Chung Soon-mi becomes first overseas Korean awarded top Norwegian medal

SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - Musician Chung Soon-mi has become the first overseas Korean to receive Norway’s highest state honor, the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav, the South Korean Embassy in Norway said on Saturday. Chung was awarded the Knight First Class medal of the prestigious Order on Sunday in recognition of her significant contributions to Norwegian arts and culture. Established in 1847 by King Oscar I of Norway, the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav is the coun

May 26, 2025

Final televised debate looms amid last-ditch push for single conservative candidate

SEOUL, May 25 (AJP) - With less than ten days remaining until next month's presidential election, four major candidates are set to face off once again in a televised debate scheduled for the coming Tuesday. In the upcoming final debate, which will focus on political issues and wrap up the three-part series, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) who still leads the race with roughly 50 percent support in most polls, is expected to

May 25, 2025

Conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo to meet former President Park Geun-hye

SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - People Power Party presidential nominee Kim Moon-soo will meet with former President Park Geun-hye at her Daegu residence on Saturday, party officials announced. The meeting occurs ten days before the June 3 presidential election to select a successor to impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim will be accompanied by Representative Yun Jae-ok, the campaign's chief manager, and party spokesperson Shin Dong-wook. This marks their first encounter since Kim won t

May 24, 2025

DP's Lee maintains lead as presidential race tightens

SEOUL, May 23 (AJP) - With South Korea’s presidential election just two weeks away, Lee Jae-myung, candidate of the Democratic Party (DP), maintains a clear lead over his rivals despite recent setbacks, a new poll showed on Friday. According to a survey of 1,002 voters conducted earlier this week by pollster Gallup Korea, Lee garnered 45 percent support as the preferred presidential candidate. Kim Moon-soo, the candidate for People Power Party (PPP), followed in second pla

May 23, 2025

Soprano Sumi Jo to receive France's highest cultural honor next week

SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Soprano Sumi Jo is set to receive France's highest cultural honor next week, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. Jo will be awarded the Commander's medal of the Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of her contributions to French art. Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture, the prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made "significant contributions to the arts and literature both in France and int

May 22, 2025

Search underway to find new US envoy for North Korean human rights

SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Washington's post for a special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, which has remained vacant since early this year, is expected to be filled soon. When asked during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday whether there are plans to appoint someone to the post left vacant since former envoy Julie Turner stepped down in January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that thorough vetting procedures are currently underway to &quo

May 22, 2025

Seoul records season's hottest morning temperature

SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Seoul recorded its hottest morning temperature for May in more than a century on Wednesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The morning low soared to 23 degrees Celsius, the highest early summer temperature since weather observations began in 1907, breaking the previous record of 21.8 degrees set in May 2018. Partly due to humid southerly winds, the unusually warm conditions came, coinciding with "Soman," the eighth of t

May 21, 2025

Can conservative candidates unite to end stalemate in voter support?

SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - With just less than two weeks left until next month's presidential election, urgency is rising among conservatives to unite behind a single candidate. While Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) maintains his huge lead in recent polls, with around 50-percent support, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) who has been struggling to catch up with him is hoping to join hands with Lee Jun-seok of th

May 21, 2025

Massive fire at Kumho Tire factory fully contained at last

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - A massive fire at a tire-manufacturing plant in southwestern South Korea was fully extinguished on Tuesday, nearly three days after it first broke out over the weekend. According to fire authorities, the blaze started early Saturday morning at Kumho Tire's factory in Gwangju, forcing about 400 workers to evacuate and leaving three people injured including two firefighters. Some 1,236 cases of damage have been reported so far by residents near the factory

May 20, 2025

Lee targets key swing regions as Kim highlights welfare issues in Seoul campaign push

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - With just two weeks left until South Korea’s snap presidential election on Jun. 3, Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo are stepping up their campaigns in the capital region on Tuesday, each appealing to core and swing voters with contrasting schedules. The election was called after former president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and removed from office for abuse of power. On Dec. 3 last year, Yo

May 20, 2025