Senior US official to visit Jeju for preparatory talks ahead of APEC summit

SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - A senior U.S. official is scheduled to visit South Korea later this week to coordinate preparations for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit slated to be held here this fall. According to the U.S. Department of State on Monday, Matthew Murray, the U.S. ambassador for APEC, will travel to Jeju from May 11 to 17 to attend preparatory meetings, after making stops in several cities in Japan. The U.S. will "continue to leverage APEC to

May 6, 2025

Golfer Ryu Hae-ran jumps to No. 5 in latest world rankings

SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - Golfer Ryu Hae-ran climbed seven notches to fifth in the women's world golf rankings released Monday, after earning her first LPGA win of the season last week. Ryu, who secured her third career LPGA title with a wire-to-wire victory at the Black Desert Championship in Ivins, Utah last Sunday, rose to the highest ranking of her career at No. 5 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Nelly Korda of the U.S. remains at No. 1, followed by Atthaya Thitik

May 6, 2025

Kim Moon-soo calls for broad candidate unification in conservative bloc

SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo on Sunday expressed support for a broad-based conservative candidate unification, saying it would be desirable to include as many contenders as possible. “It would be best if everyone could participate together as broadly as possible,” Kim told reporters during a visit to Jangja Village in Pocheon, north of Seoul. His comments came in response to a question about whether a potential unif

May 4, 2025

Measles cases rise in S. Korea amid global surge

SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - South Korea is seeing its highest number of measles cases in six years, as diseases once considered nearly eliminated begin to reappear, fueled by global outbreaks and increased travel, South Korea’s disease control body reported on Sunday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 52 measles cases were reported between Jan. 1 and Apr. 1, already surpassing the total of 49 reported throughout 2024. This marks the highest annua

May 4, 2025

Two dead from suspected gas poisoning at paper factory manhole in Jeonju

SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - Two workers died and three others were hospitalized after inhaling toxic gas at a paper factory in Jeonju City on Sunday. According to the North Jeolla Fire Department and Jeonju Deokjin Police Station, an emergency call was made at 9:44 a.m. reporting that a worker had fallen into a manhole and lost consciousness from suspected gas exposure at the factory in Jeonju some 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Seoul. One of the victims, a man in his 40s, was p

May 4, 2025

Seoul bus union faces strike as talks stall over wages

SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - The standoff between Seoul’s city bus union and management showed no sign of easing on Sunday, raising the likelihood of a second consecutive year of strike action. Despite a warning protest on Apr. 30, where drivers followed traffic laws to the letter to deliberately delay schedules, no breakthrough has been made in wage and collective bargaining talks. The union and Seoul Bus Transport Business Association have not resumed negotiations since the secon

May 4, 2025

Kim Moon-soo wins People Power Party presidential nomination with 56.53 percent of vote

SEOUL, May 03 (AJP) - Kim Moon-soo has been selected as the People Power Party's candidate for the upcoming presidential election, securing 56.53 percent of the final vote. The conservative party confirmed its nominee for the 21st presidential election during a national convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday. Han Dong-hoon, who advanced to the final round of the primary, received 43.47 percent of the votes. Kim defeated Han in both party member votin

May 3, 2025

Trump-Kim relations could reset, but U.S. leverage diminished by Russia factor, expert says

SEOUL, May 03 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump could reestablish relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at any time, but his negotiating leverage would likely be limited, according to a North Korea expert from a U.S. think tank. Sydney Seiler, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), suggested in a CSIS podcast on Saturday that Trump has confidence in his ability to restart North Korea negotiations through his personal diplomacy at the

May 3, 2025

Conservatives weigh unification strategy as Han Duck-soo enters race

SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s presidential bid is prompting a strategic rethink across South Korea’s conservative bloc, as leaders weigh the risks and rewards of unifying behind a single candidate before official registration begins next week. The 75-year-old former Prime Minister formally declared his candidacy on Friday, offering a transitional vision centered on constitutional reform. “I will form a presidential task force on const

May 2, 2025

US defends Trump's talks With Putin, citing past engagement with Kim Jong-un

SEOUL, May 2 (AJP) - The United States State Department defended President Donald Trump on Thursday over his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the backlash he faced during meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “There was a lot of heat when he went to visit Kim Jong-un,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing. She added that Trump’s view is that “people have to be spoken with, face to face, one

May 2, 2025