BLACKPINK's North American tour kicks off with sell-out concerts in Los Angeles SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK performed in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 100,000 fans in Los Angeles over the weekend as part of their world tour. According to their agency YG Entertainment on Monday, the two-day concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood were sold out shortly after tickets went on sale, packing the venue and making BLACKPINK the girl group to draw the largest crowd ever at the stadium. The enthusiastic fans erupted in cheers as the four girls, Jennie, Ji-soo, Lisa and Rosé, captivated them with spectacular performances of their hit songs along with individual solo stages. The latest gigs came after last week's concerts here where the four members reunited for the first time in nearly two years after focusing on their respective solo careers. They are now set to perform in Chicago, New York, and Toronto before wrapping up their North American stops and embarking on the Asian and European legs of the tour. Meanwhile, through a partnership with BLACKPINK, Google has been offering concert-related services on Google Maps since last week including directions to venues, nearby dining options, and other useful information for fans. 2025-07-14 17:00:52

US commits to maintaining troop levels in South Korea SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - The presence of U.S. troops in South Korea will likely remain at current levels under an annual defense bill drafted last week by the Senate Committee on Armed Services. The committee's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for next year passed last Friday contains a clause that "prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula or a change in wartime operational control over the Combined Forces Command until the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest." The NDAA, the backbone of U.S. defense budgets, also states that "the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Commanders of Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea to conduct an independent risk assessment of any such changes." Currently, there are about 28,500 the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops in South Korea. During his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump included a provision in the 2019 NDAA barring the use of funds "to reduce the total number of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to ." That was later removed under his successor President Joe Biden in 2022, reaffirming Washington's commitment to the bilateral alliance with its Asian ally. The bill is passed annually by Congress to set defense policy, allocate funding priorities, and provide guidance on key security matters. Earlier last week, Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities proposed cutting the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea "by more than 50 percent," stressing the need to "revise the U.S. global military posture to be consistent with protecting vital national interests," raising concerns here amid Trump's repeated attempts to leverage troop withdrawal or reduction in his tariff-related negotiations. 2025-07-14 14:33:43

Lee names picks for remaining two ministerial posts SEOUL, July 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung on Friday tapped candidates to fill the remaining two ministerial posts, completing the nominations for his 19-strong first cabinet. Kim Yun-duk, a three-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was named to head the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, while Chae Hwi-young, CEO of travel platform Nol Universe, was nominated to lead the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik told reporters in a press briefing. Kang explained that Kim, a close aide to Lee, is expected to "offer a vision for balanced regional development" while tackling various other issues through his expertise in legislation and policymaking and Chae will be also able to contribute to enhancing the country's soft power "based on his extensive experience leading an online portal and founding a travel platform." With the latest nominations, of the 19 ministerial posts, almost half or nine are now filled with incumbent lawmakers from the DP including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok who was officially appointed early this week. Hearings for each ministerial candidate are scheduled for next week, with several nominees already facing criticism over various controversies. These include Lee Jin-sook, nominee for the Ministry of Education; Jeong Eun-kyeong, nominee for the Ministry of Health and Welfare; and Kang Sun-woo, nominee for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Their allegations range from thesis plagiarism and stock transactions involving potential conflicts of interest to abuse of power such as assigning personal errands and other inappropriate conduct. Unlike the post of prime minister, cabinet appointments do not require parliamentary approval, though nominees are still subject to confirmation hearings in the National Assembly. 2025-07-11 17:04:38

South Korea, Japan and US conduct aerial drill as defense chiefs meet SEOUL, July 11 (AJP) - South Korea conducted a large-scale joint aerial drill with Japan and the United States, the Defense Ministry said on Friday. In a show of readiness against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the exercise was held over waters off the southern resort island of Jeju, involving a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber as well as South Korea's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighter jets, according to the ministry. "Through close cooperation, the three countries will continue conducting joint training to deter and respond to threats from North Korea," the ministry said in a press release. Friday's exercise, which came less than a month after a similar drill, coincided with an annual meeting where the top military officers of the three countries gathered in Seoul to discuss ways to strengthen trilateral security cooperation. Earlier in the day, South Korea's Adm. Kim Myung-soo met with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, at the Trilateral Chiefs of Defense (Tri-CHOD) meeting, which rotates among the three countries and was held in Seoul this year following the previous gathering in Tokyo last July. In the meeting, Kim emphasized the importance of strong trilateral cooperation in the face of "North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats," which pose significant security challenges on the Korean Peninsula. Expressing his agreement, Caine said, "Our focus in the United States remains on reestablishing deterrence, and doing so needs and requires the trilateral cooperation between our three countries." He then added, "and China are undergoing an unprecedented military buildup with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas. We need to be mindful of that." Recalling the inaugural Tri-CHOD meeting in Hawaii in July 2014, when the primary agenda was solely focused on North Korean threats, Caine also said that trilateral cooperation should now "address broader regional issues," suggesting China's growing influence in the region. 2025-07-11 15:53:01

North Korea hails historic treaty in bid to mend ties with China SEOUL, July 11 (AJP) - North Korea will continue to strengthen its ties with China, the state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on Friday, as two countries marked the anniversary of a treaty signed decades ago. Coinciding with the 64th anniversary of the treaty signed on July 11, 1961, by North Korean regime founder Kim Il-sung and then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, the daily hailed the treaty for laying the groundwork to strengthen "strategic cooperation" between Pyongyang and Beijing and to protect them from "hostile forces' reckless military adventurism," which it claimed "threatens global peace and security." Like North Korea's recent military pact with Russia signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June last year, the treaty also includes a similar clause pledging both countries to provide each other with immediate military assistance in the event of an armed attack. Friday's news coverage fuels speculation that Pyongyang may be attempting to mend ties with its traditional ally after a recent rift, especially given that state media from both sides remained silent about the anniversary last year. 2025-07-11 14:26:33

Shim Eun-kyung's latest Japanese film invited to compete at Locarno Film Festival SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - Actress Shim Eun-kyung's latest film has been invited to the upcoming Locarno Film Festival, which opens next month in Switzerland, the film's distributor said Thursday. Based on a Japanese manga by Yoshiharu Tsuge, "Tabi to Hibi" or "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" tells the story of a scriptwriter whose journey leads her to an unexpected encounter with the owner of a remote countryside inn. Directed by Japanese filmmaker Sho Miyake, the film will vie for the Pardo d'Oro or the Golden Leopard along with 16 other films in the competition section of the Concorso Internazionale, which showcases "both established auteurs and emerging talents, classical form and experimentation." Expectations are already building among fans for Miyake, known for his acclaimed previous works such as "And Your Bird Can Sing" (2018), "Small, Slow But Steady" (2023), and "All the Long Nights" (2024), all of which were invited to another prestigious annual film festival, the Berlinale. Fluent in Japanese, Shim, who earlier said in an interview that she is "honored to be part of Miyake's beautiful film," is expected to walk the red carpet at this year's festival, which is scheduled to kick off its 10-day run on Aug. 6 in southern Switzerland. 2025-07-10 15:45:13

Probe into martial law debacle gains steam with ex-President's rearrest SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors are expected to speed up and intensify their probe into disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle after an arrest warrant for him was issued in the small hours of Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant, citing concerns that Yoon could destroy evidence, leading to his immediate detention once again in a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. His rearrest came about four months after his release in March this year, as independent prosecutors, who took over the case about a week after President Lee Jae-myung took office early last month, filed a request to arrest him on fresh charges related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, after questioning him twice. Yoon, who was arrested in January on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to the debacle and released after about 50 days of detention, cannot be arrested again on the same charges, so prosecutors sought his arrest on five different charges including falsification of official documents, obstruction of official duties, and other accusations such as refusal to cooperate or attempts to evade questioning. Yoon, who attended a hearing for the arrest warrant the previous day, reportedly denied all the allegations, citing the illegality of his detention. But some key aides and officials involved in the case including Kim Seong-hoon, who was in charge of presidential security, changed their statements, which may have influenced the court's decision, interpreting it as an attempt by Yoon to pressure them into testifying in his favor. Independent prosecutors can hold him for up to 20 days for their investigation and will decide whether to file additional charges to extend his detention. They suspect Yoon may have sent drones to provoke Pyongyang in October last year as part of a broader attempt to justify the debacle or build up excuses for it. 2025-07-10 10:09:20

Lee seeks advice from religious leaders over luncheon SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung met with religious leaders at the presidential office on Wednesday. Lee invited the leaders of South Korea's seven key religious orders including Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, Christian pastors, and others to a luncheon to seek their advice on state affairs and promote unity amid deepening social and political conflict. Expressing his concerns, Lee said, "The role of religious leaders is even more important, especially in a time of a growing social division and confrontation." The luncheon came about a month after Lee took office early last month and just two days after he met with Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, who visited to deliver Pope Leo XIV's invitation to the Vatican. The American-born pope is expected to visit Seoul in 2027 to attend World Youth Day (WYD), an international Catholic event that brings together hundreds of thousands of young believers from around the world. Anticipation is already building that he may also visit North Korea to mend inter-Korean relations and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. Once he travels to Seoul as planned, Leo will become the third pope to visit the country, following Pope John Paul II who visited twice in 1984 and 1989, and his predecessor Pope Francis in 2014. 2025-07-09 17:18:18

North Korea to offer AI-related courses at universities SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - North Korea is expected to embrace new technologies with universities likely to offer courses related to artificial intelligence (AI). The move was part of an educational reform discussed at a recent two-day Workers' Party gathering which was held late last month and attended by leader Kim Jong-un, the state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday. The daily further explained that universities have reorganized their study programs by consolidating departments and faculties to foster innovation through AI-related courses and programs to "nurture future talent." Notorious for its formidable hacking professionals and groups with advanced cybercrime expertise, the country, apparently awakened to the explosive growth of AI, appears determined to keep up with the latest trends and use them in operations or activities for the sake of the regime's survival. But it remains to be seen how extensively the reclusive country, where even internet access is heavily restricted or blocked, will adopt the fastest-evolving technology, especially given that AI could expose North Koreans to information about South Korea as well as the outside world, making them become disillusioned with what they've been told about their own country. 2025-07-09 14:58:49

Teaser video for BLACKPINK's new single builds excitement ahead of release this week SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK unveiled a teaser video for their upcoming single on Tuesday, just days ahead of its release later this week. The music video for "Jump," which is set for release on Friday, was created by multiple Grammy-winning American director Dave Meyers, according to their agency YG Entertainment. The quartet already showcased the song during their two-day concert in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province last weekend, where the four members reunited for the first time in nearly two years after their respective solo careers, receiving enthusiastic cheers from some 80,000 fans who gathered amid sweltering temperatures. With the start of their concerts, they will embark on a world tour, visiting around 16 cities around the world and promoting their new catchy song with addictive rhythms, which would help beat the summer heat. 2025-07-08 17:29:20