Pro-Palestinian, pro-U.S. rallies converge in Seoul on Land Day eve SEOUL, March 29 (AJP) - Rival demonstrations filled the streets of central Seoul on Sunday, as pro-Palestinian activists and Iranian expatriates backing the United States held back-to-back rallies that briefly brought opposing crowds face-to-face without incident. The larger of the two gatherings, organised by the group dubbed "People in Solidarity with Palestinians," drew about 200 participants to Jongno-district before marching toward the U.S. and Israeli embassies. Sout March 29, 2026

South Korea may impose mandatory civilian car rationing if oil hits $120-$130 a barrel SEOUL, March 29 (AJP) - South Korea's finance chief said the government could impose mandatory vehicle rationing on civilians if international oil prices climb to $120-$130 per barrel, signaling a potential escalation in the country's crisis response to the Middle East conflict's economic fallout. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol said Sunday the government would elevate its energy crisis alert to Stage 3 if prices breach that thresh March 29, 2026

Lee's approval rating slightly dips to 65% but still remains high SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell slightly after reaching its highest level for three consecutive weeks, a poll showed on Friday. Pollster Gallup Korea surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide earlier this week and found that about 65 percent of respondents said Lee was doing well in his job, down 2 percentage points from the previous week. About 24 percent disapproved of his performance, while 10 percent remained undecided. The ruling Democrat March 27, 2026

South Korean businesses in race to expand presence in Viet Nam SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - With Viet Nam further solidifying its status as a strategic hub in Asia, major South Korean conglomerates are accelerating their push to make deeper inroads into the Southeast Asian country through investment and partnerships. These efforts are being led by companies likes SK Group, HD Hyundai, and GS Energy. In response, Viet Nam is also wooing foreign investors, pledging support to attract more investment from global firms. The country's General Secr March 27, 2026

South Korea honors fallen sailors of naval skirmishes in West Sea SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - South Korea honored some 50 sailors and other victims who died defending the maritime border in the West Sea at a ceremony in Daejeon on Friday. About 1,500 people gathered at Daejeon National Cemetery to mark the 11th anniversary of a joint commemoration honoring victims of naval incidents and skirmishes with North Korea including a naval battle near the border island of Yeonpyeong in June 2002, the sinking of the corvette Cheonan in March 2010, and the March 27, 2026

More workers to get day off as Labor Day set to become public holiday SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - A bill to designate Labor Day as a statutory public holiday passed a committee in the National Assembly on Thursday. If it clears the remaining legislative steps including Cabinet approval, May 1 will be observed as a public holiday, taking effect this year. Labor Day was made a paid holiday in 1994, but public officials, teachers, and platform workers such as deliverymen have not been able to take the day off because they are not classified as employees u March 26, 2026

Most top officials got richer last year SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - Most high-ranking government officials and lawmakers saw their wealth increase last year, mainly due to a rise in the value of their real estate and stocks, according to figures released by the Government Ethics Committee on Thursday. Some 1,903 public servants including central and provincial officials required to declare their wealth, reported average personal assets of 2.09 billion Korean won (US$1.3 million) as of the end of last year, up about 148 millio March 26, 2026

Korea's consumer confidence at 10-mo low March, sharpest drop since martial law shock SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) -South Korea’s consumer confidence fell to a near one-year low in March, posting its steepest monthly decline since the brief martial law episode in late 2024, as prolonged disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz fuel concerns over a stagflationary shock in the import-dependent economy, central bank data showed Wednesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) stood at 107.0 in March, down 5.1 points from the previous month, according to the Bank of K March 25, 2026

Natural scenery lures over 2 million foreigners to South Korea's national parks SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - Over 2 million foreigners visited national parks in South Korea last year, with Mt. Hallasan on the southern resort island of Jeju attracting the most visitors, according to an analysis released by the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) on Wednesday. Among them, an estimated 1.13 million were overseas tourists and 920,000 were foreign residents living in here. The ballpark figures were based on mobile roaming data from foreign visitors, which the KNPS an March 25, 2026

South Korean drug kingpin extradited from Philippines to face probe in Seoul SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - A South Korean detained in the Philippines was extradited to South Korea on Wednesday to face an investigation into alleged drug trafficking. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Park Wang-yeol, a notorious drug kingpin known by his alias "Jeonsegye" in Korean, which literally means "worldwide," was extradited from the Philippines early Wednesday morning after nearly a decade of efforts to bring him March 25, 2026