Kim Moon-soo wins People Power Party presidential nomination with 56.53 percent of vote

SEOUL, May 03 (AJP) - Kim Moon-soo has been selected as the People Power Party's candidate for the upcoming presidential election, securing 56.53 percent of the final vote. The conservative party confirmed its nominee for the 21st presidential election during a national convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday. Han Dong-hoon, who advanced to the final round of the primary, received 43.47 percent of the votes. Kim defeated Han in both party member votin

May 3, 2025

Trump-Kim relations could reset, but U.S. leverage diminished by Russia factor, expert says

SEOUL, May 03 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump could reestablish relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at any time, but his negotiating leverage would likely be limited, according to a North Korea expert from a U.S. think tank. Sydney Seiler, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), suggested in a CSIS podcast on Saturday that Trump has confidence in his ability to restart North Korea negotiations through his personal diplomacy at the

May 3, 2025

Conservatives weigh unification strategy as Han Duck-soo enters race

SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s presidential bid is prompting a strategic rethink across South Korea’s conservative bloc, as leaders weigh the risks and rewards of unifying behind a single candidate before official registration begins next week. The 75-year-old former Prime Minister formally declared his candidacy on Friday, offering a transitional vision centered on constitutional reform. “I will form a presidential task force on const

May 2, 2025

US defends Trump's talks With Putin, citing past engagement with Kim Jong-un

SEOUL, May 2 (AJP) - The United States State Department defended President Donald Trump on Thursday over his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the backlash he faced during meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “There was a lot of heat when he went to visit Kim Jong-un,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing. She added that Trump’s view is that “people have to be spoken with, face to face, one

May 2, 2025

Han Duck-soo declares presidential run, pledges constitutional reform and early exit

SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his bid for the presidency on Friday, pledging to push forward a constitutional amendment and step down once the reform is in place. “I will form a presidential task force on constitutional reform on day one,” the 75-year-old former Prime Minister said during a press conference at the National Assembly. “In my third year, I will hold a new presidential and general election under the revised consti

May 2, 2025

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho steps in as acting president amid leadership shake-up

SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - South Korea entered unfamiliar political territory on Friday as Education Minister Lee Ju-ho assumed the role of acting president, following the sudden resignations of both Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok. Han, who had been serving as acting president, stepped down to run in the upcoming presidential election. Choi, the expected successor, also resigned after the Democratic Party (DP)-led National Assembly introduced an imp

May 2, 2025

Han Duck-soo resigns as acting president to join presidential race

SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s acting president and prime minister, announced his resignation on Thursday, clearing the way for a likely run in the June 3 presidential election. “I am now stepping down from my duties as acting president and prime minister," Han said in a nationally televised address from the central government complex in Seoul. Han is expected to formally declare his presidential bid as early as Friday. He had served as ac

May 1, 2025

Supreme Court reverses acquittal of top presidential contender Lee Jae-myung

SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s acquittal of Lee Jae-myung, the opposition leader and a top contender in the upcoming presidential race, sending the case back for retrial with instructions that Lee be found guilty of spreading false information. The case stems from comments Lee made during the 2021 presidential campaign. He had denied playing golf overseas with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive at the S

May 1, 2025

Prosecutors bring additional charges against Yoon Suk Yeol

SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - Prosecutors on Thursday filed additional charges of abuse of power and obstruction of rights against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is already standing trial on charges of leading a rebellion related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The prosecution's special investigation team, led by Park Se-hyun, chief prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, said the new charges were added following a supplementary investigation. Yoon, who

May 1, 2025

S. Korean government secures $9.6 billion extra budget

SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties agreed on Thursday to pass a 13.8 trillion-won ($9.6 billion) supplementary budget aimed at revitalizing the economy. Officials from the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party said they had reached a deal to approve the budget at a parliamentary plenary session scheduled for later on Thursday. As part of the agreement, the parties allocated 400 billion won for the issuance of loc

May 1, 2025