Journalist

송윤서
  • Lee to visit Singapore and the Philippines next week
    Lee to visit Singapore and the Philippines next week SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to embark on a trip to Singapore and the Philippines next week, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Lee is scheduled to depart for Singapore on Sunday for a summit with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During his three-day stay there, Lee will also meet with ceremonial head of state Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Lee will then attend a joint event between the two countries to discuss exchanges and expand cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI)-related areas, while meeting with people working in the field. Kang described Singapore as a transportation, logistics and financial hub that leads regional free trade, expressing expectations that Lee's trip will strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure while expanding collaboration into "promising future sectors" such as AI and nuclear energy. After wrapping up his itinerary there, Lee will travel to Manila for a summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., and will attend a business forum and other events. Calling the Philippines a longtime partner as South Korea's first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic relations, Kang said that the archipelagic country was also the first Asian country to send the largest number of troops to aid South Korea during the Korean War. She added that Lee's summit, slated for March 3, would be even more meaningful as it marks the 77th anniversary of bilateral relations. Kang also expressed hope that the visit will deepen the two countries' cooperation across various sectors including defense, trade, nuclear energy, shipbuilding and critical minerals. She added that the Philippines, which assumed the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, followed by Singapore next year, will help further foster the visions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established in October 2024. 2026-02-27 11:04:19
  • North Korean leader visits family mausoleum with newly-elected party members
    North Korean leader visits family mausoleum with newly-elected party members SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited his family's mausoleum as soon as the country's key party congress wrapped up, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim paid his respects at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where the embalmed bodies of the two Kim seniors lie in state, accompanied by key party officials and other members who were newly elected at the country's ninth party gathering the previous day. KCNA said participants "solemnly reaffirmed" their resolve to fulfill their tasks set out by the party. In a closing statement earlier, Kim declared that policies and decisions made at the weeklong party congress will be "brilliantly carried out without fail." Held almost every five years, the party congress brings together a large number of party members and other representatives from across the country to review the past five years and set the direction for domestic and foreign policy for the next five years. This year's gathering ran for seven days from Feb. 19 and concluded with a military parade and other commemorative events. 2026-02-27 10:18:37
  • Kim Jong-un unanimously re-elected to lead North Koreas Workers Party
    Kim Jong-un unanimously re-elected to lead North Korea's Workers' Party SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was unanimously re-elected general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported on Monday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the unanimous decision was made the previous day during the fourth day of the party's ongoing ninth congress, which began last Thursday. Lauding Kim, KCNA said the country's "revolutionary armed forces," under his leadership, are able to respond proactively to "any threat of invasion" and are prepared for "any form of war." Held once every five years, the rare gathering typically runs several days, bringing together party members and other representatives from across the country to vote for the party's top post. Participants also review the past five years and set the direction for domestic and foreign policy over the next five years. 2026-02-23 09:20:18
  • North Korea hails deployment of multiple rocket launchers ahead of party congress
    North Korea hails deployment of multiple rocket launchers ahead of party congress SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - North Korea deployed some 50 multiple rocket launchers, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday. According to KCNA, a ceremony for the deployment of a 600-mm large-caliber multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "took place with splendor" in Pyongyang the previous day, with Kim Jong-un in attendance, accompanied by Workers' Party officials, munitions industry workers and other military personnel. In a speech, Kim said, "It can be said to be a weapon that has virtually no difference from a high-precision ballistic missile in terms of precision and power," hailing it as "the one and only weapon in the world, has completely changed the role and conception of artillery accepted by modern warfare." He described it as incorporating artificial intelligence-based technology and a compound guidance system, making it "appropriate for a special attack" to carry out a "strategic mission." He added, "I am sure that no other countries in the world would be able to attain the technology that can match this class of weapon system within several years to come." "Self-reliant defense capability is our lifeline and a source of our strength, and uninterrupted upgrading and rapid reinforcement of the means is our invariable target," he stressed. He also hinted that plans to further strengthen the country's defense capabilities including the development of new weapons, will be announced at the upcoming party congress, which is expected to be held later this month. 2026-02-19 14:13:16
  • Kim Yo-jong strikes conciliatory tone again over Seouls regret on drone incursions
    Kim Yo-jong strikes conciliatory tone again over Seoul's regret on drone incursions SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, once again struck a positive note toward South Korea. In a statement carried on Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said she "highly appreciates" South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's expression of regret the previous day over drones allegedly sent by civilians to the North, as well as his pledge to prevent a recurrence. It was Kim's another reply to Chung, who made similar remarks last week. In a briefing on Wednesday, Chung again stressed that the South would take steps to prevent such incidents. He also pledged to pursue the restoration of the 2018 inter-Korean military pact, scrapped in 2024 under the previous administration's hardline stance toward the North, as part of efforts that had aimed to ease military tensions between the two Koreas. But Kim warned that any future violation, regardless of who is responsible, would result in "terrible consequences," calling her words not a threat but a "clear warning." Pundits believe Kim's statement was also intended to justify tougher measures along the border. 2026-02-19 09:27:40
  • Trump responds to letter urging protection for North Korean POWs in Ukraine
    Trump responds to letter urging protection for North Korean POWs in Ukraine SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has responded to a letter calling for protection of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine, a civic group that assists North Korean defectors said on Tuesday. According to the Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers, led by defector-turned-lawmaker Thae Yong-ho, its U.S.-based affiliated group, Free Joseon, sent a letter to Trump last month urging that the POWs' free will be respected and that they be protected under the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits forced repatriation. Trump sent a reply last Sunday to Peter Oh, a defector-turned-reporter for Radio Free Asia who also leads Free Joseon, thanking him for "taking the time to share" the story. "Your words are a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and spirit of the American people. It is because of proud, hardworking citizens like you that I will never stop fighting to protect our values, defend our freedoms and put America first," he added. The committee said Trump's letter did not contain any specific plans or steps to resolve the issue of North Korean POWs. Two wounded North Korean soldiers who were captured while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine in January last year remain held there, despite having expressed their wish to go to South Korea in interviews with South Korean media. 2026-02-10 14:15:28
  • North Korean leader vows stronger military role over next five years ahead of key party congress
    North Korean leader vows stronger military role over next five years ahead of key party congress SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised the "victorious journey" of the country's military, state media reported on Monday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim attended an event marking the 78th anniversary of the military's founding the previous day along with top Workers' Party officials and senior military brass. Kim said, "In looking back upon the victorious journey of our army over the past turbulent five years as it has always been since its founding, today's glory would never be conceivable separated from the enormous role our army has played." "Last year was a year especially filled with unheard-of dramatic events and distinguished feats that could be performed only by our army," he praised, apparently intended to highlight achievements before the key party congress, where he is expected to unveil the country's major military and economic policies and plans for the upcoming five years. He then touted the military's strength, saying the next five years will be "years when our army's outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced." The country's ninth key party gathering is expected to be held late this month. 2026-02-09 10:16:03
  • China removes one of dubious structures in West Sea
    China removes one of dubious structures in West Sea SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - China has completed the removal of a structure installed along the West Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Tuesday. The completion comes about a week after Beijing began removing it last Tuesday, as a follow-up measure after President Lee Jae Myung discussed the matter during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing early last month. But it was just one of a couple of steel structures on the submerged shelf of Ieodo in the West Sea, which overlaps with maritime zones of both South Korea and China. China previously installed one structure in 2018 and another in 2024 in a dubious claim of deep-sea salmon farming, with an additional structure in 2022 that resembles an oil-drilling rig, raising concerns here that the facilities could be used for military purposes. "We will continue to make progress through constructive consultations with the Chinese side," the ministry said. 2026-02-03 15:24:28
  • North Korean leader highlights rural revolution during on-site inspection
    North Korean leader highlights 'rural revolution' during on-site inspection SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the modernization of rural areas, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim visited a dairy farm in North Pyongan Province for its grand opening the previous day and emphasized his development drive for the "rural revolution." He was quoted as saying that the country's rural areas are "undergoing changes one after another to present a new scenery of civilization all year round." "The eye-opening transformation in the Samgwang area, clearly showing the rapid development of the socialist countryside, is the proud fruition of the noble devotion of ," KCNA said, hailing it as a "model of socialist rural construction and development of livestock farming in the new era." "It is very great for the unknown farm to mass-produce 10-odd kinds of milk products such as butter, cheese, milk powder and yoghurt," Kim said, adding that he "feels great pride to think that such good milk products would be supplied to the children and people." Kim's frequent on-site inspections since late last year seem intended to highlight his achievements ahead of the country's key party congress expected later this month. 2026-02-03 10:40:45
  • South Korea Probes Firm Sanctioned by U.S. Over Nonproliferation Law Allegations
    South Korea Probes Firm Sanctioned by U.S. Over Nonproliferation Law Allegations South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that relevant authorities are investigating a South Korean company after the United States added it to a sanctions list over alleged violations of laws aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and missile technology. The ministry said South Korea and the United States have been in ongoing communication and that Seoul was aware of the move in advance. It added that the government has joined international efforts to prevent transfers of materials that could contribute to WMD development and said it will continue those efforts while staying in close contact with the United States. The U.S. State Department said Tuesday, local time, that it designated six individuals and entities for sanctions over alleged illegal trade in WMD- and missile-related technology or items with North Korea or Iran and Syria, among others. Those designated include South Korean company JS Research, North Korean national Choe Chol Min and the Foreign Affairs Bureau of North Korea’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS FAB). Companies from China, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates were also listed. Under the sanctions, the targets are barred from U.S. government procurement contracts for goods and services. They also face limits on participation in U.S. government assistance programs and on transactions involving items listed on the U.S. Munitions List. They also cannot obtain new licenses to receive export-controlled items under the Export Control Reform Act, and all existing licenses are suspended. The sanctions took effect Jan. 22 and will remain in place for two years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:21:48