UN committee adopts resolution on North Korea's human rights abuses SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - A resolution condemning North Korea's human rights violations was adopted by a UN committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Thursday. Quelling speculation that Seoul might withdraw under President Lee Jae Myung's rapprochement with Pyongyang, the resolution, co-sponsored by South Korea and 60 other countries, was passed at the UN General Assembly in New York the previous day for the 21st consecutive year and will be presented to the November 20, 2025

Ferry runs aground after navigator distracted by phone, initial investigation suggests SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - The navigator of a passenger ferry carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members was distracted by his phone, causing the vessel to run aground on an uninhabited islet off the southwestern coast overnight coastguards said Thursday. Initial investigations revealed that he failed to switch from autopilot to manual control while passing through a narrow passage, leading to the accident. The 26,000-ton ferry Queen Zenobia II departed from the southern resor November 20, 2025

Passenger ferry pulled off after running aground SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - A passenger ferry that ran aground on an uninhabited islet off the southwestern coast overnight was brought to a nearby port early Thursday morning, about nine hours after the accident. According to coastguards, the 26,000-ton ferry Queen Zenobia II, was pulled off by four tugboats at around 5:40 a.m. in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, after all 246 passengers and 21 crew members on board were safely rescued. The vessel departed from the southern resort i November 20, 2025

Lee arrives in Cairo for talks with Egyptian President SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Cairo on Wednesday after wrapping up his itinerary in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this week. Lee is scheduled to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the two leaders are expected to discuss expanding trade and cultural cooperation as the two countries mark 30 years of diplomatic relations. Lee will then deliver a speech at Cairo University, where he will outline South Korea's policy and November 20, 2025

Saewol ferry-like tragedy avoided as no casualties reported in a South Korean ferry disaster SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - All 267 passengers and crew aboard the Queen Jenuvia II were safely rescued by 11 p.m. Wednesday, within hours after the 26,546-ton ferry ran aground near an uninhabited rock islet off South Korea’s southwestern coast as the Coast Guard rushed to the scene, mindful of preventing any repeat of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people. The ferry, carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members, struck Jok Islet near Jangsan Island November 20, 2025

Alcoholic beverages to carry bigger warning labels SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Warning labels on alcohol bottles are getting bigger, bolder, and harder to ignore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Wednesday. The measure, set to take effect as early as September next year, is part of efforts to raise awareness of health risks and dangers associated with drinking. The ministry believes bigger cautionary labels will help consumers take the warnings more seriously when purchasing alcoholic beverages. The background color of t November 19, 2025

South Korea's first submarine sets sail on final voyage SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea's first submarine Jang Bogo embarked on its final voyage on Wednesday, ahead of its retirement later this year. The 1,200-ton vessel, named after a legendary captain and maritime trader from the ancient kingdom of Silla, will retire at the end of this year, concluding its 34-year mission to protect the country's maritime sovereignty. The submarine set off from a naval base in Jinhae for the two-hour farewell cruise with its first c November 19, 2025

"Materialist"-style exclusive matchmaking flourishes among Gangnam's upper class SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - In the American film "Materialist", New York–based matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) explains the formula behind a “quality” match that leads to a stable marriage: “similar upbringings, similar levels of education, similar family structures, similar incomes.” That bourgeois logic is now driving a quiet boom in exclusive matchmaking services in Seoul’s wealthiest districts, particularly in Gangnam, where housing November 19, 2025

Two more dead, bringing death toll to four in truck crash in Bucheon SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Two more people have died from a deadly crash at an open-air market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province last week, bringing the death toll to four. According to police on Wednesday, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 80s, who were seriously injured last Thursday when a pickup truck plowed through the market, died earlier this week. Two women in their 60s and 70s died at the scene, and a number of injured people have since been receiving treatment. The d November 19, 2025

Tax delinquents named and shamed online SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - The identities and personal details of some 1,577 individuals and companies caught dodging taxes have been posted online, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Wednesday. The list includes those with outstanding taxes of over 10 million Korean won (about US$6,800) as of January this year and other perpetual delinquents who have failed to pay for more than a year. They are 1,078 individuals with a combined 73.6 billion won in unpaid taxes and 499 c November 19, 2025