South Korean musical makes for real 'happy ending,' sweeping Tony Awards

SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - South Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" took home the top honor along with five other gongs at this year's Tony Awards in the U.S. on Sunday, making for a real happy ending to the night. At an awards ceremony held in New York, the musical, which received ten nominations, won six awards for its Broadway production including "Best Musical," "Best Book of a Musical," "Best Original Score," "Best Scenic Design of a

June 9, 2025

Most S. Koreans expect new president to do well and see economy as top priority: survey

SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - About six out of every ten South Koreans believe that President Lee Jae-myung, inaugurated last week, will do a good job in the office, according to a new survey released on Jun. 9. The South Koreans also selected as the economic recovery as the country’s top priority among a list of challenges which the Lee administration must tackle. The survey, commissioned by Energy Economic News, was conducted by pollster Realmeter on Jun. 4 and 5, asking 1,012 ad

June 9, 2025

Naver bets on 'sovereign AI' with launch of Silicon Valley venture arm

SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest internet company Naver introduced its new investment arm, Naver Ventures, at a networking event on June 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto. The announcement marks a renewed push by the company to assert itself in the evolving artificial intelligence landscape — not by chasing the biggest players, but by charting a path rooted in specificity, sovereignty, and strategic restraint. The initiative was unveiled by Lee Ha

June 9, 2025

Robotaxis proposed as elderly crashes rise

SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - A year after a deadly crash in central Seoul left nine pedestrians dead, new data show a sharp rise in traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, adding urgency to discussions about mobility alternatives like driverless robotaxis. According to a June 8 report from the Korea Insurance Research Institute, drivers aged 65 and older were responsible for 20 percent of all traffic accidents in 2023. That figure is up dramatically from 6.8 percent in 2015, reflec

June 8, 2025

President Lee taps veteran lawmaker, journalist, and prosecutor for top secretariat posts

SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung named Sunday three new senior secretaries to lead political affairs, public communications, and civil affairs, reinforcing his early message of unity and reform. The appointments include Woo Sang-ho, a four-term National Assembly member from the Democratic Party, as Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Lee Kyu-yeon, a longtime journalist and former broadcaster JTBC executive, as Senior Secretary for Public Communication, and Oh Kwa

June 8, 2025

Seoul's birth and marriage rates climb for a year: Data

SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - Births and marriages in Seoul have been on the rise for a full year, with new data showing a steady rebound in both areas. March saw the highest number of births for that month in three years, marking a notable shift in the city’s demographic trend. According to Statistics Korea and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 3,786 babies were born in Seoul in March, up 8.7 percent from the same time last year. It was the largest figure for March since 2022, wh

June 8, 2025

Yoon to appear in court for 6th insurrection hearing following Lee Jae-myung's inauguration

SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to return to court on Monday for the sixth hearing in his trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. It will be his first public appearance since the country elected a new president last week. The hearing will take place at 10:15 a.m. in Seoul Central District Court. Yoon is expected to enter through the courthouse’s main ground-level entrance, where reporters will be stationed. As with his previous three a

June 8, 2025

North Korea experiences nationwide internet shutdown

SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - North Korea experienced a nationwide internet outage on Friday, affecting all routes of online access into the country, according to a British researcher cited by Reuters. Junade Ali, a UK-based analyst monitoring North Korea’s online activities, told Reuters the disruption likely resulted from internal technical issues rather than a cyberattack. Ali said the outage appeared similar to a network overload, suggesting internal problems such as po

June 7, 2025

INTERVIEW: Taman Safari Indonesia introduces attractive tours for Korean tourists as bilateral tourism flourishes

SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - At the bustling Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) this week, a booth showcasing lush jungles, exotic wildlife, and vibrant imagery stood out. At the center of this was Alexander Zulkarnain, Chief Marketing Officer of Taman Safari Indonesia, eager to introduce South Korean visitors to Indonesia's hidden travel gems. "Indonesia and South Korea have enjoyed strong diplomatic ties for 52 years," Zulkarnain said in an interview with AJP.

June 7, 2025

S.Korean President Lee to attend G7 summit, Trump meeting expected

SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will attend the G7 summit scheduled for mid-June in Canada, according to the presidential office on Saturday. "Lee was invited to the summit and has accepted the invitation," said a presidential office official. South Korea is not a member of the G7, but has attended previous summits as a guest. Former President Moon Jae-in attended the summit held in the United Kingdom in 2021, and former President Yoon Suk

June 7, 2025