Son Heung-min heads to fourth World Cup as Korea names 26-man squad SEOUL, May 17 (AJP) - Son Heung-min will lead South Korea to his fourth and possibly final World Cup after head coach Hong Myung-bo named the 26-man squad for the 2026 tournament on Saturday. Hong announced the roster in Seoul, selecting three forwards, 10 midfielders, 10 defenders and three goalkeepers for the June 11-July 19 World Cup in North America. South Korea competes in Group A against Czechia, South Africa and Mexico, with all three group-stage matches to be played in May 17, 2026

AJP Korea-India Essay Contest Winner: Bronze Prize SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - As someone working at a facilities management corporation in Korea, the things I face most often are not the shining exteriors of buildings, but the invisible foundations and chains of safety measurements that support them. People often measure a city’s growth by the height of its skyscrapers. But from an engineer’s point of view, the true quality of a city is not about how high its buildings rise. It is about how safely those buildings can stand ov May 16, 2026

Veteran columnist publishes book on South Korean cultural diplomacy SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - Veteran South Korean columnist Choe Chong-dae has published a collection of essays spanning nearly half a century of international dialogue, chronicling South Korea's evolving global presence. The book, titled "Bridging Cultures: The Korea Times Columns of a Citizen Diplomat (1979~2025)", captures his experiences as a cultural advocate and lifelong researcher since he began writing in 1979. The volume explores diplomatic history, democratization May 16, 2026

AJP Korea-India Essay Contest Winner: Grand Prize SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - There is a particular kind of magic that happens when two ancient civilizations recognize themselves in each other. It does not announce itself loudly. It arrives quietly — in the similarity between t May 15, 2026

AJP Korea-India Essay Contest Winner: Gold Prize SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - In Hindi, there is a word called "kal." It means both “yesterday” and “tomorrow.” When I first learned this word as a Hindi major in college, I thought it felt very much May 15, 2026

AJP Korea-India Essay Contest Winner: Silver Prize SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Winter of 2019, Found in White Silence One winter day, when worries about my future had reached even the tips of my toes, I found myself wandering through Bukchon Hanok Village as if I were being pulle May 15, 2026

K-Game: Subnautica 2 dives into early access, lonelier than it looks SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - Most survival games this reviewer has lived inside — Rust, Minecraft, Terraria, Core Keeper — share a comfortable rhythm: gather, build, defend, repeat. Fishing is a life-hobby for this reviewer, an in-game delicacy for such survival games as well. "Subnautica 2," which entered early access on Friday at zero a.m. KST, breaks that rhythm in two specific places. The fish want to eat you. And you cannot breathe. That combination — preda May 15, 2026

Kookmin University alumni selected for Cannes immersive competition SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Two South Korean Kuukmin University alumni directors have been named to the official Immersive Competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival for their experimental installation, the university said Wednesday. The project, titled VOOOOOO---PEEEEEE---, was created by Woopark Studio's directors Woo Hyun-ju and Park Ji-yoon. The Immersive Competition is a specialized category at Cannes that focuses on virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), and interactiv May 13, 2026

Seven Korean eateries join the NYT list of New York's 100 best restaurants for 2026 SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Seven Korean restaurants were included in The New York Times’ latest list of “The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City in 2026,” underscoring the growing influence of K-food and cuisine across New York’s cosmopolitan dining scene. The highest-ranked Korean restaurant was Meju, which placed fourth on the list. The restaurant, led by chef Hooni Kim, was praised for its fermentation-focused tasting menu hidden behind a banchan shop in L May 13, 2026

NCT's Jaehyun sells out for his first fan concert after military discharge SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - K-pop boy band NCT's Jaehyun sold out within minutes for both dates of his upcoming Seoul fan concert, which would be his first major solo event since completing mandatory military service, SM Entertainment said Wednesday. “JAEHYUN FAN-CON TOUR in SEOUL” will take place on June 6 and 7 at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. Tickets released through Melon Ticket on Monday and Tuesday were immediately snapped up after sales opened, according to SM Entertainm May 13, 2026