Prosecutors seek 15-year sentence for former PM in martial law case

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors on Wednesday sought a 15-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo over his involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle late last year. During the final hearing of Han's trial at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, the request was made, making him the first among dozens of defendants facing charges related to Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law.

November 26, 2025

Agriculture Minister calls for strict measures after avian influenza cases detected

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong on Wednesday stressed the increased risk of avian influenza, urging enhanced safety measures such as restricting access to migratory bird habitats and thorough disinfection. Song's remarks came after a series of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks were reported at farms in Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, both located in Gyeonggi Province. During a visit to an egg storage facility in neighboring South Chungcheon

November 26, 2025

South Korea avoids tougher contenders ahead of World Cup draw in Washington

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, has avoided strong contenders like Croatia and Uruguay in the upcoming group draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be take place in Washington, D.C. next week. The quadrennial global extravaganza, which will be the first to feature 48 teams and three host countries -Canada, Mexico, and the United States - will be held next summer. According to the football governing body, 42 teams have been assigned to f

November 26, 2025

Lee returns home after 10-day multi-nation tour

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung returned home after his 10-day overseas trip to the Middle East and Africa. He arrived at a military airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province at 8:20 a.m., where he was greeted by key officials including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik. Starting with a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week, Lee traveled to Egypt before attending the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Johannesbu

November 26, 2025

Mourners flock to memorial altar to pay respects to tireless actor

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - A steady stream of mourners from all walks of life are paying their last respects to actor Lee Soon-jae at a memorial altar in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, widely regarded as one of South Korea's most distinguished and prolific actors, died at the age of 91 at his home in the traditional wealthy district of Seongbuk-dong in northern Seoul the previous day, with his family by his side in his final moments. His memorial altar set up at Asan Medical

November 26, 2025

Unionized Seoul subway workers threaten strike after failed wage talks

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Unionized subway workers in Seoul threatened a full-scale strike at a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall on Tuesday. Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 through 8, warned that they would strike unless their demands for higher wages, the hiring of more staff, and a halt to large-scale layoffs and pay cuts are met. The union added that an all-out strike would begin in the coming weeks if these demands are not addressed. They warned, &qu

November 25, 2025

Kim Sei-young climbs back into top 10 of women's golf rankings

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Golfer Kim Sei-young has climbed into the top 10 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, released on Tuesday. It marks her first time among the top-ranked players in three years and five months, as she moved up one spot from 11th last week. Kim's last appearance in the top 10 was in June 2022. Her resurgence came after an impressive LPGA Tour season, winning the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea last month, her first victory in five yea

November 25, 2025

Kangaroo tribes thrive as Seoul's 30s hit record-low homeownership

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Only one in four Seoul residents in their 30s owns a home — the lowest rate on record — fueling the rise of "kangaroo tribes" who cannot afford to move out of their parents' home, let alone imagine starting their own family in a city where apartment prices are nearly three times higher than in other regions. New data released Tuesday by the National Data Portal shows 527,729 households in their 30s in Seoul lived in rental hous

November 25, 2025

Ultra-fine dust advisory issued for Seoul

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - An ultra-fine dust advisory has been issued for the Seoul metropolitan area overnight, the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment said on Tuesday. Such advisories are issued when the hourly average concentration of PM2.5 exceeds 75 µg/m³ for more than two consecutive hours. PM 2.5, which is about 1/30th the size of a human hair, can pass through the filters of the human respiratory system, causing greater harm to the body th

November 25, 2025

Seoul, Ankara agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Monday, where the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation across various sectors. In a joint press conference after their talks, Lee began his remarks by saying that this year marks the 75th anniversary of Turkey's participation in the Korean War (1950–1953), referring to the country as a "brother nation." He added, "Bilateral relations have st

November 25, 2025