Journalist

Jun Sung-min
  • North Korea calls South Korea most hostile
    North Korea calls South Korea 'most hostile' SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - North Korea called South Korea the "most hostile” country, vowing to maintain the country's status as a nuclear weapons state, state media reported on Tuesday. During a speech outlining policy priorities at the country's Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang the previous day, its leader Kim Jong-un said the country's nuclear status is irreversible and warned that any attempt by what he called "hostile forces" to infringe on its sovereignty would be met "with merciless consequence," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Kim accused the U.S. and its allies of acts of terrorism and aggression around the world, which appears to refer to the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and the ongoing war in Iran, though he did not directly criticize U.S. President Donald Trump. He added that whether adversaries choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence is "their choice," and that North Korea is ready to respond to either option. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether the North has amended its constitution to define the South as an officially "hostile" state, as Kim Jong-un declared in late 2023, when he said he no longer considered the South a partner for reconciliation and officially abandoned the long-standing goal of reunification between the two Koreas. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, said North Korea did not disclose specific details even if it revised the constitution, adding that the move is meant to "keep its strategic ambiguity" and maintain flexibility to change its stance or approaches if necessary. Lim added, "Kim's latest comments reflect that North Korea would never give up its nuclear weapons, even if the U.S. offers 'economic support' or 'security guarantees.'" 2026-03-24 10:00:27
  • South Korea again urges nationals to leave Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon immediately
    South Korea again urges nationals to leave Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon immediately SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - The government on Thursday once again urged South Korean nationals in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon to leave immediately. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no South Korean casualties have been reported so far, but it remains deeply concerned about the safety of South Koreans still residing in high-risk areas across the Middle East. "We strongly urge all South Koreans and businesspeople in affected areas to leave as soon as possible," said a ministry official. According to the ministry, about 240 South Koreans are currently in Iraq, most of them construction workers employed by South Korean firms. They are coordinating with embassy officials on evacuation plans, while drone attacks targeting the U.S. Embassy in Iraq have continued in recent days. In Lebanon, about 120 South Koreans remain, many of them missionaries, with about half staying in Beirut and the rest in other areas. Concerns are growing as Israel has recently launched ground operations in southern Lebanon and expanded airstrikes in Beirut. South Korean Ambassador to Lebanon Geon Gyu-suk plans to meet South Koreans there later in the day and urge them to leave. In Iran, about 40 South Koreans still remain, most of whom have chosen to stay as they have settled lives there, after two evacuation efforts brought around 30 people home in recent weeks. 2026-03-19 17:17:16
  • South Korea, US wrap up annual joint military exercise
    South Korea, US wrap up annual joint military exercise SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - This year's joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States has concluded, military authorities from both countries said in a joint statement on Thursday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said the annual exercise dubbed "Freedom Shield" (FS) was conducted under more realistic scenarios simulating full-scale war and other conflicts to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula "with a focus on maintaining a high level of combined readiness." They also said the exercise which began on March 9 involving about 18,00 troops from both countries served as a key opportunity to assess combat readiness to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul. During the exercise, USFK publicly showcased for the first time the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC), a mobile ground-based weapons system often compared to Israel's Iron Dome. The exercise "demonstrates the strength of our alliance and our ability to train, build readiness, and operate seamlessly as one force," said U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also serves as the commander of the CFC. "No other alliance trains as we do from competition, to crisis, to conflict all with an eye to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. There is no substitute for training, there is no excuse for not being ready," he added. JCS chief Jin Yong-sung also said the exercise "reaffirmed the common value of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula shared between and U.S.," while elevating the allies' defense posture and combined operational capabilities to the "next level." 2026-03-19 16:43:17
  • Lee thanks Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for helping evacuate South Koreans from Middle East
    Lee thanks Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for helping evacuate South Koreans from Middle East SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung has sent letters to the leaders of Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to thank them for their cooperation in evacuating South Korean nationals from the Middle East, Cheong Wa Dae said on Wednesday. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said that Lee sent the letters the previous day to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Qatar's Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Al and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. In his letter to Takaichi, Lee expressed gratitude for Japan allowing about a dozen South Koreans to board Japanese‑chartered flights from Saudi Arabia, and Oman, enabling them to safely arrive in Japan. "I am glad that the friendship between our two countries has grown even stronger through cooperation in the Middle East," Lee wrote, adding that he hopes to "continue working even more closely to protect the lives and safety of our citizens." Lee thanked Qatar for arranging an emergency flight in Doha, which helped about 322 South Koreans arrive safely in Incheon earlier last week. Lee said Qatar's active support demonstrated the close ties between the two countries as "comprehensive strategic partners," and expressed hope that discussions would continue on ways to expand cooperation. Lee also conveyed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its cooperation last weekend, which helped about 204 South Koreans return home from Riyadh aboard a South Korean military transport aircraft. According to Kang, Lee previously sent similar letters to Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for their assistance in helping South Koreans leave high-risk areas in the Middle East. 2026-03-18 14:33:32
  • FM tight-lipped over possible warship dispatch to Middle East
    FM tight-lipped over possible warship dispatch to Middle East SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - There has been growing speculation about a possible deployment of South Korean troops to the Middle East, after U.S. President Donald Trump urged allies to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. In a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday, when asked whether the U.S. formally asked Seoul to deploy warships to the strategically important waterway, he declined to elaborate, ambiguously saying "It may or may not be considered a request." Regarding the troop deployment, he said, "At this time, it is very difficult for me to answer." Remaining cautious, Cho merely said that Seoul and Washington are "closely communicating through various channels" over the situation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began with U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran late last month. He added that the government is also closely monitoring relevant developments including remarks and social media posts by Trump. The previous day, Cho spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone, with Rubio reportedly stressing that cooperation among countries is essential for keeping the strategically important waterway open and safe. Cho said he was invited to attend the upcoming G7 foreign ministers' meeting scheduled to be held next week near Paris, adding that he is likely to meet with Rubio there. 2026-03-17 14:18:19
  • Seoul in close talks with Washington over sending warships to Strait of Hormuz
    Seoul 'in close talks' with Washington over sending warships to Strait of Hormuz SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - The government is closely consulting with Washington and carefully weighing options after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed allies, including South Korea, to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Urging countries "affected" by the closure of the strategically vital waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, Trump wrote on his social media platform the previous day, "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others that are affected by this artificial constraint will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated." He also wrote that "many countries" would be sending warships "in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe." The comments were made amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which began on Feb. 28 with coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and has since expanded into a broader regional war, with the U.S. vowing further strikes that have been met by Iranian retaliatory attacks. A Chong Wa Dae official said, "The safety of international sea lanes and freedom of navigation serve the interests of all countries and should be protected under international law," expressing hope that global maritime logistics can return to normal quickly. He also said the government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and related countries' moves, while considering measures to protect South Korean nationals and secure energy shipping routes. The government is expected to make a decision after considering various factors if a formal request is made. None of the five countries have yet explicitly responded to the U.S. request, with the U.K. offering only a limited "defensive" role in support of U.S. action. But even the U.S. Navy is not currently escorting tankers through the narrow strait. 2026-03-15 17:52:50
  • PM heads to US, Switzerland to bid for UN AI hub
    PM heads to US, Switzerland to bid for UN AI hub SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok left for the U.S. on Thursday to promote South Korea's bid to host an artificial intelligence (AI)-related hub for the U.N. and its agencies. During his weeklong visit, Kim is scheduled to meet with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and other officials in New York, where he will promote South Korea's initiative for global cooperation on AI-related projects. He is also expected to hold a meeting with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C possibly including Vice President JD Vance, whom he met during his last visit in January. They are expected to discuss a range of pending issues including tariff-related negotiations. Kim is also likely to explain a bill outlining South Korea's massive investment pledges to the U.S. as a follow-up to a broader trade deal reached between the two countries last fall, which is expected to pass in the National Assembly here later in the day. After wrapping up his trip to the U.S., Kim will head to Geneva, Switzerland, for further discussions. He returns home next Thursday. 2026-03-12 14:31:54
  • South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile
    South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - South Korea has successfully completed the test of its first homegrown air-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality said on Thursday. The Cheongeom, which literally means "heavenly sword" in Korean and is also called TAipers, was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in 2022 and manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace. Mounted on a light armed helicopter, it is designed to precisely strike targets on the ground. The missile passed a live-fire test earlier this week in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, demonstrating its performance and reliability by striking targets accurately. The test was conducted last Tuesday by experts from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and Hanwha Aerospace. "The latest test approved the missile's required performance and quality, clearing the way for full-scale mass-production," said Shin Sang-beom, the agency's head. "We will keep striving to enhance the quality and reliability of homegrown weapons to boost their export competitiveness," he added. 2026-03-12 11:04:59
  • Photos show North Korean leader and daughter firing pistols during on-site inspection
    Photos show North Korean leader and daughter firing pistols during on-site inspection SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a munitions factory producing light weapons such as pistols, state media reported on Thursday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim visited the factory the previous day to "learn about the munitions production." He was quoted as urging officials to "expand the factory's production capacity in a far-sighted way and raise the level of modernization of the production line," stressing that the factory is "playing a very important role in increasing the combat efficiency of the army, public security forces and militia forces." Photos released by KCNA showed Kim and his teenage daughter Ju-ae, both in leather jackets, firing pistols at an indoor shooting range there. Similar photos were released late last month when Ju-ae joined senior military officials at an event to present newly developed sniper rifles to troops. Meanwhile, Kim said he plans to convene a meeting with key military officials next month to review modernization projects and budgets for munitions factories over the next five years. 2026-03-12 09:34:01
  • PM to head to New York this week to bid for UN AI hub
    PM to head to New York this week to bid for UN AI hub SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is reportedly arranging to visit New York later this week, according to multiple government sources on Tuesday. Kim is expected to visit U.N. headquarters as early as Thursday to propose that South Korea host a U.N. artificial intelligence (AI) hub, which would be linked to several AI projects currently being pursued by the organization. He is likely to meet with senior U.S. officials including Vice President JD Vance, whom he met during his last visit in January. They are expected to discuss a range of pending issues including tariff-related negotiations. Separately, Kim is scheduled to attend the annual Boao Forum for Asia slated to be held from March 24 to 27 on China's Hainan Island, where he will deliver a keynote speech. Established in 2001, the forum is often called Asia's Davos Forum. 2026-03-10 14:44:59