Korea's largest int'l book fair kicks off in southern Seoul

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's largest international book fair kicked off its five-day run at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday. The annual Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF), now in its 66th year, brings together publishers, authors, and book lovers from Korea and around the world. Hosted by the Korean Publishers Association (KPA) under the sponsorship of the Korean Publishing Foundation, this year's fair offers over 450 programs including lectures and exhibiti

June 26, 2024

Seoul mayor unveils controversial plan for towering patriotic flagpole

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Seoul plans to erect a 100-meter flagpole in Gwanghwamun Square by 2026 to hoist a giant national flag, serving as a new national symbol to inspire patriotism. Conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon unveiled the plan on Tuesday during a meeting with Korean War (1950-53) veterans at City Hall, commemorating the 74th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak. City officials said the envisioned pole will display the country's largest national flag, or Taege

June 26, 2024

Korea's first transgender soldier laid to rest at national cemetery amid controversy

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's first-ever transgender soldier was buried at the National Cemetery in Daejeon on Monday. Some 60 activists gathered to protest her burial there, arguing her service did not qualify her to be laid to rest in the cemetery. Byun Hee-soo, who killed herself in 2021 after being forcibly discharged from the military, made headlines in Korea, a country known for its conservative stance on controversial LGBT issues. Born male in 1998, Byun enliste

June 25, 2024

Death toll in battery factory fire rises to 23 as another body found

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - One more body was found on Tuesday after a fire at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, south of Seoul the previous day. The retrieved body, believed to be a worker who had remained missing, raises the death toll to 23 from the massive fire that erupted at battery maker Aricell's three-story building in Gyeonggi Province at around 10:30 a.m. on Monday. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but witnesses said that battery cells exploded on the sec

June 25, 2024

Event honors veterans on Korean War anniversary in Daegu

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - An event commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Korean War was held in Daegu on Tuesday. About 1,300 participants including President Yoon Suk Yeol, military brass, government officials and distinguished foreign guests gathered in the southeastern city to honor the sacrifices of war veterans and their families. Hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the annual event to remember the 1950-53 Korean War took place outside of Seoul for t

June 25, 2024

KAI signs deal for mass production of Korea's homegrown jet fighters

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed an agreement with the government to commence mass production of South Korea's homemade fighter jet, the KF-21, the nation's sole aircraft maker said Tuesday. The contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), valued at 1.96 trillion won ($1.41 billion), calls for the production of 20 KF-21 units to be delivered starting in 2026. "The KF-21 will serve as a true symbol of self-re

June 25, 2024

Veteran recounts harrowing memories on Korean War anniversary

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - Tuesday marked the 74th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The war was triggered by North Korea's surprise attack on South Korea at dawn on June 25, 1950, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Although an armistice signed in 1953 halted three years of fighting, the demilitarized zone (DMZ) still separates the two Koreas along the 38th Parallel. Of over one million Korean war veterans, only 37,953 are alive as of May 2024, according to the Mini

June 25, 2024

King Sejong Institute set to open more Korean classes overseas

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Korea will open more Korean-language centers overseas to encourage more foreigners to learn Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday. Named after Sejong the Great (1387~1450) who invented Hangeul, the state-run King Sejong Institute opened its first center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2007 to promote Korean language and culture globally. As of 2023, there were some 248 institutes in about 85 countries, with som

June 24, 2024

Battery factory fire in South Korea kills 22, mostly Chinese workers

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) – At least 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers, were killed in a fire that swept through a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, firefighters said. Eight others were injured, including two seriously, and one person was unaccounted for. The blaze started at 10:31 a.m. at a three-story factory building owned by Aricell, a local primary battery maker, in the industrial city in Gyeonggi Province. The cau

June 24, 2024

One dead, mass casualties feared in battery factory fire in South Korea

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - A fire broke out at a battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, leaving at least one worker dead and six others injured, authorities said. Officials fear the casualty count may rise, as an estimated 23 people, including 20 foreign nationals and two Koreans, are believed to be trapped inside the facility. The blaze started at 10:31 a.m. at a factory operated by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The cause of the

June 24, 2024