Han Dong-hoon assumes role as new leader of PPP

SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - Han Dong-hoon, the justice minister-turned-politician who was newly elected as the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), began his official duties on Wednesday by visiting the National Cemetery in Seoul. Visiting the cemetery has become a customary practice for many politicians before assuming their roles, as they pay respects to deceased political figures, war veterans, and freedom fighters who contributed to the country's development. T

July 24, 2024

Smallest Olympic squad in decades reflects Korea's youth sports woes

SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - With the countdown to the Summer Olympics in Paris ticking down this week just ahead of its opening on Friday, Korea is fielding some 144 athletes in 22 disciplines. This is the smallest squad the country has assembled since 1976 when it sent around 50 athletes to Montreal, Canada. It is also a significant decrease from about 230 athletes who competed at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. The nation's sports crisis is particu

July 24, 2024

Yoon's estranged former aide returns as ruling party chief despite April election defeat

SEOUL, July 23 (AJU PRESS) - Han Dong-hoon, a former interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) was elected a new head of the conservative party on Tuesday. At the embattled party's national convention held at KINTEX, northwest of Seoul, Han avoided a run-off vote by securing a majority vote of 62.84 percent (320,702 votes), far ahead of three other candidates. Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong was the distant runner-up with just 18.85 percent of the votes (96,177

July 23, 2024

Seoul to mandate temperament tests for dogs to curb biting accidents

SEOUL, July 23 (AJU PRESS) - To prevent dog-biting accidents that could sometimes lead to fatalities, a temperament test to access the aggressiveness of man's four-legged best friends will become mandatory next week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. Depending on the test results, the city government may enforce euthanasia for dogs deemed to have dangerous levels of aggression. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, over 2,000 dog-bit

July 23, 2024

Koreans' chicken consumption peaks during summer

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Koreans consumed an average of 26 chickens per person last year, according to a survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute. The survey of 2,000 adults nationwide released on Monday revealed that each Korean ate around 20 local chickens and six imported ones. Per-capita annual chicken consumption in Korea was a just 1.4 kilograms in 1970, but rose to 7.8 kilograms in 2003 and 17.6 kilograms so far this year. The survey also shows that Korea

July 22, 2024

Prosecutors question first lady over luxury bag allegations

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Prosecutors interrogated first lady Kim Keon Hee last weekend over a couple of allegations including the acceptance of a luxury bag, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said on Sunday. The first face-to-face investigation with Kim came about seven months after the accusations regarding the bag surfaced, and four years after allegations of her involvement in a stock manipulation of Deutch Motors, a major BMW car dealer in Korea. Kim is a

July 22, 2024

Kim Min-ki, singer, democracy icon and pop culture force, dies at 73

SEOUL, July 22 (AJU PRESS) - Kim Min-ki, a singer-songwriter and playwright who was a voice of Korea's pro-democracy movement in the 1970s and 80s, died Sunday after struggling with stomach cancer. He was 73. He penned numerous protest anthems, including "Morning Dew," and lyrical folk songs during the turbulent times. Later, he created a legendary rock musical and nurtured pop culture artists through his iconic theater, Hakchon. According to his family Monday, Kim

July 22, 2024

Annual Boryeong Mud Festival awaits summer revelers

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - One of Korea's most popular summer festivals kicked off in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province on Friday, which is famous for its beautiful beaches and skin-cleansing sludge. The annual Boryeong Mud Festival, now in its 27th year, runs its two-week-long mud-themed madness until Aug. 4, inviting tourists to a variety of fun activities like mud slides, mud wrestling, mud massages, and body painting with mud. Visitors can also unwind through a numb

July 19, 2024

Torrential downpours hit capital region

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - Torrential downpours drenched Seoul and many other parts of the country on Thursday. Heavy rain alerts were issued in the Seoul metropolitan areas, along with landslide warnings in parts of Gangwon and South Chungcheong provinces. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, was the hardest hit, with an hourly precipitation of 75.1 mm at one point in the early morning hours, after having already been battered by over

July 18, 2024

Supreme court grants spousal health insurance coverage for same-sex couples in Korea

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - The Supreme Court ruled that the government should provide spousal health insurance coverage for those in same-sex relationships. The court, in a historic ruling, upheld in favor of the plaintiff, So Seong-wook, in his lawsuit against the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). In Korea, the person designated as the head of the household pays for health insurance bills for the entire family. So, who married his partner Kim Yong-min in 2019, was in

July 18, 2024