Migrant-background students rise as Korea's classrooms empty SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) -South Korea's school-age population is shrinking at its fastest pace in years even as the number of students from immigrant backgrounds continues to rise, government data showed Wednesday. Students from immigrant backgrounds — a category covering children born in South Korea to one Korean and one foreign-born parent, as well as children of two foreign-born parents — reached 210,838 in elementary, middle and high schools as of April 1. The August 26, 2026

More than half of South Koreans view US unfavorably: Pew Research SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - More than half of South Koreans now regard the U.S. unfavorably, hitting an all-time high, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center indicates. In a survey of more than 1,000 South Korean adults conducted from March to April this year and released on Monday by the Washington-based think tank, 55 percent expressed an unfavorable view of the U.S., up 16 percentage points from a year earlier. This marked the first time the figure had exceeded 50 percent since August 26, 2026

Extreme-heat days nearly double the average this summer in Korea SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) -South Korea has endured nearly twice the usual number of heat-wave days so far this year, with record-breaking temperatures and unusually persistent tropical nights pointing to a summer stretching well into September. The nationwide average number of heat-wave days reached 20.1 from the start of the year through Monday, almost double the seasonal average of 10.4 days, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Tuesday. A heat-wave day August 25, 2026

More than half of pensioners get less than 500,000 won per month SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - Pensioners received an average of 737,000 won (US$534) per month in 2024, up 6 percent from a year earlier, but more than half or 53 percent received less than 500,000 won per month, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Tuesday. The ministry said some 9.12 million people aged 65 and older received at least one of about a dozen types of public and private pensions. But despite more than 90 percent of the elderly population bein August 25, 2026

Jeju woman's death raises questions over handling of missing adult cases SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - A body believed to be that of a woman who went missing on Jeju Island more than three months ago was found earlier this week, raising questions over how police handle and investigate missing people after her case was apparently closed prematurely without confirming her safety. Police said the remains, believed to be those of 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, were discovered on Monday at a palm tree farm in Hallim, a tourist town on the southern resort island, about a August 25, 2026

Hanmi Pharm signs massive licensing deal with US biotech firm for obesity drug SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Hanmi Pharm said Monday it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with U.S. biotechnology company Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss healthcare company Roche, to develop and commercialize its obesity drug candidate HM17321 worldwide. Under the agreement, worth up to US$2.3 billion, Genentech will obtain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize HM17321 worldwide, except in South Korea. Hanmi will receive an upfront payment of US$190 mil August 24, 2026

Kim Min-seok takes S. Korea's ruling party helm SEOUL, August 17 (AJP) - South Korea's governing party handed its leadership on Monday to the man who served as President Lee Jae Myung's first prime minister, giving the president's closest political partner control of the party machine three days after his approval rating fell to the lowest level of his term. Kim Min-seok took 54.08 percent of the vote at the Democratic Party of Korea's national convention in Daejeon, defeating the incumbent leader, Jung Chung-ra August 17, 2026

Third-heaviest rainfall in Korean records kills 1 in southern city SEOUL, August 17 (AJP) - Record rainfall along South Korea's southern coast killed one person and injured four on Monday, and the island city of Geoje logged the heaviest single day of rain since observations began there in 1972. Geoje recorded 577.4 millimeters between midnight and 1 p.m., the Korea Meteorological Administration said. Among the 97 surface stations whose records the agency ranks, only two days have produced more, both on Aug. 31, 2002, when Typhoon Rusa droppe August 17, 2026

Sogang University latest to report data breach in Korea SEOUL, August 15 (AJP) -Sogang University has become the latest South Korean institution to report a data breach, adding to a series of cyber incidents that have exposed vulnerabilities across the country's corporate, government and education systems. The private elite university in Seoul said an external attacker gained unauthorized access to its integrated login system on Aug. 11 through a brute-force attack, in which large numbers of password combinations are tried until ac August 15, 2026

Han River ferry carries over 500,000 passengers in less than a year SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Seoul's water ferry service along the Han River has carried more than 500,000 passengers since its launch last fall, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Friday. According to the city government, the cumulative number of passengers stood at 501,430 as of Aug. 13, about a year after the service began on Sept. 18 last year, with nearly half of all trips taken on weekends. Early technical glitches caused several disruptions and service halts, keep August 14, 2026