PHOTOS: Kim Jong-un honors troops sent to fight in Ukraine with lavish event

SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted a lavish ceremony in Pyongyang for commanders of units deployed to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, state media reported on Friday. The event, held in his office compound, included an elaborate banquet and performances, as well as what was described as one of Kim’s highest personal gestures of respect: sharing cigarettes with the visiting commanders. During the ceremony, Kim delivered a speech praising

August 22, 2025

Argentine poultry imports banned after bird flu outbreak

SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - South Korea has suspended imports of poultry and related products from Argentina after the South American nation confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a commercial farm. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Friday the ban took effect on Aug. 17, the day Argentina reported the case. Shipments that departed Argentina after Aug. 3 will undergo heightened screening. The ministry emphasized that the move is unlikely

August 22, 2025

South Korea targets foreign speculators with ban on housing purchases

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea will ban nonresident foreigners from purchasing homes in Seoul and other major metropolitan areas, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Thursday. Beginning Aug. 26, foreign individuals, corporations and governments must obtain prior approval before acquiring residential property in designated areas. Buyers granted approval will be required to move in within four months and maintain residency for at least two years. The

August 21, 2025

US think tank spots another secret missile base in North Korea

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Another North Korean missile base has been spotted near Chinese border, U.S.-based think tank reveals. According to a report released on the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)'s Beyond Parallel website, the "undisclosed" missile base, believed to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, is located in Sinpung, North Pyongan Province near the border with China. "The base is one o

August 21, 2025

Consumer complaints surge against South Korean fashion platforms

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Consumer complaints against South Korea’s fast-growing online fashion platforms have soared more than 30 percent in the past year, the Korea Consumer Agency said Thursday. The agency said it had logged 1,650 complaints from 2022 through June this year against four of the country’s largest platforms — W Concept Korea, Musinsa, Ably Corporation and Kakao Style. The annual caseload nearly doubled in two years, jumping from 278 in 2022 to 44

August 21, 2025

Korean financial regulator inspects firms hit by ransomware attacks

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s top financial regulator has begun on-site inspections of companies struck by recent ransomware attacks, as concerns mount over the security of consumer data in the country’s financial sector. The Financial Supervisory Service dispatched examiners to SGI Seoul Guarantee, the nation’s leading guarantee insurance provider, and to Welrix F&I Loan, a lending affiliate of Welcome Financial Group, according to industry official

August 21, 2025

Lee to put past deals on historical issues to rest ahead of summit with Japanese PM

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung said he will respect past deals with Japan on wartime forced labor and former sex slaves, in an interview with Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun published on Thursday, ahead of his trip to Tokyo later this weekend. Lee said that for many South Koreans it would be "very difficult to accept" but "undesirable to overturn" them, referring to a murky deal struck by the former Park Geun-hye administration in 2015 to settle

August 21, 2025

TRAVEL: Hahoe Village in Andong, preserved in time

ANDONG, August 21 (AJP) - The village of Hahoe, nestled in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, stands as a living testament to the country's past. Here, traditional tile-roofed houses and thatched-roof homes have been meticulously preserved for centuries, encircled by the flowing Nakdong River. The village's name, Hahoe, literally means "to turn and flow," a reference to the river's distinctive S-shaped embrace of the settlement. At the heart of the village

August 21, 2025

[K-Pop] Netflix hit animation director explores heart of Korean cultures and treasures

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Maggie Kang, director of Netflix’s global hit animation film "K-pop Demon Hunters," visited the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Thursday, where she explored traditional Korean art and culture alongside museum director Yu Hong-jun. Following the tour, Kang expressed admiration for Korea’s cultural icons, calling the tiger character Derpy “a source of national pride” and praising Korea’s symbolic imagery. K-pop De

August 21, 2025

[K-Pop] BTS member Jungkook's song garners 2.5 billion streams on Spotify

SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - "Seven," a song by Jungkook, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, has garnered over 2.5 billion streams on the world's largest streaming site Spotify, his management agency BigHit Music said on Thursday. Released in July 2023, the song, a serenade about wanting to spend every day with a loved one, became the first K-pop single to achieve the feat and also set a record by remaining on Spotify's global weekly chart for more than 100 consecutive w

August 21, 2025