Lee's longtime home sold after months up for sale SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - An apartment owned by President Lee Jae Myung in the outskirts of Seoul, has reportedly been sold, several months after he put it up for sale last spring. According to a Cheong Wa Dae official on Tuesday, the real estate deal is expected to be finalized soon, with all legal procedures already completed. Lee put his 164-square-meter apartment in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, up for sale in February as part of efforts to push ahead with his real est July 14, 2026

New rooftop garden to open in Gwanghwamun by year's end SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - The rooftop of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will open to the public by the end of this year, offering panoramic views of Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Tuesday. The city government said it has obtained building permits for the center's rooftop garden and an exterior elevator, with construction set to begin in September. It said the rooftop garden will be open to everyone, featuring rest area July 14, 2026

Seoul court suspends FTC order naming Coupang founder as controlling head SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) -A South Korean appeals court on Monday suspended the antitrust regulator's decision designating Coupang founder and Chairman Bom Kim as the controlling individual of the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant, handing the company an early legal victory in a closely watched dispute over Korea's conglomerate rules. The Seoul High Court granted part of Coupang's request for an injunction, temporarily halting the Korea Fair Trade Commission's May 1 decision July 14, 2026

South Korea braces for heavy rain as weakening Typhoon Bavi moves inland SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - Heavy rain and strong winds are expected nationwide as Typhoon Bavi, which made landfall in China last week, moves toward the Korean Peninsula, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Tuesday. This year's ninth typhoon Bavi, named after a mountain range in Viet Nam, continues to carry large amounts of moisture despite weakening into a tropical cyclone after making landfall in China's Zhejiang province over the weekend, according the KMA. July 14, 2026

Most Korean trade firms say foreign workers help business SEOUL, July 13 (AJP) - Nearly three in four South Korean trade companies that employ foreign workers say those workers have a positive effect on their business, and most see them filling jobs Koreans avoid rather than taking jobs from them, a large industry survey showed Monday. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) released the findings at a forum in Seoul on reshaping the country's foreign workforce and immigration policy, as a shrinking working-age population p July 13, 2026

Missing Navy sailor found dead in East Sea after search near NLL SEOUL, July 13 (AJP) - A Navy sailor who went missing from a frigate on patrol near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea was found dead Monday after a search lasting more than 21 hours, the Navy said. The Navy said the sailor’s body was found at 5:58 a.m. in waters about 52 kilometers east of Geojin-eup in Goseong County, Gangwon Province. The sailor, a private first class, had been serving aboard a Navy frigate on patrol about 50 kilometers east of Geojin-eup when he wa July 13, 2026

South Korea joins the world's new era of extreme summer SEOUL, July 12 (AJP) — South Korea has officially entered what meteorologists increasingly describe as the era of extreme summer, with authorities activating the country's highest-ever heat alert for the first time as scorching temperatures spread well beyond their traditional hotspots. The Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday issued its inaugural Heat Wave Emergency Warning for Pohang and Gyeongsan after apparent temperatures were forecast to exceed 38 degre July 12, 2026

Korean navy searches for missing sailor near NLL in East Sea SEOUL, July 12 (AJP) -South Korea's Navy is searching for a missing sailor who disappeared while serving aboard a frigate conducting a patrol mission near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea, military officials said Sunday. The missing sailor, a private first class, was reported missing after failing to report for duty at around 8 a.m., according to the Navy. He was last seen between midnight and 2 a.m. by a watchstander conducting an internal security patrol thro July 12, 2026

Seoul mulls nationwide sick pay program in H1 2027 SEOUL, July 12 (AJP) - South Korea plans to roll out a nationwide sick pay program in the second half of next year, extending income support to all eligible workers who are unable to work because of illness or injury outside the workplace, after four years of pilot projects that paid more than 20 billion won in benefits. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has begun consultations with labor groups, medical professionals and other stakeholders ahead of the nationwide launch, which w July 12, 2026

South Korea bakes as 'life-threatening' heat warning debuts SEOUL, July 12 (AJP)-Sweltering South Korea activated its highest-level heat alert on Sunday for the first time, as temperatures and heat indices surged to levels authorities described as life-threatening, marking the inaugural issuance of the newly created Heat Wave Emergency Warning 18 years after the country's heat alert system was introduced. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued the emergency warning at 11 a.m. fo July 12, 2026