President Lee warns proxy revenge is serious crime SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned through a social media post on Friday that both requesting and carrying out private revenge through third parties constitutes a serious criminal offense. The statement addresses a growing trend of illegal retaliation services coordinated through encrypted messaging platforms. The direct warning from the president signals an intensified government crackdown on digital-age vigilantism. Lee emphasized that modern state May 16, 2026

South Korea's labor minister to meet Samsung management to avert strike SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - In a bid to mediate a labor dispute that threatens an unprecedented general strike of Samsung Electronics workers, South Korean Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon is scheduled to meet with Samsung executives as early as Saturday. The move follows a high-level meeting between the minister and union leadership to discuss demands that could fundamentally reshape the company's compensation structure. The National Samsung Electronics Union plans to launch an 18-day May 16, 2026

Veteran columnist publishes book on South Korean cultural diplomacy SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - Veteran South Korean columnist Choe Chong-dae has published a collection of essays spanning nearly half a century of international dialogue, chronicling South Korea's evolving global presence. The book, titled "Bridging Cultures: The Korea Times Columns of a Citizen Diplomat (1979~2025)", captures his experiences as a cultural advocate and lifelong researcher since he began writing in 1979. The volume explores diplomatic history, democratization May 16, 2026

Korea's Lee replaces health and customs deputies SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung replaced the country’s top health and customs officials Friday in a vice-ministerial reshuffle carried out less than a year after both incumbents took office, the presidential office said. Hyeon Su-yeop, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was named first vice minister of health and welfare, while Lee Jong-wook, vice commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, was appointed customs commissioner, presi May 15, 2026

Korea's Cheonghae Unit departs for Gulf of Aden amid Hormuz tensions SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - The South Korean Navy’s destroyer Wang Geon departed from Busan on Friday to replace the Cheonghae Unit currently operating in the Gulf of Aden, amid speculation that the unit could be deployed near the Strait of Hormuz depending on regional developments. The 4,400-ton Wang Geon, a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer, left Busan Naval Base at 4 p.m. after a send-off ceremony attended by service members and their families. The 48th rotation of the Ch May 15, 2026

ASIA INSIGHT: The Taiwan Strait poses as most dangerous fault line in US-China relations A Strategic chokepoint rivaling the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca Whenever the leaders of the United States and China meet, the world watches closely. Yet behind the formal photographs, diplomatic courtesies, and carefully calibrated statements, one issue continues to dominate the strategic core of the relationship: Taiwan. Trade disputes, tariffs, artificial intelligence, supply chains, Ukraine, and the Middle East all occupied the agenda during the Beijing sum May 15, 2026

No breakthrough for Samsung Elec despite 11th-hour C-suite visit to union SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Top executives of Samsung Electronics failed Friday in an eleventh-hour attempt to avert a looming general strike after visiting the labor union office of the world’s largest memory chipmaker, whose exports alone account for roughly one-fifth of South Korea’s total outbound shipments. Mindful of the government’s determination to prevent a strike at a company whose production disruption could cost billions of dollars in economic losses and ta May 15, 2026

BOK brings on hawkish new member SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - Kim Jin-ill, a former professor at Korea University, held his inauguration ceremony on Friday, to succeed Shin Sung-hwan, who retired from the Bank of Korea’s (BOK) Monetary Policy Board earlier this week. Kim is expected to strengthen the BOK’s hawkish stance with his focus on the traditional role of a central bank. Kim held a private inauguration ceremony at the BOK on Friday afternoon. This comes just four days after the Korea Federation May 15, 2026

Seoul offers Canadians a real undersea ride in last stretch of submarine race SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - A South Korean flag-bearing submarine will surface at the Port of Victoria, off Canada's western coast, later this month after a two-month journey with Canadian crew members aboard — sailing from Jinhae in southern Korea in a symbolic outreach as Ottawa weighs Team Korea against Europe for a multibillion-dollar submarine contract. The bid to supply Canada with up to 12 next-generation submarines has narrowed to consortia led by Korea's Hanwha Ocea May 15, 2026

Seoul sizzles as early summer heat pushes temperatures above 30C SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) -An unusually early summer heat spell swept across South Korea on Friday as temperatures in Seoul climbed above 30 degrees Celsius, driving citizens and foreign tourists toward fountains and shaded public spaces to escape the scorching weather. At Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, visitors crowded around fountain facilities and water features as children splashed through streams of water under clear blue skies. The scene reflected the growing popularity of o May 15, 2026