INTERVIEW: Thai envoy speaks about deepening ties on security, economy and culture

SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Thailand and South Korea share a long friendship built on history and sacrifice. Ambassador Tanee Sangrat reminded that the foundation of trust goes back to the Korean War, when Thai troops fought alongside South Koreans. "Thailand is an old friend," he said during an interview with AJP on August 28. "Our cooperation began with sacrifice during the Korean War, and it remains the base for everything we can achieve together." Thailand was

August 31, 2025

Apple's slimmest iPhone ever set for release next month, with tariffs casting uncertainty over sales in South Korea

SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - Apple will release a new series of iPhones and other devices next month, including the thinnest iPhone ever, with South Korea among the first batch of launch countries for the second consecutive year. According to industry sources, the tech giant is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series including a super-slim "Air" model at its headquarters in Cupertino, California on Sept. 9. Apple, which for years had placed South Korea in the second or late

August 31, 2025

Pyongyang honors fallen soldiers ahead of Kim's Beijing trip

SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a large-scale memorial event for soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, just days before his expected attendance at a military parade in Beijing next week. According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the memorial event was held on Friday in Pyongyang to honor troops dispatched overseas. The event came about a week after the unveiling of "the memorial wall" at the ruling party’s headqu

August 30, 2025

UN OHCHR Seoul Office calls for attention to the victims of North Korean abductions

SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - The UN Human Rights Office in Seoul called for attention to the suffering of victims of enforced disappearances and abductions by North Korea and their families. The office urged attention to the issue to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, which was observed on Saturday. The day aims to raise awareness of people who have gone missing against their will, highlight the suffering of their families, and call for action to stop

August 30, 2025

Heat and rain to linger nationwide through weekend

SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - South Korea will face more heat and rain this weekend. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said heat alerts were in effect nationwide and rain warnings were issued for Gyeonggi Province north of Seoul, Gangwon Province in the northeast, and parts of the capital. The Seoul Metropolitan Government closed 29 streams across the city on Saturday morning as a precaution against flooding. Rain is forecast to continue in the capital area and inland

August 30, 2025

South Korean-American singer Yoo Seung-jun wins again over visa denial

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - A Seoul court has once again ruled in favor of South Korean-American singer Yoo Seung-jun, ordering the cancellation of the government's decision to deny him a visa to enter the country. The Seoul Administrative Court on Thursday sided with the 48-year-old singer, also known by his U.S. name Steve Seung-jun Yoo, in his third lawsuit against the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles, which had repeatedly rejected his visa applications. Yoo, o

August 29, 2025

Southern port city hosts cruise dating event for 84 young professionals

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - A total of 84 unmarried working people from the southern port city of Ulsan are set to join a "cruise dating" event on Friday. The Ulsan City organized the event, titled "Chilseok, Ulsan Romantic Day," to help young professionals, born between 1986 and 2000, living in the city find new connections and to encourage them to settle down in the city. Held on Chilseok, the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, the festiv

August 29, 2025

TRAVEL: Tracing a thousand years of history at Jikjisa Temple

GIMCHEON, August 29 (AJP) - Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, is a thousand-year-old monastery that embodies both spiritual and historical significance. Founded in 418 by the monk Ado, who came from Goguryeo before Buddhism was even recognized as a state religion in Silla, the temple has long stood as a symbol of resilience. During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th century, it was here that Buddhist monk soldiers rallied under the leadership of Venerable S

August 29, 2025

South Korea unveils record 728 trillion won budget with big bets on AI, R&D

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s government on Friday signed off on a record 728 trillion won ($524.3 billion) budget for 2026, an 8.1 percent increase over this year and the first major fiscal blueprint of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration. The spending plan marks a sharp break from the austerity policies of Lee’s predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who kept budget growth near 2 to 3 percent. Instead, the new administration is seeking to jolt Asia’s fou

August 29, 2025

South Korea's SNT Group to establish US production base in Louisiana

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - South Korea's SNT Group said Friday that it had purchased an 82-acre site in Louisiana for a new manufacturing complex. The facility, covering roughly 330,000 square meters, will be developed in phases and is intended to serve as SNT’s integrated North American production base. The project will be led by SNT Motiv, the group’s automotive components arm, and will also involve SNT Energy, its energy equipment unit. Louisiana was chosen for

August 29, 2025