Journalist
Kim Hee-su김희수
khs@ajupress.com
ReporterMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Seoul City Hall & Defense, Foreign Affairs
Kim Hee-su is a bilingual reporter at AJU Press, covering defense and foreign affairs. Before joining AJP in 2025, she worked at The Korea Times, where she wrote interview stories, including a profile of North Korean defector Kim Gum-hyok, and produced digital content. She also previously worked as a researcher for KBS News 9’s International News Department, supporting correspondents in 10 countries around the world. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a double major in Book and Media Studies and East Asian Studies.
"I'm driven by storytelling."
Latest by Kim Hee-su
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Trump weighs resuming strikes on Iran as talks hit deadlock SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a possible resumption of airstrikes on Iran, raising concerns that military confrontation between Washington and Tehran could return to the forefront after he canceled plans to attend his eldest son’s wedding and decided to remain in Washington. The move came as little progress has been made in negotiations since Washington delivered what U.S. media described as a “final offer” to Iran on May 20. Trump is reportedly seriously considering new strikes if Tehran does not accept the proposal soon. According to U.S. political circles and foreign media reports, Trump met with key national security officials at the White House on Friday, including Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, to review the status of negotiations with Iran and possible military options. Axios reported that Trump is increasingly frustrated with the talks and is seriously considering resuming strikes unless there is a breakthrough. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was absent due to a trip to Europe, while Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not attend because he was at the U.S. Naval Academy graduation ceremony, according to reports. Trump had initially planned to spend the Memorial Day weekend at his golf club in New Jersey after a speech in New York on Friday evening, before traveling to the Bahamas over the weekend for the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. But he said on Truth Social that he would skip the wedding due to “circumstances pertaining to the Government” and his “love of the United States of America,” adding that he felt it was important to remain at the White House during “this important period of time.” Defense and intelligence officials have also reportedly canceled holiday plans as they prepare for the possibility of renewed military confrontation in the Middle East. The U.S. and Iran have been engaged in indirect talks since agreeing to a temporary cease-fire on April 7, discussing Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, its nuclear program and terms for ending the war. Washington reportedly delivered a final proposal to Tehran on May 20 that included terms for maintaining the cease-fire, handling nuclear material and guaranteeing passage through the strait. If Iran rejects the offer, the Trump administration is said to be reviewing renewed strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, missile sites, nuclear-related facilities and leadership targets. Iran, however, has acknowledged that talks are continuing while maintaining that a deal is not imminent. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said discussions on key issues are still underway, while figures close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have reportedly said the talks are focused on ending the war and that other issues will not be addressed until that goal is achieved. U.S. officials have described the negotiations as “painful,” saying the process remains stuck in an exchange of draft documents with little substantive progress. At the same time, mediators including Pakistan and Qatar are said to be making last-minute efforts to prevent another escalation. Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday to meet Iranian leaders, while Qatari officials are also reportedly involved in efforts to revive the talks. Some U.S. officials believe that unless an unexpected breakthrough emerges within the next 24 to 48 hours, Trump could move closer to ordering renewed airstrikes. 2026-05-23 17:45:48 -
Naegohyang becomes first N. Korean club to win Asian women's football title SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan on Saturday to win the Asian women’s club football title. Naegohyang beat Tokyo Verdy 1-0 in the final of the 2025-26 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL) at Suwon Sports Complex, with captain Kim Kyong-yong scoring the winner in the 44th minute. The victory made Naegohyang the first North Korean team to win the tournament and will also receive $1 million in prize money. The AWCL, Asia’s top women’s club football competition, was officially launched in the 2024-25 season. Naegohyang FC reached the final after defeating South Korea’s Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals at the same venue on Wednesday, also thanks to a decisive goal by Kim. The visit marked the first trip by North Korean football players to South Korea since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. It was also the first visit to South Korea by a North Korean women’s football club team. 2026-05-23 16:15:27 -
Lee pays respects to former President Roh in Bongha Village SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung attended a memorial ceremony for former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on Saturday. Lee made the remarks marking the 17th anniversary of Roh’s death, saying he would push ahead with reforms regardless of pushback from vested interests. “Beyond mourning you, I now feel the heavy responsibility and weight as president of the Republic of Korea, and I seek to carry on your will,” Lee said. Referring to the Oct. 4 South-North Summit Declaration, which included efforts toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a peace regime, Lee said he would continue Roh’s vision. “I will steadily walk the path of peaceful coexistence and shared growth, inheriting the will of the president who turned the line of division into a path of peace and achieved the declaration,” Lee said. Lee said Roh envisioned a Korea where no one is driven to give up on life over making a living, and where people are treated with dignity. Lee also drew applause when he said, “After you left us, countless Roh Moo-hyuns were born again on this land. I am one of them.” It marked Lee’s first attendance at Roh’s memorial ceremony as a sitting president. Lee, who took office in June last year, attended the ceremony on May 23 last year as a presidential candidate. 2026-05-23 15:59:20 -
Stray Kids to headline new music festival 'STRAYCITY' in Latin America SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids will headline "STRAYCITY," a new music festival set to debut in Latin America this September, Live Nation and JYP Entertainment said Saturday. The festival will be held in three cities: Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 9; Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sept. 14; and Mexico City on Sept. 25. Stray Kids will headline all three editions. The lineup also includes JYP Entertainment’s seven-member rookie boy group NEXZ and local artists Andrés Obregón, RENEE, BAD MILK, Kei Linch, K4OS and Cocho, with supporting acts to vary by city. The festival name draws from "Stray," part of the group’s name, and is planned as a recurring international event anchored by Stray Kids’ global fanbase. Stray Kids officially debuted in March 2018 following a 2017 JYP Entertainment reality program. The eight-member group is known for producing much of its own music through 3RACHA, an in-house production unit consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. The festival follows Stray Kids’ recent world tour "dominATE," which spanned 56 shows across 35 regions. As part of the tour, the group held eight stadium concerts across five Latin American cities in 2025, with stops in Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Lima and Mexico City. Stray Kids has also expanded its presence on the global festival circuit, with headline performances at Lollapalooza Paris, I-Days in Italy, British Summer Time Hyde Park in London and Lollapalooza Chicago. The group is set to headline The Governors Ball Music Festival in New York on June 6, followed by Rock in Rio in Brazil on Sept. 11. 2026-05-23 14:25:39 -
NPT talks collapse again over nuclear disputes involving N. Korea, Iran SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) ended Friday without adopting a consensus document, as member states failed to narrow differences over North Korea, Iran and nuclear disarmament. The four-week conference, held at the U.N. headquarters in New York, had been expected to produce a final document on strengthening the NPT regime. But negotiations broke down over regional nuclear threats and how to implement disarmament commitments. It was the third straight failure after similar breakdowns in 2015 and 2022, raising concerns about the credibility of the NPT system. The latest meeting had been expected to face difficulties from the outset, as it opened amid heightened international tensions, including the U.S.-Iran war. Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.N. Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced late Friday that member states had failed to reach consensus on the final document. He later told a news conference that “no one blocked consensus,” but said “a very important reason” for the failure was a provision in the final draft stating that Iran “can never seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.” Negotiators worked until the final hours, preparing a fourth revised draft and distributing it to delegations early Saturday, but still failed to bridge differences. References to North Korea’s nuclear program were removed entirely during the revision process. Kim Sang-jin, South Korea’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., expressed deep regret that the document failed to include even a brief message on North Korea. “It should have been clearly stated that North Korea can never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT regime,” Kim said. Viet explained that references to specific regional issues, including North Korea and Iran, had to be removed to secure space for the NPT’s three main pillars — disarmament, nonproliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Attempts to include stronger language on nuclear-weapon states’ disarmament obligations also faced resistance, while a call for follow-up talks on the expired U.S.-Russia New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was left out of the final draft. Izumi Nakamitsu, the U.N. high representative for disarmament affairs, criticized nuclear-weapon states for demanding nonproliferation commitments from non-nuclear states while failing to meet their own disarmament obligations. The failure to reach consensus for a third consecutive review cycle is “a serious lesson that the entire international community must take to heart,” she said. 2026-05-23 14:10:17 -
North Korean football club's South visit unlikely to thaw inter-Korean ties: report SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - North Korean women’s football club Naegohyang FC’s recent visit to South Korea is unlikely to lead to a broader thaw in inter-Korean relations, a South Korean state-run think tank said Friday. A recent report by the Institute for National Security Strategy said the visit should be viewed not as a signal of reconciliation but as “a limited form of contact between two states through an international sporting event,” according to researcher Kim Bo-mi. Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on May 17 to participate in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League. The North Korean side defeated Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals on May 20 and is set to face Japan’s Tokyo Verdy in the final at 2 p.m. Saturday in Suwon. The visit marked the first trip by a North Korean sports team to South Korea since 2018, drawing attention amid prolonged tensions between the two Koreas. But Kim said the behavior of the North Korean delegation and Pyongyang’s state media coverage suggested the North was intentionally avoiding any narrative of inter-Korean reconciliation or ethnic unity. “North Korea made clear that it views South Korea not as a partner for exchange and cooperation, but as a separate state encountered in an international competition,” Kim wrote. During the tournament, North Korean players and officials also appeared cautious about attaching political meaning to the visit, repeatedly emphasizing that they were focused “only on football.” Kim said it remains unlikely that the visit will trigger rapid improvements in inter-Korean ties or revive large-scale sports exchanges such as unified Korean teams, which were pursued during periods of relatively friendly relations in the past. “For the time being, inter-Korean relations are likely to show a complex pattern in which military tensions and limited exchanges coexist,” she said. Kim urged Seoul to recognize North Korea’s participation in limited exchanges under international norms and develop policies that reflect the changing nature of inter-Korean relations. 2026-05-23 10:50:51 -
Samsung labor vote on wage deal tops 80% on second day amid bonus split SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics union members voted for a second day on a tentative 2026 wage deal, with turnout exceeding 80 percent. According to industry sources, as of 6:40 p.m. Saturday, 46,185 of 57,290 eligible voters at the SGUU, Samsung Electronics’ largest union, had cast ballots, bringing turnout to 80.62 percent. At the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the second-largest union, 6,502 of 8,187 eligible voters had participated as of the same time, recording turnout of 79.42 percent. The combined turnout for the two unions stood at 80.47 percent. The agreement is expected to pass, but a widening bonus gap between business divisions has fueled a rejection campaign among DX employees, who work on smartphones, home appliances and TVs. Voting began at 2:12 p.m. Friday and will run until 10 a.m. May 27. The deal will be finalized if more than half of eligible union members take part and a majority of those voting approve it. If support falls short of a majority, the agreement will be rejected and labor and management will have to return to the negotiating table. The tentative deal, reached May 20, includes an average wage increase of 6.2 percent, a new housing loan program of up to 500 million won ($390,000) and a special bonus for semiconductor employees funded by 10.5 percent of the division’s business performance. Under the agreement, employees in the Device Solutions (DS) division could receive between about 210 million won and 600 million won in bonuses before tax, based on an annual salary of 100 million won. Including the new semiconductor special bonus and the existing Overall Performance Incentive (OPI), employees in the memory business could receive up to 600 million won, while those in non-memory units such as System LSI and foundry could receive about 210 million won. By contrast, DX employees are expected to receive only around 6 million won worth of treasury shares as a bonus, as the division is widely expected to miss out on OPI due to weak earnings this year. The union with the largest membership is the Samsung Electronics branch of the Samsung Group United Union (SGUU), with 70,850 members, followed by the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) with 19,053 members and the Samsung Electronics Labor Union 'Donghaeng' with 12,298 members. The total membership stands at 102,298, including overlapping members. By division, DS has about 77,300 employees, outnumbering DX’s roughly 51,700. Among union members eligible to vote, 57,290 belong to the SGUU and 8,176 to the NSEU, a structure seen as favorable to passage. But opposition is growing among DX employees, as the expected bonus gap between divisions could reach nearly tenfold. Lee Ho-seok, head of the Suwon branch of the National Samsung Electronics Union, held a press conference with Donghaeng outside Samsung Electronics’ Suwon campus in Gyeonggi Province and said DX employees had officially launched a campaign to reject the deal. “We will do our best to ensure the deal is rejected by joining forces not only with DX employees but also with semiconductor employees outside the memory business,” Lee said. On May 21, DX employees joined the NSEU and Donghaeng in large numbers. Donghaeng’s membership jumped from around 2,600 to about 12,300 as of Friday morning, while the NSEU’s membership rose by roughly 3,000 from about 16,000 on May 20 to about 19,000 the following day. The SGUU told Donghaeng on Saturday that Donghaeng members would be excluded from the vote because the tentative deal was signed on May 20 after Donghaeng had left the joint bargaining group. It said eligible voters would be limited to SGUU and NSEU members listed as of 2 p.m. May 21. Donghaeng criticized the move as a reversal intended to help pass the deal, saying the SGUU had previously told unions by email that it would respect all unions’ voting rights. Donghaeng said it would proceed with its own vote regardless of the SGUU’s decision to exclude its members. Choi Seung-ho, head of the SGUU, said that if the deal is rejected, he would delegate the remaining 2026 negotiations to other union leaders and hold a vote of confidence on his leadership. If that happens, Samsung Electronics could once again face the possibility of a strike. 2026-05-23 09:48:43 -
From timid boy to war hero: India's wartime doctor honored in Korea SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - At the unveiling of a new memorial near the heavily fortified border with North Korea, Kalpana Prasad, an Indian woman in her 40s and the grand-niece of Lt. Col. A.G. Rangaraj, recalled how her older family members spoke about their brother, who had served on the frontline during the Korean War. “His siblings rushed to tell their mother, but she refused to believe it because she still remembered him as a shy boy who was afraid to walk alone in the dark,” she said. “But somehow, that timid boy ended up jumping out of airplanes.” The timid boy was Lt. Col. A.G. Rangaraj, an army doctor who led an Indian medical unit during the 1950-53 war. Rangaraj and fellow veterans were posthumously honored at a ceremony on Thursday at Imjingak in Paju, north of Seoul, where officials unveiled a memorial recognizing India’s contribution as part of events marking the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict. The ceremony was attended by visiting Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who was hosted by Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon Oh-eul. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on international veterans affairs cooperation aimed at strengthening exchanges in honoring and remembering those who served. One of six countries that provided non-combat support to South Korea during the conflict, India’s contribution came largely in the form of medical and humanitarian aid. The country’s 60th Parachute Field Ambulance, one of the largest medical units sent by a supporting nation, deployed 627 medical personnel. One of the unit’s best-known operations came during Operation Tomahawk on March 21, 1951, near Munsan, north of Seoul, when members attached to the U.S. Army’s 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team parachuted into enemy territory as part of a combat airborne operation. Amid intense frontline fighting, they established medical facilities and treated wounded soldiers. Led by Rangaraj, the Indian unit treated 200,000 patients and performed 2,500 surgeries. For South Korea, the new memorial carries symbolic weight not only because of India’s wartime role, but also because of its location. Just south of the Demilitarized Zone, Imjingak has long served as a site of remembrance for the war and hope for peace on the still-divided peninsula. The presence of Rangaraj’s family added a personal dimension to Thursday’s ceremony, turning the memorial from a diplomatic event into a reminder of the individual lives behind wartime history. Rangaraj, who completed his medical degree in 1941 before joining the army, became India’s first paratrooper doctor. He was honored in Seoul as the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ Korean War Hero of the Month in March this year. “It is an honor for all of us to know that he has been nominated as a Korean War hero by the government of the Republic of Korea,” Prasad said. In addition to the medical unit, India also played a major postwar role through the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. A 5,230-strong Custodian Force of India helped carry out the peaceful repatriation of some 2,000 prisoners. The memorial features busts of Rangaraj and another Indian figure closely associated with the Korean War, Gen. K.S. Thimayya, who chaired the U.N. Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission at the time of the armistice. The memory of the unit’s Korean War service remains alive in Agra, the northern Indian city that is home to the Taj Mahal. The city also hosts the 50th Independent Parachute Brigade, one of the Indian Army’s elite airborne formations, under which the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance continues its medical support mission. During AJP’s visit to the brigade in March, Col. Jagneet Gill, the current commanding officer of the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance, said the unit’s deployment to Korea remains an important part of its identity. “The 60th Parachute Field Ambulance is a key medical support unit under the Indian Army’s 50th Independent Parachute Brigade, and we supported wounded people during the Korean War,” Gill said. “It was really nice to have the chance to visit South Korea last November at the invitation of the Korean government.” Decades later, the legacy of the Korean War continues to resonate in the hearts of both nations. 2026-05-21 18:05:00 -
FSC to offer low-rate insurance for 10 Korean ships near Hormuz SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eok-won said Thursday the government will provide low-rate marine insurance for 10 vessels operated by small and midsized Korean shipping companies currently waiting near the Strait of Hormuz. Lee made the remarks during a meeting with shipping companies, policy lenders and insurers in Seoul, the fourth in a series of industry-finance meetings aimed at supporting sectors hit by the Middle East conflict. “The high and prolonged waves triggered by the Middle East war are increasing the management burden on shipping companies through higher operating costs, including fuel expenses, and opportunity costs from route restrictions,” Lee said. He said smaller shipping firms could face difficulties securing insurance for their vessels’ safe return, as marine insurance for large and special risks depends heavily on overseas reinsurers. Under the support plan, 10 domestic nonlife insurers will jointly underwrite war-risk insurance for the vessels without relying on overseas reinsurance. The participating insurers include Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, KB Insurance and Hanwha General Insurance. The coverage is expected to total about 300 billion won ($200 million) based on the value of the vessels subject to the insurance. The FSC said the insurance will be offered at the lowest rate available among domestic shipping companies, including large carriers. If a lower rate is later applied to another Korean vessel after the contracts are signed, the same rate will be applied retroactively through measures such as premium refunds. The support measure takes effect immediately. Lee also said the FSC will review, in consultation with relevant ministries, ways to establish a standing reinsurance program to expand coverage to major vessels with significant impact on the national economy. Regarding Namu, a midsized bulk carrier operated by HMM that caught fire after an external attack, Lee urged insurers to swiftly proceed with related procedures so that reasonable compensation can be provided. 2026-05-21 17:26:20 -
HD Korea Shipbuilding wins $1.2 bln order for 6 ammonia carriers SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said Thursday it has signed a contract with a European shipowner to build six very large ammonia carriers. The deal is worth 1.08 trillion won ($1.2 billion), the intermediate shipbuilding holding company of HD Hyundai said in a regulatory filing. The vessels will be built by HD Hyundai Samho and delivered by the second half of 2029. With the latest order, HD Korea Shipbuilding has secured orders for 104 vessels worth $12.54 billion so far this year, achieving 53.8 percent of its annual target of $23.31 billion. By vessel type, the company has won orders for 16 liquefied natural gas carriers, 26 container ships, 26 liquefied petroleum gas and ammonia carriers, seven crude oil carriers, 26 product carriers, two pure car and truck carriers and one other vessel. The order comes as HD Hyundai is also expanding its presence in next-generation energy sectors beyond shipbuilding. The company and Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Thursday they were selected as preferred bidders to manufacture and supply key equipment for TerraPower’s fourth-generation Natrium reactor, a sodium-cooled fast reactor being developed by the U.S. SMR company founded by Bill Gates. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a basic agreement with TerraPower on the reactor supply, while Hyundai E&C plans to discuss participation in engineering, procurement and construction work for follow-up commercial units. 2026-05-21 17:12:13