Cold snap grips nation after heavy snowfall

SEOUL, November 29 (AJP) - Temperatures plummeted nationwide on Friday morning, falling below zero in most areas. The mercury dropped sharply after the season's first snow hit the country earlier this week, bringing the heaviest November snowfall in about a century. According to the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA), the morning lows dipped more than five to ten degrees lower than the previous day, with -3.4 degrees Celsius in Seoul, -2.8 degrees in Incheon, -5.2 deg

November 29, 2024

Japanese PM mulls visit to Seoul in January

SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to visit Seoul in January next year for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Thursday. "The most likely time for the meeting is early January, before the ordinary Diet session convenes," the daily said, citing government sources. "As next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Japan and South Korea, Ishiba aims to strengthen coop

November 28, 2024

AJP launches Dec. 3, aims to be Asia's premier news hub

SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - AJP, a new English-language news agency focused on Asia, will officially launch in Seoul on Dec. 3. AJP seeks to serve as a powerful platform that amplifies Asia's voice on the global stage while delivering the region's authentic values to audiences worldwide. Through partnerships with key news organizations across the region, AJP will provide innovative news content spanning diverse fields, including politics, economics, society and culture.

November 28, 2024

Trump expected to pursue 'direct talks' with North Korean leader

SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - Speculation is growing that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to engage in direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump's transition team is "discussing pursuing direct talks" with Kim, "hoping a fresh diplomatic push can lower the risks of armed conflict," Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. "Several in Trump's team now see a direct approach from Trump, to build on a relations

November 27, 2024

Weeklong film festival featuring Indian movies underway in Seoul

SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - A weeklong film festival featuring Indian films kicked off in western Seoul on Tuesday, featuring six acclaimed Hindi movies until this Saturday. The festival opened with "Lapataa Ladies," also known as "Lost Ladies," which has been selected for the country's official entry for the upcoming Academy Awards early next year. Directed by filmmaker Kiran Rao, the comedy revolves around two young newly-wed brides who are accidentally s

November 27, 2024

Season's first snow in Seoul arrives with vengeance

SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - This winter's first snow fell overnight in Seoul and other parts of the country, wreaking havoc among commuters in the morning rush hour on Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), nearly 20 centimeters of snow blanketed the capital. The season's first snow arrived about a week late this year, but it was the heaviest snowfall seen in November since relevant statistics began in 1907. A heavy snow alert was

November 27, 2024

Seoul expresses regret over Japan's handling of memorial service at Sado mines

SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea has expressed regret to Japan over its handling of a memorial service for forced labor victims during World War II, the Foreign Ministry here said on Tuesday. The ministry said it conveyed Seoul's position on the matter to Tokyo the day after its decision to boycott the Japan-hosted event held last Sunday on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, a site of imperial Japan's mobilization of South Koreans into forced labor. Seoul held a se

November 26, 2024

Opposition leader cleared of perjury charges, but legal battles continue

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was cleared on Monday of charges that he had pressured a witness to provide false testimony in his favor. The Seoul Central District Court found Lee not guilty as there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations that the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party had coerced a former mayoral secretary into committing perjury on his behalf. In a series of legal battles that could threaten his

November 25, 2024

Russia warns South Korea against possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Russia warned that South Korea's supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine would "fully destroy relations" with Moscow, a senior Russian official said Sunday. "Seoul must realize that the possible use of South Korean weapons to kill Russian citizens will fully destroy relations" between the two countries, Moscow's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told the country's state-run news agency TASS. "We will respond in every

November 25, 2024

South Korea rejects Japan's forced labor memorial

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea has pulled out of a memorial ceremony in Japan honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, from an old Japanese mine complex. The decision came after Tokyo announced that Akiko Ikuina, a parliamentary vice minister with a history of visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, would represent the government at the event. Seoul expressed concerns about Ikuina's appointment, citing her association with the shrine, which honors conv

November 24, 2024