Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Seoul completes elevator rollout across 338 stations; Protesters flag remaining barriers
    Seoul completes elevator rollout across 338 stations; Protesters flag remaining barriers SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that all 338 subway stations in the capital are now equipped with elevator access from ground level to the platforms, marking a milestone in the city's efforts to improve public transit accessibility. To commemorate the achievement, city officials held a ceremony at Kkachisan Station on Line 5. The completion of the "one-route" system means that passengers with reduced mobility, including those using wheelchairs, can now navigate from the street to the train platforms entirely via elevators without outside assistance. However, the announcement was met with friction. Members of a group advocating the disabled staged a protest at the ceremony site, challenging the city’s claim of universal accessibility. The advocacy group argued that the city's declaration is misleading, noting that several stations within the broader metropolitan network — specifically those managed by the state-run Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) — still lack necessary elevator installations. Protesters claimed that describing the project as "complete" overlooks the persistent barriers faced by disabled commuters transferring between different jurisdictions. 2025-12-30 16:12:06
  • Korea faces unavoidable shift toward renewables, nuclear power: energy minister
    Korea faces unavoidable shift toward renewables, nuclear power: energy minister SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea faces an unavoidable shift in its energy mix as it confronts the climate crisis, requiring a combination of carbon-free renewable energy and nuclear power while gradually phasing out coal and gas, Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said on Tuesday. Kim made the remarks at the First Energy Mix Policy Forum held at the National Assembly, calling for a pragmatic and science-based approach to energy policy. Kim said the Moon Jae-in administration sought to advance an energy transition over five years but became mired in debate over a nuclear phaseout, slowing efforts to retire coal-fired power plants. He said the subsequent Yoon Suk Yeol administration took the opposite approach by prioritizing nuclear power while neglecting the expansion of renewable energy. “As a result, South Korea’s share of renewable energy now ranks last among OECD countries,” Kim said. South Korea’s current energy mix is roughly 30 percent nuclear, 30 percent coal, 30 percent gas and 10 percent renewables, Kim said, adding that restructuring the mix would be foundational to the country’s future economic development. The Lee Jae Myung administration has pledged to end coal-fired power generation by 2040, a target that is also reflected in the legally mandated basic plan for long-term electricity supply and demand. He said this would require a concrete roadmap for phasing out coal and determining a sustainable future energy mix. He also pointed to structural limits to renewable energy expansion, citing intermittency as a major challenge. Kim said South Korea, unlike parts of Europe, cannot rely on cross-border power grids and functions effectively as an “energy-independent island.” Its relatively short east-to-west span also limits solar generation hours, making it difficult to secure stable power supply when sunlight is unavailable, he said. Replacing that gap with energy storage systems or pumped-storage hydropower is not straightforward in practice, Kim added. On nuclear power, Kim said it has long served as South Korea’s most important energy source and that the country has the highest concentration of nuclear power plants per unit of land area in the world. He cautioned, however, that nuclear power carries significant risks in the event of an accident. Kim said South Korea has not operated its nuclear plants flexibly, limiting their ability to complement renewable energy sources. Determining how to effectively combine nuclear and renewables is an unavoidable national task, he said. President Lee has instructed officials to avoid ideological approaches to energy policy and instead rely on scientific evidence and consensus-based problem solving. 2025-12-30 15:58:29
  • Seoul lifts ban on access to North Koreas party newspaper
    Seoul lifts ban on access to North Korea's party newspaper SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea has lifted long-standing restrictions on access to Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, allowing the public to read it uncensored at designated institutions, the Unification Ministry said Tuesday. Under the revised rules, South Koreans can access the newspaper at facilities that handle special materials — including the Unification Ministry’s North Korea Information Center and the National Library of Korea — without submitting an application or additional identification, Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung said at a briefing. Restrictions on copying have also been eased, removing the requirement for written approval. The regulatory change was first proposed during a ministerial briefing to President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 19. Lee reportedly said South Koreans are fully capable of distinguishing propaganda from fact. The issue was later discussed formally among the Unification Ministry, the National Intelligence Service and other relevant agencies last Friday. In the same vein, the ministry is reviewing whether to expand access to certain North Korean websites by revising the Information and Communications Network Act, in an effort to help the public better understand North Korea. About 60 North Korea–related websites — including Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency — are currently blocked in South Korea. The ministry noted that the widespread use of VPNs has already weakened the effectiveness of such controls, creating a gap between policy and reality. The government also plans to continue consultations with the National Assembly to expedite passage of a pending bill governing the use and management of North Korea–related materials. Rodong Sinmun, published entirely in Korean, primarily carries speeches and directives by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, along with policy lines of the Workers’ Party. As the party’s official organ, it promotes the superiority of the regime and its ideology, while also covering international affairs and inter-Korean relations. Although it does not have a dedicated culture section, it occasionally carries cultural articles. Academics welcomed the move as long overdue. “It is appropriate to reclassify Rodong Sinmun as ‘general material,’” said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. “Reading it will hardly make South Koreans become sympathetic toward North Korea. It is time we respond to North Korean issues with confidence.” Koh Yu-hwan, also a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, said the restrictions had long been outdated. “Since 1994, when I founded the Department of North Korean Studies and began teaching, not a single student has turned into a pro–North Korea sympathizer or joined a Juche faction simply by reading Rodong Sinmun,” he said. Access to the North’s official mouthpiece could instead help deepen public understanding of the regime as it really is, said Park Jie-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker and a key architect of the landmark 2000 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. “Allowing people to read it directly can be the most effective form of national security education — and even anti-communist education,” Park told AJP. 2025-12-30 15:27:23
  • Avatar 3 maintains box office lead for 13th consecutive day
    Avatar 3 maintains box office lead for 13th consecutive day SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - "Avatar: Fire and Ash" continued its box office dominance for the 13th straight day, showing strong momentum in its third week of release. According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network on December 30, the film attracted 139,110 viewers on December 29 alone, bringing its total audience to 4.175 million. Directed by James Cameron and released in South Korea on December 17 ahead of its global premiere, the film topped the box office from day one. Notably, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" surpassed the 4 million viewer mark in just 10 days, breaking the record previously held by "Zootopia 2" (13 days) for the fastest film to reach this milestone among 2025 releases. With robust advance ticket sales continuing into its third week, the film signals strong prospects for a long theatrical run. 2025-12-30 15:23:46
  • New nuclear reactor in Ulsan gets green light for operation
    New nuclear reactor in Ulsan gets green light for operation SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The government committee for nuclear energy on Tuesday gave a green light to the operation of a nuclear reactor in Ulsan, ahead of its commercial launch scheduled for sometime next year. The committee said it approved the operation of the Saeul-3 reactor, formally known as Kori, in Ulju, Ulsan, after a meeting in which five of six members voted in favor, following safety reviews by the state-funded Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety as well as prior assessments by other experts. The approval comes about nine years after construction began in 2016 and is the first for a new nuclear reactor since the Shinhanul-2 reactor in nearby Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province two years ago. The committee's chairman, Choi Won-ho, said, "We thoroughly checked safety in accordance on scientific and technological grounds," also vowing to conduct strict inspections during the reactor's test run. 2025-12-30 15:06:52
  • Koreas foreign money deposits rise on weak won, BOK revises M2 definition
    Korea's foreign money deposits rise on weak won, BOK revises M2 definition SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korea’s resident foreign-currency deposits rose in November as companies held on to dollar and euro assets amid expectations that the won’s weakness would persist, highlighting deeper structural pressures in the currency market even as authorities revise how monetary liquidity is measured. According to the Bank of Korea, foreign-currency deposits held at domestic banks totaled $103.55 billion at the end of November, up $1.71 billion from a month earlier. Dollar-denominated deposits rose $1.96 billion, while euro deposits increased $390 million. Yen deposits fell $500 million amid weakness in the Japanese currency. The dollar strengthened to 1,470.8 late November, approaching last year's year-end high of 1,472.5 won last year amid martial-law shock. It hovered around 1,480 won throughout December before retreating to 1,440 won range from last week on dollar-selling hedging accompanied by strong verbal connection to bring down the year's closing exchange rate. The central bank said the rise in dollar holdings reflected corporate trade settlements, inflows from foreign-currency bond issuance, and temporary placements of funds set aside for external debt repayment. Euro deposits also rose on trade-related inflows. Market participants said the buildup of dollar and euro deposits points to expectations of prolonged weakness in the Korean won, rather than short-term hedging behavior. The currency’s trajectory in 2025 underscores a broader structural shift. The won traded near 1,350 per dollar in June, before weakening steadily into the 1,470 range in October and November, touching 1,472 on Dec. 9. Toward year-end, a combination of verbal intervention by authorities and hedging-related flows helped pull the exchange rate back toward the 1,440 level. The dollar closed the year at 1,445.75 won, but on an annual basis, it is projected to have averaged around 1,420 won for 2025. The previous average high of the pair was 1,394.9 won in 1998, during the Asian financial crisis and the IMF bailout period. The renewed focus on foreign-currency holdings comes as debate intensifies over whether Korea’s liquidity conditions have contributed to the won’s structural weakness. The Bank of Korea separately on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive revision of its monetary and liquidity statistics, aimed at better reflecting financial-market realities and aligning with international standards. Under the revised framework, the central bank narrowed the definition of broad money (M2) by excluding investment fund units with high price volatility, while newly including certain short-term instruments such as issuance notes and CMA products issued by large investment banks. The revision also reorganizes institutional classifications and improves data coverage to better capture actual liquidity conditions. As a result of the methodological change, October 2025 M2 under the new standard stood at 4,056.8 trillion won, down 409.5 trillion won, or 9.2 percent, from the previous definition. The BOK said the decline reflects classification changes rather than an abrupt contraction in liquidity. Under the revised methodology, M2 growth in October stood at 5.2 percent year on year, below its long-term average, suggesting that headline money growth in recent years may have overstated underlying monetary expansion. The central bank said the new framework better distinguishes between transactional money and investment-type assets, improving the analytical usefulness of monetary indicators. Amid growing debate over whether rapid M2 growth is fueling asset inflation and foreign-exchange volatility, the central bank last month said it would revise its monetary statistics. 2025-12-30 14:30:07
  • Over 25,000 ethnic Koreans regain legal status after overstaying visas
    Over 25,000 ethnic Koreans regain legal status after overstaying visas SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - More than 25,000 ethnic Koreans who had overstayed their visas here have regained their legal status, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. According to the ministry, about 2,522 ethnic Koreans applied for a three-month program implemented between September and November as part of immigration policies to recover their legal status. Of those applicants, 1,544 were granted legal status after undergoing strict screening conducted by legal experts and human rights activists to ensure fairness and transparency in the process. Through the screening process, applicants were assessed for health risks such as infectious diseases and drug use, financial obligations including unpaid taxes and fines, and legal compliance, including criminal records and other offenses. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said, "The special program will help them integrate into South Korean society," adding that the ministry will continue to pursue immigration policies that promote national development and social integration. 2025-12-30 14:23:30
  • South Koreas foreign arrivals seen topping 21 million in 2026 on China-Japan tensions
    South Korea's foreign arrivals seen topping 21 million in 2026 on China-Japan tensions SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea could see the number of foreign visitors rise to more than 21 million in 2026, driven by a continued recovery in inbound travel and potential spillover demand from escalating tensions between China and Japan, industry researchers said. Yanolja Research, a data-driven tourism research institute, projected that foreign arrivals to South Korea would reach a baseline of 20.36 million next year, up 8.7 percent from an estimated 18.5 million in 2025. The figure could climb to around 21 million if Chinese tourists divert travel away from Japan, it said. The forecast is based on a deep-learning demand model that incorporates seasonality, exchange rates, macroeconomic indicators and geopolitical factors, according to the institute. By country, China is expected to remain the largest source market with an estimated 6.15 million visitors, followed by Japan at 3.84 million and the United States at 1.66 million. Chinese arrivals are projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels for the first time, supported by the recovery of air routes, expanded cruise travel and eased policy barriers. Recent data already point to a strong rebound in inbound tourism. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), 1.6 million foreign visitors entered South Korea in November, up 17.3 percent from a year earlier and surpassing 2019 levels for the same month. China and Japan accounted for the largest share of November arrivals, with both markets showing solid recovery trends, while visitors from Taiwan, the United States and the Philippines also exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Cumulative arrivals from January to November reached 17.4 million, up 15.4 percent from the same period last year. Yanolja Research noted that a slowdown in Chinese travel to Japan following diplomatic frictions between Beijing and Tokyo could further boost South Korea's inbound demand. During diplomatic tensions triggered by the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in 2017, around 10 to 13 percent of Chinese outbound travel shifted to alternative destinations, including Japan, the institute said, adding that a reverse effect could now benefit South Korea. If substitution demand materializes, Chinese arrivals could rise to more than 7 million, pushing total inbound travel to between 20.7 million and 21.2 million next year, it said. Despite the upbeat outlook for inbound tourism, outbound travel by South Koreans is also expected to continue rising, keeping the country's tourism balance in deficit. Yanolja Research forecasts outbound trips at 30.23 million in 2026, widening the gap between outbound and inbound travel to around 10 million. Recent outbound travel figures point to sustained pressure on the tourism balance. Overseas trips by South Koreans totaled 2.47 million in November, up 3.2 percent on-year, while cumulative outbound travel in the first 11 months of the year reached 26.8 million, slightly above pre-pandemic levels, according to the KTO. 2025-12-30 14:11:45
  • US softens export curbs on chip equipment for Samsung, SK hynix plants in China
    US softens export curbs on chip equipment for Samsung, SK hynix plants in China SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The United States has decided to partially ease planned restrictions on shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix plants in China, helping the South Korean chipmakers avoid immediate and significant operational disruptions, industry officials said on Tuesday. Washington had been preparing to revoke the companies’ broad export authorization status and require case-by-case approvals for each shipment of U.S.-made equipment. Instead, it has shifted to a system under which equipment exports will be approved on an annual basis, the officials said. Under the revised approach, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will cancel the Verified End User (VEU) status previously granted to the companies’ China-based plants but will allow exports through once-a-year approvals covering specified volumes of equipment. VEU status allows recipients to import U.S.-origin equipment without individual licences if they meet certain security requirements. Samsung’s NAND flash memory plant in Xian and SK hynix’s DRAM plant in Wuxi and NAND flash facility in Dalian had been designated as VEUs, enabling relatively unrestricted imports of U.S. equipment. In late August, however, BIS said it would remove three China-based subsidiaries operating those plants from the VEU list. That decision was due to take effect on Dec. 31 following a 120-day grace period after publication in the Federal Register on Sept. 2. Under the original plan, the plants would have been required to seek separate U.S. approval for each shipment of U.S.-made equipment from year-end, raising concerns about delays and potential disruptions to production. As the grace period neared its end, the U.S. government opted to soften its stance by introducing an annual approval system. Under the framework, companies will submit advance applications detailing the types and quantities of equipment and parts they plan to import, with U.S. authorities reviewing and deciding whether to grant approval. Industry officials said the process is more burdensome than maintaining VEU status but significantly less risky than applying for licences on a shipment-by-shipment basis. U.S. authorities had estimated that without VEU status, Samsung and SK hynix could be required to file roughly 1,000 licence applications a year. Still, officials cautioned that uncertainty remains, as it can be difficult to accurately forecast annual equipment demand, and the outcome of the approval process could still affect operations at the China-based plants. 2025-12-30 13:48:10
  • TRAVEL: Snowflower hiking to welcome the new year
    TRAVEL: Snowflower hiking to welcome the new year SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Only a few days remain in 2025. Leaving behind a year of lingering regrets, many people share the desire to welcome the new year with hope. Some travel abroad, while many climb mountains to steady their minds. Snowflower hiking is physically demanding, but it provides an opportunity to face beautiful snowy landscapes and strengthen one's resolve. Snowflowers are formed when water vapor in the atmosphere freezes onto trees, a gift of nature typically found on high mountains over 1,000 meters above sea level in midwinter. Here are some mountains popular for snowflower hiking ahead of the new year. Seoraksan spans Sokcho, Inje, and Yangyang in Gangwon-do. In winter, it presents a spectacle of snowflowers and rime ice along its ridges and rock formations. It is considered one of South Korea's representative winter hiking destinations. Deogyusan spans Muju in Jeonbuk and Geochang and Hamyang in Gyeongnam. Visitors can easily access the area near Hyangjeokbong Peak via gondola. The snowflower tunnels and ridge landscapes make it popular for family hikers.. Gyebangsan is located on the border of Hongcheon and Pyeongchang in Gangwon-do, characterized by gentle slopes and deep forests. Thick snowflowers allow for a quiet winter hike in a calm atmosphere. Seonjaryeong is a ridge-type mountain area between Pyeongchang and Gangneung in Gangwon-do, where open meadows and snowfields continue. The snowflower scenery shaped by the wind creates an exotic atmosphere. Taebaeksan spans Taebaek in Gangwon-do and Bonghwa in Gyeongbuk. It is known for its excellent snowflowers and rime ice, and because the slopes are gentle, even beginners can climb it easily. It is called a "mecca for winter hiking" and is famous for New Year's Day sunrise treks. Untangodo is a highland trekking path connecting Jeongseon, Yeongwol, and Taebaek in Gangwon-do, created using former coal transport roads. It is gaining popularity as a snowflower trekking course due to the low physical burden. Taegisan is located in Hoengseong, Gangwon-do. Wind turbines lined up along the ridge combine with snowflowers to create a unique winter landscape. Many relatively gentle courses make it a good challenge for beginners. Snowflower hiking is the most beautiful gift winter offers. With thorough preparation for the cold and adherence to safety rules, it can be a meaningful hike to open the new year. 2025-12-30 13:45:48