Torrential rains leave dozens dead or missing, thousands displaced SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Torrential downpours across the country have left at least 14 people dead and 12 others missing, while forcing thousands to flee their homes, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Sunday. As relentless heavy rain battered mostly southern part of the country for about a week since last Wednesday, flooding and landslides caused casualties in Osan, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan and Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province; and Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Provinc July 20, 2025

South Korea's special prosecutor indicts impeached president on martial law charges SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - South Korea's special prosecutor team on Saturday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law last December, marking the third time the embattled leader faces prosecution. The special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, said it filed formal charges against Yoon while he remains in detention, including abuse of power and obstruction of rights. The charges stem from his brie July 19, 2025

Lee administration's first cabinet hearings draw criticism over lack of scrutiny SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - South Korea's first cabinet confirmation hearings under President Lee Jae Myung concluded Friday amid widespread criticism that the process lacked proper verification of ministerial nominees. The five-day ‘super week’ hearings examined 16 cabinet nominees from July 14 to 18, but opposition lawmakers and critics described the proceedings as ineffective and superficial. The ruling party focused on defending candidates while the opposition stru July 19, 2025

South Korea braces for fourth day of torrential rains as casualties mount SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Torrential rains that began pounding South Korea's central regions four days ago continued to wreak havoc across the nation, with casualties and infrastructure damage mounting. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported Saturday morning that the death toll remained at four, with two people still missing. The fatalities occurred in Gyeonggi Province's Osan city and South Chungcheong Province's Seosan and Dangjin cities, wh July 19, 2025

US Senate defense bill aims to preserve troop presence in South Korea SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - A newly passed United States Senate defense bill signals congressional intent to maintain current American troop levels in South Korea amid renewed debate over the future of U.S. military commitments abroad. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), approved last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, includes language that blocks any reduction in the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula or transfer of wartime operational control with July 18, 2025

[K-Culture] Kim Hye-soon becomes first Asian poet to win German literature prize SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been awarded the International Prize for Literature by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Germany for the German translation of her poetry collection "Autobiography of Death" on Thursday. HKW announced Kim as the winner from a shortlist of six authors, including Turkey’s Dogan Akhanli, Canada’s Sarah Bernstein, Ukraine’s Anna Melikova, France’s Neige Sinno, and the U.S.'s Jesmyn Ward. July 18, 2025

Torrential rain batters central regions, with more downpours expected through this weekend SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Torrential downpours swept through central South Korea on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and forcing over 1,000 people to be evacuated due to flooding. Heavy rain pounded most parts of the country with some areas with an intense rainfall of over 100 mm per hour, resulting in two fatalities. A man in his 40s died after a wall of an overpass collapsed onto his car in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, while another man in his 50s was found dead inside a submer July 17, 2025

Lee reignites debate on constitutional reform on Constitution Day SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung called for constitutional reform on Thursday, as South Korea marks the 77th anniversary of Constitution Day. In a message posted on Facebook, Lee said, "It is time to revise the Constitution to keep up with the changing times, just as people change their clothes with the seasons," implying the need to amend the Constitution to reform the country's five-year, single-term presidency along with other political reforms. Con July 17, 2025

Viet Nam's top leader To Lam to visit South Korea for summit with President Lee SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - General Secretary To Lam, the top-ranking official in Viet Nam's Communist Party, is set to visit South Korea in August for a summit with President Lee Jae-myung, diplomatic sources confirmed Wednesday. Lam is expected to arrive on August 10. Both sides are now working to schedule a summit meeting for the following day, August 11. This will be Lam's first visit to South Korea and the first by a Vietnamese general secretary in 11 years, following Nguy July 16, 2025

Ex-President stalls probe, seeks injunction against detention SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol has refused to comply with questioning over his botched martial law debacle late last year. Independent prosecutors on Wednesday once again failed to bring him in for questioning related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, following two previous attempts, as Yoon, who has been detained at a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province since last week, continues to stall, citing health reasons. Yoon, who claims he July 16, 2025