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PHOTOS: South Korean Navy launches new high-speed patrol vessels SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) -The Republic of Korea Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held an integrated launching ceremony on December 8, 2025, for four new high-speed patrol vessels (Patrol Killer Medium, Rocket – PKMR Batch-II). These vessels, named Chamsuri-231, 232, 233, and 235, represent a significant upgrade to South Korea's naval capabilities, designed to bolster coastal defense and rapidly respond to maritime threats. 2025-12-09 13:41:38
PHOTOS: Yeongjong tidal flats busy with oyster harvesting SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - 2025-12-08 17:28:18
PHOTOS: Strolling through Jeju's Yakcheonsa temple SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Yakcheonsa Temple gets its name from a spring that flows from spring to fall and a pond with medicinal water that runs year-round. The temple boasts the largest dharma hall in East Asia. Currently, it is beloved for its extensive temple grounds walks and temple stay programs. 2025-12-08 17:27:48
PHOTOS: Seoul turns white after the season's first snow SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Seoul woke up white after an overnight snowfall that began during the evening commute. The city saw its first snow of 2025 last night — two weeks later than average and eight days later than last year. Streets whitened quickly as cars crawled through Gwanghwamun and people walked with their shoulders tucked in against the cold. Snowfall reached 1 to 3 centimeters per hour, with bursts of more than 5 centimeters, coating palace roofs and drifting through the lights of the city. In just a short time, the first snow carried Seoul fully into winter. A heavy-snow alert was issued, and emergency warnings were sent across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Some areas saw more than 5 centimeters an hour, leading to traffic delays and icy roads. Many people slipped on frozen sidewalks, and cars slowed through streets where snow removal could not keep up. Morning temperatures fell to minus 6 degrees Celsius, turning much of the snow into packed ice. Even so, many stepped outside to enjoy the white scenery, choosing to face the cold to take in the first snow of the season. 2025-12-05 15:30:59
PHOTOS: A walk shaped by trains (Gwangju) -1- SEOUL, December 3 (AJP) - The flavors from lunch still linger, but now it is time to walk through Songjeong itself. Even without leaving the station area, small scenes reveal how long people have lived and moved through this neighborhood. The pace is slower here, and the traces of time sit close to the surface. Songjeong Kobrang Fairy Village — stories tucked between homes Past the 1913 market and deeper into the residential lanes, bright murals begin to appear along the walls. This is Kobrang Fairy Village, a compact cluster of alleys lined with scenes from children’s books — Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk. Walking through feels a little like stepping into a paper page. What stood out most was that the village is not a staged attraction. People actually live behind the painted walls; children ran past while the murals watched quietly. The art is woven into everyday life, not placed on top of it.. Songjeong Small Art Museum — a brief, quiet stop A few steps beyond the village sits the Songjeong Small Art Museum, a compact space that operates free of charge. It is small enough to enter without hesitation and calm enough to make even a short visit meaningful. The current exhibition, “Revisiting Home,” features a local artist whose works bring back scenes familiar to older generations but almost foreign to younger ones. The scale is modest, but the care inside the space is unmistakable. Songjeong Maeil Market — a market still rooted in daily life Walking about ten minutes from the station leads to Songjeong Maeil Market. Even before arriving, the sound of vendors and customers reaches the street outside. Unlike the renovated 1913 market, this place has the unmistakable feel of a traditional, lived-in market. Most striking here were the people — far more locals than visitors. Grandparents carried shopping baskets, bargaining over vegetables and dried fish. Vendors called out to customers with easy familiarity. Nothing is polished or staged, and that is exactly why the market feels genuine. Back to the station — a short but full walk Leaving the market and returning to the station closed out nearly six hours of wandering. The fairy-tale alleys, the quiet museum, the crowded market — all small pieces of a neighborhood that moves at its own pace. Songjeong does not change quickly. Time moves more slowly here, but that slowness reveals the place more clearly. A trip connected by a single station. No long transfers, no complicated plans — just a neighborhood that shows its depth when walked slowly. 2025-12-04 15:59:54
PHOTOS: One year after martial law, citizens return to the streets SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - On December 3, marking one year since the declaration of martial law, groups from both the progressive and conservative blocs held separate rallies in Yeouido, Seoul. Progressive groups, including the Emergency Action for Ending Insurrection and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, gathered around National Assembly Station, calling for the dismantling of martial law. Participants held light sticks and candles, recalling the night the declaration was issued. The KCTU held an additional rally starting at 4 p.m. At the same time, conservative groups organized by Liberty University and Youth for Liberal Democracy assembled in front of the People Power Party headquarters and at Exit 2 of National Assembly Station, arguing that the declaration had been justified. Participants waved Korean flags and said they planned a separate performance at 10:27 p.m., the exact time martial law was declared last year. Later this evening, President Lee Jae-myung has joined a civic march — an unusual move for a sitting president. 2025-12-04 08:01:36
PHOTOS: Following the tracks, following the taste (Gwangju) – 1 – SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - For centuries, this region has been known for its food. With fertile fields and access to clean coastal waters, it offered ingredients from both land and sea, and its generous use of fermented seasonings created dishes with depth and warmth. This is Jeolla Province, the southern end of the Korean Peninsula. Yongsan Station in the morning still carried the last of the night’s energy. Passing through commuters and stepping onto the KTX platform, the city felt as fast as ever, but the moment the train pulled away and the first fields replaced the gray skyline, the pace shifted. It felt as if the train was lowering itself into a slower time — not rushing forward, but easing into a different rhythm. The plan for the day was simple: get off at a station and, within walking distance, eat what locals have eaten for decades. No complicated routes, no long transfers — just a slow walk into someone else’s everyday life. Stepping out of Gwangju Songjeong Station, the first impression was quietness. Even right outside the station, the street was calm, and the alley leading to 1913 Songjeong Market was emptier than expected. It felt like a place where time had slowed as the years changed and the city around it shrank and shifted. Coming straight from the noise of Seoul, the contrast felt almost unreal — as if one train ride had moved time, not distance. – Bibim-guksu, vegetable pajeon, and the old taste of “sugar noodles” – Inside the market, old signs and small shops lined the narrow path, and soft music drifted out from somewhere deeper inside. The first meal was bibim-guksu. Handmade noodles had a firm, springy texture, and the tangy dressing pulled the flavors together cleanly. Freshly made vegetable pajeon was soft in the middle, and with the noodles it felt balanced rather than heavy. The walls filled with TV still-cuts and visitors’ notes made the simple dishes feel like part of the market’s long memory. Then came sugar noodles — something rarely seen now but once a common snack for market vendors and field hands in the 1960s and 1970s. Cold broth, plain noodles, and a sprinkle of sugar. Just sweetness and chill — nothing more. In years when even sugar was scarce, saccharin was used instead. The simplicity carried a kind of quiet nostalgia that felt tied to the place more than to the bowl. – A full Jeolla-style table with tteokgalbi – A short walk from the market led to an alley filled with the smell of charcoal. Here, tteokgalbi is served with a tableful of side dishes that feel closer to a home meal than a restaurant setting. A large bowl of pork backbone soup arrived first, alongside greens, aged kimchi, and pickled vegetables. It was a kind of generosity hard to replicate in the city. The tteokgalbi itself was thick, with a smoky bite that filled the mouth. Despite being minced, it still had the feel of chewing into whole meat, and the sauce struck a familiar sweet-savory balance. Wrapped in lettuce it felt clean, and over rice it turned into a different kind of richness. A small yukhoe bibimbap on the side was also satisfying — sweet pear, seasoned meat, and gochujang blending easily. The light broth in between made the meal steady and unhurried. – A Jeolla trip completed in one bite of sangchu twigim – For the final taste, the camera and the steps returned to the market: sangchu-twigim. A local favorite, and a bit unusual to outsiders. Various vegetables — sweet potato, squid, perilla shoots, seasonal roots — are fried and wrapped in fresh lettuce with soy or a peppered dipping sauce. One bite holds multiple textures at once, and the lettuce keeps the flavors bright. Sitting at the small table and taking a bite, the day already felt full — even though only a few hours had passed since stepping off the train. Walking back toward the station, the quietness returned. The market breathed slowly, in its own time. There was no rush, no noise, and in that space, the meaning of old food and local pace felt clearer than before. The day showed that a trip does not need distance to feel deep. A station, a market, and the flavors held inside their history — that was enough for a slow walk across an older time. 2025-12-02 07:16:35
PHOTOS: History in miniature SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - At the entrance, a large Lego poster reading “Daehan Independence Manse” comes into view. Next to it sits a tiny corner shop marked “Jeongdong Stationery,” its shelves packed with marble games, ice cream buckets, paper cards, and cotton candy. The miniature space feels like a small time capsule, carrying the warmth of the years it represents. Inside the special exhibition hall, visitors walk through a large Lego Independence Gate and enter another world. Marking the 79th anniversary of liberation, the hall brings together Lego-made scenes of historic moments and the figures who shaped them. Scenes such as Yun Bong-gil’s Hongkou bombing, the March 1 Independence Movement with Yu Gwan-sun, group photos of returning Provisional Government officials, Ahn Jung-geun’s shooting of Ito Hirobumi, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Imjin War are recreated in colorful Lego blocks. Tiny figures gather in front of the Lego Independence Gate waving “manse,” and the white hanbok worn by Yu Gwan-sun is instantly recognizable even in miniature. Children stand in front of the Lego displays with bright eyes, listening to stories of history. Meeting independence activists through Lego instead of textbooks makes the figures feel far more familiar. One child lingers at the Ahn Jung-geun exhibit, pointing at the bricks one by one and asking questions. Rows of 1960s and 1970s school uniforms, textbooks, backpacks, and lunchboxes fill the permanent exhibition. The recreated classroom scene is especially striking — the anti-fire and anti-communism posters on the back wall, metal lunchboxes warming on a central stove, the national flag and class mottos, and a timetable posted next to a map of Korea. The details make the space feel like a doorway into another decade. A diorama of a school sports day fills one section — obstacle races, horseback fights, relays. The tiny figures look almost alive. Under a tree, a family shares lunch with kimbap and soda. Though only a few centimeters tall, the little scene carries the energy and joy of a whole era. A permanent exhibition tracing Korea’s education history from the Three Kingdoms period to today shows how learning has shaped national identity — from Goguryeo’s Taehak and Goryeo’s Gukjagam to Joseon’s Sungkyunkwan, through the colonial era and into the modern day. The visit lasts little more than an hour, but the impression lingers — a stationery shop, a schoolyard festival, scenes of independence carved from Lego, and a classroom restored with care. Together they turn the past into something close enough to touch. 2025-11-28 14:00:01
PHOTOS: Nuri stands upright for its journey into space SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - South Korea completed the vertical installation of its homegrown launch vehicle Nuri on November 25, ahead of its fourth mission scheduled for 1:10 a.m. on November 27. The rocket now stands secured on the launch pad, waiting for its final countdown. Nuri will carry 13 satellites into space, including the next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 3 and twelve CubeSats. The payloads will test technologies across a wide range of fields — from space medicine and satellite disposal to navigation, Earth observation, and 6G communication. The final launch decision will be made eight hours before liftoff, based on weather and overall space environment conditions. 2025-11-25 17:48:17
PHOTOS: Annual expo showcases thousands of coffee and beverage brands SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) -The Seoul International Café Show kicked off its four-day run at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday. Held every November, the annual event provides a key business platform for coffee and beverage makers, as well as related companies in the booming industry. The show features a wide range of products beyond coffee including tea, bakeries, desserts, alcoholic beverages, and café equipment. Some 631 companies from 35 countries participated in this year's event, showcasing nearly 4,000 brands. The first two days of the event are reserved for buyers, industry professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs, with the final two days open to the general public. Visitors can sample coffee, take part in aroma tests, and try a variety of baked goods and desserts at booths. The show also offers opportunities for business consultations and information exchange. 2025-11-21 16:15:10