US think tank proposes slashing USFK troops in Seoul to 10,000 SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - A Washington-based think tank has proposed cutting the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea by more than half, according to a report released on Wednesday. Stressing the need to "revise the U.S. global military posture to be consistent with protecting vital national interests," the report by Defense Priorities argued that the U.S. should cut its military presence in South Korea "by more than 50 percent, leaving about 10,000 personnel a July 10, 2025

Shim Eun-kyung's latest Japanese film invited to compete at Locarno Film Festival SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - Actress Shim Eun-kyung's latest film has been invited to the upcoming Locarno Film Festival, which opens next month in Switzerland, the film's distributor said Thursday. Based on a Japanese manga by Yoshiharu Tsuge, "Tabi to Hibi" or "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" tells the story of a scriptwriter whose journey leads her to an unexpected encounter with the owner of a remote countryside inn. Directed by Japanese filmmaker Sho Miyake July 10, 2025

Probe into martial law debacle gains steam with ex-President's rearrest SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors are expected to speed up and intensify their probe into disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle after an arrest warrant for him was issued in the small hours of Thursday. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant, citing concerns that Yoon could destroy evidence, leading to his immediate detention once again in a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. His rearrest came about four months after July 10, 2025

Translator Kim Jung-ah completes decade-long Dostoevsky translation project SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Translator Kim Jung-ah held a press conference in central Seoul on Monday to announce the publication of her Korean translation of "The Brothers Karamazov." With its release, she completed solo Korean translations of four major novels by Fyodor Dostoevsky, "Crime and Punishment," "The Idiot," "Demons," and "The Brothers Karamazov." The project took more than ten years from start to finish. Kim is the first So July 9, 2025

Lee seeks advice from religious leaders over luncheon SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung met with religious leaders at the presidential office on Wednesday. Lee invited the leaders of South Korea's seven key religious orders including Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, Christian pastors, and others to a luncheon to seek their advice on state affairs and promote unity amid deepening social and political conflict. Expressing his concerns, Lee said, "The role of religious leaders is even more important, especially in July 9, 2025

North Korean hacker slapped with US sanctions over cyber scam SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - A North Korean hacker, accused of being involved in a scheme for illegal cyber activities, was slapped with sanctions along with several Russian firms, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said Monday. The department said it sanctioned Song Kum-hyok, linked to a hacking group run by the North's Reconnaissance General Bureau, known as Andariel, for facilitating North Korean IT workers to find remote jobs overseas with "falsified identities and nationalit July 9, 2025

Foreign language media association celebrates 10 years of connecting South Korea with the world SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - The Foreign Language Newspaper Association of Korea marked its 10th anniversary on July 8 with a ceremony at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul. Lawmakers, diplomats, media executives, and business leaders gathered to reflect on the press's evolving role in a time of global tension and rapid change. Established in 2015, the association brings together South Korea's major foreign-language news outlets. Over the past decade, it has helped deliver July 9, 2025

Trump claims South Korea pays 'very little' for USFK upkeep SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump once again raised the issue Tuesday that South Korea is paying "very little" for the upkeep of maintaining some 28,500 U.S. troops here, arguing that it should pay for its own defense. "We rebuilt South Korea. We stayed there..... and they pay us very little for the military," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House, while falsely claiming that 45,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. July 9, 2025

Seoul sees hottest early July temperature on record SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - The temperature in Seoul soared to 37.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday afternoon, the highest ever recorded for early July in the capital, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The record high temperature comes as an early heat wave continues to persist, breaking the previous record of 36.8 degrees set in 1939. Other parts of the country also sweltered through record-high temperatures, with Busan at 34.5 degrees, Inchon at 35.6 degrees, and July 8, 2025

Seoul's top security adviser in Washington to arrange summit between two countries SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, who is visiting Washington, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday to arrange a summit between the leaders of the two countries. Wi told Rubio that Seoul hopes to hold a summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump "at the earliest possible," the presidential office here said on Tuesday. He also stressed the importance of close cooperation between the two countries to July 8, 2025