Kim Moon-soo calls PPP candidate switch a 'political coup,' vows legal fight

SEOUL, May 10 (AJP) - In a press conference held at 9:50 a.m. on Saturday, Kim Moon-soo condemned the People Power Party’s (PPP) early-morning decision to strip him of his presidential candidacy and replace him with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Calling the move a “political coup,” Kim declared his intent to pursue legal and political action against party leaders and urged the public to stand with him in what he described as a fight to defend South Korea&rsquo

May 10, 2025

PPP moves to replace Kim Moon-soo with Han Duck-soo as presidential nominee

SEOUL, May 10 (AJP) - The People Power Party (PPP) launched an unprecedented candidate replacement process early Saturday morning, canceling Kim Moon-soo’s nomination and registering former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as its new presidential candidate, following the collapse of unification talks between the two conservative contenders. At around 3 a.m. on May 10, PPP election committee chair Lee Yang-soo announced via the party's website that Han had been officially r

May 10, 2025

Excitement builds early for New Pope's planned visit to Seoul

SEOUL, May 9 (AJP) - With a new pope elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican on Thursday, religious leaders and other faithful here are expressing high expectations. Although they may have to wait a few more years to see the new pope in person, excitement is already building ahead of his planned visit to Seoul in 2027. White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on the second day of the Vatican's conclave, attended by nearly 130 cardinals,

May 9, 2025

Kim and Han clash over timing, legitimacy in second unification talks

SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) - Presidential candidates Kim Moon-soo and Han Duck-soo met for a second round of unification talks on Thursday, but the discussion once again revealed sharp differences over the timing and terms of a potential single candidacy. The meeting, held at the National Assembly’s Sarangjae at 4:30 p.m., was fully open to the press by prior agreement between both camps. Han, an independent candidate and former prime minister, pushed for immediate resolution, s

May 8, 2025

INTERVIEW : Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi to celebrate 10 years of building bridges with UAE

SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - Nestled at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country where Islamic culture coexists with modern architecture and cutting-edge global trends. Surrounded by an exotic landscape where deserts meet futuristic skylines, the Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi serves as a cultural bridge between the two countries. Established in 2016, it was the first of its kind in the Middle East, venturing into this uncharted, un

May 8, 2025

Clock ticking for PPP as internal rift stalls progress on unified conservative candidate

SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - Tensions are escalating within the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as internal wrangling continues over fielding a unified conservative candidate, with the snap presidential election less than a month away. The PPP’s presidential nominee, Kim Moon-soo, had expressed a willingness to team up with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who declared his presidential bid last week. However, Kim now appears to have changed his mind shortly after being chosen as th

May 8, 2025

Han Duck-soo calls for unity and reform in presidential campaign

SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo made a strong case for constitutional reform and conservative unity during a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Wednesday, saying he would rather fix the country’s broken political system than chase long-term power. “I'm not here to be just another candidate. I'm here because our system is in crisis,” Han said, speaking with a mix of urgency and conviction. “Wh

May 8, 2025

Kim Moon-soo and Han Duck-soo fail to reach agreement in unification talks

SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - Conservative presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and independent candidate Han Duck-soo held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss a possible unification of their candidacies, but the talks ended without any agreement. The two candidates met privately for about an hour and 15 minutes at a restaurant in Seoul’s Jongno District around 6 p.m., without aides or representatives present. Following the meeting, Han’s spokesperson L

May 7, 2025

Six cities call on central government to cover losses from free subway rides

SEOUL, May 07 (AJP) - Subway operators from six major South Korean cities, including Seoul, the southern port city of Busan, and the western port city of Incheon, are once again calling on the government to cover mounting losses from free rides provided to elderly passengers and other eligible groups. On Wednesday, Seoul Metro and five other urban rail operators issued a joint statement urging national funding to support what they describe as a public service obligation mandated b

May 7, 2025

Court postpones DP presidential candidate's retrial until after presidential election

SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - The Seoul High Court on Wednesday decided to postpone the first hearing of presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's retrial over his alleged violation of election laws. The hearing, originally scheduled for later this week, has now been pushed back to June 18, about two weeks after the snap presidential election set for early June, to fill a power vacuum caused by the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol early last month over his botched mar

May 7, 2025