World-OKTA to hold Andong expo as planned, hoping to spark recovery after wildfires

SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - Despite recent wildfire damage in North Gyeongsang Province, the World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA) has decided to move forward with its annual global convention and business expo in Andong later this month. The 26th World-OKTA Leaders Convention and 2025 Korea Business Expo Andong (2025 KBEA) will run from Apr. 28 to May 1, drawing over 2,000 participants from Korea and abroad. The decision to proceed was made after careful

April 24, 2025

US urges allies to increase defense commitments ahead of tariff talks with Seoul

SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - The U.S. called on its allies for "stronger commitments to shared defense" on Wednesday, just a day ahead of its working-level talks with South Korea in Washington. "If the United States continues offering security guarantees and open markets, then our allies must step up with stronger commitments to shared defense," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a forum hosted by the Institute of International Finance later in the day.

April 24, 2025

Cardinal You Heung-sik named among contenders for next pope

SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, the prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy, has been named one of the top candidates to become the next pope after the death of Pope Francis earlier this week. Italy's largest daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday listed him 11th among its "12 likely successors to Pope Francis." He was one of two Asians, along with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, among a dozen contenders that included

April 23, 2025

US State Department's post for North Korean human rights envoy remains vacant again

SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - Washington's special envoy in charge of North Korean human rights issues has once again been left vacant since early this year, it was belatedly revealed on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Department of State, Julie Turner who "worked over the past 20 years to strengthen democratic institutions and promote human rights throughout the East Asia and Pacific Region" now serves as the acting deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Huma

April 23, 2025

PPP's presidential candidates whittled down to four

SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - The ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s presidential candidates were whittled down to a four-way race on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming presidential election slated for early June. Based on a two-day opinion poll of some 4,000 respondents, consisting of PPP supporters and undecided voters, conducted earlier this week, after last week's series of debates in which the candidates outlined their agendas and visions for the presidency, the PPP narrowed down

April 22, 2025

South Korean military holds artillery drills near border

SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Live-fire artillery drills were conducted along the inter-Korean border for the first time in several years, military authorities said on Tuesday. To enhance the military's combat readiness, around 60 rounds were fired from more than a dozen self-propelled howitzers, hitting targets at a firing range in Paju, Gyeonggi Province the previous day. The drills came about seven years after Seoul and Pyongyang signed a cross-border pact in 2018 pledging to ce

April 22, 2025

Seven dead or injured in suspected arson at Seoul apartment

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - A suspected arson fire broke out at an apartment building in southern Seoul on Monday, leaving one person dead and six others injured. According to emergency responders, the fire began around 8 a.m. on the fourth floor of a 21-story apartment building in Bongcheon-dong, southern Seoul. Witnesses said smoke and flames quickly spread, with residents seen hanging from balconies and some attempting to escape through windows. Two elderly women suffered seri

April 21, 2025

South Korean tourist killed during robbery in the Philippines

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - A South Korean tourist was shot and killed during a robbery in the Philippines on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South Korean Embassy in Manila said a male tourist was attacked in the afternoon near Koreatown in Angeles City, north of Manila, by two armed men on a motorcycle. According to witnesses, the victim was shot when he tried to fend off the robbers who attempted to steal his bag. The tourist was trans

April 21, 2025

Seoul court permits limited filming of Yoon's second insurrection hearing

SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court at 10:00 a.m. Monday, for the second hearing in his trial on charges of leading an insurrection, marking the first time the public has seen him seated in the defendant’s chair. Photographs and video footage of Yoon in court were released following the hearing, after the Seoul Central District Court approved limited media coverage. The court cited “the high level of national interest&rdquo

April 21, 2025

Lee Jae-myung further solidifies his position as DP's likely presidential nominee

SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, the former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), secured a resounding victory in the party's primary in the southeastern region on Sunday, solidifying his position as a frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election slated for June 3. Lee, who declared his presidential bid earlier this month and continues to lead in most opinion polls, garnered an overwhelming 90.81 percent of the votes in the Gyeongsang provinces, which i

April 20, 2025