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  In Myeong-dong streets, anti-Chinese sentiment is nowhere SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - The return of Chinese group tourists to Korea has been met with a mix of concern over disorderly crowds and optimism for an economic boost. Three weeks into the visa-waiver program, the outcome appears largely positive. Myeong-dong, Seoul's central shopping district, has regained its pre-pandemic bustle as Chinese tour groups return in force. Once stigmatized as noisy and unruly, Chinese budget travelers are leaving a more favorable impression this ti October 16, 2025
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  Trump throws cold water on trade deal prospects with repeated demand for 'upfront' cash SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump once again claimed on Wednesday that South Korea has agreed to pay US$350 billion "in upfront cash" to fulfill investment pledges as part of a broader trade deal between the two countries. "They've all signed..... Japan, South Korea," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I mean, South Korea -- $350 billion upfront." Throwing cold water on optimistic expectations for a possible settlement October 16, 2025
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  SK chief's divorce case sent back to lower court SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - The Supreme Court of Korea on Thursday sent the high-profile divorce case of SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and his estranged wife Roh Soh-yeong back to the high court. The top court found flaws in the lower courts' assessment of Roh's contribution to the conglomerate's growth, ruling that some 30 billion Korean won (US$21 million) in slush funds from Roh's father, the late former President Roh Tae-woo, which were funneled into SK Group, can October 16, 2025
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  Top court set to deliver ruling in SK chief's divorce case SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - The Supreme Court of Korea is set to deliver its final ruling on Thursday for a high-profile divorce case between SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and his estranged wife Roh Soh-yeong. The court will decide whether to uphold or overturn the previous ruling that ordered Chey to pay Roh 1.38 trillion won (approximately US$970 million) in asset division and 20 billion won in alimony, making it the most expensive divorce case in the country's history. Th October 16, 2025
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  Son of ex-president assumes post as new envoy to China SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - Roh Jae-heon, the son of the late former President Roh Tae-woo, is set to assume his post ass South Korea's ambassador to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. For his first assignment, Roh, 60, is expected to coordinate Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which is scheduled to be held in the historic city of Gyeongju later this month. Roh's October 16, 2025
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  Korea, US racing toward a trade deal before APEC summit SEOUL, October 16 (AJP) - South Korean and U.S. officials signaled that a settlement may be near in their three-month-long trade negotiations linked to Seoul’s $350 billion investment pledge and a potential tariff cut, with an agreement possibly coming before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju later this month. “We are about to finish up with Korea,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the October 16, 2025
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  Weight-loss injections turn diet fad in Korea, raising abuse concerns SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Easier access and a wider range of options are fueling misuse of foreign-made weight-loss injections in diet-obsessed Korea amid lax regulations and aggressive marketing by clinics and drugstores. Originally designed strictly for obesity treatment, the costly injections have become easier and cheaper to obtain since Eli Lilly's Mounjaro entered the Korean market in August as a lower-priced alternative to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Interest in Wegov October 15, 2025
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  South Korean first responders fight trauma without aid or support SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - "When I broke the window and stepped inside, I realized I had stepped on a dead body." Lee Chang-seok, a 19-year veteran firefighter, still remembers one of the first fires he responded to in his first year on the job. The fire had already spread through the building—a restaurant below and a home above—and the windows were sealed shut by signboards. "They tried to escape through the window," he recalled. "But the si October 15, 2025
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  80 South Korean detainees refuse to return home, Cambodia says SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Around 80 South Koreans are being held in Phnom Penh but are refusing to return home, Cambodian authorities said on Wednesday. Touch Sokhak, a spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Interior, told China's state-run Xinhua News the previous day that South Korean officials have contacted these individuals, but they refuse to return to Seoul. But he added that he was unsure whether they are the same as the 80 missing people the South Korean Minis October 15, 2025
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  Excavation of Korean War remains near DMZ resumes SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - A project to excavate the remains of South Korean soldiers killed during the 1950–53 Korean War has resumed near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Gangwon Province, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. The project aims to "return the remains of war victims to their families and transform the DMZ into a zone of peace," the ministry explained. As part of a series of conciliatory efforts to ease military tensions between the two October 15, 2025