PHOTOS: People visit poll booths to vote for new president

SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - The day has come for South Koreans to choose a new leader to steer the nation through crisis. Voting for the 21st presidential election began at 6 a.m. on Jun. 3 at 14,295 polling stations nationwide. The incoming president will face the daunting task of navigating economic and security challenges both at home and abroad, while also addressing a deepening crisis in democracy and growing social divisions that followed the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and the impeachmen

June 3, 2025

Turnout reaches record 65.5 percent by 2 p.m. in South Korea's presidential vote

SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - South Korea's snap presidential election drew an unprecedented level of voter participation by Tuesday afternoon, with turnout reaching 65.5 percent as of 2 p.m., according to the National Election Commission (NEC). It marks the highest voter turnout at this time of day in any presidential election in the country’s history. Of the 44.39 million eligible voters, more than 29 million had cast their ballots by 2 p.m. The figure includes those who vote

June 3, 2025

PHOTOS: Decision Day

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - South Korea is poised for the presidential election June 3, with polls opening at 6 a.m. across 14,295 voting stations nationwide. Voting will continue until 8 p.m., after which the process of counting ballots will commence. Political observers anticipate that results will become clear as early as midnight. The next president will immediately take office for a five-year term.

June 2, 2025

INTERVIEW: Beauty brand Moumou founder turning tutorials into sales

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - For Yu Hyeon-gyeong, a veteran makeup artist with two decades of experience, the path from the broadcast studio to beauty entrepreneurship was anything but planned. Yet since launching her cosmetics brand, Moumou, in December 2023, she has quietly built a devoted following — driven largely by a steady stream of tutorial-focused Instagram content. “The secret to our success? Merely Instagram,” she said in a recent interview at her Cheongdam

June 2, 2025

New president to emerge late night on Tuesday

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - Voting for the June 3 presidential election begins at 6 a.m. on Tuesday at some 14,300 polling stations nationwide. As ballot counting begins at 8 p.m., the country's new president is not expected to emerge until around 11 p.m. or midnight. As the snap election follows the premature ouster of former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year, polling hours have been extended by two hours from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., so &

June 2, 2025

Police probe overseas IP addresses in SK Telecom cyber attack

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - South Korean authorities have identified foreign internet addresses linked to the recent cyberattack on SK Telecom and are coordinating with at least three countries as part of an expanding international investigation, police said on Monday. During a press briefing, Park Hyun-soo, acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said that cybercrime teams are analyzing server log records tied to malicious code discovered in the breach. “We have fo

June 2, 2025

Court weighs detention of subway arson suspect as probe continues

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - A man in his 60s accused of starting a fire on Seoul’s Line 5 subway on May 31 appeared in court Monday for a detention hearing, two days after the blaze disrupted Seoul’s subway train service and sent dozens to the hospital. The suspect, surnamed Won, was brought to the Seoul Southern District Court. The hearing, held to decide whether to formally detain him ahead of trial, lasted about 15 minutes. Won faces charges of setting fire to a train

June 2, 2025

Canadian orchestra and S. Korean pianist collaborate to display friendship and partnership

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - The grandeur of the Seoul Arts Center came alive last Saturday night as Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra and acclaimed South Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum delivered an evening of musical collaboration. The performance, part of the NAC Orchestra's first-ever tour to South Korea, marked a highlight in the yearlong celebration of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Under the baton of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra presen

June 2, 2025

Korea eyes LMR batteries for EVs to bridge gap between range, affordability

SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s battery manufacturers are fast-tracking efforts to commercialize lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, a next-generation chemistry that industry leaders see as a crucial middle ground between cost-efficiency and performance in electric vehicle (EV) technology. The push marks a strategic pivot for an industry long dominated by two competing battery types: nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries, prized for their high energy density but s

June 2, 2025

UAE in talks with TSMC to build advanced chip plant

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - The United Arab Emirates is in preliminary discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication facility as Gulf nations accelerate efforts to position themselves at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence race. TSMC has reportedly held multiple meetings in recent months with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and representatives of MGX Fund Management, a UAE-base

June 2, 2025