• 
  Lee, Laotian president agree to strengthen bilateral partnership SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung met with visiting Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith in Seoul on Monday. During their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, the two leaders agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership, as the two countries mark 30 years of diplomatic relations. "Trade and investment have grown remarkably since 1995, with bilateral trade increasing 20-fold," Lee said, adding that mu December 15, 2025
• 
  Korean Air chief donates 100 million won to athletes ahead of Winter Olympics SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Hanjin Group chairman and Korean Air president Cho Won-tae on Monday donated 100 Korean million (about US$70,000) to support athletes preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics in northern Italy in February next year. Cho, who currently serves as Vice President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, toured key facilities at a national team training center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, encouraging athletes including short-track speed skat December 15, 2025
• 
  South Korea, US conduct joint anti-terror drill in Seoul SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A joint drill between South Korea and the U.S. is underway in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The two-day drill, dubbed "Winter Tiger," which runs Tuesday, is aimed at responding to nuclear and radiological terrorism, involving about 120 officials from both countries. Participants are simulating a radiological terror attack to evaluate emergency response capabilities and cooperation strategies between the two countries December 15, 2025
• 
  Vehicle-free weekends along Cheonggyecheon Stream to resume after six-month pause SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Vehicles will again be banned along the Cheonggyecheon Stream on weekends and public holidays starting on New Year's Day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Monday. The traffic restriction, first implemented in 2005 to improve the walking environment and convenience for pedestrians, will resume after being suspended in July for about six months due to local merchants' complaints about reduced sales. A roughly 450-meter stretch will be c December 15, 2025
• 
  Fire at Paju elementary school leaves three injured, hundreds evacuated SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A fire broke out at an elementary school in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to fire authorities, the blaze started around noon in the school's second-floor science lab. Firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze, but three staff members inhaled smoke, with two being transported to the hospital. A total of 307 students and staff were evacuated. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire December 15, 2025
• 
  Korea's ex-president brooded on martial law scheme more than a year before acting out SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) -Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol brooded over a scheme to invoke martial law to “eliminate political opponents and consolidate power” before October 2023, more than a year before the stunning decree was declared in December 2024, a special counsel investigation claimed Monday. The finding was detailed by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, who led a 180-day probe into allegations of insurrection and foreign collusion surrounding the Decem December 15, 2025
• 
  Nearly 90% of South Koreans use streaming services SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Nearly 90 percent of South Koreans use online streaming services and platforms, with an average of 2.1 subscriptions per person, according to a survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency. The survey, based on face-to-face interviews with 6,554 people conducted over three months starting in July, found that 54.2 percent of subscribers were paid users. YouTube led with 85.4 percent of users, followed by Netfli December 15, 2025
• 
  Korean AI models score poorly in college exam math vs global rivals: study SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) -South Korea's homegrown artificial intelligence language models significantly underperformed compared with leading international counterparts in solving college entrance exam–level math problems, according to a study by a research team led by Professor Kim Jong-rak at Sogang University. The study tested five major Korean-language AI models against five global models, including ChatGPT, using math and essay questions drawn from university entran December 15, 2025
• 
  Police raid Unification Church over bribery allegations SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Police on Monday raided about a dozen locations of the powerful Unification Church, also known as the Moonies over allegations of bribing political figures. The raid began at around 8:50 a.m., when a special investigation team from the National Police Agency carried out a search and seizure at the sprawling residence of the church's leader Han Hak-ja in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province and 10 other facilities in Seoul. The raid came after Minister of O December 15, 2025
• 
  Independent prosecutors set to wrap up six-month probe into martial law debacle SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors are set to brief on the findings of their investigation on Monday into disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched Dec. 3 martial law debacle last year. Wrapping up their six-month-long probe led by prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, they will explain the details of the investigation that led to charges against 27 individuals including Yoon. Of the 12 arrest warrants requested, five were issued. Prosecutors have also sought an December 15, 2025