North Korean troops still fighting on Russian front lines, Ukraine's intelligence chief says

SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - About 8,000 North Korean soldiers are still engaged in combat in Russia's front lines, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on Tuesday, contradicting earlier reports of their possible retreat. In an interview with the U.S. military news outlet The War Zone, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, dismissed previous claims that North Korean troops had not been seen for weeks in Russia's Kursk region, which is currently o

February 5, 2025

Key witnesses refuse to testify at hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - A key witness who appeared at a hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial over his botched martial law debacle in December last year refused to testify before the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul on Tuesday. Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command, was summoned as a witness but repeatedly declined to answer most questions, citing his legal right to remain silent. "I'm fully aware of the gravity of the mat

February 4, 2025

MBC to conduct internal probe into ex-employee's death amid workplace bullying allegations

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - MBC is set to launch an internal investigation into the death of its former employee on Wednesday, according to the terrestrial broadcaster. Oh Yoanna, formerly of an ex-girl band trainee, who joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021, died in September last year. Little was known about the death of the 28-year-old until last week, when her family belatedly revealed that she had left a lengthy suicide note on her mobile phone. It took them about three months to

February 4, 2025

Cold snap here to stay despite arrival of spring

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - A freezing cold snap will grip the country throughout the week, with morning temperatures plunging below -10 degrees Celsius, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Tuesday. The fresh cold spell arrived just a day after Ipchun or the official beginning of spring by the lunar calendar. Early morning temperatures dropped to -10.5 degrees in Seoul and Incheon, -7.7 degrees in Daejeon, -4.9 degrees in Gwangju, -6.1 degrees in Daegu, and -4.4 degr

February 4, 2025

Constitutional Court postpones ruling on dispute over justice appointment

SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Monday postponed its ruling on the legality of Acting President Choi Sang-mok's refusal to appoint a justice to fill the court's vacant seat. Just a few hours before the expected ruling, the court abruptly changed its plans, announcing that it would hold a hearing next Monday, with the ruling on the case postponed indefinitely. Many speculate that the move came amid concerns about being seen as rushed or improper

February 3, 2025

Appellate court upholds acquittal of Samsung chief in merger and fraud case

SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - An appellate court in Seoul on Monday ruled in favor of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, clearing him of charges of breach of trust, accounting fraud, and other financial irregularities. The court found him not guilty of accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and other allegations related to a complex scheme to pass control of the sprawling conglomerate to him through the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates. The Seoul High Court upheld a pr

February 3, 2025

Fire breaks out at National Hangeul Museum in Seoul

SEOUL, February 1 (AJP) - A fire broke out at the National Hangeul Museum in Seoul on Saturday, leaving one firefighter injured, but no damage to artifacts was reported. The blaze started at 8:40 a.m. on the third floor and spread to the fourth floor, firefighters said. It was extinguished seven hours later. At the time of the fire, the museum was closed for renovations, and no visitors were inside. Two construction workers were rescued, and four others were evacuated safely.

February 1, 2025

Acting President again vetoes bill for special probe into Yoon's martial law debacle

SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday vetoed a bill proposing independent prosecutors to investigate allegations related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle last month. The bill, revised and proposed again by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) after the previous one was scrapped on Dec. 31 when Choi exercised his veto, was passed by the opposition bloc earlier this month. DP lawmakers and others from minor opposition

January 31, 2025

Two Korean-American teen skaters among victims of plane collision in US

SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Two Korean-American teen skaters were among the victims of an aircraft crash in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to local news reports. An American Airlines flight from Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, crashed into the Potomac River after colliding midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which had three soldiers aboard while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. The nighttime midair collision took the l

January 31, 2025

Defense chiefs from South Korea, US reaffirm alliance in phone call

SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - South Korea's Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho spoke with newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the phone on Friday, according to the Ministry of Defense here. During their first phone call, Kim and Hegseth reaffirmed the "strong and unwavering alliance" between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of further strengthening and expanding the bilateral relations, which have served as a "linchpin" of peace

January 31, 2025