AJU PRESS - ASIA NEWS HUB

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Kim Hee-su khs@ajupres.com

South Korean officials in Washington to finalize tariff talks before Lee-Trump summit SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - South Korea's top trade officials met with their U.S. counterparts in Washington on Thursday, just four days ahead of the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to fine-tune key trade issues, particularly those tied to last month's tariff agreement. Yeo returned to the U.S. less than a month after concluding a deal on July 30, narrowly beating the deadline set by Trump to avoid a 25 percent tariff hike. While the two countries have agreed to reduce reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent, Thursday’s talks focused on finalizing the technical details to be addressed during Monday’s summit at the White House. After his July visit, Yeo told reporters, "further negotiations would continue," explaining that only the tariff rate had been agreed upon at that stage. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan is also scheduled to arrive in Washington on Friday. He is expected to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, along with other senior officials. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the early arrival of key trade and industry ministers is intended to “thoroughly prepare” for the upcoming summit on August 25. 2025-08-22 14:48:20
[[K-Pop]] BTS member Jungkook's song garners 2.5 billion streams on Spotify SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - "Seven," a song by Jungkook, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, has garnered over 2.5 billion streams on the world's largest streaming site Spotify, his management agency BigHit Music said on Thursday. Released in July 2023, the song, a serenade about wanting to spend every day with a loved one, became the first K-pop single to achieve the feat and also set a record by remaining on Spotify's global weekly chart for more than 100 consecutive weeks. Earlier, the song was recognized by Guinness World Records as the fastest song by a male artist, having attracted 100 million streams in just about a week after its release. Meanwhile, the seven-member band will release their new album early next year and embark on a large-scale world tour. They have been staying in the U.S. since last month to prepare for the album. 2025-08-21 14:52:23
Ex-first lady's detention period extended to late this month SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors investigating multiple allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee can now hold her longer, as her detention period has been extended until the end of this month. In a press statement on Wednesday, prosecutors said the Seoul Central District Court had extended her detention for another 10 days until Aug. 31, as her detention period was set to expire this week. Kim has been detained at a remand prison in southern Seoul since early last week over multiple charges of accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and jewelry, being involved in a stock manipulation scheme, and interfering in candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections. She was scheduled to appear for questioning later in the day, but she did not show up, citing poor health. During her previous questioning, she reportedly denied all allegations and claimed she couldn't remember. Prosecutors have now rescheduled her questioning and asked her to appear on Thursday. 2025-08-20 17:48:33
Spanish film starring South Korean footballer set for release next month SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Midfielder Yang Jae-woo, who currently plays for Spanish football team Móstoles CF, has taken a leading role in the Iberian country's upcoming film, slated for release next month. Based on Venezuelan author Ariana Godoy's popular web-based novel, "Sigue Mi Voz" (Follow My Voice) tells the story of a young woman who leads a reclusive life but gradually opens up to the world after being moved by the voice of a late-night radio host, portrayed by Yang. Yang, fluent in both Korean and Spanish, reportedly earned the role through an audition, becoming the first South Korean to star in a Spanish film, though a few others have previously appeared in supporting roles. He moved to Spain when he was 11 years old after being recruited by Villarreal CF's youth team in 2012 and has lived there since. The romantic film is set to hit local theaters there on Sept. 12. 2025-08-20 15:37:23
Two dead, several injured after train hits railway workers in Cheongdo SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Two men were killed and five others were injured after a passenger train struck a group of railway workers on the tracks in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred around 10:50 a.m. when a train bound for Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, that had departed from Dongdaegu, collided with seven workers inspecting railway damage caused by recent heavy rainfall. There were 89 passengers aboard the train, but no injuries among them have been reported so far. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation, and police are also examining whether the workers complied with safety regulations. 2025-08-19 16:58:44
[[K-Film]] Bong Joon-ho's early short available for screening next week SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's early short film is set for release at local theaters in Seoul next week, multi-screen chain Megabox said on Tuesday. "Incoherence" was chosen to launch the chain's monthly project showcasing renowned filmmakers' early works and short films by up-and-coming directors. The 30-minute short, made by Bong in 1994 as his graduation project for a film institute, is an omnibus with humorous satire of hypocritical elites. Despite having only a limited release at several Megabox theaters starting Aug. 27, the film is expected to attract his avid fans and film buffs eager to trace the early works of Bong, who has directed many acclaimed films including "Parasite," which won multiple Oscars in 2020. 2025-08-19 14:29:27
Lee's approval rating falls to lowest since taking office SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has slid further to the lowest since he took office in early June. According to a survey of over 2,000 voters conducted by pollster Realmeter last week and released on Monday, some 51.1 percent of respondents said Lee was doing well in his job while 44.5 percent said he wasn't. His approval rating fell 5.4 percentage points from the previous week and 12.2 points compared with two weeks earlier, when it stood at 63.3 percent. Realmeter speculated that the decline was largely due to his pardons of several controversial political figures including former Justice Minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Cho Kuk, who was serving a prison term for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions, and Yoon Mi-hyang, the former head of a charity for wartime sex slavery victims, who was handed a three-year suspended sentence last year for embezzling donations, among others. Amid public criticism over their wrongdoings and irregularities, the two remain unremorseful, claiming their cases were politically motivated by the previous administration. In a separate survey of about 1,000 voters conducted during the same week, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) earned 39.9 percent support, falling below 40 percent for the first time in about seven months, as Lee's approval rating tumbled. But the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rose 6.4 percentage points to 36.7 percent, narrowing the gap with the DP. Meanwhile, a commemorative stamp marking the 100th day of Lee's inauguration will be issued next month. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, a strip of the stamps will be available for purchase at Korea Post on Sept. 11, with prices ranging from 430 won to 27,000 won (about US$0.22 to $19.50). . 2025-08-18 16:35:38
Annual joint military exercise with US kicks off SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - South Korea's annual joint military exercise with the U.S. began on Monday, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. Dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield, the exercise runs until Aug. 28 and includes computer-simulated drills as well as field training to strengthen the two allies' combined defense posture against North Korean threats and other security challenges. Although the overall scale of the exercise remains unchanged from previous years, this year's exercise, the first since President Lee Jae-myung took office in early June, has been scaled down, with about 20 of the 40 planned field training exercises being postponed until September due to a scorching heat wave. Some speculate the scaled-down exercise may also be part of the Lee administration's recent conciliatory gestures toward North Korea. In his speech marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day last week, Lee reiterated his willingness to engage with the North, although Pyongyang has continued to snub his repeated overtures. North Korea's defense chief strongly denounced the exercise about a week ago, threatening "negative consequences." In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol called it "provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the and making another serious challenge to the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the region." Along with the exercise, nationwide civil defense drills are also being held this week to ensure preparedness for crises and other emergencies. 2025-08-18 14:28:05
Washington sends congratulatory message to Seoul ahead of Liberation Day SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - The U.S. sent a congratulatory message to South Korea on Wednesday, just days ahead of the country's 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, which falls on Friday. In a press statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the have forged an alliance based on shared values and mutual interests," he said, vowing to "stand with" South Korea which "has flourished as a resilient democracy and valued economic partner." He also expressed his expectations for "collaborating" with President Lee Jae-myung to strengthen the bilateral alliance. Meanwhile, a large-scale event is set to take place in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, marking the country's independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, along with a series of other events in celebration of Lee's inauguration in early June. The event comes about two months after Lee took office with a low-key ceremony on June 4, as he had no time to spare for a full transition period as he was elected through a snap election to replace former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol who was impeached over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year. Former presidents and their widows except Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee were invited to the event, but only former President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, along with Kwon Yang-sook, the wife of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, are expected to attend. To create a festive mood, a slew of singers and performers is set to take the stage at a pre-event on the lawn of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on Thursday night. 2025-08-14 13:16:25
Annual report highlights media censorship despite 'no significant changes' in South Korea's human rights situation SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - The U.S. raised concerns over media censorship, restrictions on freedom of expression, and worker's rights in South Korea in its annual human rights report released on Tuesday. Despite "no significant changes in the human rights situation" in the country, the State Department enumerated several cases, that occurred last year, including "credible reports of restrictions on freedom of expression" and some violations of workers' rights and discriminations. "Media outlets and unions expressed concern about restrictions on freedom of the press and expression and questioned the impartiality of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), a quasigovernmental media watchdog whose nine commissioners were political appointees," the report pointed out. Taking the case of the yearlong strikes by doctors protesting the government's medical reform plan to increase medical school admissions and the penalties they face, it also wrote, "The law provides most workers the right to form and join independent unions, conduct strikes within strict limits, and bargain collectively, though certain limitations apply." With the country seeing an increasing influx of foreign workers, the report said, "In general, the government effectively enforced laws on wages and acceptable working conditions in most sectors, but migrants faced discriminatory laws." 2025-08-13 14:30:54