Washington demanded more defense spending from Seoul during tariff talks, 'leaked' document reveals SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - The U.S. pressed South Korea to raise its defense spending to 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during tariff negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. Citing an internal draft for a tariff-related deal that was concluded late last month, the daily also said the Washington "wanted Seoul to boost defense spending to 3.8 percent of GDP, up from 2.6 percent last year, and to increase its $1 billion-plus contribution to cover the ann August 10, 2025

South Korea's Jinju National Museum beats National Museum of Korea in YouTube subscribers with war history content SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - The Jinju National Museum has nearly reached 100,000 YouTube subscribers, surpassing the National Museum of Korea's subscriber count through its popular historical warfare content series "Hwaryeok Joseon" (Firepower Joseon). The recent boom in Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" portraying a duo of a tiger and a magpie from traditional Joseon Dynasty paintings has led to a surge of visitors to the National Museum of Ko August 9, 2025

S.Korea braces for torrential rains as powerful storm system targets flood-hit regions SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - South Korea's southern provinces face another deluge this weekend as meteorologists warn of intense rainfall reaching 70mm per hour in coastal areas, threatening regions still reeling from recent flooding. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Saturday that thunderstorms packing strong winds would pummel the southern half of the peninsula through Sunday afternoon, with some areas expecting more than 200mm of precipitation. The heaviest downpours wi August 9, 2025

IVF without spousal consent sparks legal debate over parental rights SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - When South Korean actress Lee Si-young revealed last month that she was pregnant with her second child, using a frozen embryo created with her ex-husband and implanted after their divorce, it sparked a heated debate over the legal and ethical implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF). While the law has not apparently been violated in a technical sense, experts say, the ethical furor suggests that it is ambiguous and that some kind of amendment may be nec August 8, 2025

Joint exercise with US to be scaled down, with field training postponed SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea will conduct its annual joint defense exercise with the U.S. later this month, with half of some key field drills postponed until September due to this summer's unprecedented heat wave. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here said Thursday that the exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), will kick off its 10-day run on Aug. 18, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. The exercise consists of compu August 8, 2025

Lee expected to meet Trump for first bilateral summit late this month SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to sit down for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later this month. According to government sources, Lee is likely to fly to Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24 for his first bilateral summit with Trump at the White House the following day. The upcoming summit will be Lee's first test in bilateral relations, marking his official debut on the international diplomatic stage, although he briefly participated August 8, 2025

[K-Culture] Hanbok Expo weaves tradition into four seasons SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - The vibrant energy of South Korea's four seasons came to life through hanbok, the country's traditional clothing. The 2025 Hanbok Expo, a four-day expo launched on Thursday at COEX in southern Seoul, featured a fashion show that highlighted the elegance of the country's traditional attire through seasonal fabrics. Professor Shim Yeon-ok of the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, who directed the fashion show, said August 7, 2025

Ex-first lady Kim faces possible arrest over stock and bribery charges SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - On Thursday, a team of independent prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee, 36 days after launching an investigation into multiple allegations. If approved, it would mark the first time in South Korean history that a former president and first lady are jailed at the same time. Her husband, disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been in custody at a detention center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, since early last month August 7, 2025

Yoon resists second arrest attempt in investigation tied to wife SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors on Thursday failed again to bring in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning, as he refused to cooperate. Prosecutors led by Min Jung-ki, who are investigating a series of allegations involving Yoon’s wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, visited a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, in an attempt to arrest Yoon. Yoon reportedly protested by lying on the floor of his cell and refusing to respond to rep August 7, 2025

Ex-first lady questioned for 11 hours, denies allegations SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee was questioned for nearly 11 hours on Wednesday by a team of special independent prosecutors over a string of allegations, including stock manipulation, bribery, and election-related interference. The wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the independent prosecutors' office in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul around 10 a.m. on Wednesday and left shortly before 9 p.m. She did not respo August 7, 2025