South Korean pair claims maiden LPGA victory at Dow Championship in Michigan SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Golfers Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi secured their maiden LPGA title by winning the Dow Championship in the U.S. on Sunday. In the fourth and final round of the championship in Midland, Michigan, the South Korean pair finished at 20-under 260, leading to a playoff in which they birdied the first hole to beat the American team of Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson. Another South Korean team, Park Sung-hyun and Yoon Ina, tied for fourth at 11-under. With Sunday's victory, Im and Lee, both in their second year on the LPGA Tour, became the first South Koreans to win the championship, which was first held in 2019 as a unique four-day tournament where players team up in pairs to compete with varied formats. Their feat also brought South Korea's tally of LPGA victories this season to four, after Kim A-lim, who captured the season opener by winning the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida in February; Kim Hyo-joo, who won the Ford Championship in Arizona in April; and Ryu Hae-ran, who claimed the Black Desert Championship in Utah the following month. Im and Lee each took home a winning purse of $399,510. 2025-06-30 11:19:10

Lee pledges proper compensation for sacrifices of war veterans and other victims SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung invited some 160 war veterans, decorated individuals, heroes and other guests to a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. Among the attendees were the surviving families of those who lost their lives in a 2002 naval skirmish in the West Sea, as well as victims of North Korea's sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in March 2010 and its shelling of Yeonpyeong Island several months later. During the luncheon which was held in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950–53 Korean War, Lee expressed his gratitude for their dedication and sacrifices in defense of the country, which have enabled ordinary people to "live in peace and freedom today." He also offered sympathy for their suffering and honored each by calling them by name, pledging "the highest level of recognition." He added, "Those who sacrifice their lives for the country deserve proper compensation and respect," emphasizing, "We will do our utmost to ensure that none of you feel neglected or unrecognized." 2025-06-27 17:11:30

US Senate passes resolution commemorating Korean War anniversary SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - The U.S. on Thursday adopted a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, reaffirming its alliance with South Korea. According to U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution coinciding with the anniversary, which recognizes "important lessons from the war, particularly the imperative of maintaining military readiness in defense of the United States and its allies." The resolution "honors the bravery, sacrifice, and service of the United Armed Forces and allies who fought to depend" of South Korea and defines the country as a "vital treaty ally and linchpin of peace, security, trade, and democratic values for Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region." Sullivan, who co-proposed the resolution along with Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, urged that the Korean War be remembered as a "noble war" rather than a "forgotten war," stressing the importance of honoring "the brave Americans who fought, died, and sacrificed to keep another country free," referring to South Korea as one of its "strongest allies today." The two Koreas technically remain at war since the hostilities of the 1950 war ended with an armistice three years later. 2025-06-27 14:20:23

Railway services connecting Pyongyang and Moscow resume after pandemic halt SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Railway services linking Pyongyang and Moscow have resumed after being halted for five years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Russian state media. The Kremlin's state-run news agency TASS reported that a passenger train that departed the North Korean capital last week arrived at Moscow's Yaroslavsky railway station on Wednesday after a journey of about eight days. But the first train that departed from Pyongyang on June 17 had "no passengers" with only the conductors on board, TASS reported, quoting a North Korean railway official as saying. Expressing his "thrill" at this sign of "friendly relations" between the two countries, the official further explained, "The new carriages soon to operate between the capitals are more advanced than previous models, featuring modern facilities" including "eco-friendly toilet systems." The resumption of the services, suspended in February 2020 due to the pandemic, came about a year after the two countries signed a military pact during President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June last year. The railway route spans more than 10,000 kilometers, making it one of the longest in the world and the only way to directly travel between the two key cities without transfers. Several months earlier, another railway route connecting North Korea's Tumen River to Khasan in Russia resumed operations amid ever-growing ties between the two countries. With these resumptions of railway services, speculation has been growing that Kim could visit Russia sometime later this year, as he traveled by train on his two previous visits, although he does not appear to have inherited his father's morbid fear of flying. 2025-06-26 14:48:56

Milano Cortina 2026 brings Olympic message to Seoul with focus on sustainability and inclusion SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - The Olympic spirit made a stop in Seoul on Wednesday as Italy's organizing team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games hosted a media day in Gangnam. With just over a year and a half to go, the event offered a preview of what is being billed as the most geographically expansive and environmentally conscious Winter Olympics in history. Covering 22,000 square kilometers across northern Italy, the Games will blend modern urban energy with the beauty of the Alps, aiming to deliver not just competition but a celebration of diversity, sustainability, and accessibility. The Seoul event featured remarks from Italian Ambassador to South Korea Emilia Gatto, Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee CEO Andrea Varnier, and Olympic champion Kim Yuna. Popular TV personality Alberto Mondi served as an emcee. "Milano Cortina 2026 is no longer just about sports," said Ambassador Gatto. "It's an event that celebrates universal values." She described the contrast between the host cities, "Milano and Cortina are very different. Milano is a major European city and the center of fashion and design," as a strength that reflects the Games' broad appeal. Andrea Varnier, leading the Olympic organizing effort, outlined the vision behind Italy's approach. "It's a 22,000 square kilometer project. The largest and widest Olympic Games ever offered," he said. "As the ambassador said, we will showcase so many different things in just one edition of the Games." He explained that sustainability has shaped every step of the planning process. "From the beginning, we chose not to adapt the territory to the Games, but to adapt the Games to the territory," he said. Instead of building new facilities, organizers are upgrading existing ones, many of which already host international events year-round. "That's sustainability," Varnier said. "You find knowledge, experience, and passion for the sport. It's not artificial." Accessibility has also been a top priority. Varnier noted that the Olympic closing and Paralympic opening ceremonies will take place in a Roman amphitheater nearly 2,000 years old. "We are making it fully accessible," he said. "If we can do that in a first-century monument, it proves it can be done anywhere." The Italian public has embraced the Games, he added. "We will use around 18,000 volunteers and have received more than 120,000 applications. That's a powerful signal of national enthusiasm." Kim Yuna, one of South Korea's most celebrated athletes and a gold medalist at the Vancouver 2010 Games, reflected on what the Olympics meant to her and why they still matter. "Of course, throughout the years, I have experienced the Olympic Games three times. two as a player and one as an ambassador," she said. "One of my most memorable memories was my first Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. That was my dream as a player, and I won a gold medal. Even now, I feel the impact of that moment." She also spoke about the growing visibility of women in sport. "More and more female players are joining sports," she said. "In recent Olympic Games, the ratio of male and female athletes was the same for the first time. I believe we'll see even more participation and leadership from women going forward." For Kim, the Olympics are about more than medals. "The Olympics involve many roles. Athletes, doctors, referees, and technicians. It's like a drama of human life. I hope our players can share the experience of respect and cultural understanding," she said. "The Olympics are a dream stage. I hope the athletes bring their best and create the most meaningful moment of their lives." 2025-06-25 19:11:22

President Lee opens online platform to enhance communication with public SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has opened an online platform on Tuesday to gather and reflect public opinion on state affairs. According to the Presidential Office, the platform is to collect public opinion and questions on a wide range of national issues, including the economy, welfare, society, politics, diplomacy, and security via Google Forms. All submitted questions will be reported to the president. The presidential office stated that Lee plans to respond directly to those that reflect a strong public consensus or are deemed particularly timely. Lee also shared the Google Form link on his Facebook page, pledging to respond sincerely to public inquiries. "State affairs cannot be driven solely by discussions held at a desk. The people must be at the center of government," he wrote. "I will fulfill my promise to listen directly to the public and find answers in the field." The office added that it will continue to expand communication channels and deliver changes that people can notice in their daily lives. Meanwhile, Lee operated a similar platform during his tenure as leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), gathering public opinion on policy issues. 2025-06-25 12:58:16

BLACKPINK to unveil new song at upcoming concert in Goyang SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will perform their new song for the first time during their upcoming concert at Goyang, north of Seoul, during the four-member band's two-day concert schedule in early July, YG Entertainment said Monday. "There were many discussions on how to showcase the new song," YG said in a statement. "We decided to unveil it at the concert in Goyang as it marks the beginning of their world tour." Starting in Goyang next month, BLACKPINK will embark on a world tour spanning 31 shows across 16 cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Toronto. Excluding "The Girls," released as an original soundtrack (OST) for the smartphone game "BLACKPINK THE GAME" released in 2023, the upcoming track marks BLACKPINK’s first new release in nearly two years and eight months since their second full-length album "BORN PINK," released in September 2022. The members recently filmed the music video for the new song in South Korea. YG added that more details about the song's release date will be announced soon. 2025-06-24 14:56:43

Lee calls for emergency readiness amid escalating Middle East tensions SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung on Monday called on all ministries to maintain emergency readiness amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East after U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend. During his first meeting with senior aides at the presidential office in Yongsan since taking office earlier this month, Lee Jae-myung urged them to do their "utmost to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals" in the region. His remarks came after the U.S. military's overnight operation last Saturday, dubbed "Midnight Hammer," which struck three Iranian nuclear sites including a secret underground uranium enrichment facility in a remote mountainous area near Tehran using powerful "bunker-buster" bombs for the first time. Lee said, "Thorough measures must be taken to ensure the safety of South Koreans in the region," adding that funds from the supplementary budget he signed off last week could be allocated, if necessary, to "urgently" evacuate them and implement any other measures. Amid the heightened military tensions triggered by Israel's surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which led to retaliatory strikes, the South Korean government has begun evacuating South Korean nationals from the region. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 56 South Koreans and their family members have so far been evacuated from Iran by land to Turkmenistan. Another 26 have been evacuated from Israel to Jordan. Currently, around 70 South Koreans still remain in Iran, while about 460 are in Israel. 2025-06-23 17:55:52

ATEEZ's latest album debuts at No. 2 on Billboard 200 SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - K-pop boy band ATEEZ's latest album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 for the week ending this Saturday. According to Billboard on Sunday, the octet notched "their seventh top 10" entry on the U.S. main albums chart with "Golden Hour: Part 3," the third in the series, about a week after its release on June 13. With 105,000 copies sold in the U.S., the album ranked just behind American country singer Morgan Wallen's "I'm the Problem," which held the top spot for a fifth consecutive week. With the latest feat, ATEEZ have now placed seven albums in the top 10 of the chart including their previous "Golden Hour" series, which reached No. 1 in November last year as well as their first chart-topper "The World EP. Fin: Will" in December 2023. Meanwhile, they will hold a concert in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province next month, kicking off their world tour, which includes stops in Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. 2025-06-23 14:59:17

US Embassy in Seoul resumes student visa applications with stricter social media screening SEOUL, June 20 (AJP) - The U.S. Embassy in Seoul reportedly resumed accepting visa applications on Friday, about weeks after its sudden halt to scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants late last month. But the resumption appears to come with stricter "vetting" procedures including mandatory social media screening for students planning to study in the U.S. According to a notice on its website, all individuals applying for nonimmigrant visas are "requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to 'public' to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law," which takes effect immediately. The new requirement follows an announcement by the U.S. Department of State earlier this week, in which staff at U.S. embassies and consulates were instructed to screen visa applicants for any indications of "hostility" toward the U.S., as part of measures to tighten the screening of foreigners who may pose a threat to U.S. national security. But the State Department offered no details on how "hostility" will be assessed. 2025-06-20 17:11:11