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  Home-grown KF-21 fighter jets successfully complete test flights SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - South Korea has completed test flights of its home-grown KF-21 fighter jet, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Tuesday. The DAPA said the fighter jet successfully underwent about 1,600 tests over the past 42 months to verify its stability and performance without a single accident, with its final flight test conducted the previous day over waters off Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province. The tests included aerial refueling to im January 13, 2026
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  Esports gears up for biggest year with major global events SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - The booming esports industry is poised for its biggest year yet, fueled by its recognition as an official discipline at major global sporting events and international tournaments. Major events are scheduled throughout the year including the quadrennial Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan in September, the annual Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in July and the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, also in Riyadh, in November. The upcoming Asian Ga January 13, 2026
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  South Korea's Lee to hold summit with Japan's Takaichi in Nara SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a one-night, two-day visit to Japan starting Tuesday for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as Seoul seeks to advance pragmatic, national interest-focused diplomacy amid escalating U.S.-China tensions. The presidential office said Lee will depart from Seoul Air Base for Japan’s Nara Prefecture, Takaichi’s hometown, at her invitation. The visit comes days after Lee’s s January 13, 2026
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  Icy rush-hour disruption inevitable as Seoul city bus strike begins SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -Seoul commuters faced inevitable rush-hour disruption amid icy temperatures Tuesday as city bus drivers launched an indefinite strike after last-minute wage talks collapsed overnight. Members of the Seoul City Bus Workers Union began the walkout with the first buses of the day at 4 a.m., after negotiations with the Seoul City Bus Transport Business Association broke down around 1:30 a.m., according to both sides. The talks, mediated by the Seoul Regional January 13, 2026
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  Sweet, stretchy, but Dubai's chewy cookie craze leaves a sticky mark on prices SEOUL, January 12, 2026 (AJP) — South Korea has a new dessert obsession, and it doesn’t crumble quietly. The Dubai Chewy Cookie, locally nicknamed dujjonku, is selling quite literally like hot cake — except hotter, thicker and far more Instagrammable. What began as a café novelty has now spilled across menus nationwide, with sushi joints and sandwich shops alike slipping the chewy chocolate slab into delivery apps, as if dessert were now a compulsory add-o January 12, 2026
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  Prosecutors seek 15-year prison term for ex-interior minister over martial law involvement SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - Prosecutors on Monday sought a 15-year prison sentence for former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over his alleged involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in late 2024. During the final hearing of Lee's trial at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, prosecutors led by Cho Eun-suk said Lee, who had a decade-long career as a judge and lawyer at a law firm, "took part" in Yoon's botched D January 12, 2026
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  Ex-DP lawmaker slapped with travel ban over alleged bribery SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - Former Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Kang Sun-woo has been banned from traveling, along with two others, over alleged bribery, police said on Monday. Kang, who recently left the party amid allegations, is accused of accepting 100 million Korean won (US$68,500) from Seoul city official Kim Kyung in return for the DP's candidate nominations for the 2022 local elections. The money was reportedly delivered to Kang's ex-aide, identified only by his surn January 12, 2026
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  Lee meets religious leaders to seek advice SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Monday asked major religious leaders to help unite South Koreans as social conflict and divisions deepen. At a luncheon meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul with leaders of South Korea's seven key religious orders including Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, Christian pastors, and others, Lee said, "As many people feel, conflict, hatred, and hostility in our society seem to have increased." He added that the January 12, 2026
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  Commuters advised to brace for disruptions as unionized bus workers' strike looms SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - Unionized bus workers in Seoul are holding last-minute talks on Monday, just a day before their planned strike. The eleventh-hour talks come after the workers issued an ultimatum for a strike slated for Tuesday, following a series of previous discussions that failed to narrow differences. The main point of dispute is whether bonuses should be included in their wages. Rejecting an offer of a 10-percent increase in wages, the workers have been demanding th January 12, 2026
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  DP's newly elected floor leader calls for unity ahead of local elections SEOUL, January 12 (AJP) - The ruling Democratic Party (DP)'s newly elected floor leader Han Byung-do, has called for unity to build momentum for a resounding victory in the upcoming local elections slated for this summer. The three-term lawmaker Han Byung-do was elected on Sunday to replace Kim Byung-ki, who resigned late last year amid a spate of bribery allegations and other misconduct. In a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Han said, "There is no January 12, 2026