Lee invites Xi to APEC summit in first phone talks

SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Tuesday. It was Lee's first conversation with Xi and his third with a foreign leader since taking office, after he talked with U.S. President Donald Trump last week and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba the previous day. In their phone conversation which lasted about 30 minutes, Xi congratulated Lee on his election earlier this month while expressing his hopes for &qu

June 10, 2025

South Korea set to face Kuwait in final Asian qualifier after securing World Cup berth

SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - South Korea is set to face Kuwait in a home match in Seoul on Tuesday evening, which serves as the final round of Asian qualifiers for next year's FIFA World Cup. After beating Iraq 2-0 in an away match last week, the country has already secured its berth for the quadrennial event, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. next summer. Grouped with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Palestine, South Korea has secured 19 points from five wins an

June 10, 2025

Photographer condemns 'Rooftop Koreans' meme by Trump Jr. as offensive, unauthorized

SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist is speaking out against Donald Trump Jr. for the unauthorized use of his photo from the 1992 Los Angeles riots — a move critics say distorts history and inflames racial tensions. Hyungwon Kang, a former photo editor for the Los Angeles Times, said Trump Jr. posted one of his most recognizable photographs on social media without his permission with the caption, “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!” I

June 10, 2025

Firefighters extinguish blaze near Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul

SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - A fire that broke out at a building next to Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul on Tuesday morning was fully extinguished about two hours later. According to firefighters, the blaze started at around 10:20 a.m. and was put out around noon. About 300 people were evacuated, and over 30 artifacts on display at the building were moved to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea due to concerns over possible damage. No casualties have been reported so far. F

June 10, 2025

President Lee invites public to help select top government officials

SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has invited Tuesday South Koreans to help select key members of his new administration, opening a one-week nomination period for senior government posts including ministers, vice ministers, and heads of public institutions. The initiative announced on Jun. 10 is part of the president’s broader push to build what he calls a “citizen-led government.” The public can submit recommendations through a dedicated website run

June 10, 2025

President Lee agrees with Japanese PM to strengthen bilateral ties through phone call

SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has agreed Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru through their first-ever phone call that it is important for South Korea and Japan to strengthen bilateral ties and accelerate cooperation. The 25-minute call, held around noon, marks the two leaders’ first official conversation since Lee’s inauguration five days earlier. The Presidential Office’s spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said that Lee thanked Ishiba f

June 9, 2025

Lee aims for diplomatic reboot at upcoming G7 summit in Canada

SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is set to embark on his first overseas trip just over a week after taking office earlier this month, as he heads to Canada to attend the G7 summit this weekend. Just about ten days into his single, five-year term, Lee will make his debut in multilateral diplomacy, as he meets leaders of major countries at the three-day summit in Alberta, which kicks off on Sunday. Lee's upcoming visit will be the fifth by a South Korean president

June 9, 2025

Court postpones Lee Jae-myung's trial citing presidential immunity

SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung will not face trial during his presidency in a key election law case, as a high court in Seoul postponed proceedings indefinitely on Monday, citing constitutional protections for a sitting head of state. The Seoul High Court announced on Jun. 9 that it had canceled a hearing previously set for Jun. 18 in Lee’s ongoing retrial. No new date was set. The court said the decision was made “in accordance with Article 84 of the C

June 9, 2025

Most S. Koreans expect new president to do well and see economy as top priority: survey

SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - About six out of every ten South Koreans believe that President Lee Jae-myung, inaugurated last week, will do a good job in the office, according to a new survey released on Jun. 9. The South Koreans also selected as the economic recovery as the country’s top priority among a list of challenges which the Lee administration must tackle. The survey, commissioned by Energy Economic News, was conducted by pollster Realmeter on Jun. 4 and 5, asking 1,012 ad

June 9, 2025

Robotaxis proposed as elderly crashes rise

SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - A year after a deadly crash in central Seoul left nine pedestrians dead, new data show a sharp rise in traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, adding urgency to discussions about mobility alternatives like driverless robotaxis. According to a June 8 report from the Korea Insurance Research Institute, drivers aged 65 and older were responsible for 20 percent of all traffic accidents in 2023. That figure is up dramatically from 6.8 percent in 2015, reflec

June 8, 2025