Suspicious border activities in N. Korea suggest growing instability amid elite defections

SEOUL, July 23 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea has been building walls and digging holes along the border with South Korea, recent satellite images suggest. An analysis of satellite photos from American earth-imaging company Planet Labs shows newly-elected structures resembling walls along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an area already heavily-fortified with landmines and high fences. Construction of these structures seemed to have started early this year, as they were not seen until at l

July 23, 2024

Opinion: Kamala Harris is likely to become Democratic nominee for president

SEOUL, July 23 (AJU PRESS) - After three weeks of pained debates in the media and within the Biden administration itself, the 61 percent of Americans who wanted Joe Biden to step aside have had their wish granted. Only a few minutes after announcing he would no longer be seeking re-election, Biden made clear he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, while major Democratic Party stalwarts – including the Congressional Black Caucus as well as Bill and Hillary Clin

July 23, 2024

PHOTOS: Cho Kuk visits national cemetery following election as party leader

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk visited the Seoul National Cemetery on Monday, following his election as the leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party on Saturday. Cho was the only candidate in the leadership election of the party, which he founded before the April parliamentary elections. He received an overwhelming 99.9 percent approval in a yes-or-no vote.

July 22, 2024

Koreans' chicken consumption peaks during summer

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Koreans consumed an average of 26 chickens per person last year, according to a survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute. The survey of 2,000 adults nationwide released on Monday revealed that each Korean ate around 20 local chickens and six imported ones. Per-capita annual chicken consumption in Korea was a just 1.4 kilograms in 1970, but rose to 7.8 kilograms in 2003 and 17.6 kilograms so far this year. The survey also shows that Korea

July 22, 2024

PHOTOS: Middle-aged job fair draws crowds

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - The 4050 Job Fair for middle-aged and senior job seekers was held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Monday. Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and organized by the Seoul 50 Plus Foundation, the event featured more than 70 companies interested in hiring middle-aged and older workers, offering on-site interviews, job consulting, and various work experience programs.

July 22, 2024

KB Kookmin launches Indonesian service on mobile banking platform

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - KB Kookmin Bank has launched Indonesian language services on its mobile banking platform, "KB Star Banking," the major Korean lender announced Monday. Along with Indonesian, the platform offers multilingual services in nine other languages, including English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Russian. Through this new service, Indonesian speakers will be able to access account and transaction history, inquire about exchange rates, and use overse

July 22, 2024

N. Korean athletes arrive in Paris for first Olympic appearance in 8 years

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean athletes arrived in Paris on Sunday, about a week ahead of the Summer Olympics in the French capital. Upon arrival at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, about two dozen North Koreans, including sports officials, avoided media encounters by using separate gates while the French police kept onlookers from approaching them. The isolated country's Olympic participation marks its return after eight years, following its absence from the

July 22, 2024

LG OLED evo crowned best TV by global consumer publications

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - LG Electronics' artificial intelligence-powered OLED evo TV has secured top rankings in performance evaluations by consumer publications across 14 countries. The premium TV dominated reviews in key markets like North America and Europe. In the United States, Consumer Reports awarded it the highest score among 334 models tested, stating, "It's among the best TVs you can buy." The UK's "Which?" enthused, "The TV is a

July 22, 2024

Prosecutors question first lady over luxury bag allegations

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Prosecutors interrogated first lady Kim Keon Hee last weekend over a couple of allegations including the acceptance of a luxury bag, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said on Sunday. The first face-to-face investigation with Kim came about seven months after the accusations regarding the bag surfaced, and four years after allegations of her involvement in a stock manipulation of Deutch Motors, a major BMW car dealer in Korea. Kim is a

July 22, 2024

Opinion: China's economic resilience amid turbulent first half of 2024

KARACHI, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Amidst a turbulent internal and external landscape, the Chinese economy has managed to produce a noteworthy "midterm paper," demonstrating resilience with a relatively mixed performance in the first half of 2024. On July 15, the National Bureau of Statistics released its 2024 China Economic Semi-annual Report, revealing a 5% year-on-year GDP growth. However, in the second quarter, China's economy grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year, follow

July 22, 2024