• 
  Vice FM Kim pledges inter-Korean dialogue on humanitarian issues at UN rights council SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - Seoul will pursue inter-Korean dialogue to address humanitarian issues such as family reunions and the return of detainees, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a said Monday at the United Nations Human Rights Council. In a keynote address to the council’s 61st session in Geneva, Kim said the government would work closely with the international community to achieve “practical” improvements in the human rights of North Korean residents. &ldquo February 24, 2026
• 
  Wildfire in Miryang contained after 20-hour battle SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - A wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang was contained on Tuesday after firefighters battled flames for more than 20 hours. The fire broke out around 4 p.m. the previous day on a hill in a small town in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, forcing about 150 residents to evacuate. About 1,511 emergency workers, along with 52 helicopters and 318 pieces of equipment, were deployed to combat the fire, but their efforts were hampered by low visibility a February 24, 2026
• 
  Impeached ex-president appeals life sentence over martial law debacle SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday filed an appeal of his life sentence on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to his martial law debacle in December 2024. It comes about a week after the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of the botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, which it ruled was an act of insurrection in violation of the Constitution, condemning his actions as having "fundamentally undermined th February 24, 2026
• 
  1 dead, 3 injured due to fire at aging apartment complex in southern Seoul SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - A fire broke out in an apartment unit in southern Seoul on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and three others injured. About 70 residents were evacuated after the fire began at around 6:20 a.m. at the Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul's Gangnam district, according to district officials. Fire authorities said they contained the fire in about an hour and were working to extinguish the remaining flames. The agi February 24, 2026
• 
  Firefighters struggle to contain wildfire in small town of Hamyang SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Firefighters are still struggling to contain a wildfire in the small town of Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province. According to the Korea Forest Service, the fire has burned some 190 hectares of land and forest as of early Monday morning since the fire broke out around 9 p.m. last Saturday. More than 100 fire trucks and 600 personnel have been deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby residential areas, but strong winds and rugged terrain h February 23, 2026
• 
  South Korea's presidential office to hold emergency meetings after US court tariff ruling SEOUL, February 21 (AJP) - South Korea's presidential office announced Saturday it will convene a high-level meeting of relevant ministries this afternoon to discuss the fallout from a United States Supreme Court decision that struck down President Donald Trump's centerpiece tariff policy. The meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), will be co-chaired by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy. It follows a sepa February 21, 2026
• 
  Impeached ex-president apologizes but still defends botched martial law bid SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday apologized for the pain caused by his botched declaration of martial law in 2024, while defending it as a "measure solely intended to save the country and its citizens." His remarks came just a day after the Seoul Central District Court handed down a life sentence on charges of insurrection and abuse of power over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. Despite the apology, Yoon insisted that deploying t February 20, 2026
• 
  Another case of foot-and-mouth disease detected in Goyang SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - Another case of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in Goyang, Gyeonggi province, health authorities said on Friday. It was detected at a farm raising 133 cattle, prompting quarantine officials to expand containment measures to nearby areas including Gimpo, Paju and Yangju, as well as Seoul. All cattle on the farm are set to be culled, and a 24-hour standstill order has been issued for workers and vehicles at livestock-related facilities, remaini February 20, 2026
• 
  Boeing picked as preferred bidder for South Korea's special-ops helicopters deal SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - Boeing has been selected as the preferred bidder for a South Korean defense procurement program valued at approximately 3.4 trillion won ($2.3 billion), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Friday. According to DAPA, Boeing was the sole bidder to submit a proposal in November last year, after two previous bidding rounds in June and October failed to produce a contract. Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, had been expected February 20, 2026
• 
  Kookmin University completes global leadership camp with United Nations University in Tokyo SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - The HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Group at Kookmin University successfully conducted the KMU x UNU Sustainable Global Leader Training Camp in Tokyo from January 26 to February 1, the prominent university located in Seoul said on Thursday. The program was developed in collaboration with the United Nations University (UNU) to provide a field-based educational model focused on international organizations. It featured the UNU Future Leaders Bootcamp, expert le February 20, 2026