Journalist

김주헌
Arthur I. Cyr
  • North Korea condemns Australias nuclear submarine deal with US
    North Korea condemns Australia's nuclear submarine deal with US The leaders of Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. attend a ceremony for the security pact between the three countries, known as AUKUS, at a naval base in San Diego, in this file photo from March 2023. Reuters-Yonhap SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - North Korea has criticized Australia's plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from Washington through its trilateral security pact with the U.S. and U.K. In a commentary on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency condemned Australia's plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under the pact, known as AUKUS, warning that Washington's nuclear strategy "will not be effective" in the Asia-Pacific region. The North's abrupt condemnation came after Australia's first payment of US$500 million to the U.S. to procure Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines earlier this month. The commentary, also published in the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun, slammed that Washington should reconsider "the consequences of its military adventurism," calling it a "dangerous attempt" that would threaten security in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia formed the partnership in September 2021 to acquire nuclear-powered submarines after scrapping a similar deal with France. During his visit to Paris in July 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to pay French shipbuilder Naval Group, which is partly owned by the French government, 555 million euros (US$57.3 million) in compensation. 2025-02-20 11:33:27
  • Actress Kim Sae-ron laid to rest
    Actress Kim Sae-ron laid to rest SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Actress Kim Sae-ron was buried in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, best known for her role in the 2010 hit action thriller "The Man from Nowhere," shocked the nation when she was found dead of apparent suicide at her home in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul last Sunday. Police said there is no suspicion of foul play, although no suicide note was found. Earlier in the morning, the young actress' private funeral was held at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, with family members and close friends, including actress Kim Bo-ra and AB6IX member Park Woo-jin, in attendance. Also among those who paid their respects at her wake were Won Bin, who co-starred in "The Man from Nowhere," as well as sibling duo Akdong Musician, also known as AKMU and TV personality Jang Sung-kyu. After debuting as a model for the cover of Enfant magazine in 2002, she began her acting career in 2009 with "A Brand New Life." Kim gained prominence as a child actress in 2010 after starring alongside actor Won Bin in "The Man from Nowhere." She shot to fame with the explosive success of "The Man from Nowhere" and went on to appear in "The Neighbors," "Manhole," and "A Girl at My Door" as well as in TV soaps like "Fashion King" and "The Queen's Classroom." She later took on lead roles in cable channel JTBC's period drama "Mirror of the Witch" and video-streaming platform Kakao TV's mystery series "The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim." Once seen as one of the most promising starlets, Kim's career came to an abrupt halt in 2022 when she was caught driving under the influence and slapped with a fine of 20 million won ($13,891). The incident coincided just ahead of the release of Netflix's hit series "Bloodhounds," resulting in most of her scenes being cut. Kim, who complained of struggling with financial difficulties after being repeatedly denied roles amid persistent criticism, attempted a screen comeback in April last year but unexpectedly had to withdraw due to dubious health reasons. Kim's sudden death has reignited discussions about malicious rumors and comments online against stars and other celebrities. Several stars including young singers like Sulli, a member of K-pop girl group f(X), and Goo Hara, a former member of Kara, tragically ended their lives after enduring unbearable levels of stress due to online rumors and indiscreet comments. "We plan to come up with various forms of support including taking legal actions," said Kwon Yeong-chan, who runs an association for workers in the entertainment industry to prevent suicides. 2025-02-19 16:03:39