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  Drivers left to rely on vigilance as Korea grapples with seasonal black ice hazard SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Black ice accompanies icy snow winter in South Korea and is blamed for road accidents and deaths, but the government has run out of ideas as fundamental prevention would require entire hefty replacement roadwork. Seven people were killed and nine others injured Saturday morning in a string of traffic accidents across highways and national roads in North Gyeongsang Province, with police citing black ice as the main cause. The accidents unfolded within a n January 14, 2026
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  Verdict in impeached president's martial law case set for mid-February SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - A verdict for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle is set for mid-February. After wrapping up a 17-hour final hearing for Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power that lasted until the small hours of Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court said it will deliver its ruling on Feb. 19. Prosecutors earlier asked the court to sentence Yoon to death. They also sought life imprisonment for former Defense Minis January 14, 2026
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  Seoul bus workers to resume wage talks as strike enters second day SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Unionized bus workers in Seoul are set to resume wage negotiations with management on Wednesday, after going into an indefinite strike the previous day that suspended all services. With a second day of major traffic disruptions, the two sides are scheduled to sit down for talks again at 3 p.m., following a series of previous negotiations that collapsed as they failed to narrow their differences. The main point of dispute is whether bonuses should be incl January 14, 2026
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  Lee–Takaichi Nara summit strikes light tone with K-pop drums, sidesteps thorny issues SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a summit Wednesday in Japan’s ancient city of Nara, reaffirming their commitment to what they described as a new 60 years of bilateral relations while striking an unusually light-hearted tone that emphasized cultural rapport over sensitive disputes. After their talks and joint press statements, the Japanese side arranged an unannounced cultural event during a closed-do January 13, 2026
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  Korean pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon arrested over alleged role in court rampage SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -South Korean ultra-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church was arrested at court on suspicion of orchestrating a violent rampage at the Seoul Western District Court following the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol last year on Wednesday, the same day prosecutors asked for a death penalty for Yoon for his ill-served marital-law attempt. The Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for Jeon after a pre-arrest hearing, citing co January 13, 2026
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  Special counsel seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over failed martial law bid SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk on Wednesday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. Cho’s team asked the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25, presided over by Judge Ji Gui-yeon, to impose the maximum sentence during the final sentencing hearing, describing Yoon as the “ringleader” of an anti-c January 13, 2026
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  Korean classrooms are thinning fast and remain isolated from AI transition  SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Fewer than 300,000 children will enter first grade across South Korea when the school year begins in March — the smallest cohort on record. The number is set to fall further as the country's ultra-low birthrate continues to hollow out the school-age population. These eight-year-olds are starting school at a moment when artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping work, production and decision-making across society. Yet serious doubts remain o January 13, 2026
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  South Korean, Japanese leaders stress closer cooperation amid turbulent times SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation amid a rapidly shifting international environment as the two met for talks in Japan on Tuesday. During their summit in Nara, Takaichi's hometown and Japan's ancient capital during the early imperial era, the two leaders stressed the strategic importance of bilateral relations and agreed to pursue a forward-looking relationshi January 13, 2026
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  Nearly 40% of South Koreans see public sector as corrupt, survey shows SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - About four in 10 South Koreans consider most public institutions to be corrupt, a recent survey reveals. The state-run Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission surveyed about 1,400 adults, 700 businesspeople, 630 experts, 400 foreigners and 1,400 civil servants last year and released its results on Tuesday. The two-round, large-scale survey conducted in June and October last year found that roughly 39.1 percent of respondents saw the public sector a January 13, 2026
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  Lee arrives in Japan for summit with Japanese PM in her hometown SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Osaka, Japan for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday. For the summit later in the day, Lee moved further south to the nearby city of Nara, which is Takaichi's hometown and Japan's ancient capital during the early imperial era. Their talks, followed by a welcome reception and dinner, mark their second summit, after the two met in late October on the sidelines of t January 13, 2026