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  Lee to visit Japanese PM's hometown next month SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is planning a visit to Japan's historic city of Nara next month for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Nara, the ancient capital during the island country's early imperial era, is Takaichi's hometown. As part of shuttle diplomacy to strengthen bilateral ties, Lee previously said he had expressed his desire to visit Nara during a meeting with her in late October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific December 9, 2025
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  For South Korean stars, fame comes with a lasting moral burden SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Comedian Park Na-rae has become the latest South Korean celebrity to disappear from public view after failing to withstand the country’s notoriously unforgiving ethical expectations for public figures. After a monthlong barrage of online criticism and allegations of workplace mistreatment from former managers, Park announced Monday she would “step away” from entertainment until the controversy is fully resolved. Her departure leaves a sla December 8, 2025
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  Rise in vaping keeps smoking rate from declining further, survey finds SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - Although conventional cigarette smoking has decreasing, the rising use of e-cigarettes means that overall tobacco consumption is not declining as much as it could be, a new survey suggests. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency surveyed 230,000 adults between May and July and released its findings on Monday. According to the survey, the smoking rate for traditional cigarettes dropped to 17.9 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous December 8, 2025
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  Hundreds evacuated after Korean War-era bomb found in Pocheon SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - About 440 students and teachers were evacuated after a World War II-era bomb was found at an elementary school in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to police, the bomb, believed to be from the Korean War (1950~1953), was discovered at a construction site at the school at around 10:13 a.m. Students were evacuated to a nearby gymnasium and later sent home after the bomb was safely removed. The heavily rusted bomb, about 1 meter long, was December 8, 2025
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  One in 20 in South Korea is of migrant origin SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Migration backgrounds spanning naturalized Koreans, foreigners, second-generation immigrants, and North Korean defectors – counted for the first time - made up 5.2 percent of South Korean population as of November 2024, according to the first comprehensive dataset tracking the rise of multicultural diversity in the traditionally homogenous society. According to the 2024 Migration Background Population Statistics published by the Ministry of Data December 8, 2025
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  US envoy reaffirms Washington's commitment to denuclearization of North Korea SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Kevin Kim on Monday reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in collaboration with South Korea. After a closed-door meeting in Seoul earlier in the day with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, Kim said U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung "reiterated their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,&q December 8, 2025
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  Largest animation and gaming festival wraps up after drawing 100,000 visitors SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - South Korea's largest animation and gaming festival, the Anime X Game Festival (AGF), concluded on Sunday after attracting more than 100,000 attendees, making it the festival's most successful year yet. The three-day festival, kicked last Friday at KINTEX in Goyang, drew 40 percent more visitors than last year's 72,081. Despite sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall on the opening day, fans lined up early, with some even waiting overnight. December 8, 2025
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  Seoul presidential office moving back to Blue House by X-mas SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - The presidential office in Seoul will return to the Blue House by Christmas while readying a stronger national data-protection measures and a renewed push for dialogue with North Korea as the Lee Jae Myung administration moves beyond the phase of "a stabilization of diplomacy, security and governance" in the first six months after a snap election and presidential impeachment. The move out from Yongsan premise will be "essentially finished December 7, 2025
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  President Lee nominates Kim Ho-chul as auditor general SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Kim Ho-chul, a veteran human rights lawyer, as auditor general of South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection, the presidential office said on Sunday. The nomination was announced by presidential spokesperson Lee Kyu-yeon during a briefing at the presidential office in Seoul. Kim has held a range of senior public and civic posts, including serving as a standing member of a military death investigation pane December 7, 2025
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  Korea draws Mexico, South Africa and European playoff winner, all World Cup games in Mexico SEOUL, December 06 (AJP) - South Korea landed in what many analysts consider a manageable Group A for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, avoiding global powerhouses and setting the stage for Hong Myung-bo’s squad to target its first-ever overseas quarterfinal run. At Friday’s draw held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Taegeuk Warriors were grouped with host nation Mexico, South Africa, and the yet-to-be-determined winner of European Playoff Path D—a December 6, 2025