Military battles unidentified wildfire in DMZ near Goseong SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - A wildfire has started in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the front-line area of Goseong, Gangwon Province, prompting South Korea's military to engage in a firefighting operation. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Friday, the fire was first detected around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in the DMZ area of Goseong. Two firefighting helicopters from the Korea Forest Service were dispatched to extinguish the blaze at about 6:30 a.m. on Friday. "We have issued a prior announcement to the North via loudspeaker broadcasts before the helicopters were deployed," the JCS said in a statement. "There have been no reported casualties or damage to military facilities on our side, and firefighting efforts south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) are proceeding smoothly." The JCS added that the military is closely monitoring movements from the North and maintaining a heightened state of readiness. 2025-04-11 10:44:46

Jeju 4·3 Archives inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World program SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - The Jeju 4·3 Archives have been officially inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World program, marking global recognition of the historical tragedy and the island’s long journey toward truth, reconciliation, and remembrance. The decision was adopted during the 221st session of UNESCO’s Executive Board, held in Paris on Apr. 10 (local time). The listing, under the title “Revealing Truth: Jeju 4·3 Archives,” acknowledges the historical value, authenticity, and universal importance of the records documenting one of South Korea’s darkest chapters. Submitted by Jeju Province and the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation in November 2023, the archive comprises 14,673 documents including military court trial records, handwritten postcards from prison, firsthand testimonies from survivors and bereaved families, civic society campaigns, and three official government investigation reports. The Jeju Uprising, also known as the Jeju 4·3 Incident, began on Apr. 3, 1948, as protests against separate elections planned in South Korea. It escalated into an armed conflict and a brutal state-led counterinsurgency campaign. Over the course of several years, tens of thousands of civilians were killed, and entire villages were destroyed. Historians estimate that between 14,000 and 30,000 people, about 10 percent of Jeju’s population at the time, lost their lives. Long suppressed under authoritarian rule, the events remained taboo for decades. A government truth commission in the early 2000s led to official acknowledgment, apologies, and compensation. The UNESCO listing is now seen as a milestone in international recognition of efforts to reckon with the past. “The inscription of the Jeju 4·3 Archives is a meaningful moment in which the historical journey of the people of Jeju, who healed the pain and achieved reconciliation, has become a heritage for the world,” Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun said. He vowed to continue collecting and preserving related records, and to use them as educational materials for future generations. UNESCO’s International Advisory Committee described the archives as highlighting “efforts to uncover truth in the face of state violence” and praised the community’s democratic commitment to peace and healing. With this inscription, Jeju Province now holds five UNESCO designations: Biosphere Reserve, World Natural Heritage, Global Geopark, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Memory of the World. 2025-04-11 09:41:47

Kazakh Kurultai in Seoul brings together diaspora communities across Asia SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The second Kurultai of Kazakhs in Asia was held in South Korea from Apr. 5 to 6, drawing over 200 participants from ethnic Kazakh communities in Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Mongolia, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea said Wednesday. A Kurultai is a traditional assembly rooted in Turkic and Mongol cultures, historically convened to discuss important political, social, or cultural matters. In the modern context, the Kurultai serves as a platform for uniting the global Kazakh diaspora and preserving cultural heritage while promoting dialogue and cooperation. Organized by the Kazakhstan Embassy in Seoul, the Otandastar Foundation, and the Qazaq Nomad Kazakh Association, the event was hosted at the Global Campus of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the event aimed to reinforce cultural bonds and expand economic collaboration between Kazakhstan and Asian countries. The assembly featured a range of cultural and economic programs. Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Nurgali Arystanov noted the expanding partnership between the two nations, citing South Korea as Kazakhstan’s third-largest investor in 2024, with $1.2 billion in investments and 876 Korean-funded companies operating in the country. Ambassador Arystanov also highlighted deepening people-to-people exchanges, including 13 weekly direct flights, 40,180 Korean tourists visiting Kazakhstan in 2024 -- up 12 percent from the previous year -- and 53,224 Kazakhs traveling to South Korea, an 8 percent year-on-year rise. The first day featured a cultural and economic conference, including presentations on traditional Kazakh jewelry and cuisine, and a performance by singer Zhubanysh Zheksenuly. The day also included South Korea’s first Kazakh-language public speaking contest. Seven students from Hankuk University's Department of Central Asian Studies competed, with sophomore Lee Seo-yeon winning first prize -- a round-trip ticket to Kazakhstan and hotel stay. On April 6, the second day of the Kurultai, participants celebrated Nauryz, the Kazakh New Year, with folk music, dance, and displays of traditional attire and cuisine. The event provided a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and affirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to strengthening ties with its diaspora communities and regional partners in Asia. 2025-04-10 10:53:05

[[UPDATE]] Lee Jae-myung confirms presidential run, pledging to lead a 'real Korea' with K-Initiative vision SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, former leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, officially declared his candidacy for president on Thursday, becoming the first prominent figure to launch a bid following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In a video message, Lee vowed to build a “real Korea” that leads the world under a new K-Initiative vision focused on economic growth, life-centered values, and diplomacy based on national interest. The announcement came just six days after the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove Yoon from office, marking the second presidential impeachment in South Korea’s history after Park Geun-hye in 2017. The early presidential election is scheduled for Jun. 3. Lee’s declaration was made in an 11-minute, 37-second documentary-style video filmed in the aftermath of Yoon’s impeachment. “I am running for president to create a real Korea,” Lee said in the video. He outlined three key objectives of his campaign -- economic growth, prioritizing life and safety, and diplomacy centered on national interests. By highlighting economic growth as his foremost priority, Lee appeared to position himself toward moderate voters. He emphasized his practical policy approach -- coined as "Meoksanism" and "Jalsanism" -- which combines speedy implementation and pragmatism, signaling his readiness to govern. Lee previously ran for president in 2017 and 2022. His candidacy comes after a period of political resurgence. On Apr. 4, the Constitutional Court ruled to remove President Yoon for abuse of power and unconstitutional use of military force related to the martial law incident of Dec. 2024. The impeachment trial concluded that Yoon violated core democratic principles by deploying troops to block the National Assembly and ordering restrictions on civil liberties. Despite facing multiple legal risks in the past, including allegations of false statements and corruption, Lee recently cleared a major hurdle when an appeals court acquitted him on election law violation charges. In 2024, he survived a near-fatal stabbing attack during a public appearance, which triggered a wave of sympathy and renewed support. He now enters the race as the frontrunner, with recent March polling by Flower Research showing him with 46.3 percent support -- more than four times that of the next most popular candidate, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), who polled at 9.7 percent. In the same survey, Lee led in all age groups except those aged 70 and older, and in every region, including conservative strongholds like Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. Among moderates, Lee secured 47.2 percent support, while progressive respondents backed him by 79.2 percent. Conservative support was fragmented among PPP candidates, with Kim Moon-soo at 20.9 percent, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at 11.5 percent, and former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon at 9.0 percent. The poll was conducted on March 28–29 with a sample of 1,001 adults, and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. 2025-04-10 09:48:32

INTERVIEW: Peruvian envoy highlights APEC collaboration, green cooperation and cultural ties with Korea SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Paul Duclos, Ambassador of Peru to South Korea, praised the evolving partnership between the two nations, describing it as “an excellent relationship that has adapted itself over time to changing bilateral and global interests.” In an interview held on Apr. 8, the ambassador reflected on over six decades of diplomatic ties, emphasized multilateral collaboration through Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and detailed strategic areas for future cooperation. “We’re now in the 62nd year of diplomatic relations,” Duclos said. “Some of the milestones include our 2011 Free Trade Agreement and the 2012 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which expanded our collaboration into areas like defense, digital transformation, and environmental issues.” Last year, Peru held the APEC chairmanship and passed it on to South Korea. Duclos noted that Peru had successfully restored consensus-based decision-making within APEC during its tenure. “We could approve up to 20 deliverables, including the Machu Picchu Declaration and the Isma Statement on free trade and investment in the region,” he said, adding: “We also introduced APEC for the Citizen, making sure citizens benefited from expert visits through community events and educational outreach.” He confirmed that Peru has been closely coordinating with South Korea’s APEC team to share this experience. “Our senior official continued to work with the Korean side during the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in February. Both teams are passing on positive and good practices.” Duclos stressed the growing opportunities in trade and investment, particularly in infrastructure, energy, and technology. “Peru offers a very important free trade agreement network -- almost 90 to 95 percent of our trade is covered under FTAs, including with Korea,” he said. He pointed to SK Innovation’s gas production in Camisea and Hyundai’s involvement in the new airport in Cusco as examples of active South Korean investment. In the green sector, hydrogen was highlighted as a new frontier for collaboration. “We’ve been talking with Korean investors on how to jointly work on hydrogen. During our APEC presidency, we made it a deliverable to improve the use of hydrogen in the region,” Duclos said. On critical minerals, the ambassador noted progress following former President Yoon’s visit to Peru during the APEC Leaders’ Summit in 2024. “Peru was officially mentioned as a stable and strategic supplier of critical minerals like zinc and copper,” he said. “This will become another pillar in our cooperation.” The ambassador also pointed to growing cultural exchanges as a bridge between the two countries. “Last year, we were the invited country at the Andong Mask Festival. We brought a K-pop-style artist who sings in Quechua, our native language. It was his first time in Korea, and he performed both in Seoul and Andong,” he recalled. He also highlighted the debut of a K-pop-style girl group trained in Korea, now enjoying success in Peru. Peru is expanding cultural outreach across South Korean cities. “We’re organizing photo and art exhibitions not only in Seoul but also in Busan, Daejeon, Gangwon, and Gyeongju,” he said, mentioning photographer Roberto Huarcaya’s installation currently displayed at the Korea Foundation Gallery in Seoul. “It’s a monumental exhibit using photosensitive paper and light. Truly one-of-a-kind.” Education is also rising on the bilateral agenda, with about 150 Peruvian students in South Korea, many in engineering and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. “We see each student as an ambassador,” he said. “We support them with cultural materials and help them organize events to introduce Peru to Korean communities.” South Korean universities have also traveled to Peru to promote study programs, and the Sejong Institute recently opened a branch at Universidad de San Marcos. Looking ahead, Duclos sees digital transformation as a crucial area of cooperation. “Since 2021, Korea has supported Peru through a digital governance cooperation center. We are glad that during Korea’s APEC presidency, digital issues are among the top priorities,” he said. Duclos also emphasized mutual values and a resilient partnership. “We both prioritize multilateralism and free trade. This APEC back-to-back leadership allows us to align our voices on global challenges,” he said. “This is a resilient relationship that’s only going to grow.” 2025-04-09 17:37:45

DeeprRoute.ai CEO touts AI-native driving system as industry game-changer SEOUL, April 08 (AJP) - Maxwell Zhou, CEO of Chinese autonomous driving company DeeprRoute.ai, has showcased the company’s end-to-end AI-powered technology during his keynote speech at the Seoul Mobility Show held at KINTEX northwest of Seoul on Tuesday, saying the firm’s Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model has ushered in a new era of scalability, transparency, and human-level decision-making in smart driving systems. “This is not just a technological shift,” Zhou said during his keynote speech during the Seoul Mobility Show's forum session, adding: “This is a revolution for robotics and mobility.” Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Shenzhen, DeeprRoute.ai has quickly emerged as a key player in the smart mobility space in China, backed by more than $500 million in funding from investors including Alibaba Group and Great Wall Motor. Zhou noted that DeeprRoute.ai has already deployed its system across more than 40,000 vehicles and is on track to integrate the technology into over 10 new vehicle models this year. At the heart of DeeprRoute’s innovation is the VLA model, which Zhou described as a “generalized AI system” capable of understanding long-term driving contexts and delivering step-by-step, transparent decision-making. The system fuses visual inputs, textual prompts, and navigation data into one cohesive behavioral output, guiding vehicles not only with precision but also with an explanation of why each decision was made. “In traditional systems, decisions are made silently,” Zhou said. “But with our VLA model, the car tells you why it slows down, why it yields to pedestrians, or why it chooses a particular lane. It’s like having a thinking co-pilot.” This transparency, according to Zhou, is key to gaining customer trust -- a challenge that has long plagued autonomous driving developers. During a follow-up interview, he emphasized that “our cars drive like humans, fast and safe, giving customers the confidence to trust and adopt the product.” Zhou also downplayed the industry’s ongoing debate between LiDAR and camera-based perception systems, stating that hardware choices are secondary to the architecture of the AI model itself. “The most important part is not whether you use LiDAR or cameras, but the intelligence of your AI system,” Zhou told AJP. “LiDAR might give you better perception in some rare cases, but for behavioral-level decisions, it brings no significant advantage. What matters is the quality of your architecture.” Zhou highlighted that many competitors are still struggling to build their first end-to-end system, while DeeprRoute.ai has already moved into its second generation. “There’s at least a one-year gap between our technology and the rest,” he said. “The problem we’re solving is completely different.” In addition to China, DeeprRoute.ai has begun testing its vehicles in Germany and is preparing for wider global deployment. The company’s ultimate goal, Zhou said, is to build artificial general intelligence (AGI) for robots—technology that can operate not only cars but any moving object. “Smart driving should not be a premium feature,” he said. “It should be scalable, affordable, and available to all vehicle classes, from luxury to economy models.” Zhou ended his keynote with a vision for the future: a world where AI-native systems continually evolve through real-world data and deliver smarter, safer mobility with every mile. "We are not just building technology—we are building trust, intelligence, and productivity for the next generation of mobility,” Zhou emphasized. 2025-04-08 16:24:07

Job postings fall while number of job seekers rises: data SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - South Korea is facing a growing imbalance in the job market, with new job postings sharply declining while the number of job seekers continues to rise, government data showed Monday. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of new job openings posted through the government’s Employment24 platform in March stood at 154,000. This marks a decrease of 45,000, or 22.8 percent, compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile, the number of new job seekers rose to 480,000, up 63,000 or 15.2 percent from a year earlier. As a result, the job openings-to-applicants ratio—or job vacancy ratio—fell to 0.32 in March, meaning there were fewer than one-third of a job opening available for each job seeker. This is the lowest level for March since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Jeon Kyung-gi, head of future employment analysis at the ministry, said the drop in job openings may be tied to growing uncertainty in the global economy. “Companies could be cutting back on hiring due to concerns over trade policy risks, such as U.S. tariffs under President Trump’s administration,” he said. The growing mismatch between labor supply and demand comes as South Korea continues to see declines in employment among young and middle-aged workers, while older age groups show increases. 2025-04-07 14:10:05

Pyongyang hosts international marathon event for first time in 6 yrs SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - North Korea hosted the 31st Pyongyang International Marathon on Sunday, Pyongyang’s state media reported Monday. It was the first international marathon held in six years, following the country’s lockdown in 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Pyongyang International Marathon is held annually to celebrate the birthday of Kim Il-sung, the founding father of North Korea, who was born in 1912. The event, which draws professional athletes and amateur running enthusiasts from around the world, offers four types of races: full marathon, half-marathon, 10-kilometer run, and 5-kilometer run. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that runners from North Korea, China, Romania, Morocco, Ethiopia, and other countries participated in the international event, along with spectators including foreign tourists, Pyongyang residents, and North Korean government officials. According to state media, male and female North Korean runners won first place in the full marathon and swept the gold, silver, and bronze medals in the half-marathon. In the amateur category, Polish male runners took the top three places, while a female runner from Hong Kong finished first in the women’s race. Around 180 foreign runners joined this year’s marathon through a six-day Pyongyang tour program organized by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency. According to the exclusive travel partner of the event, the Pyongyang program offers foreign participants the opportunity to run through the streets of the North Korean capital and engage with locals. 2025-04-07 10:14:26

70% of workers say impeachment rallies had positive impact on S. Korean democracy SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) - A majority of South Korean workers believe the rallies calling for the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol contributed positively to the country’s democratic development, a recent survey showed Sunday. According to a survey of one thousand working people aged 19 and more, conducted by civic group Gapjil119, 68.7 percent of respondents agreed that the rallies had a positive impact on the development of democracy in South Korean society. Female respondents (74.1 percent) were more likely than male respondents (62.7 percent) to view the rallies favorably. Many workers also expressed a sense of political empowerment through participation in rallies. A total of 80.1 percent agreed that rallies are “an effective way to express one’s views as a citizen,” while 79.8 percent said rallies “have the power to correct what is wrong with the country.” Meanwhile, 12.5 percent said they had personally taken part in the pro-impeachment demonstrations. While the outlook for political democratization in South Korea appeared generally positive, expectations for greater workplace democracy were more muted. About 63.3 percent agreed that “South Korean politics will become more democratic following the impeachment rallies,” but only 47.3 percent said that “democracy in the workplace will expand as a result.” When asked what is needed to improve democracy at work, 35.6 percent cited the “introduction of fair decision-making processes,” followed by “eliminating unfair labor practices” (26.8 percent), “increasing transparency and access to corporate information” (19.0 percent), “guaranteeing labor union activity” (8.5 percent), and “expanding employee representation in decision-making” (8.4 percent). Gapjil 119's attorney Lee Sun-min said, “While many citizens chant for democracy in public squares, unilateral decisions and irrational practices by employers still persist in the workplace. Institutional reforms and action to realize workplace democracy must come alongside political democratization.” 2025-04-06 14:42:58

National Assembly speaker proposes constitutional referendum alongside presidential election SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) - National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik proposed Sunday holding a constitutional referendum on the same day as South Korea's upcoming presidential election, following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Speaking at an emergency press conference at the National Assembly, Woo emphasized the need for constitutional reform to reinforce the separation of powers and to better reflect popular sovereignty and national unity. "We need to strengthen the pillars of the separation of powers for the sake of the people’s sovereignty and integration," he said. "A constitutional amendment is necessary." Woo noted that although constitutional revision has often been a campaign promise during past presidential elections, actual progress has been rare. "There has been only one serious attempt, and that too was blocked by conflicting interests and calculations among political factions," he said, pointing specifically to disputes over the structure of executive power as a major stumbling block. He explained that constitutional reform efforts often stall depending on political timing. "At the beginning of a presidential term, leaders hesitate, fearing a political black hole. Toward the end, lame-duck status weakens momentum." Given the current political transition, Woo argued that now is the right time. "Before a new president takes office, we must open the way," he said. "There is no clearer moment to heed the public’s call for a redistribution of power and to realize popular sovereignty and national unity." He proposed pursuing discussions up to what can be agreed within the current timeframe and focusing especially on changes to the power structure. "If some issues remain unresolved, we can address them in a second round of constitutional revisions, perhaps alongside next year’s local elections," he added. To move forward, Woo called on all political parties to support amending the National Referendum Act and establishing a special parliamentary committee on constitutional reform. He pointed out a key procedural hurdle: the current National Referendum Act restricts overseas citizens' voting rights, a provision previously ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. "We must revise this clause and ensure simultaneous voting for the public office election and constitutional referendum is legally viable." "It is urgent that we immediately establish the constitutional reform committee," Woo said, urging lawmakers to act swiftly given the time constraints involved in preparing for a referendum. 2025-04-06 14:17:25