Rise in vaping keeps smoking rate from declining further, survey finds SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - Although conventional cigarette smoking has decreasing, the rising use of e-cigarettes means that overall tobacco consumption is not declining as much as it could be, a new survey suggests. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency surveyed 230,000 adults between May and July and released its findings on Monday. According to the survey, the smoking rate for traditional cigarettes dropped to 17.9 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous December 8, 2025

Hundreds evacuated after Korean War-era bomb found in Pocheon SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - About 440 students and teachers were evacuated after a World War II-era bomb was found at an elementary school in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on Monday. According to police, the bomb, believed to be from the Korean War (1950~1953), was discovered at a construction site at the school at around 10:13 a.m. Students were evacuated to a nearby gymnasium and later sent home after the bomb was safely removed. The heavily rusted bomb, about 1 meter long, was December 8, 2025

One in 20 in South Korea is of migrant origin SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Migration backgrounds spanning naturalized Koreans, foreigners, second-generation immigrants, and North Korean defectors – counted for the first time - made up 5.2 percent of South Korean population as of November 2024, according to the first comprehensive dataset tracking the rise of multicultural diversity in the traditionally homogenous society. According to the 2024 Migration Background Population Statistics published by the Ministry of Data December 8, 2025

US envoy reaffirms Washington's commitment to denuclearization of North Korea SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Kevin Kim on Monday reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in collaboration with South Korea. After a closed-door meeting in Seoul earlier in the day with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, Kim said U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung "reiterated their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,&q December 8, 2025

Largest animation and gaming festival wraps up after drawing 100,000 visitors SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - South Korea's largest animation and gaming festival, the Anime X Game Festival (AGF), concluded on Sunday after attracting more than 100,000 attendees, making it the festival's most successful year yet. The three-day festival, kicked last Friday at KINTEX in Goyang, drew 40 percent more visitors than last year's 72,081. Despite sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall on the opening day, fans lined up early, with some even waiting overnight. December 8, 2025

Seoul presidential office moving back to Blue House by X-mas SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - The presidential office in Seoul will return to the Blue House by Christmas while readying a stronger national data-protection measures and a renewed push for dialogue with North Korea as the Lee Jae Myung administration moves beyond the phase of "a stabilization of diplomacy, security and governance" in the first six months after a snap election and presidential impeachment. The move out from Yongsan premise will be "essentially finished December 7, 2025

President Lee nominates Kim Ho-chul as auditor general SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Kim Ho-chul, a veteran human rights lawyer, as auditor general of South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection, the presidential office said on Sunday. The nomination was announced by presidential spokesperson Lee Kyu-yeon during a briefing at the presidential office in Seoul. Kim has held a range of senior public and civic posts, including serving as a standing member of a military death investigation pane December 7, 2025

Korea draws Mexico, South Africa and European playoff winner, all World Cup games in Mexico SEOUL, December 06 (AJP) - South Korea landed in what many analysts consider a manageable Group A for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, avoiding global powerhouses and setting the stage for Hong Myung-bo’s squad to target its first-ever overseas quarterfinal run. At Friday’s draw held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Taegeuk Warriors were grouped with host nation Mexico, South Africa, and the yet-to-be-determined winner of European Playoff Path D—a December 6, 2025

Korea to up crackdown on drug trafficking on record smuggling SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korean authorities will up border control and crack down on drug trafficking after seizing a record 3,000 kilograms of illicit substances this year, mostly brought in through smuggling channels. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Friday it confiscated 2,913 kilograms of illegal drugs between January and October, nearly quadruple the volume seized during the same period last year. The surge underscores what officials describe as the shar December 5, 2025

Seoul included among world's most attractive cities SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Seoul has been included among the world's ten most attractive cities, according to an annual survey by data analytics company Euromonitor International released this week. The survey evaluates cities around the world based on several factors including "economic and business activity, tourism performance, infrastructure, tourism policy and appeal, health and safety, and sustainability." Seoul ranked 10th, making it into the top ten for the December 5, 2025