Lee begins ASEAN summit with talks with Cambodian PM

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, in Malaysia, begins his itinerary there by meeting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Monday. The two leaders are expected to discuss cooperation to combat online scams, phishing schemes, and other crimes following the recent revelation of a series of incidents in Phnom Penh that targeted South Koreans. Later in the day, Lee is set to disc

October 27, 2025

OPINION: Restructuring alone won't save Korea's petrochemical industry

SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - South Korea’s financial sector has joined the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in urging the petrochemical industry to embark on a voluntary restructuring. The call is ambitious: companies are being asked to reduce naphtha cracking capacity by as much as 3.7 million tons — roughly 25 percent — and pivot toward higher-value specialty products. Creditors have gone so far as to warn that continued support could be withdrawn if com

October 27, 2025

S.Korean defense expo hits all-time high as global interest surges

SEOUL, October 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest defense and aerospace exhibition wrapped up Sunday after an eight-day run, setting new records for business deals and attendance. The biennial Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025 drew 600 companies from 35 countries and generated $44.9 billion (64.6 trillion won) in business consultations — a 53 percent rise from 2023, marking a new record. "The surge in consultations reflects growi

October 26, 2025

N.Korean top diplomat's Russia visit coincides with Trump's Seoul visit

SEOUL, October 26 (AJP) - North Korean Foreign Minister will visit Russia from Sunday and then is scheduled to travel to Belarus coinciding with U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to South Korea, raising questions over the possibility of a U.S.–North Korea summit. The visit marks Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui’s first trip to Russia in a year, following her November 2024 meeting in Moscow with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin.

October 26, 2025

Lee departs for Malaysia to attend ASEAN summit

SEOUL, October 26 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung left for Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. Lee, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, departed for a two-day visit on Saturday morning, according to the presidential office. Upon arrival, he will attend a dinner meeting with Korean residents in Malaysia to hear their concerns, including the rise in online scam cases affecting Koreans in Southeast Asia. On Monday,

October 26, 2025

Viet Nam highlights its active role in APEC and close partnership with South Korea

SEOUL, October 26 (AJP) - The Embassy of Viet Nam in Seoul reaffirmed Viet Nam's active and responsible participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and underlined the country's strong cooperative ties with South Korea ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju. "Since joining APEC in 1998, Viet Nam has made active and responsible contributions to the forum, promoting peace, stability, cooperation, and regional economic integrat

October 26, 2025

Geologist says Pohang earthquake was man-made, triggered by geothermal fluid injection

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - The 2017 Pohang earthquake was a man-made disaster caused by fluid injection at a geothermal power plant, according to Kim Kwang-hee, professor of geological and environmental sciences at Pusan National University. Speaking at the policy forum "Pohang, Asking Again: Accountability and Prevention of Recurrence" held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul on October 23, Kim said the quake was an induced seismic event, not a

October 24, 2025

Experts urge easing proof standards, turning Pohang's quake legacy into a cultural asset

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Legal and academic experts called for fairer compensation standards and stronger accountability in the long-running case over the 2017 Pohang earthquake, saying South Korea must rebuild public trust while preventing similar disasters. The discussion took place on October 23 at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, where the "Pohang Earthquake Damage Policy Seminar" gathered lawyers, professors, and local representative

October 24, 2025

East Asian markets upbeat before Trump's arrival next week

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Asian markets ended mostly higher Friday on optimism surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming Asian tour, which includes back-to-back summits with leaders of South Korea, China, and Japan. In Seoul, the KOSPI climbed 2.0 percent to close at 3,921.52, reclaiming the 3,900 threshold as chip bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix extended gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.3 percent to 49,282.19, supported by expectations of rene

October 24, 2025

Rare freshwater fish returns to life in Seoul's Cheonggyecheon Stream

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Cheonggyecheon has run through the heart of Seoul for more than six centuries — once a bustling stream in the old market district during the Joseon Dynasty, later entombed beneath concrete as the city modernized. Since its restoration in 2005, the waterway has evolved from a civic project into a living symbol of ecological renewal — proof that nature, when given room and care, can return even to the center of a metropolis. Ne

October 24, 2025