North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea early Saturday, South Korea's military said, a day after Seoul, Washington and Tokyo wrapped up a five-day joint military exercise. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles being launched from the Wonsan area at around 5:20 a.m. The missiles flew about 250 kilometers before falling into the sea. South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting a detai September 12, 2026

Recent missing-person cases cast shadow over Jeju tourism SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Jeju was long celebrated as the "island of three absences," or Sammu in Korean, a traditional expression meaning there were no thieves, no beggars and no front gates because residents had little reason to fear one another. That image of trust and safety is now being shaken as a botched missing-person investigation, revelations of falsified police case records and a wave of crime fears raise concern that the resort island's reputation could b September 11, 2026

Mugamseogi, healing dance in five colors of tears Draped in a shaman’s ceremonial robes, dancers pray for blessings through movement alone. Inspired by one of the most dynamic moments of “Gut: Whispering Steps” goes beyond simply recreating tradition on stage. Instead, it traces a journey through wounds and memory toward the strength to live again, expressing an ancient ritual through the language of the contemporary body. Mugamseogi is a ritual within Seoul gut in which the sha September 11, 2026

Seoul issues new dress code for govt job interviews: come casual SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - South Korea's government agency in charge of managing the civil service has drawn attention after announcing that applicants who show up for government job interviews wearing neckties will be told to take them off. The Ministry of Personnel Management said Thursday that it will begin strongly discouraging suits at national civil service interviews from October, instead urging applicants to come in casual clothing including jackets, shirts, knitwear, September 11, 2026

KOSPI closes below 7,000 as foreign selloff outweighs chip exports SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell nearly 2 percent on Friday as concerns over oil prices and interest rates led to heavy foreign selling, outweighing strong semiconductor exports. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,909.91, down 1.76 percent from the previous session. The index opened 3.29 percent lower at 6,802.50 before recovering part of its losses in afternoon trading. Foreign investors sold a net 2.29 trillion won (US$1.70 billion) of KOSPI shares, while insti September 11, 2026

Korean 3-yr yield tops 4% for first time since 2023 SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) — South Korea's three-year government bond yield closed above 4 percent Friday for the first time in nearly three years, while the won weakened as oil-driven inflation fears sent global yields sharply higher. The three-year Korean government bond yield jumped 8.8 basis points to 4.018 percent, crossing the 4 percent threshold for the first time since Nov. 1, 2023. The yield had last closed above the level at 4.071 percent on Nov. 1, 2023, befor September 11, 2026

Lee pushes to expand food aid for underprivileged SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Friday welcomed the nationwide expansion of a government program that provides food and daily necessities to people struggling to make ends meet without requiring them to first prove their eligibility. Lee said on X that the "Geunyang Dream" program, first launched in Gyeonggi Province, would now be available across the country. The program's Korean name, "Geunyang Dream," literally means "just gi September 11, 2026

Chunmoo moves to the arms mainstream on the Balkan front SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Croatia’s decision to buy 18 South Korean K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers on top of its earlier order of HIMARS from the United States reflects a broader recalibration in the Western Balkans, where military modernization has accelerated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hanwha Aerospace signed a 411.8 million euro ($478 million) contract with the Croatian Ministry of Defence on Thursday to supply 18 Chunmoo launchers, ammunition carri September 11, 2026

Korean shamanism finds new life in pop culture SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Drums pound, bells shake and chants rise as a mudang, or Korean shaman, appears to slip between worlds, communicating with spirits through an electrifying ritual of music, dance and trance. For millions of moviegoers, the spectacle became familiar through a famous gut scene in director Jang Jae-hyun's 2024 occult blockbuster "Exhuma." Gut, an ancient Korean shamanic ritual performed to communicate with spirits, comfort the dead, seek bl September 11, 2026

Krafton, Neople win top employer honors SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - South Korean game makers Krafton and Neople have been named top job creators by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, cited for expanded parental benefits and youth hiring. Krafton, the publisher of "PUBG: Battlegrounds," pays up to 100 million won ($74,382) over a lifetime for each child born to employees on or after Jan. 1, 2025, and has extended parental leave to as long as two years. The selection announced Friday also reflected non-cash September 11, 2026