Mourners flock to memorial altar to pay respects to tireless actor SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - A steady stream of mourners from all walks of life are paying their last respects to actor Lee Soon-jae at a memorial altar in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, widely regarded as one of South Korea's most distinguished and prolific actors, died at the age of 91 at his home in the traditional wealthy district of Seongbuk-dong in northern Seoul the previous day, with his family by his side in his final moments. His memorial altar set up at Asan Medical November 26, 2025

Unionized Seoul subway workers threaten strike after failed wage talks SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Unionized subway workers in Seoul threatened a full-scale strike at a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall on Tuesday. Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 through 8, warned that they would strike unless their demands for higher wages, the hiring of more staff, and a halt to large-scale layoffs and pay cuts are met. The union added that an all-out strike would begin in the coming weeks if these demands are not addressed. They warned, &qu November 25, 2025

Kim Sei-young climbs back into top 10 of women's golf rankings SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Golfer Kim Sei-young has climbed into the top 10 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, released on Tuesday. It marks her first time among the top-ranked players in three years and five months, as she moved up one spot from 11th last week. Kim's last appearance in the top 10 was in June 2022. Her resurgence came after an impressive LPGA Tour season, winning the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea last month, her first victory in five yea November 25, 2025

Kangaroo tribes thrive as Seoul's 30s hit record-low homeownership SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Only one in four Seoul residents in their 30s owns a home — the lowest rate on record — fueling the rise of "kangaroo tribes" who cannot afford to move out of their parents' home, let alone imagine starting their own family in a city where apartment prices are nearly three times higher than in other regions. New data released Tuesday by the National Data Portal shows 527,729 households in their 30s in Seoul lived in rental hous November 25, 2025

Ultra-fine dust advisory issued for Seoul SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - An ultra-fine dust advisory has been issued for the Seoul metropolitan area overnight, the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment said on Tuesday. Such advisories are issued when the hourly average concentration of PM2.5 exceeds 75 µg/m³ for more than two consecutive hours. PM 2.5, which is about 1/30th the size of a human hair, can pass through the filters of the human respiratory system, causing greater harm to the body th November 25, 2025

Seoul, Ankara agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Monday, where the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation across various sectors. In a joint press conference after their talks, Lee began his remarks by saying that this year marks the 75th anniversary of Turkey's participation in the Korean War (1950–1953), referring to the country as a "brother nation." He added, "Bilateral relations have st November 25, 2025

Foreign students spike in Korea, but not helping rural and high-skilled talent shortage SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Non-Chinese students now make up the majority of foreign enrollment at Korean universities, as the number of international degree-seekers has tripled over the past decade. Foreign students also fill one in every six postgraduate seats — a striking figure for a country facing a shrinking workforce and rising demand for highly skilled talent. According to the Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI), 179,190 international students were enrolled November 24, 2025

Fried chicken beats kimchi as Korea's global signature dish SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Fried chicken – not kimchi – is the foreign favorite Korean food, which explains Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s choice of dining out with his Korean tycoon friends – Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics and Chung Euisun of Hyundai Motor – last month. Nearly three out of 10 foreigners, or 28.3 percent, named Korean fried chicken as the most Korean menu they had eaten over the past year, according to a poll of 11,000 respondents acr November 24, 2025

Hollywood star Charlize Theron spotted in Seoul's trendy neighborhood SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Hollywood actress Charlize Theron was recently spotted in Seoul's trendy areas near Hongik University, crating a buzz among fans here. A video clip posted on social media on Sunday showed Theron dressed in a brown trench-style coat and sunglasses, walking with her daughter without any security guards. The clip went viral immediately. When one fan approached her and asked to take a photo together, Theron smiled and warmly posed with her arm around November 24, 2025

Gov't unveils plans to attract global talent, top scientists by 2030 SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea unveiled its plans to attract 2,000 foreign experts and recruit 100 top-tier global scientists by 2030 at a meeting held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Bae Kyung-hoon, the Minister of Science and ICT and other officials from relevant ministries. The ambitious plans aim to address the declining school-age population amid the country's ultra-low birthrate, as November 24, 2025