Vehicle-free weekends along Cheonggyecheon Stream to resume after six-month pause

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Vehicles will again be banned along the Cheonggyecheon Stream on weekends and public holidays starting on New Year's Day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Monday. The traffic restriction, first implemented in 2005 to improve the walking environment and convenience for pedestrians, will resume after being suspended in July for about six months due to local merchants' complaints about reduced sales. A roughly 450-meter stretch will be c

December 15, 2025

South Korea's Samsung C&T teams up with Polish firm on small modular reactors

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Samsung C&T’s construction division said on Monday it has signed a partnership agreement with Poland’s Synthos Green Energy to jointly develop small modular reactor (SMR) projects in central and eastern Europe. The agreement provides for cooperation on SMR development in Europe, including feasibility studies, site selection and environmental impact assessments, starting with projects in Poland. The signing ceremony was attended by

December 15, 2025

Fire at Paju elementary school leaves three injured, hundreds evacuated

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A fire broke out at an elementary school in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to fire authorities, the blaze started around noon in the school's second-floor science lab. Firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze, but three staff members inhaled smoke, with two being transported to the hospital. A total of 307 students and staff were evacuated. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire

December 15, 2025

[UPDATE] Police Sweep Kakao building following bomb threat; No explosives found

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Authorities in South Korea on Monday conducted a large-scale search operation at tech giant Kakao's office building in Pangyo, south of Seoul, following a bomb threat report, but no explosive devices were discovered. Police said a joint team of approximately 70 officials — including police officers, firefighters, and military personnel — was deployed to the site, but no unusual or suspicious findings were reported during the operation

December 15, 2025

Korea's ex-president brooded on martial law scheme more than a year before acting out

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) -Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol brooded over a scheme to invoke martial law to “eliminate political opponents and consolidate power” before October 2023, more than a year before the stunning decree was declared in December 2024, a special counsel investigation claimed Monday. The finding was detailed by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, who led a 180-day probe into allegations of insurrection and foreign collusion surrounding the Decem

December 15, 2025

Nearly 90% of South Koreans use streaming services

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Nearly 90 percent of South Koreans use online streaming services and platforms, with an average of 2.1 subscriptions per person, according to a survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency. The survey, based on face-to-face interviews with 6,554 people conducted over three months starting in July, found that 54.2 percent of subscribers were paid users. YouTube led with 85.4 percent of users, followed by Netfli

December 15, 2025

Korea Zinc weighs US strategic mineral smelter: reports

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Korea Zinc is considering building a strategic mineral smelter in the southeastern United States, according to media reports, on Monday. The world’s largest non-ferrous metal smelting company convened an emergency board meeting at its Seoul headquarters to discuss the potential project, which could involve investment from the U.S. Department of Defense and local defense-related investors, according to industry sources. The proposed smelter wou

December 15, 2025

PHOTOS: Korean-born diplomat represents Ghana

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Ghana's newly appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Kojo Choi, officially commenced his diplomatic mission on Dec. 11, presenting his credentials to President Lee Jae Myung. Ambassador Choi, whose birth name is reported as Choi Seung Eub, is a naturalized Ghanaian citizen and a successful businessman, marking a significant first as the first Korean-born diplomat to serve as an African nation's ambassador to South Korea. The ambassado

December 15, 2025

Doosan Enerbility signs steam turbine supply deal for Qatar plant

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Doosan Enerbility said on Monday it has signed a contract with Samsung C&T to supply key equipment for a power plant in Qatar, in a deal valued at about 1 trillion won ($730 million). The project involves the construction of a 2,400-megawatt gas-fired power plant located around 10 kilometers southeast of Doha. Under the agreement, Doosan Enerbility will supply two 430-megawatt steam turbines, generators and related auxiliary equipment, with deliver

December 15, 2025

Korean AI models score poorly in college exam math vs global rivals: study

SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) -South Korea's homegrown artificial intelligence language models significantly underperformed compared with leading international counterparts in solving college entrance exam–level math problems, according to a study by a research team led by Professor Kim Jong-rak at Sogang University. The study tested five major Korean-language AI models against five global models, including ChatGPT, using math and essay questions drawn from university entran

December 15, 2025