Ex-first lady awaits court's decision on arrest warrant

SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - The Seoul Central District Court is set to decide whether to arrest former first lady Kim Keon Hee over a series of allegations. The wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at the court in the morning for a hearing that lasted about four hours, before being taken to a remand prison in southern Seoul to await the court's decision. Kim has been accused of accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and jewelry, being involved in a stock

August 12, 2025

Business leaders from South Korea and Viet Nam forge partnership at forum in Seoul

SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - Business leaders from South Korea and Viet Nam gathered for a forum in Seoul on Tuesday to explore new opportunities for economic cooperation and strengthen partnership between the two countries. Co-hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Vietnamese Embassy, and Viet Nam's Ministry of Finance, the forum took place, coinciding with the visit of Vietnamese Communist Party Ge

August 12, 2025

Commemorative US coin honoring activist of Korean decent issued this week

SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - Commemorative 25-cent coins featuring American activist Stacey Park Milbern are now available in the U.S., making her the first woman of Korean descent to appear on U.S. currency. The quarters honoring her life and legacy went on sale starting this week "in two- and three-roll sets, as well as 100-coin bags," according to the U.S. Mint. The issuance came several months after the Mint revealed this year's honorees to be featured on the backs

August 12, 2025

Lee's first pardon includes slew of 'controversial' political figures

SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has decided to pardon a slew of politicians and several others to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day which falls on this Friday, despite some public criticism that is likely to stir a fresh round of political disputes. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Lee on Monday, just a day after his return from a weeklong summer vacation. According to the Ministry of Justice, the special amnesty aimed at "prom

August 11, 2025

Lee meets Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul

SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung met with Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations. To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist Party, arrived in Seoul the previous day for a meeting with Lee, the first state visit by a foreign leader since Lee took office in early June. In a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, To began his talks by saying he was honored to be the first state gues

August 11, 2025

South Korea to send envoys to Indonesia

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - A handful group of lawmakers will visit Indonesia this week to strengthen biliteral relations with the Southeast Asian country, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters on Sunday. Led by Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party, the group will head to Jakarta for a three-day visit starting Monday. The move is part of broader diplomatic efforts by President Lee Jae-myung, who has sent special envoys to various Asian and European countries

August 10, 2025

Son Heung-min makes MLS debut for LAFC

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Striker Son Heung-min made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) on Saturday, just days after finalizing his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. Son's earlier-than-expected debut was anticipated after he was included among the substitutes for the MLS club's away match against Chicago Fire FC. At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, Son came onto the pitch in the 61st minute to replace Venezuelan forward David Martí

August 10, 2025

Washington demanded more defense spending from Seoul during tariff talks, 'leaked' document reveals

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - The U.S. pressed South Korea to raise its defense spending to 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during tariff negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. Citing an internal draft for a tariff-related deal that was concluded late last month, the daily also said the Washington "wanted Seoul to boost defense spending to 3.8 percent of GDP, up from 2.6 percent last year, and to increase its $1 billion-plus contribution to cover the ann

August 10, 2025

South Korea's Jinju National Museum beats National Museum of Korea in YouTube subscribers with war history content

SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - The Jinju National Museum has nearly reached 100,000 YouTube subscribers, surpassing the National Museum of Korea's subscriber count through its popular historical warfare content series "Hwaryeok Joseon" (Firepower Joseon). The recent boom in Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" portraying a duo of a tiger and a magpie from traditional Joseon Dynasty paintings has led to a surge of visitors to the National Museum of Ko

August 9, 2025

S.Korea braces for torrential rains as powerful storm system targets flood-hit regions

SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - South Korea's southern provinces face another deluge this weekend as meteorologists warn of intense rainfall reaching 70mm per hour in coastal areas, threatening regions still reeling from recent flooding. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Saturday that thunderstorms packing strong winds would pummel the southern half of the peninsula through Sunday afternoon, with some areas expecting more than 200mm of precipitation. The heaviest downpours wi

August 9, 2025