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South Korea pushed back on Thursday against criticism of its business environment by US lawmakers, as a rare spat deepens over Seoul's investigation into online retail company Coupang.

US-listed Coupang's South Korean arm operates the country's most popular shopping platform.

But it has faced a backlash since a massive data leak last year exposed the details of over 30 million customers.

South Korean authorities are investigating Coupang for potential negligence and regulatory breaches, and statements from Seoul and Washington this week revealed cracks in the relationship between the longtime allies.

On Thursday, South Korea's foreign ministry said the Coupang probe was "being conducted in strict accordance with our domestic laws and due process", adding that it was not discriminating against American firms.

The statement followed a letter by Republican lawmakers to the South Korean ambassador in Washington, in which they called for an end to "discriminatory regulatory actions" against US businesses.

The letter claimed that South Korea "leveraged a low-sensitivity data leak... as a pretext to launch a whole-of-government assault on Coupang".

It accused Seoul of "indiscriminate raids... punishing fines, unprecedented tax audits, and pressure on public pension funds to divest their Coupang holdings".

The evident strain is remarkable given that South Korea and the United States are major economic and defence partners, with Washington stationing 28,500 troops there to help guard against North Korea.

On Wednesday, Seoul said talks with Washington over a security agreement should proceed separately from issues related to Coupang.

The unusual statement came after multiple South Korean media outlets reported that the United States had threatened to halt high-level security talks unless Seoul guaranteed the legal safety of Coupang Chairman Kim Bom, an American citizen also known as Kim Bom-suk.

The reports said that US negotiators had asked South Korea to lift a travel ban on Kim and ensure that he would not face arrest or detention when visiting the country.

The talks carry high stakes for South Korea, as they would touch on its plan to build nuclear-powered submarines as a deterrent against the North.

Coupang declined to confirm Kim's current whereabouts. South Korea has not confirmed that Washington made any such demands regarding Kim or linked them to the security talks.

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A Pentagon assessment said it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines, which could keep oil prices high, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Iran has all but blocked the vital waterway since the start of a war with the United States and Israel, sharply driving up oil and gas prices and disrupting the global economy.

The strait -- through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas passes in peacetime -- has remained largely closed during a shaky ceasefire, with the US imposing its own blockade.

Even if hostilities end and the blockade lifts, it could take months to clear the waterway of mines, according to a Pentagon assessment, the Washington Post reported citing officials close to the discussion.

The assessment added that it was unlikely such an operation would begin before the end of the war.

The six-month estimate was shared with members of the House Armed Services Committee during a classified briefing, the Post reported.

Lawmakers were told that Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some floated remotely using GPS technology which makes them harder to detect, according to the report.

AFP has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Washington Post that its information was "inaccurate."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned of a "danger zone" covering 1,400 square kilometres -– 14 times the size of Paris –- where mines may be present.

Iran's parliament speaker said the Islamic republic would not reopen the strait as long as the US naval blockade remained.

A spokesman for German transportation giant Hapag-Lloyd cautioned last week that shippers needed details on viable routes as they remain fearful of mines.

When the Hormuz strait briefly reopened at the start of the ceasefire this month, only a few ships trickled through amid fears of attacks or mines.

Earlier in April, the US Navy said its ships transited the waterway to begin removing the mines, but that claim was denied by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which threatened any military vessels attempting to cross the channel.

London hosted talks with military planners from over 30 countries starting Wednesday on a UK and France-led multinational mission to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.

The "defensive" coalition is set to discuss plans to reopen the strait and conduct mine clearance operations.

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Tens of thousands of Samsung Electronics workers rallied in South Korea on Thursday to demand higher pay and bonuses, as their threat of a weeks-long strike hung over the technology giant.

Samsung is a major producer of chips used in everything from artificial intelligence to consumer electronics, raising the prospect that the planned walkout could cause severe disruption and losses.

An association of three labour unions held the rally outside the company's plant in Pyeongtaek, south of the capital Seoul, to demand a seven-percent wage hike, the end of a cap on bonuses and other benefits.

"More than 40,000 members" took part, a union official told AFP, declining to be named. Local police did not immediately give an estimate.

Demonstrators waving banners reading "Let's eliminate the bonus cap" and "Change it to be transparent!" gathered in the sunlit streets around the factory, Samsung's largest for making memory and logic chips.

"We will not back down until we are guaranteed a transparent compensation system," said one female union member on stage, drawing applause from the crowd.

The workers are also demanding that Samsung allocates 15 percent of its operating profits for bonuses.

The unions, which represent nearly 90,000 workers in total, have said they will stage a strike from May 21 to June 7 unless a deal with management is reached.

The company said in a statement to AFP that it would "continue to work toward reaching a wage agreement at the earliest possible date".

The dispute comes as South Korean technology firms ride an AI boom that has bumped up national growth, pushed the stock market to record highs and drawn it closer to industry leaders the United States and China.

Samsung's shares have surged nearly 300 percent over the past year, while its rival SK hynix said on Thursday that it had obliterated its quarterly profit record.

Samsung said this year it had begun mass production of next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, seen as a key component for scaling up the vast data centres needed for AI development.

Long staunchly anti-union, founder Lee Byung-chul once vowed never to allow unions "until I have dirt over my eyes".

He died in 1987. Samsung Electronics' first labour union was formed in the late 2010s.

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China's new supply chain regulations could be a "concern" for US firms, the American Chamber of Commerce in China warned on Thursday.

The regulations, released on April 7, allow Chinese authorities to take measures against foreign companies or individuals that "harm China's industrial and supply chain security".

The rules appeared aimed at stopping companies from removing China from their supply chains, AmCham China's president Michael Hart said on Thursday. 

Western governments are increasingly concerned about their reliance on Chinese supply chains, particularly in rare earths, which China dominates.

The minerals are critical for a wide range of products from everyday consumer electronics to weapons, and Chinese export curbs during a blistering trade war with the United States last year sent shockwaves across industries.

"There's a little bit of irony as China continues to build up its own supply chain to make sure it's not reliant on others," Hart told a news conference launching his group's annual report on American business in China.

Most US companies are not moving manufacturing out of China, he said, but some were looking to diversify, and if the new rules restrict those moves, it would be a "concern".

- 'Increased risks' -

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) criticised the provisions as "unclear and vague" earlier this month, saying their implementation "increases the risk of doing business in or with China".

They "leave open the possibility that several legitimate commercial decisions" could be construed as threatening China's supply chains, it said.

"The threat that individual employees could be punished through exit bans is concerning," the EUCCC added.

Hart said more clarity on the rules' implementation was needed.

China accounts for around 90 percent of global production of rare earths, and the elements are expected to be a key talking point at a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, scheduled for mid-May.

They could reach agreements on aviation, agriculture and food export restrictions, but major diplomatic or economic deals are unlikely, AmCham China's chairman James Zimmerman said Thursday.

"We are not anticipating any grand bargains. We're not anticipating any huge breakthroughs," he said.

AmCham China's report showed US firms in China had seen some regulatory improvements and steps towards a more open economy in the last 12 months, but still face uneven market access and structural pressures on competition and investment.

They also worried about weak demand and squeezed profitability, with China's economic slowdown seen as their top challenge, ahead of US-China tensions, according to AmCham China's business survey released in January.

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Iran vowed it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States continues to blockade its ports, in a tense standoff on Thursday that has dominated the ceasefire in the Middle East war.

While strikes around the region have mostly ceased since the truce began, there has been no letup in the pressure around the crucial trade route, with the two sides exercising their economic leverage in a bid to force the other to back down.

With the ceasefire due to expire earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension at the eleventh hour, to allow more time for peace talks brokered by Pakistan. 

Iran said it welcomed the efforts by Pakistan but made no other comment on Trump's announcement.

"A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade," said Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran's delegation in the first round of talks in Islamabad.

"Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid a blatant violation of the ceasefire."

Oil prices jumped four percent before easing Thursday, as the foes appeared no closer to holding new negotiations.

Trump told the New York Post that talks could resume in Pakistan within two to three days, even though Iran has not confirmed participation and Vice President JD Vance put his travel to Islamabad on hold Tuesday.

The US leader also claimed that Iran at his request had halted alleged plans to execute eight women arrested over massive anti-government protests in the weeks before the attack.

But Iran's judiciary described his remarks as "false news", saying the women had never faced the death penalty.

- Ships seized -

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they forced two ships to the Iranian shore from the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas flows.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships," the Guards said in a statement.

They identified the vessels as the Panama-flagged container ship MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas. 

Panama's foreign ministry confirmed the seizure of the MSC Francesca, calling it a "serious attack on maritime security" and an "unnecessary escalation".

UK-based maritime security monitors confirmed that three commercial vessels had reported incidents involving gunboats in the strait.

Among them, a container ship reported being fired upon by a Revolutionary Guards boat 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing damage to the bridge but no casualties, monitor UKMTO said.

CENTCOM hours later announced on X that US forces had since the start of the US blockade of Iran's ports "directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port". 

Under orders from Trump, the US Navy is attempting to block vessels heading to or from Iranian ports, seeking to ramp up pressure on the Iranian economy.

In the midst of the blockade, the Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Secretary of the Navy John Phelan would leave "immediately".

It gave no reason for his sudden departure, the latest removal of a senior officer under Trump's combative Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth.

The US Defense Department said Tuesday that US forces had intercepted and boarded a "stateless sanctioned" vessel. AFP has identified the ship as one linked to Iranian activity. Both sides accuse the other of ceasefire breaches.

- Lebanon-Israel talks -

After the ceasefire with Iran, the United States helped broker a truce between Israel and Lebanon including Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shia Muslim movement that had fired rockets into Israel in revenge for the attacks on its patron.

Despite the declared truce, Israeli strikes killed five more people on Wednesday, Lebanese media said.

Amal Khalil, a journalist for the newspaper Al-Akhbar, was killed and her fellow reporter Zeinab Faraj was wounded in an Israeli strike near the border, the paper said.

Israel and Lebanon, which have no diplomatic relations, will hold a second round of talks in Washington on Thursday.

Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during the meeting, a Lebanese official told AFP.

Lebanon will also seek "an end of Israel's bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present and a commitment to the ceasefire", the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the talks.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,450 people since the start of the war, according to Lebanese authorities.

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Contenders for next UN secretary-general made their case this week for a United Nations more invested in peace, but avoided taking positions that could antagonize the member states who will choose the world body's next chief.

Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal's Macky Sall are all hoping to succeed Antonio Guterres on January 1, 2027, when his second five-year term ends.

Each candidate spent three hours this week answering wide-ranging questions from the 193 member states and representatives of civil society.

However, "a lot of diplomats are a bit cynical about the hearings," Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.

"There is a widespread suspicion that the US and other vetoes in the Security Council will select a winner in private and minimize the Assembly's role in the process."

The question-and-answer sessions, dubbed "interactive dialogues," were introduced in 2016.

The General Assembly, where every member state has a seat, can only elect the secretary-general upon the recommendation of the Security Council, where the five permanent members -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France -- hold veto power.

Much of what the contenders said was "formulaic" but they did send some "important messages," according to Gowan.

He said Grossi emphasized "how fragile the UN is today" and appeared more "radical" than Guterres on reform.

All the candidates stressed the urgent need to restore confidence in a United Nations teetering on the brink of financial collapse. Its relevance has also been called into question in a world facing a level of armed conflict not seen since World War II.

Chile's Bachelet, a former UN human rights chief, said the secretary-general should be "physically present in the field" wherever problems need solving -- a position also taken by Grossi.

Sall, a former president of Senegal, suggested a "reinvented role" so that the UN might "regain its place at the global table."

Some have criticized Guterres for failing to exert influence over conflicts in Ukraine or the Middle East.

Grynspan said the next UN chief "needs to take a risk" and lamented: "We have become a risk-conservative organization."

"The UN only fails when we don't try, we have to try," added Grynspan, who as head of UN Trade and Development negotiated a deal that facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain following the 2022 Russian invasion.

- Waiting in the wings -

The candidates acknowledged the link between the UN's three pillars of peace, human rights and development, while emphasizing the organization's primary role in upholding the first tenet.

US President Donald Trump has called for the UN to return to its "original mission" of peace.

Very few of the questions focused on specific conflicts, and the candidates largely refrained from answering in concrete terms, preferring instead to invoke a commitment to the UN Charter.

When asked about Gaza, however, Grynspan urged "unrestricted" entry of humanitarian aid and voiced support for a long-term solution for two states to live side-by-side in "peace and security."

Sall highlighted the "human tragedy" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Candidates' past stances and actions will undoubtedly influence the final selection.

Republican lawmakers have already called on Washington to block Bachelet due to her defense of abortion rights. 

Grossi, the current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is involved in sensitive matters such as the response to Iran's nuclear programme.

The five Security Council permanent members remain tight-lipped about their intentions, and other contenders for UN chief might still emerge.

"I think that there are still quite a few candidates circling and waiting to see how things play out" before declaring their candidacy, Gowan said.

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France and "like-minded countries" must work together to avoid becoming "hostages" on critical minerals used in everything from phones to solar panels, Paris's trade minister said Thursday.

Speaking in Sydney, Nicolas Forissier told journalists that France was working to expand cooperation with Australia -- among the world's top five producers of lithium, cobalt and manganese, essential for goods like rechargeable batteries and aircraft jet engines.

He said democratic nations needed to avoid a situation in which critical minerals "could be weaponised again in this very uncertain and violent trade and economic world".

"We have to organise things so that it's secure," he said.

China dominates the production of rare earths and has threatened to restrict supplies in a tit-for-tat trade war with Washington -- leaving Western nations looking elsewhere.

"What is important is to build something which will last," Forissier said.

"The idea is to find solutions that secure the system and that avoid us, I mean, all our like-minded countries, not to be hostages in the future."

Critical minerals were also a key component of a landmark trade deal between the EU and Australia agreed to last month.

The agreement aims to give Europe better access to these materials, most notably aluminium, lithium and manganese.

The sweeping accord also means the quota of Australian beef allowed into the bloc will increase more than 10 times the current level over the next decade. 

That upset both Australian farmers, who had hoped for more, and their European peers, who had pushed for the opposite.

Asked about domestic concerns around the deal, Forissier said that complaints from farmers in both France and Australia proved the agreement was "balanced".

"For French exporters, especially in certain agro sectors, it's an excellent deal that has been made," he said.

"The discussion has been settled," he added.

"We can say that we obtained as much as possible in the discussions."

"When you have a trade agreement, everybody makes concessions."

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The United States slammed China's "intimidation campaign" on Wednesday after several African countries were reportedly pressured by Beijing to derail an official trip by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te by revoking overflight permits.

Taiwan announced Tuesday that Lai was postponing his trip to Eswatini -- the island's only diplomatic ally in Africa -- after "Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly and without prior notice revoked the charter's overflight permits."

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island's participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

"We are concerned by reports that several countries revoked overflight clearances to prevent the Taiwan president from visiting Eswatini," a US State Department spokesperson told AFP.

"These countries are acting at the behest of China by interfering in the safety and dignity of routine travel by Taiwan officials," the spokesperson added, without naming the countries.

"This is yet another case of Beijing waging its intimidation campaign against Taiwan and Taiwan's supporters around the world."

Lai's secretary-general Pan Men-an earlier said "the real reason is that the Chinese authorities exerted intense pressure including economic coercion."

Washington does not officially recognize Taiwan, but is the island territory's main security backer -- though the tone of that support has softened slightly under US President Donald Trump.

The US leader is due to meet China's President Xi Jinping next month.

Beijing said on Wednesday it had "high appreciation" for the African countries that blocked the permits for Lai's trip planned for this week.

"Relevant countries maintained support for the one-China principle, completely in line with... the basic norms of international relations, China expresses high appreciation," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Lai's last official overseas trip was in November 2024, when he visited Taiwan's Pacific allies and transited through the US territory of Guam.

Trump's administration reportedly denied Lai permission to transit in New York last year as part of an official trip to Latin America. Taiwan's foreign ministry denies that he was blocked.

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© Agence France-Presse

Luis Suarez scored his first goal of the Major League Soccer  season but Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet as champions Inter Miami struck late to beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday.

Fans who had paid eye-watering ticket prices averaging more than $450 to see Messi play his first match in Salt Lake City were treated to a full 90 minutes from the Argentine. 

Messi created several chances but couldn't get past Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral and had to rely on fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul to break the deadlock in the 82nd minute.

De Paul's blast following a corner eluded the grasp of Cabral and slipped into the top-right corner.

Second-half substitute Suarez sealed the victory a minute later when he latched on to German Berterame's header and found the net with a left-foot strike.

"I think we played a great first half," De Paul told Apple TV after Miami's second straight victory under interim coach Guillermo Hoyos.

"It was a beautiful goal, and as long as it helps the team, that's great," he added after helping to end Salt Lake's six-match unbeaten run. 

Uruguayan Suarez, the 39-year-old former Liverpool and Barcelona attacker, got off the mark for 2026 with his 44th goal in 93 matches for Miami.

According to TickPick, Wednesday's match was the "most expensive MLS game of the season" with the average ticket price soaring to $468.

Messi's side are unbeaten since an opening day 3-0 defeat to Son Heung-min's Los Angeles FC. 

They remain second in the Eastern Conference with 18 points, one behind Nashville who have a game in hand.

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Inter Milan could have their first chance to seal the Serie A title on Sunday as the champions in waiting take on Torino while Napoli and AC Milan try to push back the celebrations by at least one more week.

Cristian Chivu's players lead both reigning champions Napoli and second-placed Milan by 12 points with five matches remaining in the league season.

And they will know if they can seal a 21st league crown for Inter this weekend by Friday night, when Napoli host relegation strugglers Cremonese.

Anything but a win for Napoli will allow Inter to take on Torino in Turin knowing that a win could give them the Scudetto with four matches to spare.

But they would then have to wait for the result of Milan's headline clash with Juventus at the San Siro, which is also key for those two teams' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Winning the league with four matches to spare would be quite a feat as before the most recent international break Inter were wobbling and both Napoli and Milan looked ready to knock them off their perch.

But a maximum nine points, and 12 goals scored, in the three matches since club football reconvened have turned things back in Inter's favour, and now it's just a matter of time before the discussion is officially over.

Inter come into the match with a domestic double in their sights after a thrilling win over Como booked them a place in next month's Italian Cup final, where they will face Lazio.

And regardless of how Napoli and Milan do, Inter know that four points from their remaining fixtures will seal the deal.

Milan find themselves in the odd position of potentially being able to hand the title to their local rivals, although that wouldn't be worse than two years ago, when they allowed Inter to win it by losing the Milan derby.

But Massimiliano Allegri's side are close to securing a return to the Champions League thanks to the eight-point gap separating them from fifth-placed Como.

Milan should finish in the top four even if they lose on Sunday, while Juve's situation is more precarious as they sit fourth and lead Como and sixth-placed Roma by five points.

Como, who threw away a two-goal lead before being knocked out of the Cup by Inter, have no easy task this weekend as they travel to an in-form Genoa team who could secure safety this weekend.  

Player to watch: Adrien Rabiot

France midfielder Rabiot faces his old team on Sunday and will be the driving force behind Milan's efforts against Juve alongside Luka Modric.

Rabiot has fully repayed Allegri's faith in him with six goals and four assists in 25 league appearances, his latest strike at Verona last weekend showcasing his powerful running and finishing ability.

The 31-year-old was snapped up by Milan, in large part due to Allegri's insistence, after he was dumped by Marseille in August following a violent bust-up with teammate Jonathan Rowe.

Rabiot was a midfield lynchpin for Juve's last Serie A title in 2020 and he went on to play four more seasons for the Turin giants before moving to Marseille.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Napoli v Cremonese (1845)

Saturday

Parma v Pisa (1300), Bologna v Roma (1600), Verona v Lecce (1845)

Sunday

Fiorentina v Sassuolo (1030), Genoa v Como (1300), Torino v Inter Milan (1600), AC Milan v Juventus (1845)

Monday

Cagliari v Atalanta (1630), Lazio v Udinese (1845)

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