• 
  Rescue efforts underway after tunnel collapse southwest of Seoul SEOUL, April 12 (AJP) - Rescue operations continued Saturday following a tunnel collapse at a construction site on the southwestern outskirts of Seoul that left one worker missing and another rescued. The tunnel under construction partially collapsed around 3 p.m. Friday in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Two workers, a man in his 20s and another in his 50s, were working inside the tunnel at the time. The younger worker was pulled out alive after nearly 13 hours of rescue effort April 12, 2025
• 
  Extended hours at museums and cultural spots allow Seoulites to unwind on Fridays SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Many Seoulites are now able to let their hair down late into the night at the end of the week, as the capital's hottest spots and cultural spaces extend their operating hours every Friday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, several historical sites and libraries such as Unhyeong Palace, the Seoul Museum of History, the Seoul Museum of Art, and Namsangol Hanok Village will stay open until 9 p.m. on Fridays, as the city's annual program tha April 11, 2025
• 
  South Korea establishes diplomatic ties with Syria SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Korea has established formal bilateral relations with Syria, completing diplomatic outreach to some 110 UN member countries, leaving North Korea as the only exception. With the latest addition of the Levantine country, South Korea now has diplomatic arrangements with some 194 countries including non-UN entities such as the Cook Islands, Niue, and the Vatican, the Foreign Ministry here said on Friday. The ministry hailed it as a "diplomatic milestone&q April 11, 2025
• 
  Impeached president leaves official residence SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol left his official residence in Hannam-dong in Seoul's tony district of Yongsan on Friday, about a week after the Constitutional Court of Korea's ruling to impeach him over his botched martial law debacle late last year. "As I leave the official residence, I am deeply grateful for everything," Yoon said in a written message upon his departure. "I will now return to life as an ordinary citizen and April 11, 2025
• 
  Military battles unidentified wildfire in DMZ near Goseong SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - A wildfire has started in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the front-line area of Goseong, Gangwon Province, prompting South Korea's military to engage in a firefighting operation. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Friday, the fire was first detected around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in the DMZ area of Goseong. Two firefighting helicopters from the Korea Forest Service were dispatched to extinguish the blaze at about 6:30 a.m. on Friday. &q April 11, 2025
• 
  Jeju 4·3 Archives inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World program SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - The Jeju 4·3 Archives have been officially inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World program, marking global recognition of the historical tragedy and the island’s long journey toward truth, reconciliation, and remembrance. The decision was adopted during the 221st session of UNESCO’s Executive Board, held in Paris on Apr. 10 (local time). The listing, under the title “Revealing Truth: Jeju 4·3 Archives,” acknowledg April 11, 2025
• 
  Constitutional Court rejects Justice Minister's impeachment over alleged martial law involvement SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Thursday unanimously dismissed the impeachment of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae over his alleged involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle late last year. The court said it found "no evidence or other objective records" showing that Park aided Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law or tacitly supported it. With the ruling, Park was immediately reinstated, April 10, 2025
• 
  Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon declares presidential bid SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), declared his bid for the upcoming presidential election in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday. The snap election, scheduled for June 3, follows the Constitutional Court of Korea's unanimous decision last week to impeach disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year. Taking a jab at Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main April 10, 2025
• 
  Trump suggests broader 'package' deal for defense cost-sharing along with trade issues SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - President Donald Trump apparently intends to leverage his sweeping tariff policy to address a broader range of issues, including trade and security concerns, with U.S. allies and other countries as part of a "package" deal, which he previously described as his "one-stop shopping" approach. When asked if Washington has any plans to withdraw or reduce its troops from Europe, Trump told journalists in the Oval Office on Wednesday, "It de April 10, 2025
• 
  [UPDATE] Lee Jae-myung confirms presidential run, pledging to lead a 'real Korea' with K-Initiative vision SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, former leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, officially declared his candidacy for president on Thursday, becoming the first prominent figure to launch a bid following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In a video message, Lee vowed to build a “real Korea” that leads the world under a new K-Initiative vision focused on economic growth, life-centered values, and diplomacy based on national interes April 10, 2025