Former special ops commander testifies Yoon ordered arrest of lawmakers

SEOUL, February 6 (AJP) - Another witness involved in President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched Dec. 3 martial law debacle last December testified on Thursday that Yoon had ordered him to arrest lawmakers from the National Assembly on that fateful night. Former Army Special Warfare Command (SWC) commander Kwak Jong-geun made the statement during a hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul. When asked whether the lawmakers were the targets of

February 6, 2025

South Korea aims to replicate success at Winter Asian Games in Harbin

SEOUL, February 6 (AJP) - The Winter Asian Games are set to kick off with an opening ceremony in Harbin, China on Friday. About 150 South Korean athletes along with 70 sports officials and staff already left the country on Tuesday. They will compete in six disciplines: biathlon, curling, ice hockey, ice skating (figure skating, short track and speed skating), skiing (alpine, cross-country, freestyle and snowboarding), and ski mountaineering. Originally slated for 2021, the Game

February 6, 2025

Ex-president's daughter indicted for DUI, alleged illegal Airbnb rentals

SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - Former President Moon Jae-in's daughter Da-hye was indicted on charges of drunk driving and illegally running a lodging business, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office said on Wednesday. The indictment came about several months after she was caught driving under the influence after hitting a taxi while attempting to change lanes in Itaewon, Seoul in October last year. The taxi driver sustained minor injuries from the accident, but the DU

February 5, 2025

Lawmakers in another attempt to question Yoon at remand prison

SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - A special parliamentary committee investigating allegations related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle last year is trying to question Yoon and his alleged accomplices on Thursday. Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others are currently being separately held in remand prisons in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. With lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotting it, the committee, mostly consisting of lawmak

February 5, 2025

North Korean troops still fighting on Russian front lines, Ukraine's intelligence chief says

SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - About 8,000 North Korean soldiers are still engaged in combat in Russia's front lines, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on Tuesday, contradicting earlier reports of their possible retreat. In an interview with the U.S. military news outlet The War Zone, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, dismissed previous claims that North Korean troops had not been seen for weeks in Russia's Kursk region, which is currently o

February 5, 2025

Key witnesses refuse to testify at hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - A key witness who appeared at a hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial over his botched martial law debacle in December last year refused to testify before the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul on Tuesday. Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command, was summoned as a witness but repeatedly declined to answer most questions, citing his legal right to remain silent. "I'm fully aware of the gravity of the mat

February 4, 2025

MBC to conduct internal probe into ex-employee's death amid workplace bullying allegations

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - MBC is set to launch an internal investigation into the death of its former employee on Wednesday, according to the terrestrial broadcaster. Oh Yoanna, formerly of an ex-girl band trainee, who joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021, died in September last year. Little was known about the death of the 28-year-old until last week, when her family belatedly revealed that she had left a lengthy suicide note on her mobile phone. It took them about three months to

February 4, 2025

Cold snap here to stay despite arrival of spring

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - A freezing cold snap will grip the country throughout the week, with morning temperatures plunging below -10 degrees Celsius, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Tuesday. The fresh cold spell arrived just a day after Ipchun or the official beginning of spring by the lunar calendar. Early morning temperatures dropped to -10.5 degrees in Seoul and Incheon, -7.7 degrees in Daejeon, -4.9 degrees in Gwangju, -6.1 degrees in Daegu, and -4.4 degr

February 4, 2025

Constitutional Court postpones ruling on dispute over justice appointment

SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Monday postponed its ruling on the legality of Acting President Choi Sang-mok's refusal to appoint a justice to fill the court's vacant seat. Just a few hours before the expected ruling, the court abruptly changed its plans, announcing that it would hold a hearing next Monday, with the ruling on the case postponed indefinitely. Many speculate that the move came amid concerns about being seen as rushed or improper

February 3, 2025

Appellate court upholds acquittal of Samsung chief in merger and fraud case

SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - An appellate court in Seoul on Monday ruled in favor of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, clearing him of charges of breach of trust, accounting fraud, and other financial irregularities. The court found him not guilty of accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and other allegations related to a complex scheme to pass control of the sprawling conglomerate to him through the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates. The Seoul High Court upheld a pr

February 3, 2025