Son of ex-president tapped as new envoy to China

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - Roh Jae-heon, the eldest son of former President Roh Tae-woo, has been tapped as South Korea's new ambassador to China, according to government sources on Thursday. Despite not being a career diplomat or a key political figure, Roh, 60, has engaged in various activities related to China including serving as an adviser to an international council of the Chinese city of Chengdu in 2016 and participating in exchange programs to foster ties with Beijing t

September 11, 2025

Lee puts AI at the heart of South Korea's economic future in 100-day address

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung marked his 100th day in office on Thursday with a press conference that put artificial intelligence (AI) at the core of his economic agenda. He stressed that embedding AI into everyday life could open a path for South Korea to become more competitive globally. "Education policy is not about changing the admissions system," Lee said when asked about competition in schools. He pointed to excessive competition as the root pr

September 11, 2025

Daegu Photo Biennale to bring together 200 photographers from over 30 countries

SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - The Daegu Photo Biennale will be "the best yet," Daegu Arts Center director Kim Hee-chul said Wednesday. The 10th Daegu Photo Biennale, hosted by the city of Daegu, begins next Thursday and runs for two months. This year’s theme is "Life," with about 200 photographers from more than 30 countries taking part and roughly 700 works, including photographs, videos and installations. Kim and this year’s artistic director,

September 11, 2025

South Korea bets on return of Chinese visitors to fuel tourism boom

SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - South Korea is riding a banner year in tourism, fueled by the surging global popularity of K-pop, and expects further momentum from a visa-waiver program for Chinese travelers set to begin at the end of this month. As part of efforts to boost the tourism industry, the program will take effect on Sept 29, allowing short-term visa-free entry for Chinese travelers until June next year, following China's similar move in November last year, coinciding with

September 10, 2025

New presidential committee's appointment of K-pop impresario expected to boost tourism, drive economic benefits

SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - With the surging popularity of K-pop and other megahit series of South Korean dramas and shows, the country has been experiencing a cultural renaissance lately, with expectations that it will expand further into global markets. To capitalize on the resurgence of the Korean Wave including the latest global hit like Netflix’s South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters," the government has launched a new presidential committee to further promote

September 10, 2025

South Korea maintains top spot in higher education among OECD countries

SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - More than half of South Koreans hold college or higher degrees, according to a report released by the Ministry of Education on Tuesday. About 56.2 percent of adults aged 25 to 64 in the country had completed higher education, maintaining the top spot for 17 consecutive years among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), whose average stood at 41.9 percent. The gap becomes even more pronounced among th

September 9, 2025

South Koreans detained in US immigration crackdown to be flown home Thursday

SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A charter plane is expected to depart for the United States as early as Wednesday to fly home more than 300 South Koreans who were detained at a battery plant construction site in Georgia, according to officials and industry sources. Korean Air will deploy a B747-8i charter flight from Incheon International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with a potential departure time of Wednesday morning, the sources said. The large ai

September 9, 2025

Pilot program for hiring foreign domestic helpers suspended amid weak demand

SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - A pilot program allowing families to directly hire foreign domestic helpers has been terminated, according to the Ministry of Justice. The program was launched in March this year with the aim of addressing the country's extremely low birthrates by helping couples juggle childcare and housework, enabling them to work with fewer worries. However, it soon drew criticism, as some households could afford the service while some foreign workers were not en

September 8, 2025

Lee meets with ruling and opposition leaders

SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung said Monday that national unity would be his top priority, as he met with the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. The luncheon meeting came for the first time several weeks after Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and Jang Dong-hyuk of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) were elected party leaders last month. Lee, who again wore his signature red

September 8, 2025

South Korea to allow visa-free travel for Chinese visitors starting this month

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) -South Korea announced Sunday that it would temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups of three or more people, in a move aimed at revitalizing its tourism sector. The new policy, which takes effect on Sept. 29, permits these groups to travel across the country for up to 15 days. China has already been allowing visa-free travel for South Korean nationals since November of last year. Under the new policy, which will run until June 30 o

September 7, 2025