Heavy snow disrupts holiday traffic across Korea

SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - Heavy snowfall blanketed much of South Korea on Tuesday, causing widespread travel disruptions during the Lunar New Year holidays. As of 8 a.m., weather authorities reported snowfall of 1 to 3 centimeters per hour in central and southern regions, with some areas experiencing up to 5 centimeters per hour. Mount Halla on the southern island of Jeju recorded an accumulation of 127.2 centimeters. Elsewhere, 84.9 centimeters were reported in Seolcheonbong

January 28, 2025

Ham Young-joo nominated for second term as Hana Financial Group chairman

SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, 69, has been nominated Monday to serve a second term as the head of South Korea's major financial group. The company’s board held a Chairman Nomination Committee meeting on Monday and announced Ham as the sole candidate for the position. Ham has served as chairman since March 2022, completing a three-year term marked by his cautious approach to mergers and acquisitions and a focus on stability in th

January 27, 2025

Prosecutors indict President Yoon on insurrection charges, citing 'unconstitutional martial law'

SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - Prosecutors announced Sunday that President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted on insurrection charges, following an investigation that deemed his Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of emergency martial law an unconstitutional attempt to undermine South Korea's democratic order. Yoon is accused of using an unconstitutional martial law decree to block the National Assembly, seize electronic data from the National Election Commission (NEC), deploy soldiers to detai

January 27, 2025

S. Korea to develop subway congestion prediction system using weather data

SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) - The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced plans on Monday to develop a system that predicts subway congestion levels based on weather conditions. The system, slated for completion by the end of the year, will combine meteorological data with subway congestion information provided by Seoul Metro. According to South Korea's statistical information service, about five million people use Seoul’s subway trains daily, primarily for commu

January 27, 2025

Yoon indicted on charges of insurrection for first time as sitting president

SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally indicted Sunday on charges of leading an insurrection, marking the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that a sitting president has been prosecuted while in office. The indictment comes 54 days after Yoon’s controversial declaration of emergency martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, which sparked widespread protests and led to his impeachment by the National Assembly. The Seoul Central District Pro

January 26, 2025

Over four million families leave Seoul for Lunar New Year visits

SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - More than four million families are estimated to leave Seoul on Sunday to visit relatives in their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday, creating heavy traffic congestion on expressways and country roads nationwide. "Seollal," the Korean Lunar New Year, is one of the country's most significant holidays, drawing families to the home of the eldest member, often grandparents, to share traditional food and participate in ancestral rites. The

January 26, 2025

BTS' Jin shares Lunar New Year's greetings and new OST release

SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - BTS member Jin extended heartfelt Lunar New Year's greetings to fans on Saturday through the online fan community platform Weverse. The 32-year-old singer also announced the release of "Close to You," an original soundtrack (OST) for the tvN drama "When the Stars Gossip," starring Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho, set to drop on Sunday. In his Weverse post released Saturday, Jin wrote, "Hello everyone, this is Jin. How have you all

January 26, 2025

N. Korea test fires sea-to-land cruise missile

SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles on Jan. 25 under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un, marking a significant development in its military deterrence capabilities, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement released at about 6 a.m. Sunday that North Korea fired multiple missiles from a land-based launch site into the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea,

January 26, 2025

Occult thriller 'Dark Nuns' tops local box office on debut

SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - "Dark Nuns," a Korean occult movie, took the top spot at the box office on its opening day, Friday, attracting over 163,000 viewers and accounting for 51.3 percent of daily ticket sales, according to the Korean Film Council. As of Saturday morning, the film had a reservation rate of 37.3 percent, with over 201,000 advance tickets sold, signaling its potential to dominate weekend box office rankings. The movie depicts nuns performing a f

January 25, 2025

Holiday rush in S. Korea with over 35 million travelers expected

SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - The annual mass migration began on Saturday as South Koreans travel to their hometowns to celebrate Lunar New Year, known as Seollal. Seollal, a traditional Korean holiday celebrating the first day of the lunisolar calendar, falls on Wednesday this year. With additional public holidays surrounding Seollal, an estimated 35 million people are expected to travel during the six-day holiday from Saturday to Thursday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastruct

January 25, 2025