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 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’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

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

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 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 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 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 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 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