South Korean military holds artillery drills near border

SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Live-fire artillery drills were conducted along the inter-Korean border for the first time in several years, military authorities said on Tuesday. To enhance the military's combat readiness, around 60 rounds were fired from more than a dozen self-propelled howitzers, hitting targets at a firing range in Paju, Gyeonggi Province the previous day. The drills came about seven years after Seoul and Pyongyang signed a cross-border pact in 2018 pledging to ce

April 22, 2025

Seven dead or injured in suspected arson at Seoul apartment

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - A suspected arson fire broke out at an apartment building in southern Seoul on Monday, leaving one person dead and six others injured. According to emergency responders, the fire began around 8 a.m. on the fourth floor of a 21-story apartment building in Bongcheon-dong, southern Seoul. Witnesses said smoke and flames quickly spread, with residents seen hanging from balconies and some attempting to escape through windows. Two elderly women suffered seri

April 21, 2025

South Korean tourist killed during robbery in the Philippines

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - A South Korean tourist was shot and killed during a robbery in the Philippines on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South Korean Embassy in Manila said a male tourist was attacked in the afternoon near Koreatown in Angeles City, north of Manila, by two armed men on a motorcycle. According to witnesses, the victim was shot when he tried to fend off the robbers who attempted to steal his bag. The tourist was trans

April 21, 2025

Seoul court permits limited filming of Yoon's second insurrection hearing

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court at 10:00 a.m. Monday, for the second hearing in his trial on charges of leading an insurrection, marking the first time the public has seen him seated in the defendant’s chair. Photographs and video footage of Yoon in court were released following the hearing, after the Seoul Central District Court approved limited media coverage. The court cited “the high level of national interest&rdquo

April 21, 2025

Lee Jae-myung further solidifies his position as DP's likely presidential nominee

SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, the former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), secured a resounding victory in the party's primary in the southeastern region on Sunday, solidifying his position as a frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election slated for June 3. Lee, who declared his presidential bid earlier this month and continues to lead in most opinion polls, garnered an overwhelming 90.81 percent of the votes in the Gyeongsang provinces, which i

April 20, 2025

South Korea, US to hold tariff talks in Washington

SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - Officials from South Korea and the U.S will meet for talks in Washington in the coming week. According to government sources here, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun will head to Washington for working-level discussions with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Both sides are currently in finalizing the agendas and other details, with the talks, proposed by t

April 20, 2025

Relocation of Presidential office on the cards again

SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - With the presidential election less than two months away, uncertainties loom over the future of the current presidential office in Seoul's central district of Yongsan. Many believe it would be inappropriate to continue using the office, which has been tainted by the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year. With Yoon's impeachment over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law upheld by a

April 20, 2025

Unidentified balloons with leaflets discovered south of DMZ

More than ten balloons were discovered last week in areas just south of the DMZ. Military and police believe they were launched from two sites nearby, though the sender remains unidentified. “The balloons seem to have fallen short and landed near the DMZ,” a police official said. A civic group is reportedly planning to resume leaflet launches next Wednesday, after canceling a similar attempt last October. The move comes as spring winds, especially sou

April 19, 2025

Political leaders honor citizens of 1960 pro-democracy uprising

SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) - South Korean political leaders on Saturday paid tribute to the citizens who took part in the pro-democracy uprising 65 years ago. Leaders from both major parties, including Democratic Party acting leader Park Chan-dae and People Power Party floor leader Kwon Seong-dong, visited a cemetery in northern Seoul to pay respects to those who died in the 1960 pro-democracy movement. The revolution was triggered by widespread protests against election fraud and

April 19, 2025

Constitutional Court left with seven justices as two retire

SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - Two justices retired from the Constitutional Court of Korea on Friday as their six-year terms came to an end this week. The retirement of justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun comes just a few weeks after delivering their historic ruling on the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year. The two outgoing justices stressed the need to "respect" the court's rulings in order to up

April 18, 2025