N. Korea needs to engage in talks with Seoul, Unification Ministry says

SEOUL, August 19 (AJU PRESS) - The Ministry of Unification here believes that North Korea should sincerely consider engaging in talks with Seoul, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent address which outlined his vision for reunification between the two Koreas. At an event commemorating the Liberation Day last week, Yoon stressed three core values for reunification: "freedom values," "changes in the North Korean populace," and "international solidarit

August 19, 2024

S.Korea, U.S. kick off joint military exercise

SEOUL, August 19 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea kicked off a joint military exercise with the U.S. on Monday. Dubbed the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), the annual exercise aims to defend the Korean Peninsula in the event of an emergency while strengthening combined defense capabilities. Based on an all-out war scenario, the 11-day exercise includes computer-simulated war games, field training and civil defense drills. The scale of the exercise, involving 19,000 troops, is similar

August 19, 2024

Lee Jae-myung reelected as leader of Korea's main opposition party

SEOUL, August 18 (AJU PRESS) -- Lee Jae-myung, former leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), was reelected as party chairman on Sunday. During the one-month national convention that concluded on the day, Lee garnered 85.4 percent of the vote, the highest-ever support rate in the party’s leadership elections. Lee defeated party heavyweight Kim Doo-gwan, who won 12.12 percent, and fringe candidate Kim Ji-soo, who received 2.48 percent. Lee will ser

August 18, 2024

Leaders of South Korea, US, Japan renew security pledges on summit anniversary

SEOUL, August 18 (AJU PRESS) -- The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday marked the first anniversary of their landmark Camp David summit by renewing pledges to cooperate in tackling security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida issued a joint statement commemorating the historic summit held at the U.S. presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2

August 18, 2024

Korean cities have longest streak of tropical nights on record

SEOUL, August 17 (AJU PRESS) -- Korea's major cities are experiencing unprecedented stretches of tropical nights as a relentless heat wave continues to scorch the nation. Overnight from Friday into Saturday, Seoul marked its 27th consecutive tropical night, the longest since modern weather records began in 1907, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. A tropical night is defined as one where temperatures do not fall below 25 degrees Celsius between 6:01 p.m. and 9:00 a.

August 17, 2024

An Se-young breaks silence, calls for sincere efforts to improve Korean badminton

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - Olympic gold medalist An Se-young is renewing her call for open communication with the Badminton Korea Association. The badminton star, whose outspoken criticism of the association sparked controversy after her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, is now seeking a path forward through dialogue. An’s initial criticisms centered around what she perceived as a lack of support and understanding from the association. She expressed concerns about t

August 16, 2024

Korea accepts reduced Indonesian contribution for fighter jet project

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - Korea made a concession by accepting a reduced share of Indonesia's contribution to the two countries' joint development project for fighter jets, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Friday. The amount Jakarta will shoulder has now been reduced from the initially agreed 1.6 trillion won (approximately US$1.2 billion) to 600 billion won ($450 million). The project was initially estimated to cost around 8.1 trillion won,

August 16, 2024

Korea's dog meat market fades as ban looms amid changing perceptions

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - The scorching heatwave remains unabated even after the end of Malbok, the last of the three dog days, collectively called Sambok, in the traditional Korean calendar. Koreans have a seasonal ritual of eating nutritious dishes to combat the sweltering heat on these days. One of the dishes traditionally eaten to celebrate these hottest summer days used to be dog meat soup, known as bosintang. It was believed to replenish energy and maintain stamina. B

August 16, 2024

Seoul to conduct civil defense drill next week

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - A four-day nationwide civil defense drill will be conducted next week, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Dubbed the "Ulchi civil defense exercise," the annual drill aims to enhance the country's preparedness for emergencies and ensure that citizens are familiar with evacuation procedures and safety measures. Next week's drill will involve approximately 140,000 participants from over 170 organizations, including the Se

August 16, 2024

Seoul suffers longest streak of tropical nights

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - Seoul has experienced 26 consecutive days of tropical nights this summer since mid-July, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Friday. A tropical night is when the lowest temperature does not drop below 25 degrees Celsius after dark. The 26-day streak is on par with the previous record set in 2018, marking the longest streak in 118 years since relevant weather observations began in Seoul in 1907. According to KMA, Korea has been endurin

August 16, 2024