• 
  Busan revives as a global tourist magnet SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city after Seoul, is enjoying a tourism revival as its beach-rich coastline draws a record number of foreign visitors and the city rolls out a packed calendar of international events to sustain the momentum. According to the Korea Tourism Organization and Busan metropolitan, 3,349,219 foreign tourists visited Busan in the first 11 months of 2025, surpassing the 3-million mark for the first time. Foreign visitors spe January 8, 2026
• 
  Growing strawberries year-round, even in desert with Korea's smart farming SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Strawberries are no longer a spring fruit in Korea. They have become seasonless — and in fact, their peak arrives in icy-cold winter. From strawberry cakes to lattes, the fruit dominates winter menus. "Orders are pouring in because it's winter strawberry season. We go through 10 kilograms of strawberries a day," said the owner of a café in downtown Seoul. Winter strawberries grown in greenhouses are known to be especially sweet January 8, 2026
• 
  Lee's approval rating inches up to 61% SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has inched up to 61 percent, up 2 percentage points from two weeks ago, a fresh poll showed on Thursday. Some 29 percent of respondents disapproved of Lee's performance, down 3 percentage points. But Lee gained support across the country overall except in the traditional conservative stronghold of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where his approval rating stood at 49 percent. This was attributed t January 8, 2026
• 
  Alleged ringleader behind South Korean Student's brutal death nabbed in Thailand SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - A key suspect in the brutal torture and killing of a South Korean college student in Cambodia last summer has been nabbed in Thailand, government authorities here said on Thursday. The Justice Ministry said a 42-year-old Chinese, the alleged mastermind of a Cambodia-based scam ring, was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand, the previous day, following a joint investigation with the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service. Between May and J January 8, 2026
• 
  ChatGPT most downloaded app in South Korea last year SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, was the most downloaded new app in South Korea last year, big data analytics firm IGAWorks said on Thursday. ChatGPT led all apps with an average of 16.57 million new monthly downloads, followed by the state-run gift voucher app Digital Onnuri at 12.81 million, Chinese shopping platform Temu at 11.52 million, and the country's largest portal Naver's shopping platform at 10.20 million. When it comes to the number of January 8, 2026
• 
  Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for MBK Partners' chairman over Homeplus fraud SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - Prosecutors have sought an arrest warrant for Kim Byung-ju, the chairman of private equity firm MBK Partners, along with three other executives over supermarket chain Homeplus' abrupt filing for court receivership. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors requested the warrants for them late Wednesday night on charges of fraud and other alleged violations of relevant laws. MBK Partners, which acquired a 100 percent stake in Homeplus from British groce January 8, 2026
• 
  Overseas fugitives top 1,000 for first time as cross-border scams surge in Korea SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - The number of criminal suspects who fled overseas after committing crimes in South Korea has surged past 1,000 for the first time on record, raising concerns that the country is increasingly exposed to transnational crime networks operating across Asia and Russia. According to the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), 1,249 new overseas fugitives were recorded last year, up 31 percent from 951 a year earlier. It marked the first time the annual figure excee January 7, 2026
• 
  Lee asks Xi to play mediator role for peace on Korean Peninsula SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a mediator role in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula including North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Lee made the remarks at a luncheon in Shanghai with South Korean reporters, after his talks with Xi in Beijing the previous day. "We have to find a realistic path that helps everyone," Lee said, questioning whether North Korea cou January 7, 2026
• 
  Lunar New Year train tickets to go on sale next week SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Advance train tickets for the Lunar New Year break will go on sale next week, railway operator KORAIL said Wednesday. Tickets will be available online for a week starting next Thursday, about a month in advance, for trains running during the weeklong holiday from Feb. 13 to 18. The first two days of pre-booking will be reserved for senior citizens aged 65 and older, people with disabilities, and recipients of national merit honors. Ordinary citizens c January 7, 2026
• 
  Acting US envoy leaves Seoul after brief stint SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Kevin Kim returned to the U.S. less than three months after assuming the post. According to diplomatic sources on Wednesday, Kim recently notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his departure. He is believed to have left for the U.S. to spend Christmas and has not returned to Seoul, as he may be assigned a new role there. The Korean American, who handled North Korea-related affairs at the U.S. State Department from 2018 January 7, 2026