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Appellate court upholds two-year sentence for former PPP leader SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Kweon Seong-dong, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was again sentenced on appeal to two years in prison for bribery charges on Tuesday. The Seoul High Court upheld the earlier sentence in the first trial and ordered Kweon to forfeit 100 million won ($68,000) for accepting illegal political funds from the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies. Earlier in January, Kweon was found guilty of receiving 100 million w April 28, 2026

Jipyeong Soju expands offline retail reach with Lotte Mart listing SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Jipyeong announced that its premium distilled spirit Jipyeong Soju has secured shelf space at Lotte Mart, expanding its offline retail footprint after an earlier listing at E-Mart. Unlike conventional rice-distilled spirits, the company explained that Jipyeong Soju blends three grains — rice, barley and sorghum — in what is described as an optimized ratio, yielding a layered flavor profile that balances the spice of sorghum, the nuttiness of barle April 28, 2026
Washington 'restricts intelligence sharing on North Korea,' raising security concerns in Seoul SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - The U.S. has reportedly restricted the sharing of certain intelligence related to North Korea, raising concerns in South Korea about possible frictions between the two allies and surveillance gaps in joint monitoring capabilities. According to multiple government sources, Washington has limited access to technical intelligence including satellite data on North Korean nuclear facilities since early this month. Some relevant military information such as image April 28, 2026
Golfer Ham Jeong-woo claims maiden Asian Tour title at Singapore Open SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - Golfer Ham Jeong-woo won the Singapore Open on Sentosa Island on Sunday to secure his maiden Asian Tour title. In the fourth and final round of the championship at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong course, presented by The Business Times, Ham finished at 16-under 268, beating runner-up Cameron John of Australia by two strokes. With Sunday's victory, he took home US$360,000 in prize money and also secured a spot at The Open, scheduled to be held at Roy April 27, 2026
US Treasury weighs permanent dollar swap lines for Gulf, Asian allies SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the United States is in discussions to establish currency swap lines with Gulf and Asian partners, pitching the move as a strategic step to bolster the U.S. dollar's global dominance amid regional geopolitical tensions. Bessent stated that several allied nations requested the swap lines to help manage the economic fallout and energy shocks stemming from the Iran conflict. "Additional swap lin April 25, 2026
S. Korean appeals court dismisses inmates' COVID-19 lawsuit against government SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - A South Korean appellate court has dismissed a damages lawsuit filed by inmates against the government over a massive COVID-19 outbreak at a Seoul detention center in 2020. A Seoul Central District Court appellate panel upheld a lower court's ruling against 33 inmates and their families who sued the state and then-Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday. The plaintiffs had argued that the government and correctional April 25, 2026
Canada evaluates South Korean weapons for major army modernization SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - Canada is in discussions with South Korean defense contractors regarding its largest army modernization project in over 25 years, the commander of the Canadian Army said, explicitly naming Hanwha Aerospace's artillery and armored vehicles as potential candidates. Lt. Gen. Michael Wright told Yonhap News Agency in an interview published Saturday that Ottawa is actively exploring avenues to rapidly upgrade its military capabilities amid growing defense co April 25, 2026
South Korean nightclub worker arrested for attempted murder of teenager SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - A 20-year-old employee of an adult entertainment establishment has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a teenager during a dispute that began while soliciting customers, police said Saturday. The Namyangju Nambu Police Station said the suspect, identified only as A, is accused of stabbing a male teenager in the chest and abdomen at approximately 2:30 a.m. Thursday. The incident took place in an underground parking garage April 25, 2026
Prosecutors seek 30-year prison term for ex-president over drone-related allegation SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Prosecutors on Friday sought a 30-year prison term for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol in a separate trial related to his botched martial law debacle in 2024. During a final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors led by Cho Eun-suk asked the court to sentence Yoon to 30 years in jail over allegations that he ordered the dispatch of drones to Pyongyang in October 2024 several times, about two months before his Dec. 3 declaration of m April 24, 2026
South Korea's foreign patient arrivals top 2 million for first time SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - South Korea welcomed more than 2 million foreign patients last year, the first time the figure has breached that threshold since record-keeping began in 2009. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday 2,011,822 patients from 201 countries sought treatment in 2025, capping a three-year streak of record highs after arrivals cratered to about 110,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese nationals accounted for 30.8 percent of the total, overtaking Japan April 24, 2026