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  • North Korea tests upgraded multiple rocket launcher system
    North Korea 'tests upgraded multiple rocket launcher system' SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - North Korea has test-fired an upgraded large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the test, conducted the previous day, was intended to "verify the effectiveness of a renewed large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system which employed new technology." With its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, accompanied by key military officials, Tuesday's test of four MRLS rockets "hit a target in waters 358.5 kilometers away from the point of launch," KCNA said. KCNA quoted Kim as saying, "Today's test is of great significance in improving the effectiveness of our strategic deterrent." Boasting that "no other country would acquire such technology or possess such capability in a few years at least," he added, "Our artillerymen, possessed with the most precise, destructive and massive strike capability, will perform the responsible mission of deterring war." The Joint Chiefs of Staff here said the previous day it detected several short-range ballistic missiles launched about 3:50 p.m. the previous day from the area north of Pyongyang toward the East Sea, flying about 350 kilometers. The Joint Chiefs of Staff here said it detected several short-range ballistic missiles launched around 3:50 p.m. the previous day from an area north of Pyongyang toward the East Sea. They flew approximately 350 kilometers. It was the fourth such provocation since Lee took office in June last year and the second this year. Experts speculated that the latest test was aimed at highlighting the country's military arsenal ahead of its key party congress, expected early next month. 2026-01-28 09:19:52
  • Koreas ex-PM Lee Hae-chan to be honored with five-day public funeral
    Korea's ex-PM Lee Hae-chan to be honored with five-day public funeral SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - The funeral of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died during a business trip to Vietnam, will be held over five days this week in the format of a public funeral in recognition of his contributions to South Korean society, officials said Monday. Lee, the vice chair of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) that directly reports to the president, died Sunday at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 73. The funeral, jointly hosted by PUAC and the ruling Democratic Party, will run from Jan. 27 to 31, according to PUAC officials. Lee’s body is expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday before being transferred to the funeral venue. The service will be conducted as a “social funeral,” a form of public memorial reserved for figures deemed to have made significant contributions to society. The five-day period is longer than the customary three-day funeral in South Korea. Lee arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday but collapsed the following day while preparing to return to Korea after flu-like symptoms worsened. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and underwent an emergency stent insertion procedure but later died. A seven-term lawmaker, Lee was dubbed as a kingmaker on the liberal camp. He commanded key posts in all liberal governments - education minister under President Kim Dae-jung, prime minister under President Roh Moo-hyun, chairman of the Democratic Party during the Moon Jae-in administration, and senior vice chair of PUAC under President Lee Jae Myung. Lee’s political career was rooted in South Korea’s democracy movement. During the Yushin era, he was imprisoned for his involvement in pro-democracy activism, including the National Federation of Democratic Youth and Students case and the fabricated Kim Dae-jung insurrection plot case. He later entered formal politics under the post-1987 democratic system, experiencing firsthand both military rule and democratic transition. “South Korea today has lost a great teacher in the history of its democracy.," mourned President Lee on Facebook. He added that Lee “devoted his entire life to protecting and expanding democratic values amid the turbulence of modern Korean history.” 2026-01-26 15:02:07
  • Fewer North Korean defectors arrived in Seoul last year
    Fewer North Korean defectors arrived in Seoul last year SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - A total of 224 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea last year, the Ministry of Unification said on Tuesday. The figure is a slight decrease from last year's 236, following a sharp decline during the coronavirus pandemic. Of them, 198 were women and 26 were men, with only a handful having defected directly from North Korea without passing through a third country like China. The cumulative number of North Korean defectors now stands at 34,538, comprising 24,944 women and 9,594 men. Annual arrivals once reached nearly 3,000 but fell sharply after the pandemic, dropping to 229 in 2020, 63 in 2021, and 67 in 2022, before gradually rising to 196 in 2023 and 236 in 2024. A Unification Ministry official said the figure has stood at around 200 since 2023 and is expected to stay at that level as North Korea's border remains closed. 2026-01-20 13:56:56
  • One South Korean killed in a deadly train crash in Thailand - foreign ministry
    One South Korean killed in a deadly train crash in Thailand - foreign ministry SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -One South Korean national was among those killed in a deadly train derailment in Thailand on Wednesday, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul. The ministry said Thursday it had confirmed the death of one South Korean and was providing necessary consular assistance to the bereaved family. The accident occurred at around 9 a.m. Wednesday when a construction crane for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto a moving passenger train traveling between the Nong Nam Khun and Sikhiu stations in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand. At least 32 people were killed and more than 64 others were injured after the crane crashed onto two cars of the three-carriage train, which was carrying 195 passengers at the time of the accident. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was edited by AJP. 2026-01-15 13:11:23
  • Nearly 40% of South Koreans see public sector as corrupt, survey shows
    Nearly 40% of South Koreans see public sector as corrupt, survey shows SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - About four in 10 South Koreans consider most public institutions to be corrupt, a recent survey reveals. The state-run Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission surveyed about 1,400 adults, 700 businesspeople, 630 experts, 400 foreigners and 1,400 civil servants last year and released its results on Tuesday. The two-round, large-scale survey conducted in June and October last year found that roughly 39.1 percent of respondents saw the public sector as corrupt, up 3.6 percentage points from a similar survey the previous year. Out of about a dozen administrative areas, most respondents rated justice and prosecution as the most corrupt, while experts pointed to construction and housing as the worst. Most respondents said that South Korean society is corrupt, but opinions differed by group. Experts and civil servants named political parties, businesspeople the mass media, and foreigners religious organizations. About half of South Koreans or 50.3 percent also cited unfairness in South Korean society, much higher than other respondents in different groups. Compared with the previous year, more respondents said corruption and social unfairness had improved or would improve further, with many citing the government's anti-corruption policies as effective. 2026-01-13 15:41:27
  • Kim Yo Jong demands detailed explanation on S. Korean drone infiltration
    Kim Yo Jong demands detailed explanation on S. Korean drone infiltration SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Sunday reiterated that it was “clear” a drone from South Korea violated North Korean airspace and demanded a detailed explanation from Seoul. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said “the essence of the situation is not whether the actor is the military or a civilian,” arguing that South Korean authorities cannot evade responsibility for what she described as a violation of sovereignty. Kim serves as the Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Workers' Party of Korea. She said the drone had an intelligence-gathering purpose, claiming it carried recorded images of a uranium mine and North Korean border posts. At the same time, Kim approved of the prompt response from the South Korea’s Defense Ministry, saying she personally viewed it as “a wise choice for survival” that Seoul declared it had no intention of provoking or stimulating North Korea. At the same time, she warned that if South Korea “chooses provocation” again, it would face a “terrible situation” it could not handle. North Korea has claimed that South Korean drones infiltrated its territory on Jan. 4 and again in September last year. South Korea’s Defense Ministry has denied operating drones on those dates and said it would thoroughly investigate whether civilian drones were involved. On Saturday, President Lee Jae Myung presiding the National Security Council meeting ordered the formation of a joint military-police investigative team to examine the possibility that civilians flew the drones. If confirmed, such actions would constitute a serious crime threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security, the presidential office said. The Defense Ministry reiterated that the drones were not part of military operations and pledged a comprehensive probe into possible civilian involvement, as Seoul seeks to prevent further escalation amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. 2026-01-11 09:25:28
  • North Korea keeps mum on leaders birthday
    North Korea keeps mum on leader's birthday SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - North Korea's state media made no mention of leader Kim Jong-un's birthday, believed to fall on Thursday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said there has been "no coverage at all by the country's state-run news agencies, and no related activity has been identified." Instead, North Korean media have focused on preparations for the Workers' Party's upcoming key congress, expected to take place early this year, with the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun running a front-page editorial urging officials to heighten their loyalty and ideological soundness by achieving major accomplishments. The secretive country has never officially disclosed Kim's birth date, but it is widely thought to be Jan. 8, 1984. North Korea has observed its leaders' birthdays as state holidays to promote a personality cult, celebrating Kim Jong-un's grandfather and regime founder Kim Il-sung on April 15 and his father Kim Jong-il on Feb. 16. 2026-01-08 14:55:41
  • Why is Kim Jong-uns daughter making frequent public appearances?
    Why is Kim Jong-un's daughter making frequent public appearances? SEOUL, January 6 (AJP) - Frequent public appearances of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Ju-ae are believed to be intended to project a "prominent family" image rather than groom her as the next leader for a hereditary transfer of power, the Unification Ministry here speculated on Tuesday. As many pundits closely watch Kim's activities for clues in the reclusive country, where even small details can matter, a ministry official said, "We cannot single out her succession plans, but Ju-ae often appears with her mother Ri Sol-ju, suggesting efforts to project a strong family image." Earlier in the day, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim, accompanied by his wife and daughter, visited a construction site the previous day with senior party and military officials and encouraged soldiers and workers there. In related photos released by KCNA, Kim is shown planting trees with Ju-ae, who holds a shovel alongside her father, in what appears to be a display of family unity. The latest family outing came just several days after KCNA reported Kim's visit to the mausoleum where the embalmed bodies of his grandfather and regime founder Kim Il-sung, and his father Kim Jong-il lie in state to usher in the new year last week. His customary visit drew particular attention after photos released later showed Ju-ae in attendance along with her mother. Some speculate that if North Korea intended to more clearly show Ju-ae as the successor, she would have been placed directly behind her father. Instead, the move appears aimed at strengthening internal unity ahead of the country's key party congress scheduled for early this year. 2026-01-06 15:36:11
  • Kim Jong Un stresses internal unity, honors troops sent to Russia in New Year address
    Kim Jong Un stresses internal unity, honors troops sent to Russia in New Year address SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used his New Year speech to emphasize domestic cohesion and praise soldiers deployed to Russia, avoiding any direct message toward South Korea or the United States. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim delivered the remarks late Wednesday at a large celebration held at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium. He said North Korea’s drive for “comprehensive socialist development” had successfully passed its first stage, crediting both central and provincial regions for propelling nationwide progress. Kim devoted a significant portion of the speech to the Korean People’s Army, commending troops who endured “heavy hardships” and achieved “remarkable results” on what he described as front lines of construction and change. He said their “noble sacrifices” would be remembered “for generations,” in an apparent reference to forces dispatched to support Russia. He also highlighted workers, agricultural laborers and the women’s national football team, which won last year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, describing them as key contributors to the country’s direction over the past year. Calling on the public to remain faithful to socialism and “people-first” principles, Kim urged citizens to strengthen unity ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Ninth Congress, which is expected to outline major policy directions for the next five years. KCNA said Kim’s speech contained no references to the United States or South Korea, signaling a focus on tightening internal discipline rather than foreign policy messaging. Kim attended the event with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and their daughter, Ju Ae, who sat beside him during the performance. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-01 15:01:51
  • North Korean leader inspects factory producing multiple rocket launchers
    North Korean leader inspects factory producing multiple rocket launchers SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has urged officials to "bring about a revolution" in upgrading an artillery weapons system while inspecting a munitions factory that produces multiple rocket launchers, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, accompanied by a slew of military brass and key officials, visited the factory last Sunday and inspected the "production of weapons and combat equipment" to be supplied to key military units. Kim hailed the rocket launchers as a "super-powerful weapon system" that can "annihilate the enemy through a sudden, precise strike with high accuracy and devastating power, and can also be used as a strategic attack means." He also called for "further expanding the successes achieved this year and achieving greater successes through strenuous efforts" in strengthening the country’s defense capabilities in the coming year. Kim has recently made a series of public appearances including a visit to a construction site for nuclear-powered submarines and on-site inspections of missile launches and drills, in an apparent effort to promote year-end achievements ahead of the country's key party congress scheduled for early next year. 2025-12-30 10:49:50