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  Cabinet approves plans to abolish prosecutors' office SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung approved major government restructuring plans including the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office during a Cabinet meeting in Seoul on Tuesday. It comes after a series of related bills pushed by the ruling Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, were passed by the National Assembly last week amid a boycott by the main opposition People Power Party. Under the plans, the Prosecutors' Office will be shut down September 30, 2025
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  Former Prime Minister faces trial over martial law involvement SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attended the first hearing of his trial on charges related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle late last year. Upon his arrival at the Seoul Central District Court around 9:30 a.m., Han did not respond to a barrage of questions from reporters. He faces charges of aiding Yoon in his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, making perjury, and falsifying documents. The court allowed filmin September 30, 2025
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  Incheon Airport expects record number of travelers during long Chuseok holiday SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Some 2.45 million travelers are expected to depart from or arrive in South Korea during the upcoming Chuseok holiday which begins later this week, the Incheon International Airport Corporation said on Tuesday. The airport's busiest day is anticipated to be Wednesday, the first day of the weeklong holiday, with around 239,000 travelers, probably surpassing the previous record of 234,171 set on Aug. 4, 2019, as the total number of inbound and outbound September 30, 2025
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  First lady skips official engagements due to ear-related illness SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - First Lady Kim Hea Kyung is not accompanying President Lee Jae-myung to his summit with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Busan on Tuesday. In a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, presidential physician Park Sang-min said that Kim "suffered sudden dizziness last night" and was diagnosed with otolithiasis, an inner ear condition that causes vertigo. "She got much better but still experiences di September 30, 2025
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  Korea unsure about a currency swap tied to trade deal with US-security adviser SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korea is not "optimistic" about securing a currency swap agreement as a safeguard for the pledged $350 billion investment to the United States, according to Seoul's top security official, who nevertheless expected a trade deal to lower tariffs for Korean exports to eventually come through. "Our government has suggested a currency swap line, but it will not be easy, given precedent in how the U.S. has handled such arrangement September 30, 2025
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  Lee travels to Busan for talks with outgoing Japanese PM SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is holding talks with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Busan on Tuesday. The two leaders will discuss expanding cooperation in areas such as declining population and regional development as well as advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and hydrogen energy. Although not on the official agenda, South Korea's stalled tariff negotiations with the U.S. are also likely to be discussed, given t September 30, 2025
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  Seoul Mayor apologizes after ferry service halted amid technical glitches SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon apologized on Monday for halting a water ferry service along the Han River, just 10 days after its bombastic launch. During a press conference, he expressed "regret for causing inconvenience" to users due to the halt, just ahead of Chuseok, the country's biggest holiday, ruining many holidaymakers' plans to ride the ferry dubbed the "Hangang Bus." Citing minor defects that disrupted the eco-friendly fe September 29, 2025
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  Injury-hampered Yang Hak-seon calls time on gymnastics career SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - Gymnast Yang Hak-seon has retired after a pre-tune-up last Saturday ahead of next month's annual National Sports Festival in Busan, bringing his athletic career to a close. Yang made history by winning a gold medal in the vault at the 2012 London Olympics. He also claimed victories in the vault at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships, showcasing his outstanding skills in the discipline. He showcased his prowess on the vault through his eponymous September 29, 2025
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  South Korea, US to discuss visa issues in first working-level meeting after Georgia raid SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - Officials from South Korea and the U.S. will hold a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to discuss visa-related issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Monday. The first working-level meeting between South Korea and the U.S. since the "voluntary" deportation of over 300 South Korean workers, following a week-long detention earlier this month, aims to discuss ways to facilitate the entry of South Korean workers into the U.S. and addr September 29, 2025
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  Lee welcomes new ambassadors SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - A group of newly appointed ambassadors to South Korea presented their credentials to President Lee Jae Myung on Monday. Among them were Philippe Lapointe of Canada, Mikkel Hemniti Winther of Denmark, Tanel Sepp of Estonia, Hugo Astuto of the European Union, Bartosz Wiśniewski of Poland, Wong Kai Jun of Singapore and Nadine Olivieri Lozano of Switzerland. Earlier this month, Lee received credentials from the ambassadors of Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, September 29, 2025