Fire at Paju elementary school leaves three injured, hundreds evacuated SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A fire broke out at an elementary school in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to fire authorities, the blaze started around noon in the school's second-floor science lab. Firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze, but three staff members inhaled smoke, with two being transported to the hospital. A total of 307 students and staff were evacuated. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-15 13:56:59

Workers trapped after collapse at construction site in Gwangju SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - A steel structure collapsed at a construction site in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Thursday, leaving several workers trapped. According to emergency rescue officials, the incident occurred at around 1:58 p.m. at a construction site for a library, with four workers trapped under the debris. One person was rescued shortly after the collapse but is presumed dead. Search and rescue operations are underway for the remaining three workers. Police and government authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the accident after completing the rescue operations. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-11 16:26:16

Hundreds evacuated after Korean War-era bomb found in Pocheon SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - About 440 students and teachers were evacuated after a World War II-era bomb was found at an elementary school in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to police, the bomb, believed to be from the Korean War (1950~1953), was discovered at a construction site at the school at around 10:13 a.m. Students were evacuated to a nearby gymnasium and later sent home after the bomb was safely removed. The heavily rusted bomb, about 1 meter long, was identified as an aerial bomb used by the South Korean Air Force during the war. The bomb was handed over to the military for further analysis and disposal. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 14:50:32

When it snows, it downpours in Seoul: first snow causes chaos SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) -Heavy snowfall across Seoul and southern Gyeonggi triggered a wave of accidents and commuter chaos from rush hour in Wednesday evening to late night as icy roads and inadequate snow removal efforts left drivers stranded and public transportation overwhelmed. In Seoul, the first snow has now become something of a pattern: when it snows, it downpours—the second year in a row in which the season’s first flakes arrived as a full-blown snowstorm. Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency said it received 1,902 snow-related calls between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, including 1,087 reports of traffic disruptions, 732 requests for snow removal, and 83 traffic accidents. At 4 a.m., a truck crash near Pangyo Junction on the Gyeongbu Expressway blocked several lanes. Earlier, at 10:43 p.m., six vehicles collided on an icy slope near the Gwacheon Tunnel exit on the Bongdam–Gwacheon Expressway. No major injuries were reported. While no highways in southern Gyeonggi were fully closed, congestion persisted as temperatures dropped and road surfaces refroze. In Seoul, what began as light flurries quickly intensified—with bursts of thunder—during the evening rush hour. Snow removal operations temporarily closed some streets, forcing passengers to abandon buses and walk. Subway ridership surged as commuters sought alternatives to gridlocked roads. A snow advisory issued at 6 p.m. was lifted two hours later, but disruptions stretched well into the night as snow continued to accumulate. Residents said the turmoil felt all too familiar, recalling last November’s first snowfall that dumped more than 20 centimeters on the capital. “Even though it’s the first snow, similar issues occurred last year,” said a commuter surnamed Cho, speaking to Yonhap News. With forecasters warning of icy morning roads, Seoul officials moved to bolster public transit, adding 20 extra subway trains during Thursday’s morning rush hour and extending concentrated bus deployment by 30 minutes. Additional snow removal was planned for icy stretches, sidewalks, and neighborhood roads. All previously restricted sections, including parts of the Inner Ring Road, were reopened overnight. Many commuters endured long, exhausting journeys home. A 25-year-old office worker, Ahn, said her usual one-hour trip from Sangam-dong to Gangnam stretched to two and a half hours. “I wore Ugg boots because it was slippery, but I still ended up falling,” she said. After two years of punishing first snowfalls, public frustration is rising. “Are the authorities just waiting for the snow to melt?” one resident said. Another commuter, Cho, 28, was more direct: “If the same thing keeps happening, whether it’s the government or the city, it means they weren’t prepared.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 08:42:43

Lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae accused of sexual assault SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae of the ruling Democratic Party has been embroiled in a sexual assault scandal after a complaint was filed with police. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Jang allegedly sexually harassed a woman at a gathering in Seoul late last year. Jang immediately denied the allegations, posting a message on Facebook saying, "I will firmly respond including legal action against these false accusations." In response to the allegations, the party's leader Jeong Cheong-rae has ordered an internal investigation. Meanwhile, rumors have been circulating that Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the minor centrist Reform Party, was also at the gathering. Lee has vowed to take legal action for defamation against those spreading what he called "false information." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-28 11:09:18

Man arrested after knife attack on woman in southern Seoul SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - A man was arrested after attacking a woman in her 20s with a knife at a crammer in Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam on Friday. According to police, the man fled the scene shortly after the incident, which occurred around 11:50 a.m. in Sinsa-dong, but was later apprehended in Mapo, western Seoul, after authorities tracked him using CCTV footage. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, and police are investigating the details of the incident. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-21 14:06:43

Korean calorie-support product tops Japan's beauty platform for 24 weeks SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean food supplement company Foodology said Tuesday that its “Cutting Jelly” product has claimed the No. 1 spot in the “Calorie Support Supplement” category on @cosme, Japan’s largest beauty and personal care platform, for 24 consecutive weeks. @cosme, which draws roughly 20 million monthly visitors, updates its rankings based on user reviews and recommendations. Its reputation-based ratings system is widely regarded as one of the most trusted gauges of consumer sentiment in Japan’s beauty market. From March 1 to Aug. 31, Cutting Jelly outperformed well-known Japanese wellness products, including Fancl’s Calorie Limit and Orbis’s Petit Shake. The sustained lead underscores Foodology’s rising presence in Japan, supported by consistently high user scores, the company said. The company’s broader “Colleology” line — which includes Cutting Jelly — has also maintained strong rankings on the platform. The range is marketed for helping regulate post-meal blood sugar levels and supporting digestion, and is known for its tangy pomegranate flavor. Cutting Jelly, sold in portable stick packs, has been particularly popular, topping Rakuten’s jelly category in early April. “With Cutting Jelly leading the way, the Colleology line continues to perform strongly in Japan,” a Foodology spokesperson said. “We aim to solidify our position as a leading K-beauty brand in Japan and expand our global footprint.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-18 15:42:32

Putin meets North Korean foreign minister, hails progress in ties SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that relations with Pyongyang are moving forward as planned during a meeting in Moscow with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, the Kremlin said Monday. Conveying his warm regards to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said, "Everything is going according to plan." Choe thanked Putin for taking the time to meet with her and mentioned that she had heard his summit with Kim in Beijing early last month was held in a warm atmosphere, which Putin confirmed as a success. After shaking hands with Sin Hong-chol, North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Putin headed to a closed-door meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in attendance. While details of their discussions were not disclosed, they may have discussed Kim's possible visit to Russia, as Putin had previously invited him to Moscow during their summit in Pyongyang in June last year and asked him again to visit the Kremlin while they were in Beijing in September. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-28 09:36:58

Lee begins ASEAN summit with talks with Cambodian PM SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, in Malaysia, begins his itinerary there by meeting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Monday. The two leaders are expected to discuss cooperation to combat online scams, phishing schemes, and other crimes following the recent revelation of a series of incidents in Phnom Penh that targeted South Koreans. Later in the day, Lee is set to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership among ASEAN member countries. He also plans to propose hosting a special summit in 2029 to mark the 40th anniversary of South Korea-ASEAN relations. Lee may also run into newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as well as Chinese Premier Li Qiang for the first time. With U.S. President Donald Trump also in attendance, a possible encounter could take place there ahead of the scheduled summit with him in Busan later this week, as he visits South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. Lee will wrap up his trip to Kuala Lumpur after holding talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before returning to South Korea. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-27 09:16:22

Remains of South Korean student tortured to death in Cambodia return home SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - The remains of a South Korean college student, who traveled to Cambodia after being lured by an online employment scam in August and was later found to have been tortured to death, were returned home on Tuesday. The cremated ashes of the student in his 20s, identified only by his surname Park, arrived on a Korean Air flight at Incheon International Airport at 8:04 a.m., about some 74 days after he was found dead on Aug. 8 in the Southeast Asian country. A joint autopsy on his body, conducted by South Korean and Cambodian investigators and forensic experts, took place earlier this week after it had been kept at a temple in Phnom Penh since his death. The three-hour autopsy there found no signs of external or internal injuries, but further investigations including drug tests will be conducted to determine the exact cause of his death before the remains are handed over to his family. Park had told his family on July 17 that he was attending an expo before traveling to Cambodia. He was later confined and tortured in a local crime area known as "Wench," and his body, showing signs of torture, was found in a car in Kampot Province on Aug. 8. His death has belatedly revealed a series of online job scams and phishing schemes targeting South Korean citizens, which often involve kidnappings, detentions, and brutal torture by sprawling criminal rings in Cambodia, prompting the government to send a task force there last week. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-21 10:38:35