AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

Woo Joo-seong
  • Iran Foreign Minister Heads to Beijing for Talks With China’s Wang Yi Amid Hormuz Tensions
    Iran Foreign Minister Heads to Beijing for Talks With China’s Wang Yi Amid Hormuz Tensions As the United States and Iran entered an armed standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on 5 (local time), Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. Yonhap News Agency reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing. The ministry said Araghchi plans to exchange views with China’s foreign minister on ways to develop bilateral relations and on rapidly changing regional and international developments. China’s Foreign Ministry also said in an afternoon statement on 5 that Araghchi, responding to an invitation, is scheduled to visit China on 6. A spokesperson said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China’s foreign minister, will meet with Araghchi. Araghchi and Wang spoke by phone on April 15 to discuss the war situation and other issues. At the time, Wang said that as a coastal state on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests should be respected and protected, while freedom and safety of navigation through the international waterway must also be ensured. He said efforts to restore normal passage through the strait were “the unified voice” of the international community. Wang added that China supports maintaining momentum toward a ceasefire and negotiations. Earlier, the U.S. military used force on the first day of what it called the “Liberation Project,” deploying Apache helicopters in the Strait of Hormuz and sinking Iranian fast boats that were threatening merchant ships, in an effort to ensure safe passage. Iran also fired missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates, about a month after a ceasefire took effect on April 8, keeping the standoff going.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:54:15
  • South Korea to Probe HMM Ship Fire After Blast in Strait of Hormuz
    South Korea to Probe HMM Ship Fire After Blast in Strait of Hormuz A process is expected to move forward to determine the cause of a fire that broke out with an explosion aboard the HMM Namu, a vessel operated by South Korean shipping company HMM in the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap reported on May 5 that the Cheong Wa Dae said it plans to tow the ship to a nearby port and then dispatch personnel from the Dubai office of the Korean Register, investigators from the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and forensic experts from the National Fire Agency to examine the cause. When a ship cannot navigate under its own power after a fire at sea, it is typically moved to a nearby port by tugboat. The HMM Namu was believed to be unable to sail on its own due to the fire. An emergency backup generator was operating, and food and drinking water were secured, so life aboard the ship was reported to be stable for the 24 crew members, including six South Koreans. Once a tugboat is arranged, the HMM Namu is expected to head to Dubai Port. A full investigation is to begin after the ship berths there. The Korean Register, the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency are among the agencies deployed to investigate the causes of maritime accidents. The Korean Register is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies and conducts inspections and certification to ensure ship safety and quality. The Central Maritime Safety Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries that determines the causes of maritime accidents and issues rulings. The National Fire Agency works with the tribunal on on-site examinations to identify the cause of ship fires. If the incident is confirmed to have resulted from an Iranian attack, it is expected to carry significant diplomatic repercussions.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:48:15
  • WHO Raises Concern of Possible Person-to-Person Hantavirus Spread on Atlantic Cruise Ship
    WHO Raises Concern of Possible Person-to-Person Hantavirus Spread on Atlantic Cruise Ship The World Health Organization said it suspects a hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship may have involved person-to-person transmission. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told reporters on May 5 (local time) that “we think there may have been human-to-human transmission among very close contacts,” adding that the first patient may have been infected before boarding. Hantavirus is typically spread through exposure to rodent urine, droppings or saliva. In rare cases, it can also spread between people. According to the WHO, there have been two confirmed cases and five suspected cases linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which is currently in the territorial waters of Cabo Verde. Three people have died: a Dutch couple, ages 70 and 69, and a German national. Reuters reported that the Dutch couple, the first fatalities, had traveled in South America, including Argentina, before boarding the MV Hondius, which departed from the southern tip of Argentina. The WHO said Spain has decided to accept the ship, which has 147 passengers and crew aboard, and it is heading to Spain’s Canary Islands off West Africa. The MV Hondius is a luxury cruise ship that departed in late March, carrying mainly passengers from the United Kingdom, the United States and Spain, and is reported to have visited remote areas including the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island. The operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said that of the seven people confirmed or suspected to be infected, four — including the German who died and other suspected cases — remain on the ship. The Dutch couple died, and a British passenger is hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hantavirus was first identified in rodents near the Hantan River by the late South Korean virologist Lee Ho-wang. Early symptoms can include fatigue, fever, chills and muscle aches that may feel like the flu. As the virus damages the heart, lungs and kidneys, it can lead to severe respiratory illness and organ failure. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:36:06
  • Iran Foreign Minister Visits China as U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise in Strait of Hormuz
    Iran Foreign Minister Visits China as U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise in Strait of Hormuz Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on May 5 local time as the United States and Iran faced off militarily over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing that day, according to Yonhap News Agency. The ministry said Araghchi plans to meet China’s foreign minister to discuss ways to develop bilateral ties and to exchange views on rapidly shifting regional and international conditions. Araghchi and Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and foreign minister, spoke by phone on April 15 to discuss the war situation, the ministry said. Wang said Iran’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights as a country on the Strait of Hormuz should be respected and protected, while freedom and safety of navigation through the international waterway must also be ensured. He added that efforts to restore normal passage through the strait reflect a unified voice of the international community. Wang also said China supports maintaining momentum toward a ceasefire and negotiations. The report said U.S. forces used force a day earlier, on the first day of what it called the “Liberation Project,” deploying Apache helicopters to sink Iranian fast boats that were threatening merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, in response, launched missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates, continuing a standoff about a month after a ceasefire took effect on April 8, the report said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:03:15
  • HMM cargo ship that caught fire near Strait of Hormuz awaits tow to Dubai
    HMM cargo ship that caught fire near Strait of Hormuz awaits tow to Dubai An HMM-operated cargo ship that caught fire while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz is running on an emergency generator and waiting to be towed, the company said. Yonhap reported Tuesday that the HMM NAMU remained in waters near the United Arab Emirates, where the fire broke out a day earlier. The blaze triggered an automatic power shutdown, leaving the vessel unable to move under its own power. Once a tug is secured, it is expected to be taken to Dubai port. Six South Korean crew members plan to return home afterward. HMM said all 24 crew members, including the South Koreans, stayed aboard and reported no injuries or other harm from the fire. An HMM official said the crew could disembark immediately if they chose, but appeared to have decided to remain because the fire had been extinguished and there were no additional risk factors. The company said it was seeking tugboats in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, coordinating from its ship operations situation room in Busan. HMM said it could take several days to begin an investigation into the cause, given towing procedures and the sailing schedule. Crew members have not yet entered the area where the fire occurred, it said. An explosion and fire broke out at about 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korea time) on the HMM NAMU in waters near the UAE within the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 19:36:15
  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang backs U.S. government in dispute with Anthropic
    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang backs U.S. government in dispute with Anthropic Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has sided with the U.S. government in a dispute between U.S. AI company Anthropic and the Department of Defense. According to Yonhap, Huang said at the Milken Global Conference 2026 economic and finance forum held Sunday afternoon local time at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles that he “fully believes the government will use technology in the right way.” He praised Anthropic as “an amazing company with a great culture and a deeply rooted belief system,” but added, “I don’t agree with all of their positions.” Huang said his view is that if the U.S. government decides to use technology to protect the country and families, and that use is legal and for national security, “I would hope they wouldn’t ask me whether they can use that technology in wartime.” Noting that “a CEO is not an elected official,” he said people who disagree can vote or protest as citizens, but he would not “stand in the way when the country is trying to protect our families.” Anthropic has provided its AI model, Claude, to U.S. military classified systems. But it has clashed with the Pentagon by saying its model should not be used for large-scale surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons. The Defense Department, in a rare move involving a U.S. company, designated Anthropic as a “supply chain risk to national security.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have also sharply criticized Anthropic. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 19:24:28
  • South Korea Forecast: Sunny Wednesday With Highs Up to 27C, Big Day-Night Swings
    South Korea Forecast: Sunny Wednesday With Highs Up to 27C, Big Day-Night Swings Wednesday the 6th is expected to be clear nationwide, with a wide gap between daytime highs and overnight lows. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast morning lows of 7-16C and daytime highs of 21-27C. Under the influence of a high-pressure system moving east from the southern Yellow Sea, inland areas are expected to see day-night temperature differences of around 15C, the agency said. Forecast morning lows in major cities are: Seoul 11C, Incheon 12C, Chuncheon 7C, Gangneung 16C, Daejeon 10C, Daegu 9C, Jeonju 11C, Gwangju 9C, Busan 12C and Jeju 12C. Forecast highs are: Seoul 23C, Incheon 21C, Chuncheon 24C, Gangneung 25C, Daejeon 25C, Daegu 26C, Jeonju 25C, Gwangju 25C, Busan 22C and Jeju 21C. Fog is expected in parts of the mid-Yellow Sea offshore waters, and mariners are advised to use caution. Some islands in South Jeolla province may see dense fog with visibility under 200 meters and light drizzle through the morning. Waves are forecast at 0.5 to 1.0 meters in nearshore waters of the East and Yellow seas and 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the nearshore South Sea. In offshore waters, wave heights are expected at 0.5-2.5 meters in the East Sea, 0.5-2.0 meters in the Yellow Sea and 0.5-1.5 meters in the South Sea. Fine dust levels are expected to range from "good" to "moderate" nationwide. 2026-05-05 19:15:16
  • Seoul Area Jeonse Supply-Demand Imbalance Hits Worst Level in Five Years
    Seoul Area Jeonse Supply-Demand Imbalance Hits Worst Level in Five Years The jeonse rental market in the Seoul metropolitan area is showing a supply-demand imbalance approaching the level seen during the 2020 jeonse crisis. With Seoul’s jeonse supply-demand index at its worst level in five years, more households unable to secure leases are shifting to buying midpriced homes in Seoul or apartments in nearby Gyeonggi Province. According to KB Real Estate statistics released on the 5th, the monthly jeonse supply-demand index for the capital area (Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon) stood at 176.8 last month, the highest since August 2021 (179.1). Incheon posted 181.4, its highest since October 2021, while Gyeonggi came in at 175.1, reaching a critical level for the first time in 56 months since August 2021. In Seoul, the index for the city’s 14 northern districts rose to 187.2 last month, the highest since November 2020 (190.7), a 65-month high. The shortage is also visible in listings. Asil data show that the Boram Apartments complex in Sanggye-dong, Nowon-gu, with about 3,315 households, had zero jeonse listings as of that day. A local broker said the remaining listings — fewer than five — were all taken by the end of last month. SK Bukhansan City in Gangbuk-gu, a 3,830-household complex, had only two registered jeonse listings. The article attributes the decline in rental supply to tighter owner-occupancy requirements after the Oct. 15 measures, which designated all of Seoul as a land transaction permit zone. Jeonse prices are rising quickly. KB Real Estate data show the average jeonse deposit for Seoul apartments reached 681.47 million won last month, the highest since the series began. Gangbuk-gu’s jeonse price increase in April was 3.86%, a record. Seongbuk-gu (1.86%), Seongdong-gu (1.32%) and Gwanak-gu (1.31%) also posted monthly gains of more than 1%. The squeeze is accelerating a shift from jeonse demand to homebuying in nearby Gyeonggi cities. In March, sale prices jumped in Anyang’s Dongan-gu (up 2.73%), Gwangmyeong (up 2.65%) and Hanam (up 2.40%). The article says the dominant view is that the surge reflects “survival buying” by end users fleeing the rental crunch, rather than pure investment demand. Despite concerns in the market, the government struck an optimistic tone. Kim Yong-beom, the presidential office’s policy chief, said at a briefing on the 4th that it was “highly unusual” to see prices falling in the so-called “warm spots” such as Seoul’s three Gangnam districts and Yongsan, calling it evidence the market is moving toward normalization. He added that rising prices in outlying areas were not a major concern because apartments priced under 1.5 billion won are seeing substantial purchases by younger end users. The government also said it would maintain the long-term holding special deduction while considering a redesign focused on actual occupancy, a move intended to reduce benefits for periods when owners do not live in the home. Some observers warned it could further reduce rental listings. Nam Hyeok-woo of Woori Bank’s Real Estate Research Center said supply conditions, including the availability of jeonse and monthly-rent listings, have an outsized impact on the midpriced market. “The price strength now seen in Seoul’s lower- and mid-tier areas will spread to nearby Gyeonggi areas where rental listings are also scarce,” he said, urging policymakers to consider measures to expand non-apartment supply, including increased purchases of non-apartment housing.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 16:03:15
  • Gyeryong Construction to Unveil ELIF Garden at 2026 Seoul International Garden Show
    Gyeryong Construction to Unveil ELIF Garden at 2026 Seoul International Garden Show Gyeryong Construction said Tuesday it will take part in the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show, running May 1 through Oct. 27 at Seoul Forest, where it will present a corporate garden called ELIF Garden. The garden was planned around the theme of “harmony among people, nature and space,” reflecting the values of the company’s ELIF housing brand through a garden setting. Inspired by the “madang,” a courtyard central to traditional Korean gardens, the space is designed to let city residents linger and share moments of rest. Red tempered glass used on the pavilion’s exterior is intended to recast familiar scenery and visually underscore the brand’s design philosophy. To coincide with the opening, the company plans to run interactive programs for 10 days starting May 1, offering pavilion content meant to engage the senses. Participants will receive ELIF sachets and coffee drinks, the company said. “Through ELIF Garden, we want to share the value of living in coexistence with nature,” a company official said, adding that Gyeryong Construction will “continue to strengthen its role as an eco-friendly construction company through sustainable landscaping technology and differentiated design.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 17:19:06
  • Korea Rail Network Authority to Auction Two Commercial Parcels in Suseo Station District
    Korea Rail Network Authority to Auction Two Commercial Parcels in Suseo Station District The Korea Rail Network Authority said Tuesday it will supply two commercial parcels in the Suseo Station public housing district through competitive bidding. The sites are Block C1-1 (1,663 square meters) and Block C1-3 (759 square meters). Both allow building coverage of up to 60% and a floor area ratio of up to 800%, enabling high-density development. Based on appraisals, the planned supply prices are 41.1 billion won for C1-1 and 18.2 billion won for C1-3. Payments will be made in interest-free installments over two years and six months. After a 10% down payment, the remaining interim and final payments can be split into five equal payments every six months. Early payment before the scheduled date qualifies for a prepayment discount at an annual rate of 5% under current standards. The Suseo Station area is described as a major transportation hub in southeastern Seoul, linking the SRT high-speed rail, the GTX-A line, Seoul Subway Line 3 and the Suin-Bundang Line, with the planned Suseo-Gwangju Line expected to make it a "five-line" transfer area. A complex transfer center at Suseo Station is also planned, with facilities such as a department store, hotel and offices, the authority said. The schedule begins with a notice Wednesday, followed by bid applications on May 18, bid opening on May 19 and contract signing on May 26. Details are available on the authority’s website and on OnBid. Lee An-ho, acting chairman of the Korea Rail Network Authority, said the Suseo Station area combines a strong regional transport network with significant development potential. He said he hopes the offering will help energize the station area and strengthen local competitiveness, providing an opportunity for end users focused on future value.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 17:08:59