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  Korea weighs standardized vet fees to address runaway inflation in pet care SEOUL, November 17 (AJP) - Three out of ten Korean households now own a pet, and the government is considering a standardized payment system for veterinary care to address soaring medical costs and widening price disparities. The move follows mounting public frustration over bills that vary dramatically by clinic and location. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the cost of a first-time checkup for a 5-kilogram pet ranges from as low as 1,000 November 17, 2025
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  PM orders safety measures for Han River ferry service after another accident SEOUL, November 16 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Sunday instructed city officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of an accident involving a water ferry service along the Han River. His instruction came a day after one of the boats stalled near a dock in Jamsil, southern Seoul, while passing through shallow waters. Although there were no casualties or injuries, all 82 passengers aboard were frightened before being safely rescued. Stressed the need to November 16, 2025
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  Lee to embark on South African trip for G20 summit SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will embark on a trip to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa next week, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said during a press briefing on Friday. The multilateral gathering of global leaders is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg from Nov. 22 to 23, marking the first G20 summit held on the African continent. Lee is set to depart for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, followed by a visit to Egypt bef November 14, 2025
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  South Korea, US release details of bilateral trade and security agreements SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - South Korea and the U.S. have completed a joint fact sheet detailing the two countries' trade and security agreements, President Lee Jae Myung said during a press briefing on Friday. "Trade negotiations and security consultations, the biggest variables affecting the country's national security and the economy, have finally been concluded," Lee said. It comes about two weeks after Lee reached a tariff-related deal with U.S. President November 14, 2025
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  Study finds crypto prediction markets drew global attention to S. Korea's impeachment SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - A research paper published on November 12, 2025, in the MDPI-published journal Information examines how cryptocurrency users around the world reacted to and financially engaged with South Korea's 2024 impeachment crisis. The article, titled "From E-Democracy to C-Democracy: Analyzing Transnational Political Discourse During South Korea's 2024 Presidential Impeachment on Polymarket," analyzes real-time activity on a blockchain prediction pl November 14, 2025
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  South Korea to hold separate memorial service for forced labor victims in Japan SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea will hold a memorial service for victims of forced labor during World War II in Japan next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. The service is set to be held on Nov. 21 on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, a site of Imperial Japan's mobilization of South Koreans for forced labor, with about a dozen bereaved family members and government officials, including South Korea's ambassador to Tokyo Lee Hyuk. It will be November 13, 2025
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  Two dead, 19 injured after pickup truck crashes into market in Bucheon SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - A pickup truck crashed into an open-air market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, leaving two dead and 19 injured, police said. According to police, the truck plowed through the market at around 11 a.m., and the driver was arrested at the scene. The man in his 60s was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Police believe he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the truck to suddenly speed into stalls and shoppers November 13, 2025
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  Reality check for Korean divorces amid billionaire cases and romanticized shows SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Divorce is no longer a social taboo in traditionally conservative South Korea, with a steady stream of reality shows and court dramas themed around marital breakups — and real-life billion-dollar splits among chaebol families such as SK Group and Smilegate drawing intense public attention. But little about divorce is romantic for ordinary couples. Korea’s divorce rate stands at 2.1 per 1,000 people — roughly half the global average of f November 13, 2025
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  How Trump's tariff ruling could affect South Korea's trade deal with US SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff policy faces headwinds as the Supreme Court is set to rule on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The IEEPA is a 1970s-era U.S. law that grants the president broad authority to freeze assets or impose economic sanctions in response to emergencies that threaten national security or foreign policy. Trump invoked the law to impose tariffs on nearly a November 13, 2025
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  Another body recovered at Ulsan power plant with one worker still missing SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Another body was recovered early Thursday morning from the rubble of a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan. According to rescue workers, a man in his 30s was retrieved from the debris at the state-run utility Korea East-West Power at around 1:18 a.m. This brings the death toll to six, with one person still missing. The incident occurred when a 60-meter boiler tower suddenly fell during demolition work last Thursday, trapping seven November 13, 2025