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  S. Korea sets AI transformation as centerpiece of new economic plan SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's government and ruling Democratic Party on Wednesday announced plans to push for an "AI transformation" across industry, government, and daily life, while easing heavy penalties on companies and opening public data to the private sector. The announcement followed a policy meeting at the National Assembly attended by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Min August 20, 2025
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  Annual report on North Korean human rights abuses to be kept under wraps SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - The Unification Ministry here said on Tuesday that it will continue compiling its annual report on human rights abuses in North Korea, though it will be published for internal use only. The report, mostly based on testimonies from North Korean defectors, documents their suffering and harrowing tortures during their escape from the isolated country. The ministry has published the report annually since 2018, although some previous governments had kept it un August 19, 2025
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  Two dead, several injured after train hits railway workers in Cheongdo SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Two men were killed and five others were injured after a passenger train struck a group of railway workers on the tracks in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred around 10:50 a.m. when a train bound for Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, that had departed from Dongdaegu, collided with seven workers inspecting railway damage caused by recent heavy rainfall. There were 89 passengers aboard the train, but no injuri August 19, 2025
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  South Korea taps new envoys to Washington and Tokyo ahead of key summits this week SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to soon appoint new envoys to the U.S. and Japan, ahead of his summits with the leaders of both countries that begin later this week. According to government sources, former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has been named ambassador to Washington, and former envoy to Viet Nam Lee Hyuk has been tapped as ambassador to Tokyo, with their agrément procedures currently underway. Lee is scheduled to sit for talks with J August 19, 2025
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  Independence hall of Korea chief calls for national unity in liberation day address SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - On August 15 at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Seoul, director Kim Hyung-seok read a Liberation Day statement calling for "national unity" and an end to "history wars." The full text follows. --- Fellow citizens. Distinguished guests present here. Today, on the 80th anniversary of Liberation, we have gathered at the Independence Hall of Korea to once again honor the emotion of th August 19, 2025
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  Zombie-themed comedy tops summer box office with 4.5 million viewers SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Actor Jo Jung-suk's latest film has attracted over 4.5 million moviegoers as of Monday, less than three weeks after its release late last month, becoming this year's first South Korean film to achieve the milestone. According to the Korean Film Council, "My Daughter is a Zombie" drew about 762,000 moviegoers over the long holiday weekend marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day which began last Friday, dominating the box office here f August 18, 2025
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  Lee's approval rating falls to lowest since taking office SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has slid further to the lowest since he took office in early June. According to a survey of over 2,000 voters conducted by pollster Realmeter last week and released on Monday, some 51.1 percent of respondents said Lee was doing well in his job while 44.5 percent said he wasn't. His approval rating fell 5.4 percentage points from the previous week and 12.2 points compared with two weeks earlier, when it sto August 18, 2025
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  Annual joint military exercise with US kicks off SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - South Korea's annual joint military exercise with the U.S. began on Monday, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. Dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield, the exercise runs until Aug. 28 and includes computer-simulated drills as well as field training to strengthen the two allies' combined defense posture against North Korean threats and other security challenges. Although the overall scale of the exercise remains u August 18, 2025
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  S. Korea, India to seek ways to deepen economic partnership SEOUL, August 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, held talks in New Delhi, Saturday (local time) as the two countries marked the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership and pledged to expand cooperation in security, technology and defense. Cho's visit come amid a flurry of high-level exchanges between the two governments, including a summit meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Mini August 17, 2025
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  Scorching heat to persist next week after torrential rains SEOUL, August 16 (AJP) - Scorching heat gripped most of South Korea on Saturday, with advisories in effect nationwide and feels-like temperatures climbing to as high as 37 degrees Celsius. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), daytime highs ranged from 31 to 36 degrees Celsius in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province, while the southwestern province of Jeonbuk recorded 33 degrees. After heavy rains across the country last we August 16, 2025