South Korea’s Blue House Says U.S. Complaints Stem From Legislative Delays Breaking: The Blue House said U.S. dissatisfaction is “100%” due to delays in legislation and said it will explain its efforts to move the bills forward. 2026-01-28 17:21:00

Kwon Seong-dong Sentenced to 2 Years in First Trial Over Alleged 100 Million Won Unification Church Payment Breaking: Kwon Seong-dong, accused of taking 100 million won from the Unification Church, was sentenced to two years in prison in a first trial.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:21:44

Special Prosecutor Says Kim Keon Hee Ruling Is Hard to Accept, Will Appeal Breaking: Special prosecutor says Kim Keon Hee first-trial ruling is hard to accept; will appeal* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 16:15:23

K-Pop Demon Hunters" lands two Oscar nods as Park Chan-wook misses final cut SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” directed by Korean American filmmaker Maggie Kang, earned two Academy Award nominations, while Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” fell short of the final lineup for best international feature. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominees for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday local time. “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was nominated for best animated feature, and its original song “Golden” received a nod in the best original song category. In the animated feature race, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” will compete against “Zootopia 2,” “Elio,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” and “Arco.” The film has emerged as a strong awards-season contender after winning best animated feature at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month. “Golden” will face competition from “I Lied to You” (Sinners), “Train Dreams” (Train Dreams), “Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!), and “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless. The nomination marks a rare Oscar recognition for a K-pop–driven soundtrack. Park’s “No Other Choice,” despite advancing to the 15-film shortlist in December, did not make the final nominees for best international feature film. The dark comedy, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, marks Park’s second consecutive shortlist appearance following “Decision to Leave” in 2022. This year’s international feature nominees include “The Secret Agent” (Brazil), “It Was Just an Accident” (France), “Sentimental Value” (Norway), “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia), and “Sirat” (Spain). The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 2026-01-23 07:05:16

Giants' outfielder Lee Jung-hoo briefly held at LAX over paperwork issue SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants was briefly detained by U.S. Customs officials after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday. According to the Giants, Lee "experienced a brief travel issue at LAX" due to paperwork problems, as he had apparently left some immigration-related documents in South Korea. He was momentarily held at the airport but released about an hour later with help from the team and others, including Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes San Francisco. Lee had been in Seoul since returning home in September last year to spend the offseason carrying out personal training and other commitments. He will undergo personal workouts in Los Angeles before heading to the Giants' spring training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. 2026-01-22 15:56:03

Fire breaks out in Seoul's last remaining shantytown SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - A fire broke out in a shantytown in southern Seoul early Friday morning, forcing residents to evacuate. The fire occurred at around 5 a.m. in Guryong Village, the last remaining slum of makeshift homes and shoddy tents in Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam. Over 200 firefighters were dispatched shortly after receiving a report that the fire had started in an empty home. Hours later, smoke and flames are still engulfing the area despite efforts to extinguish them, raising concerns that they could spread to nearby wooded hills. No injuries have been reported so far. Dozens of residents reportedly evacuated on their own. The village has just about 30 households, as it is slated for redevelopment, with plans to transform the area into a high-rise apartment complex that will accommodate 3,500 households, although some residents are refusing to leave. 2026-01-16 10:03:13

Impeached president faces first verdict on martial law-related charges SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - Impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol will be sentenced on Friday for one of several charges related to his botched martial law debacle. In a nationwide televised trial scheduled for 2 p.m., the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul is set to deliver its ruling on whether Yoon obstructed law enforcement by blocking investigators and other officials who attempted to detain him following his abrupt late-night declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. It will be Yoon's first sentencing among his eight cases related to the debacle including the main charges of insurrection and abuse of power, whose verdict is likely to be handed down next month. At the case's final hearing in December last year, prosecutors sought 10 years in prison for Yoon - five years for obstruction of official duties, three years for abuse of power, and two years for fabricating official documents, calling it "a serious crime in which the defendant privatized state institutions to conceal and justify his wrongdoing." They said a heavy sentence is necessary "to restore constitutional order and the rule of law, and to prevent a recurrence." 2026-01-16 09:18:28

Minor earthquake detected in Goheung SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - A 2.0-maginitue earthquake struck Goheung in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake occurred at around 3:30 p.m., about 14 kilometers northeast of Goheung, South Jeolla Province. The epicenter was located at 34.70 degrees north latitude and 127.37 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 14 kilometers. The KMA stated that some residents in the affected area felt weak tremors, but there have been no reports of damage or injuries. 2025-12-31 16:23:27

Celimax serum tops Amazon Australia beauty bestseller rankings SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korean dermacosmetic brand Celimax's flagship product, the Retinal Shot Tightening Booster, ranked first overall on Amazon Australia’s beauty bestseller list, the company said on Monday. The product initially climbed to the top spot in the facial serums category during Amazon Australia’s International Brand Pavilion promotion before rising to No. 1 across the broader beauty category, which includes products from major global brands, according to the company. Celimax said the serum has continued to post strong results on global e-commerce platforms based on actual purchase data. The product previously ranked No. 1 for the search keyword “retinal” on Amazon in North America and also topped the overall beauty products category on global shopping platform YesStyle. Kim Min-seok, CEO of Celimax, said the performance on Amazon Australia underscores growing overseas acceptance of the company’s “steady-seller strategy,” which emphasizes core products over short-term trends. “We will continue to focus on developing products that deliver clear skin benefits and build long-term consumer trust,” Kim said. 2025-12-22 09:33:21

Multi-award-winning Korean pianist hospitalized after distressing message SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) -Multi-award-winning South Korean pianist Lim Dong-hyek is recuperating after being taken to a hospital Monday after police responded to concerns over a handwritten message he posted on social media that appeared to signal emotional distress. Seoul’s Seocho Police received a report at around 8:30 a.m. and located Lim in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. He was transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment and is reported to be in stable condition, with no immediate threat to his life. Earlier that morning, at 7:34 a.m., Lim shared a handwritten letter detailing his long-term struggle with severe depression, saying he has taken antidepressants daily since 2015. “Antidepressants are not inherently bad,” he wrote, “but my illness itself has caused me prolonged pain.” In the post, Lim also addressed allegations raised by his former wife, identified only by her surname Cha, who accused him of sending obscene messages during divorce proceedings. Lim denied the claims, stating that he was neither involved in such actions nor engaged in divorce litigation. He concluded the message by taking responsibility for his conduct, expressing gratitude to supporters, and wishing them happiness and good fortune. Lim, one of South Korea’s most internationally recognized pianists, rose to prominence at a young age through a series of major competition successes. In 1996, he gained global attention after winning second prize at the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow, where he was the youngest participant and finished just behind his older brother, Lim Dong-min, who tied for first. He went on to place fifth at the Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy in 2000, and won second prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan the same year. In 2001, Lim became the youngest winner of the Premier Grand Prix at the Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris, also receiving five special awards. Lim later shared third prize with his brother at the 2005 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where no second prize was awarded, and placed fourth at the 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, another edition in which no first prize was given. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-16 13:24:46