yields generally move in opposite directions. The announcement appeared to ease investor concerns about rising borrowing costs. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.2%, ending a three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite each also gained 0.2%. US bond yields have climbed in recent months amid concerns about inflation linked to the prolonged war in Iran, rising government debt and other economic pressures. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note fell to about 4.64%, down from 4.71% on Tuesday. However, it remains significantly higher than before the war in Iran began. The 30-year Treasury yield also declined to 5.18% from 5.28%. Bond yields in Asia also eased following the US Treasury announcement. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield dropped to about 2.83% from above 2.89% on Wednesday. It had recently reached its highest level in about 30 years. Oil prices edged higher Thursday as negotiations between the US and Iran showed little progress. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 0.3% to $91.90 a barrel. It was trading at around $72 before the war began. US benchmark crude gained 0.2% to $84.57 a barrel. The US dollar rose to 158.60 Japanese yen from 158.16 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1676, slightly.

Asian stock markets mostly closed higher on Tuesday, with South Korea and Japan recovering some of the losses suffered in recent sessions due to heavy selling of artificial intelligence (AI)-related shares. U.S. stock futures moved slightly higher, while oil prices fell. South Korea's Kospi index rose 4.7% to 6,821.41 after dropping 4.5% a day earlier. Technology stocks led the recovery, with Samsung Electronics climbing 7.4% and memory chip maker SK Hynix gaining 6.4%. Despite a decline of more than 20% over the past month as investors locked in profits amid concerns over a possible AI investment bubble, the Kospi remains up more than 50% so far this year. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 2.8% to 65,926.41 after reopening following Monday's public holiday, recovering part of last week's losses. Among major gainers, Kioxia Holdings surged 15.9%, chip testing equipment maker Advantest rose 6.9%, SoftBank Group advanced 6.1%, and Tokyo Electron added 1.3%. Taiwan's Taiex index climbed 3.6%, supported by a 2.8% rise in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged up less than 0.1% to 25,150.75, while China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.6% to 3,819.66. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1%, while India's Sensex slipped 0.1%. Oil prices eased after Monday's gains. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell 0.7% to $88.63 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude dropped 0.3% to $82.24 a barrel. Investors continued to watch developments in the Middle East after Iran reportedly attacked another tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas shipments. The United States also launched fresh strikes on Iran for a tenth consecutive night, while Tehran continued retaliatory attacks targeting U.S. allies in the region. Iran's interior minister visited Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, for talks aimed at easing tensions, although no breakthrough has been announced. Analysts at ING said there were some signs of possible de-escalation between the United States and Iran, but warned that major differences remain. They also said attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on shipping linked to Saudi Arabia have increased concerns over global oil supplies. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 0.2% on Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite slipped by less than 0.1%. Several major AI and semiconductor companies still posted gains. Nvidia rose 0.2%, Micron Technology gained 1.9%, Broadcom climbed 2%, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) advanced 1.6% after expanding its AI partnership with Microsoft. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar was little changed at 162.48 Japanese yen, while the euro remained steady at $1.1414.

Most Asian stock markets ended higher on Monday, but South Korea's benchmark Kospi index plunged nearly 5% as investors sold off artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks. Japanese markets remained closed for a public holiday, while US stock futures showed mixed trends. Oil prices continued to rise, gaining more than 2%, as tensions between the United States and Iran intensified, raising fears of supply disruptions. Brent crude climbed 2.6% to $90.40 a barrel, while US benchmark crude rose 2.2% to $83.58 a barrel. The latest gains came after the US carried out attacks for a ninth consecutive night, with Iran continuing retaliatory strikes against US allies across the Middle East. Analysts at ING said the ongoing exchange of attacks could lead to wider conflict across the Persian Gulf if the situation continues to escalate. They also noted that tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, has slowed sharply, adding pressure to oil supplies. In stock markets, South Korea's Kospi fell 4.9% to 6,490.97, dragged down by losses in major technology shares. Samsung Electronics dropped 4.4%, while memory chipmaker SK Hynix declined 3.3%. Taiwan's Taiex index slipped less than 0.1%. However, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the island's largest chipmaker, rose 2% after tumbling 7.3% on Friday. Investors had reacted negatively to the company's announcement that it would invest an additional $100 billion to expand chip production in the United States. Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 2.1% to 25,105.78, the Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.2% to 3,808.39, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.2% to 8,815.30. India's Sensex, however, fell 0.9%. AI-related technology shares remained under pressure after heavy losses on Friday, reflecting growing concerns that the sector may be overvalued following months of strong gains. Many investors chose to book profits by selling their holdings. Market sentiment was also affected by the launch of a new open-source AI model, Kimi K3, developed by Beijing-based Moonshot AI. The release drew comparisons with the "DeepSeek moment" in early 2025, when a Chinese AI model unsettled global markets by demonstrating that lower-cost Chinese AI systems could compete with leading products from companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI. On Wall Street on Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1% to 7,457.69, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.8% to 52,146.42, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.4% to 25,520.24. Chipmakers also posted losses, with Nvidia falling 2.2%, while Broadcom and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) each declined about 1%. SpaceX shares dropped 5.4%, falling below their initial public offering price of $135 and hitting their lowest level since the company's Nasdaq debut last month. In currency trading, the US dollar slipped to 162.37 Japanese yen from 162.43 yen, while the euro rose slightly to $1.1446 from $1.1438.

Most Asian stock markets ended lower on Thursday, while oil prices edged down despite continued military exchanges between the United States and Iran. U.S. stock futures, however, moved slightly higher. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-related shares came under pressure, dragging down markets in South Korea and Japan. South Korea's Kospi dropped 6.6% to 6,816.70 after the Bank of Korea raised interest rates for the first time since 2023. The move was aimed at easing inflationary pressure linked to the Iran conflict. Among major South Korean stocks, memory chipmaker SK Hynix fell 11.2%, while Samsung Electronics lost 8.2%. Taiwan's Taiex slipped 0.3% ahead of the quarterly earnings report of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), whose results are widely viewed as an indicator of the global semiconductor industry and AI demand. Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 2.9% to 66,767.64. Memory chip producer Kioxia plunged 13.5%, while chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron fell 5.2% and testing equipment manufacturer Advantest dropped 5.6%. SoftBank Group also lost 6.4%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index stood out among regional markets, rising 1.7% to 25,111.22. Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares jumped 4.4% after China's cyberspace regulator approved Apple's Apple Intelligence AI service for use in China. Alibaba said its Qwen AI model will be integrated into the Apple Intelligence platform. China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.9% to 3,921.20, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.2% to 8,820.50. India's Sensex gained 0.3%. Oil prices eased slightly but remained well above levels seen before the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.4% to $84.55 a barrel, compared with about $72 a barrel in late February before the conflict began. U.S. benchmark crude slipped 0.2% to $79.34 a barrel. Analysts at ING said oil prices recorded a third straight day of gains before Thursday's slight decline, as there were still few signs of easing tensions between Washington and Tehran. They also said the conflict was continuing to disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, affecting vessel movements from the Persian Gulf. On Wall Street Wednesday, the S&P 500 gained 0.4% to close at 7,572.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% to 52,658.64, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6% to 26,269.23. SpaceX shares briefly fell below their initial public offering (IPO) price of $135 before recovering part of the losses. Investor sentiment was also supported by data showing U.S. inflation slowed in June and stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings from BlackRock. Shares of the investment firm climbed 6.6% after it reported better-than-expected revenue and profit. In early currency trading Thursday, the U.S. dollar slipped to 162.09 Japanese yen from 162.19 yen, while the euro traded at $1.1467, little changed from $1.1464.

More South Koreans are turning to artificial intelligence to create lifelike video messages of deceased family members, hoping to find comfort in their grief. But the growing trend is also sparking debate over ethics, mental health and the rights of the dead. When 28-year-old office worker Lee Geon Hui wanted to give his father a meaningful gift, he chose an AI-generated video featuring his late grandfather, who died before Lee was born. Using a script written by Lee, a Seoul-based technology company created a video in which a digital version of his grandfather spoke directly to his father, calling him "my most precious son." The AI character apologised for making him work on the family farm as a child and for opposing his decision to become a hairstylist. "My father said he wouldn't watch the video. But then he did, and he shed tears. So I felt rewarded," Lee said. Lee said he wrote the script to express feelings that he believed his grandfather would have wanted to share. Several South Korean startups now offer AI services that recreate deceased people using photos and voice recordings. Television programmes have also featured AI versions of late singers and actors, helping the technology gain wider public attention. Experts say the technology has the potential to comfort grieving families but also raises difficult ethical, legal and psychological questions. "It's a double-edged sword because it deals with human emotions," said Yong Man Ro, an artificial intelligence expert at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. One of the companies providing the service, Vaice, says it serves about 300 customers every month. Most clients are people in their 40s and 50s who want AI videos of their late parents, while others commission videos of grandparents as gifts for their parents. Vaice CEO Jeongu Won said the company only needs a few photographs and short voice recordings to create a digital version of the deceased. A three- to five-minute video costs about 600,000 won ($390). According to Won, many families play the videos during memorial ceremonies or traditional holidays. Most customers include messages of love, while others use the videos to express regret over unresolved family conflicts. Lee said his grandfather died in a car accident before he was born and that his father had always wished he could have shown his father that he had built a successful life and family. "I don't know much about my grandfather. But when I saw tears running down my father's face, I realised he still misses him," Lee said. Although interest in AI memorial videos is growing, experts say the technology must be used carefully. Choung Wan, an emeritus professor at Kyung Hee University Law School, said South Korea needs laws to protect the dignity and rights of deceased people. He argued that AI recreations should not be made if a person objected to such use before their death and that there should be clear rules governing the commercial use of people's images and voices. Experts are also closely watching the development of so-called "griefbots" or "deathbots" that allow users to have two-way conversations with AI versions of deceased loved ones. Choung warned that such technology could make it harder for grieving people to accept the loss of a loved one. "A healthy mourning process involves accepting the absence of the deceased," he said. "Talking with an AI system that imitates them could interfere with that process and leave people trapped in a fantasy." Won said his company has not introduced AI chatbots because unsupervised conversations could create unexpected ethical problems. Technology continues to improve rapidly. Choi Yu Ha, an executive at another AI company, JL Standard, said today's systems can recreate facial details, including wrinkles and skin texture, with remarkable accuracy. Ro, the AI expert, said he created a one-minute AI video of his own parents after they died last year and showed it to his siblings during a family gathering. The digital versions of their parents told the family, "Don't worry" and "Take care," leaving everyone deeply moved. But Ro said the family watched the video only once. "One time was enough to honour our late parents," he said. "We moved on."

Appreciating Bangladesh's rapid economic growth and investment-friendly environment, South Korean Ambassador Kim Ji-joon on Wednesday expressed his country's interest in investing in Bangladesh's electronics manufacturing and technology sectors. He also highlighted South Korea's interest in expanding cooperation and investment in renewable energy, information technology, manufacturing, and other promising sectors. The Ambassador discussed the issues during a meeting with the Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen the longstanding friendly relations and enhance bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both sides emphasised the importance of deepening collaboration in trade, investment, technology, industrialization, infrastructure development, human resource development, and skills enhancement. Humaiun Kobir praised the growing economic and development partnership between Bangladesh and South Korea and underscored the need to boost trade and investment, facilitate technology transfer, and further strengthen industrial cooperation. He welcomed increased South Korean investment in Bangladesh and assured the government's full support in facilitating such initiatives. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close cooperation on issues of mutual interest and expressed optimism about elevating Bangladesh-South Korea relations to new heights.

Global stock markets traded mixed on Tuesday as uncertainty over the Iran war and its impact on oil supply continued to unsettle investors. European markets opened higher, with France’s CAC 40 rising 0.6% to 8,034.62, Germany’s DAX gaining 1.1% to 24,574.98 and Britain’s FTSE 100 up 0.6% at 10,384.15. In contrast, US futures pointed slightly lower, with the S&P 500 futures down 0.2% and Dow Jones futures slipping less than 0.1%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% to close at 60,550.59, erasing earlier gains despite government data showing the economy expanded for a second straight quarter in January–March, driven mainly by stronger-than-expected consumer spending. South Korea’s Kospi dropped sharply, ending 3.3% lower at 7,271.66 after falling more than 4% earlier in the session. Major stocks were hit hard, with Hyundai Motor falling 8.9%, LG Electronics down 11.7%, Samsung Electronics losing 2% and SK Hynix declining 5.2%, tracking losses in US tech shares. Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.2% to 8,604.70, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.5% to 25,797.85 and Shanghai Composite added 0.9% to 4,169.54. In energy markets, US crude oil fell 63 cents to $108.03 per barrel, while Brent crude dropped $1.59 to $110.51 per barrel. Prices have been volatile amid concerns that the Iran war could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil transport. Brent crude had been trading near $70 before the conflict escalated. Prices briefly eased after US President Donald Trump signalled a pause on a planned military strike on Iran, saying “serious negotiations” were underway. On Wall Street overnight, the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, the Dow gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq fell 0.5%. Investors are now awaiting earnings from major US companies, including Nvidia, Target, Home Depot and Walmart, due later this week. In currency trading, the US dollar rose to 159.08 yen from 158.84 yen, while the euro slipped to $1.1632 from $1.1657.

Lee Jae Myung and Sanae Takaichi held their fourth meeting in about six months on Tuesday, as the two leaders moved to strengthen relations between their countries amid growing regional and global challenges. Lee hosted Takaichi in his hometown of Andong, a southeastern city known for its traditional folk village recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In January, the two leaders met in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, making it the first time sitting leaders of the two countries have visited each other’s hometowns. South Korea’s presidential office said the summit was expected to build greater trust between the two leaders. Before the talks, Takaichi said she hoped to expand cooperation under difficult geopolitical conditions, including tensions in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. The meeting focused on economic and energy cooperation, the Iran war and broader bilateral relations. Experts said the talks were likely to proceed smoothly because both sides are currently prioritizing practical cooperation over historical disputes. “Both countries are focusing more on areas of cooperation than on contentious issues,” said Choi Eunmi of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. South Korea and Japan are major allies of the United States, but their relationship has often been strained by unresolved issues stemming from Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Relations began improving in 2023 when the previous governments agreed to set aside some historical disagreements and work together on shared concerns, including US-China rivalry, supply chain risks and North Korea’s nuclear programme. When Lee and Takaichi took office last year, some analysts feared their differing political views could weaken ties. Instead, the two leaders have maintained close cooperation. In August last year, Lee became the first South Korean president to choose Japan as the destination for his first bilateral summit. At the end of their January meeting, Lee and Takaichi joined an informal drumming session featuring songs by BTS, including “Dynamite.” Analysts say the leaders are working more closely because they face mounting challenges, including President Donald Trump’s America First policies and economic disruption caused by the Iran war. Both South Korea and Japan have pledged major investments in the United States, but Trump’s tariff policies and transactional approach to security have raised concerns in both countries. Despite the recent improvement, experts warn that unresolved historical issues, including wartime forced labour and sexual slavery, could still trigger tensions if not properly addressed. Choi said the two governments are avoiding public debate on those issues, but there is no guarantee they will not resurface in the future.