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  French-Korean Career Forum to link talent with international employers in Seoul SEOUL, May 2 (AJP) - The French-Korean Career Forum will take place in Seoul, offering South Korean and French job seekers living in South Korea a platform to explore career opportunities shaped by the French language and culture. Jointly organized by the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in South Korea, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), in collaboration with CCIP, CLE International, and France Alu May 2, 2025
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  Conservatives weigh unification strategy as Han Duck-soo enters race SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s presidential bid is prompting a strategic rethink across South Korea’s conservative bloc, as leaders weigh the risks and rewards of unifying behind a single candidate before official registration begins next week. The 75-year-old former Prime Minister formally declared his candidacy on Friday, offering a transitional vision centered on constitutional reform. “I will form a presidential task force on const May 2, 2025
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  Korea's inflation holds steady in April, driven by food prices SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Consumer prices in South Korea rose 2.1 percent in April from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of inflation hovering in the 2 percent range, according to data released Friday by Statistics Korea. The consumer price index (CPI) reached 116.38, based on the 2020 baseline of 100. April’s figure extends a trend that began in January, when inflation climbed back to 2.2 percent after four months of remaining below 2 percent. Processed f May 2, 2025
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  Leadership vacuum in S. Korea raises concerns over economic stability SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Concerns over South Korea’s economic leadership are intensifying following the abrupt resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who stepped down Thursday in a bid to avoid impeachment. His departure threatens to unsettle foreign investors and undermine Seoul’s credibility as it navigates rising domestic uncertainty and mounting trade pressure from the United States. Choi, a key figure in maintaining policy continu May 2, 2025
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  US defends Trump's talks With Putin, citing past engagement with Kim Jong-un SEOUL, May 2 (AJP) - The United States State Department defended President Donald Trump on Thursday over his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the backlash he faced during meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “There was a lot of heat when he went to visit Kim Jong-un,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing. She added that Trump’s view is that “people have to be spoken with, face to face, one May 2, 2025
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  Han Duck-soo declares presidential run, pledges constitutional reform and early exit SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his bid for the presidency on Friday, pledging to push forward a constitutional amendment and step down once the reform is in place. “I will form a presidential task force on constitutional reform on day one,” the 75-year-old former Prime Minister said during a press conference at the National Assembly. “In my third year, I will hold a new presidential and general election under the revised consti May 2, 2025
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  Education Minister Lee Ju-ho steps in as acting president amid leadership shake-up SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - South Korea entered unfamiliar political territory on Friday as Education Minister Lee Ju-ho assumed the role of acting president, following the sudden resignations of both Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok. Han, who had been serving as acting president, stepped down to run in the upcoming presidential election. Choi, the expected successor, also resigned after the Democratic Party (DP)-led National Assembly introduced an imp May 2, 2025
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  Shinsegae reshaping how Koreans shop, dine — and live Editor's Note: This article is the 16th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - The headquarters of South Korea’s Shinsegae Group, located in Seoul’s Sogong-ro, rises as a monument to nearly a century of retail evolution. Once a single department store, the company has grown into a sprawling lifestyle conglomerate May 2, 2025
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  Han Duck-soo resigns as acting president to join presidential race SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s acting president and prime minister, announced his resignation on Thursday, clearing the way for a likely run in the June 3 presidential election. “I am now stepping down from my duties as acting president and prime minister," Han said in a nationally televised address from the central government complex in Seoul. Han is expected to formally declare his presidential bid as early as Friday. He had served as ac May 1, 2025
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  Supreme Court reverses acquittal of top presidential contender Lee Jae-myung SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s acquittal of Lee Jae-myung, the opposition leader and a top contender in the upcoming presidential race, sending the case back for retrial with instructions that Lee be found guilty of spreading false information. The case stems from comments Lee made during the 2021 presidential campaign. He had denied playing golf overseas with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive at the S May 1, 2025