KAIST develops AI to predict dangerous crowd surges more accurately SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) has developed an artificial intelligence system that can predict when and where dangerous crowd crushes may occur, raising hopes for preventing disasters such as the Itaewon tragedy that occurred in 2022. The research, announced on September 17, was led by Professor Lee Jae-gil of KAIST's School of Computing. The study also involved contributions from Professor Yoon Soo-sik of Korea University and Professor Song Hwan-joon of KAIST's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Doctoral students Nam Young-eun and Na Ji-hye of KAIST were among the lead authors. The team presented their findings in August at KDD 2025, one of the world’s top conferences in artificial intelligence and data science. Professor Lee's team sought to create an AI that could catch the early signs of such crowd disasters. Existing methods often focus only on one factor, such as how many people are currently in a space or how they are moving between areas. The new model combines both. The researchers introduced a technique called bi-modal learning, which analyzes node data (how many people are in a given location) and edge data (how people are moving between locations) at the same time. To improve accuracy, they added three-dimensional contrastive learning, which allows the AI to capture both spatial relationships and how those relationships shift over time. This approach makes it possible to spot situations that single-factor models might miss. For example, if one alley is not yet overcrowded but nearby areas are steadily sending more people into it, the AI can flag the location as high-risk before it becomes critical. To test their system, the researchers built six real-world datasets. These included subway ridership in Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, traffic flow in New York, and COVID-19 case records from South Korea and New York. Across all tests, their model outperformed 16 leading prediction methods. In some cases, it achieved a maximum of 76.1 percent greater accuracy, measured by mean squared error, a standard benchmark for predictive reliability. "This research shows the importance of developing technology that can have a real social impact," said Professor Lee. "We hope it will contribute to managing large crowds at festivals and events, reducing urban traffic congestion, and even slowing the spread of infectious diseases." The study was presented at the ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD 2025). 2025-09-17 11:22:30

 Lee vows practical diplomacy with US, China, Japan, and Russia SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that South Korea will pursue "practical diplomacy centered on national interest" to improve relations with the United States, China, Japan, and Russia. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Lee outlined the first of five foreign policy tasks under his administration, emphasizing that South Korea must navigate its diplomacy based on pragmatic choices rather than ideology. "We will move beyond rigid thinking and focus on advancing cooperation with the four major powers to protect and expand our national interest," he said, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The president highlighted that the strategic environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula is changing rapidly, with heightened tensions in Northeast Asia and shifting global supply chains. He said South Korea must strengthen relations with each of the four powers in ways that ensure balance and resilience. Lee noted that ties with the U.S remain the cornerstone of South Korea's security, particularly in deterring threats from North Korea. He also pointed to the depth of economic interdependence with China, which accounts for roughly one quarter of South Korea's exports. Relations with Japan have recently gained momentum. In late August, Lee held his first full bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, where the two leaders reaffirmed cooperation on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and agreed to expand collaboration in areas such as hydrogen, ammonia, and artificial intelligence. Relations with Russia remain complicated, particularly since South Korea joined international sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. Still, the government views Moscow as an important factor in regional stability. At a reception in Seoul last week marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev said, "Despite many difficulties, there are still possibilities for Russia and South Korea to restore practical and mutually beneficial cooperation." His remarks were widely seen as a signal that Moscow is open to improving ties under the new administration. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul briefed the Cabinet on the ministry's plan to advance this task, which includes holding regular high-level talks with Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, and Moscow and expanding platforms for dialogue on both security and economic issues. The ministry said the broader aim is to strengthen South Korea's voice in shaping regional order and to ensure that diplomacy serves the country's long-term prosperity and security. 2025-09-16 18:14:33

S. Korea mulls renaming term for N. Korean defectors as integration deepens SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the government is studying the possibility of changing the widely used Korean term "Talbukmin" (탈북민, translated as defector) to refer to North Korean arrivals, reflecting a shift in perceptions as more North Korean-born residents take active roles in society. According to the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, Chung's remarks were made during his opening speech session of the Gyeonggi-region Unification Plus Center on Monday. The minister noted that the word Talbukmin carries a negative connotation. "The word that North Korean arrivals dislike the most is 'Tal' (탈, translated roughly as 'to exit'), and the words Tal and Talbuk (탈북, to exit from the North) sound very unpleasant. That is why the ministry has commissioned research to find an alternative name. Right now, 'Bukhyangmin' seems to be the most supported option." The term "Bukhyangmin" translates roughly as "people whose hometown is in the North." The ministry signed a research contract last month with the Association for North Korean Studies to study alternatives and will publish the results in November. The research will consider whether to formally revise the legal term Talbukmin as defined in South Korea's settlement law or to promote a softer everyday expression instead. The debate comes against the backdrop of how North Korean-born residents have become far more visible and integrated in South Korean society. Twenty years ago, defectors were often regarded with curiosity, and even ten years ago, they were seen as exceptions. Today, they are present across multiple fields, from YouTube influencers and business leaders to public servants and politicians. One of the most prominent is Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected in 2016 and later became a South Korean lawmaker. Thae, who had served as North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, won a parliamentary seat in 2020 as a member of the conservative People Power Party. His career underscored how those once described only as defectors are now shaping South Korea's own political discourse.. The trend is supported by data. According to the Unification Ministry, more than 33,000 North Korean defectors have resettled in South Korea since the 1990s. Women account for about 72 percent of new arrivals. Annual entries peaked in the mid-2000s at over 2,000, but the numbers nosedived after 2012 and fell even more sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, when border closures between North Korea and China nearly halted defections. Only 229 people entered in 2020, dropping to 63 in 2021 and 67 in 2022. Although arrivals remain at record lows, the community as a whole has grown large enough to push for shifts in terminology and perception. Public sentiment also points in that direction. A 2023 Korea Institute for National Unification survey found that 58.9 percent of defectors themselves supported changing the legal terminology. Past attempts at alternatives, such as the term "saeteomin" (new settlers), failed to gain traction in daily usage, but the debate over names continues as part of broader efforts to promote social inclusion. 2025-09-16 16:10:46

Mexico and South Korea highlight future cooperation at Independence Day celebration SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - SEOUL, Sept. 12 — Mexico and South Korea looked toward deeper cooperation in trade, investment, and cultural exchange at a reception marking the 215th anniversary of Mexico's independence, held Friday at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul. Around 300 diplomats, scholars, business figures, and special guests attended the celebration. Mexican Ambassador Carlos Peñafiel Soto and South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo both stressed the importance of building on the long-standing relationship between the two countries. "Beyond economic or commercial relations, the ties between our nations are built by our peoples: businesspersons, students, professors, families, and tourists," Ambassador Peñafiel said. "In 2025, we commemorate the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean migrants to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The Embassy is committed to continuing to promote even more exchanges to strengthen our bonds." The ambassador also pointed to recent high-level contacts between the two governments. "Mexico is seeking to diversify its markets and strengthen cooperation with international partners on a respectful and mutually beneficial basis," he said, noting the meeting between President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Lee Jae-myung at the G7 summit in June. The evening included a traditional Grito de Independencia ceremony, the symbolic reenactment of Mexico’s historic cry for independence. Guests dressed in traditional clothes carried the Mexican flag onto the stage and presented it to the ambassador, who held it high while shouting patriotic phrases in Spanish. Attendees responded by raising their right hands across their chests, echoing the call of "¡Viva México!" that marked the start of Mexico’s independence movement in 1810. Minister Yeo, attending as the guest of honor, focused on the need to revive stalled free trade agreement (FTA) talks between South Korea and Mexico. He recalled that previous efforts had not succeeded, despite repeated attempts. "In 2015, when I was director general, I accompanied the Korean president on her visit to Mexico, and the two countries agreed to launch a free trade agreement, but it didn't materialize," Yeo said. "Again in 2022, as trade minister, I flew to Mexico and agreed with the economy minister to start negotiations, but that also did not move forward. As a trade specialist, I didn't do my homework. We need to restart free trade agreement negotiations and build a stronger partnership between Korea and Mexico." Yeo also underlined the scope of South Korean investment in Mexico. "Almost 500 Korean companies have invested in Mexico, including Samsung Electronics, LG, Kia, and POSCO," he said. "We have great potential to develop our mutual trade and investment, and I believe we can do much better." In lighter remarks, the minister noted the growing popularity of Mexican food and drink in South Korea, saying tequila consumption had doubled in recent years. "More and more Korean people enjoy Mexican food, but the best tacos in the world are bulgogi tacos," he said to laughter. He also mentioned that K-pop content is breaking records in Mexico, pointing to its role in cultural exchange between the two countries. 2025-09-14 17:26:37

[[K-Pop]] BTS Suga's 'Haegeum' music video surpasses 100 million views on YouTube SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - The music video for "Haegeum," released under BTS member Suga's solo alias Agust D, has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, his agency BigHit Music said on September 14. The video hit the milestone at around 5:07 a.m. Sunday. It is the third Agust D music video to top 100 million views, following "Agust D" and "Daechwita." "Haegeum" was unveiled in April 2023 as the title track of Suga's solo album "D-Day." The hip-hop song incorporates the sound of the traditional Korean string instrument haegeum. The title also plays on the dual meaning of the word — both the instrument and "lifting a ban" — to convey a message centered on freedom. 2025-09-14 16:07:50

Industry minister returns from US after tariff talks, differences on investment remain SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - South Korea's industry minister Kim Jung-kwan returned home on September 14 after meeting U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in New York, but stopped short of saying whether the two sides had narrowed gaps on investment terms linked to their July tariff agreement. Kim landed at Incheon International Airport early Sunday and brushed off questions from reporters about the outcome of his talks. "Bilateral consultations are still in progress," he said, without elaborating. The minister had met Lutnick on September 12 local time to discuss the details of South Korea's 350-billion-dollar investment pledge in the United States, which was part of a July 30 deal that cut planned reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent. Neither Seoul nor Washington released any statement after the talks, suggesting key sticking points remain unresolved. According to officials, South Korea has been pushing to keep direct investment commitments lower by offsetting them with guarantees, while the U.S. side has pressed for a higher share of direct investment. The two governments have also disagreed on who should select investment projects. Washington has insisted on taking the lead, but Seoul wants South Korean companies to decide based on their own business assessments. Profit-sharing has been another obstacle. Lutnick has pointed to Japan's arrangement with the U.S. as a model, under which revenues are split evenly until Japan recovers its 550-billion-dollar investment, after which the U.S. takes 90 percent of profits. South Korea has resisted the proposal. When asked if Lutnick demanded the "Japan model," Kim replied, "Rather than saying it was the Japan model, there is already a tariff package in place," sidestepping the question. On whether Seoul might eventually give in to U.S. demands, he said, "The expression that we would accept everything is not appropriate." Working-level negotiations earlier this month also failed to produce results. South Korean officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Economy and Finance met U.S. trade negotiators in Washington on September 8, but the talks ended without progress. Kim then flew to the United States on September 11 to personally lead ministerial-level discussions. Alongside tariffs and investments, U.S. negotiators have asked South Korea to ease non-tariff barriers in areas such as agriculture and digital trade, while Seoul has sought to highlight potential cooperation in shipbuilding. During his trip, Kim also raised concerns about the detention of 330 South Korean workers in Georgia. The workers were swept up in an immigration raid earlier this year at the Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site. He told U.S. officials that visa issues must be resolved to ensure Korean companies can carry out investments in the United States without facing similar disruptions. 2025-09-14 14:17:54

South Korea expands support for socially withdrawn youth amid rising numbers SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on September 14 that it will step up efforts to support isolated and secluded young adults, also described as socially withdrawn youth, after identifying more than 1,300 cases through pilot centers. Isolated and secluded young adults, often described as socially withdrawn youth, are young people who cut themselves off from education, work and social interaction for extended periods of time. Many spend most of their time at home, sometimes confined to a single room, avoiding contact even with close family members. This phenomenon has emerged as a social problem in South Korea, where economic pressures, academic competition and strained personal relationships can drive young people into isolation. Experts warn that prolonged withdrawal not only disrupts normal development and employment prospects but also increases risks of depression and suicide, placing a heavy burden on families and society at large. Youth Future Centers, first opened last year in Incheon, Ulsan, North Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces, have uncovered 1,300 young people cut off from society as of June this year. The centers provide counseling, daily life recovery programs, group living options and family services aimed at helping them regain stability and independence. The ministry plans to double the number of centers to eight next year by adding four more. Officials also said one-on-one online counseling will be introduced to strengthen suicide prevention. The new service will allow counselors to proactively reach out to young people who register for help. "We are preparing a service where applications from at-risk youth will be accepted, and counselors will reach out at specific times to ask about their psychological state and provide support," a ministry official said. The scale of the problem has been highlighted by government surveys. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, about 5.2 percent of South Korea’s young people — roughly 540,000 individuals — were estimated to be socially withdrawn in 2024. That figure was more than double the 2.4 percent recorded in 2022. The survey cited job-related difficulties (24.1 percent), interpersonal relationship problems (23.5 percent), family issues (12.4 percent), health concerns (12.4 percent) and academic struggles (10.4 percent) as the main reasons. A joint study carried out last year by the Health Ministry and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that nearly 75 percent of socially withdrawn youth had thought about suicide at least once. Officials say the new counseling program is intended to address these risks more directly. Families of affected young people will also be offered education programs, psychological counseling and self-help groups. 2025-09-14 10:50:40

Kim Yo-jong warns US, Japan and South Korea over upcoming military drills SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - SEOUL — Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong-un, warned that upcoming joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan would bring "bad results" for those countries, calling them a reckless show of force in the wrong place. Her statement, released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on September 14, criticized two drills set to begin next week. The first, Iron Mace, is a U.S.–South Korea combined nuclear and conventional integration tabletop exercise scheduled for September 15 to 19. The second, Freedom Edge, is a trilateral multi-domain exercise that will involve U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces operating on and around the Korean Peninsula. "We have already cautioned that the 'Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula' fabricated by the U.S. and South Korea are indeed a dangerous idea," Kim said. "If the current rulers sympathize with this dangerous idea cooked up by their predecessors and put it into practice, we will regard it as an unfiltered demonstration of their anti-DPRK confrontational stand and a succession of confrontational policy." She added, "I remind the U.S., Japan and South Korea that the reckless show of strength made by them in real action in the vicinity of the DPRK, which is the wrong place, will inevitably bring bad results to themselves." Her comments suggested frustration that the Lee Jae Myung administration in South Korea and U.S. President Donald Trump have spoken about dialogue with Pyongyang while continuing exercises the North has long condemned as invasion rehearsals. Kim did not mention either leader by name, but her reference to "current rulers" made clear her displeasure. On the same day, Park Jong-chon, vice chairman of North Korea's Central Military Commission, issued a separate statement calling the drills a "nuclear war rehearsal" and "the most comprehensive and aggressive invasion war drill." He argued that the situation proves North Korea must continue to build its strategic strength. "The United States and its followers should not test our patience and must stop dangerous games that aggravate regional tensions and undermine security," Park said. "If these shows of force continue, our countermeasures will also be expressed more clearly and at a higher intensity." Both statements were distributed only through KCNA, which primarily addresses foreign audiences, and were not carried in Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party newspaper aimed at North Korea's domestic readers. The language reflects Pyongyang's long-standing pattern of denouncing joint military drills. Past exercises such as Ulchi Freedom Shield and the now-defunct Team Spirit drew similar reactions, with North Korea portraying them as rehearsals for invasion (source: U.S. Department of Defense archives). Iron Mace was introduced in 2023 after Washington and Seoul agreed to strengthen nuclear deterrence, while Freedom Edge was first conducted earlier this year to expand trilateral coordination across air, sea, space and cyber domains (source: South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense). 2025-09-14 09:50:02

Russian envoy signals possibility of restoring ties with South Korea SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Russia sees room for reviving its strained relationship with South Korea, Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev said during a reception in Seoul marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. "Today, despite the many difficulties, Russia and South Korea still have the possibility of restoring practical and mutually beneficial cooperation," Zinoviev told guests at the embassy event on September 12. He added that dialogue and collaboration between the two nations "align with the fundamental interests of both peoples." The event was part of a series of commemorations highlighting the Soviet role in defeating militarist Japan and the liberation of Korea in 1945. Zinoviev recalled that more than 35,000 Soviet soldiers were killed or wounded during the Manchurian campaign against Japan, including over 1,900 who fell on the Korean Peninsula. He described the Soviet Union's rapid defeat of Japan's Kwantung Army as decisive in forcing Tokyo's surrender and ensuring Korea's independence after 35 years of colonial rule. "Our two nations and peoples are deeply connected by the shared struggle for Korea's liberation and independence, and many of our compatriots sacrificed their lives in that process," Zinoviev said. He pointed to cultural and scholarly exchanges as a way of preserving that historical connection, noting that the embassy is supporting a research project with South Korean universities on the Soviet role in World War II. Relations between Russia and South Korea have shifted repeatedly over the past century. In the late 19th century, the Russian Empire was one of the few powers that offered diplomatic recognition to the Joseon court, signing the 1884 Treaty of Friendship and Commerce. Russian diplomats and soldiers also provided shelter to Korean exiles during the Japanese colonial era, and Moscow's early support for independence activists gave Russia a lasting place in Korean historical memory. Formal diplomatic ties were not established until 1990, but the post-Cold War decades brought rapid growth in exchanges. Russia supplied South Korea with technical know-how in missiles and rockets, giving Seoul's struggling space program a crucial boost. By the 2000s, South Korean consumer goods were highly popular in Russia, and trade volumes exceeded 7 billion USD before the pandemic. Energy imports, car exports, and cultural programs further deepened the relationship. The trajectory changed sharply after the conflict in Ukraine began in 2022. South Korea joined Western-led sanctions and added hundreds of product categories to its export restrictions on Russia. While Seoul publicly maintained a stance of not sending weapons to countries at war, leaked U.S. intelligence documents in 2023 revealed that South Korea was replenishing American and Polish ammunition stocks. Moscow regarded these moves as a breach of trust and repeatedly warned that providing arms, even indirectly, crossed a red line. The cooling of ties also spilled into the cultural arena. Performances by Russian artists were canceled in Seoul, sometimes following pressure from Ukraine's diplomatic representatives. Russian officials voiced frustration that culture was being drawn into politics. Trade volumes fell, and South Korean firms such as Hyundai faced difficulties maintaining operations in Russia. The election of President Lee Jae Myung in June has opened a new chapter. Lee has emphasized pragmatism in foreign policy and shown less appetite for confrontation than his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol. Russia's envoy appeared to acknowledge that shift. Without outlining specific measures, Zinoviev stressed the importance of restoring dialogue and protecting areas of cooperation that remain less affected by politics, such as culture, research, and youth exchanges. "There is a genuine interest in Russian culture and a friendly attitude toward Russia within South Korean society," Zinoviev said at the reception. "This is why I believe continued dialogue and cooperation between our two countries serves the fundamental interests of both peoples." 2025-09-13 15:23:26

Venezuelan exhibition in Seoul aims to build cultural bridge with Korea SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - Venezuela's Embassy in the Republic of Korea has described the new exhibition "Color Without Limits: Tribute to Carlos Cruz Diez" as a cultural bridge linking Venezuela and South Korea, highlighting how art can strengthen ties between two nations that are geographically distant yet connected by shared values. "This exhibition is an opportunity for cultural exchange between Venezuela and Korea," Isabel Di Carlo Quero, Chargé d'Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Seoul, told AJP on Thursday. "Although our countries are far apart, we share coincidences in the arts, and Korea has always had a refined appreciation for them. Preserving the legacy of three major Venezuelan kinetic artists — Jesús Rafael Soto, Carlos Cruz Diez, and Víctor Salas — is part of that shared commitment." The exhibition opened in Caracas in 2023, traveled to Beijing in 2024, and arrived in Seoul this year to coincide with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and South Korea. It follows last year's "RGB: The Colors of the Century" at the Seoul Arts Center and continues to celebrate the centenary of maestro Cruz Diez. Carlos Cruz Diez (1923~2019) was one of Venezuela's most influential artists and a global pioneer of kinetic and optical art. His work explored the interaction of light and color, often creating the perception of movement in static pieces. Cruz Diez's legacy is present in museums and public spaces worldwide, and his influence remains central to contemporary visual arts. Alongside honoring Cruz Diez, the exhibition features works by young Venezuelan artists with cognitive conditions such as autism and Down syndrome, who reinterpret the maestro's kinetic style in ways that promote inclusion and diversity. "It raises awareness about how we can give people with special conditions a chance to be included in society and to develop skills for the future," Di Carlo Quero said. She added that the exhibition underscores Venezuela's intent to keep Cruz Diez's legacy alive for younger generations. "With just primary colors, one can create infinite variations," she said. "That message reflects creativity without limits, and it is also a way to connect our two nations." Seoul already hosts two important Venezuelan works — one at Olympic Park and another in Gyeonggi Province — making the capital a meaningful stop for this project. For Venezuelan artists, the exhibition is also an opportunity to highlight the enduring resonance of kinetic art in Korea, a country with a long-standing appreciation for contemporary and abstract art. As the two countries mark six decades of diplomatic ties this year, Venezuelan officials expressed hope that "Color Without Limits" will serve as a lasting bridge between peoples, extending friendship through art, inclusivity, and shared creativity. 2025-09-12 16:43:01