South Korea, Japan agree to resume naval search and rescue drills after nine-year hiatus SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea and Japan agreed on Friday to resume bilateral naval search and rescue exercises for the first time in nine years and to institutionalize annual defense ministers’ talks, as the two countries seek to restore military cooperation based on mutual trust. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi agreed on the importance of advancing defense cooperation following their meeting at the headquarters January 30, 2026

Ferry service along Han River to fully resume in March after safety checks SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Seoul's water ferry service along the Han River is expected to resume full operations in early March, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Friday. The service was halted on some routes due to technical glitches after its bombastic launch in September last year. The city government had planned to resume the service in January, but it was delayed as safety inspections and other checks by the Ministry of Interior and Safety took longer than expec January 30, 2026

Foreign visitors to South Korea recover to pre-pandemic levels SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - The number of foreign visitors to South Korea last year surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on Friday. The country welcomed about 18.94 million visitors last year, up 8.2 percent from the previous record of 17.50 million in 2019, just before the coronavirus pandemic closed borders around the world. Chinese visitors accounted for the most with 5.48 million, followed by Japan with 3.65 million, Taiw January 30, 2026

Coupang's interim CEO appears for questioning over massive data breach SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Harold Rogers, e-commerce giant Coupang's interim chief in South Korea, appeared for questioning in Seoul on Friday over allegations related to a massive data breach detected late last year. Rogers arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno, central Seoul, at around 2 p.m. and said, "Coupang has fully cooperated and will continue to fully cooperate with all investigations." But he declined to comment further, despite a barrag January 30, 2026

South Korean destroyer heads to India for fleet review, naval exercise SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - A 4,400-ton destroyer will take part in an international fleet review to be held in India next month, the Navy said on Friday. The destroyer dubbed Gang Gam-chan departed from a naval base in Jeju on Friday, weeks ahead of the fleet review scheduled for Feb. 17-19 in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, which will feature warships from 20 countries including Australia, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. A week later, the vessel will also participate in variou January 30, 2026

Trade minister to hold further talks with US officials after Trump threatens higher tariffs SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - South Korea will continue talks with U.S. trade officials this week to resolve any misunderstanding after U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt threat to raise tariffs on its closest ally earlier this week. Just a day after his arrival in Washington, D.C., Minister of Trade and Industry Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday to figure out what is behind Trump's tariff threat. Trump on Monday warned he would raise January 30, 2026

Former justice minister named special ambassador for climate SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil has been named South Korea's special ambassador for climate and environment, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. She will take up the one-year ambassadorial role to tackle climate and environmental issues while promoting the government's efforts. Having served as the country's first female justice minister under the late Roh Moo-hyun administration, Kang also led the Democratic Party's (DP) election January 30, 2026

South Korea's ambassador to China wealthiest among senior officials SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Ambassador to China Roh Jae-heon declared assets worth 53 billion won (US$38 million), making him the wealthiest among high-ranking officials, according to figures released by the Government Ethics Committee on Friday. Most of the assets held by the eldest son of former President Roh Tae-woo are in real estate, including land, buildings and residential properties registered under his or his spouse's name, along with savings and other holdings. His mot January 30, 2026

Gwangju Police Book 50-Something Woman for Drunk Driving After Red-Light Violation Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said Thursday it booked a woman in her 50s, identified only as A, on suspicion of driving under the influence in violation of the Road Traffic Act. Police said she is accused of driving about 2 kilometers while intoxicated, leaving a restaurant in Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, at about 4 p.m. Wednesday and heading to an area near the Unam 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center. Officers said she ran a red light while driving through an intersection and was caught by ne January 29, 2026

Dispute Grows Over Proposed South Jeolla-Gwangju Administrative Merger Controversy over a proposed administrative merger between South Jeolla Province and the city of Gwangju is spreading across the region. The Samhyang-eup Council of Local Institutions and Social Groups in Muan County said the recent merger agreement between the provincial government and Gwangju was “a rushed deal” that “gave up South Jeolla’s interests.” In a statement released Jan. 28, the council criticized an announcement that South Jeolla Gov. Kim Young Rok and Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki January 29, 2026