PHOTOS: Overseas voting begins for presidential election

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean citizens living abroad began casting their ballots on Tuesday for the country's presidential election. The National Election Commission said that the overseas voting period will run until Sunday, May 25, at noon (KST). Polling stations have been set up in 223 locations across 118 countries, including 182 diplomatic missions and 41 additional sites. For the first time, overseas polling stations have been established in four countries where South Korea

May 20, 2025

Boy band RIIZE to embark on world tour to promote first full-length album

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - K-pop boy band RIIZE will embark on their first world tour in July, riding the momentum of their new album released earlier this week. Starting with a three-day concert in southern Seoul in early July, the sextet will tour about a dozen cities around the world including Bangkok in Thailand, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Saitama, and Tokyo in Japan, Jakarta in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Manila in the Philippines until February next year. The tour w

May 20, 2025

US, South Korea, Japan hold trilateral secretariat meeting in Washington

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The United States, South Korea, and Japan have convened a Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat Managing Board meeting in Washington, D.C. on Monday (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced. The Department of State said in a statement that the meeting was led by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kevin Kim, South Korean Deputy Director-General for North American Affairs Yi Won-woo, and Japanese Deputy Director-General

May 20, 2025

BTS' Jin releases remixes from his latest mini album

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Jin, the eldest member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, released a new compilation album on Tuesday. According to his agency BitHit Music, the album contains eight tracks including six remixed versions of "Don't Say You Love Me," the title song from his second mini album "Echo," released last week, about six months after his debut solo album "Happy" late last year. Along with the instrumental version of the song, the remixes vary

May 20, 2025

Won-based digital currency becomes hot topic in presidential race

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Stablecoins have become an unexpected battleground in South Korea’s presidential election, as major candidates debate the merits and risks of introducing a won-based digital currency. While proponents frame the move as a way to bolster national financial sovereignty, critics warn of regulatory gaps and potential misuse. The opposition Democratic Party (DP), led by presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, has proposed the issuance of a stablecoin backed by

May 20, 2025

LG Electronics targets emerging markets in global HVAC push

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - LG Electronics is intensifying its push into emerging markets, aiming to capture a growing share of the global heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) market. This week, the technology company hosted its “LG HVAC Leaders’ Summit 2025,” a four-day gathering of industry consultants from across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The summit, held in South Korea, brought together specialists from countries including Ind

May 20, 2025

Lee targets key swing regions as Kim highlights welfare issues in Seoul campaign push

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - With just two weeks left until South Korea’s snap presidential election on Jun. 3, Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo are stepping up their campaigns in the capital region on Tuesday, each appealing to core and swing voters with contrasting schedules. The election was called after former president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and removed from office for abuse of power. On Dec. 3 last year, Yo

May 20, 2025

Lee Jae-myung bets big on artificial intelligence to revive economy

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series examining the economic campaign promises of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, is wagering his economic revival plan on a massive national investment in artificial intelligence, vowing to elevate the country into the ranks of the world’s top AI powers with a bold 100 trillion won ($70.6 billion) initia

May 20, 2025

OPINION: Tajikistan promotes global awareness of the crucial importance of glaciers.

SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - The International Conference on Glacier Preservation is scheduled to take place in Dushanbe from May 29 to 31 in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation. The aim of this international conference is to raise global awareness about the crucial importance of glaciers and to prevent their accelerated melting. It seeks to promote international cooperation and joint actions, sci

May 19, 2025

South Korean expats to begin voting for new president this week

SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - Overseas voting for the June 3 presidential election is set to begin on Tuesday at some 223 polling stations in 118 countries around the world, election watchdog National Election Commission (NEC) said on Monday. Some 258,254 overseas South Koreans will be eligible to vote over a six-day period that runs until next Monday, at around 182 embassies and consulates abroad, along with some 41 newly added polling stations set up for military units dispatched to Leban

May 19, 2025