About a dozen injured as bus crashes onto sidewalk in Seoul SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - A bus crashed onto a sidewalk in Seoul on Friday, leaving two people seriously hurt and about a dozen others injured. According to rescue workers who arrived shortly after the accident, the bus ran onto the sidewalk near Seodaemun subway station at around 1:15 p.m. About 11 people including the bus driver were believed to be passengers on board and suffered minor injuries, while the two people seriously injured were pedestrians. Police said there January 16, 2026

Former Air Force chief named ambassador to Israel SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - Park In-ho, a former Air Force chief, has been named South Korea's new ambassador to Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. The graduate of the Korea Air Force Academy, long regarded as a bastion for elite cadets, served as Air Force chief from July 2021 to May 2022 under the former Moon Jae-in administration, after holding various posts including a policy planning role at the Ministry of National Defense. Since retiring, Park has January 16, 2026

Lee to meet residents in Ulsan as part of regional growth initiative SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will visit Ulsan next week to meet residents and hear about the issues facing the industrial city. Lee, who stressed regional growth in his New Year's address, wrote on Facebook Thursday that he will hold his first town hall-style meeting of the year on Jan. 13, describing the southern city as “the heart of South Korea's industry. "Over the past 60 years, Ulsan has led our manufacturing industries including January 16, 2026

Fire breaks out in Seoul's last remaining shantytown SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - A fire broke out in a shantytown in southern Seoul early Friday morning, forcing residents to evacuate. The fire occurred at around 5 a.m. in Guryong Village, the last remaining slum of makeshift homes and shoddy tents in Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam. Over 200 firefighters were dispatched shortly after receiving a report that the fire had started in an empty home. Hours later, smoke and flames are still engulfing the area despite efforts to January 16, 2026

Impeached president faces first verdict on martial law-related charges SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - Impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol will be sentenced on Friday for one of several charges related to his botched martial law debacle. In a nationwide televised trial scheduled for 2 p.m., the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul is set to deliver its ruling on whether Yoon obstructed law enforcement by blocking investigators and other officials who attempted to detain him following his abrupt late-night declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, January 16, 2026

Korea moves fast on Grok as global deepfake backlash grows SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) — South Korea has taken its first regulatory steps targeting xAI’s chatbot Grok, as governments worldwide step up scrutiny of generative AI tools over deepfake abuse and illegal content. The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) on Wednesday sent an official notice to X requesting stronger safety measures for Grok, including tighter controls on harmful content and stricter restrictions on minors’ access. The commission also January 15, 2026

Four-term lawmaker Seo Young-kyo announces bid for Seoul mayor SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - Lawmaker Seo Young-kyo of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) announced her bid for Seoul mayor on Thursday, vowing to "transform the capital into a leading global economic and cultural hub." At a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday, months ahead of local elections slated for June 3, the four-term lawmaker said Seoul must turn into a "city where Seoul citizens are truly the owners," pledging to deliver "proven resul January 15, 2026

South Korea on alert over safety of about 70 nationals as Iran protests turn deadly SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - As Iran's ongoing internal protests have reportedly killed thousands, with fears of possible U.S. intervention heightening global concerns, the South Korean government has remained on alert, convening an emergency meeting earlier this week to assess the safety of its citizens there. Chaired by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a, the meeting was held on Tuesday via Zoom with embassy officials in Tehran to set up contingency plans for South Korean nationals January 15, 2026

One South Korean killed in a deadly train crash in Thailand - foreign ministry SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -One South Korean national was among those killed in a deadly train derailment in Thailand on Wednesday, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul. The ministry said Thursday it had confirmed the death of one South Korean and was providing necessary consular assistance to the bereaved family. The accident occurred at around 9 a.m. Wednesday when a construction crane for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto a moving passenger train traveling January 15, 2026

Seoul city bus service back to normal after wage deal ends record strike SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -Seoul city buses are back on the roads on Thursday after labor and management reached a wage agreement late Wednesday, ending the longest city bus strike on record. The deal was struck at 11:55 p.m. during a second follow-up mediation session convened by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission at its special arbitration panel. The talks brought together the Seoul City Bus Labor Union, affiliated with the Korean Automobile Workers Federation, an January 15, 2026