President Lee urges humanitarian progress on divided families SEOUL, October 03 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung said on October 3 that communication among divided families must move forward and pledged to ask North Korea to treat the matter on humanitarian grounds. Lee invited eight displaced people to the Peace Observatory in Ganghwa, Incheon, on the first day of the Chuseok holiday. He told them decades of separation between relatives were the result of political failures and vowed to work toward improving inter-Korean relations. " October 3, 2025

Survey shows 80% of South Koreans reject U.S. upfront demand in tariff talks SEOUL, October 03 (AJP) - A strong majority of South Koreans believe Washington's demand for a $350 billion upfront investment in the ongoing tariff negotiations is unfair, according to a survey of 1,008 people aged 18 and older, conducted by pollster Realmeter. The poll found that 80.1 percent of respondents said the demand was unreasonable. Within that group, 61.4 percent called it "very unreasonable" and 18.7 percent said it was "somewhat unreasonable." October 3, 2025

Concerns rise over safety of 'mega batteries' after fire at government data center SEOUL, October 03 (AJP) - A fire at the National Information Resources Service in the central city of Daejeon on September 26 brought down South Korea's main government data network, halting 647 public services and internal systems and leaving the government's cloud system unusable. The blaze started in a server room lined with lithium-ion batteries and was only declared fully extinguished 22 hours later. The impact was severe. Ninety-six systems in the fifth-floor data ha October 3, 2025

How Seoul blends K-pop, tech and diplomacy at APEC SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - This year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit arrives at a tense moment of tariff wars between allies and rivals, but host South Korea is showcasing a deft blend of diplomacy, technology and cultural soft power. The two-day leaders’ summit, beginning Oct. 31, will cover supply chain security, digital trade rules and climate cooperation. Alongside the traditional agenda, Seoul is infusing the stage with high technology and K-pop, hi October 2, 2025

Re-living Korea's past and enjoying today dictate foreign visits to Korea SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - "Gat," the black wide-brimmed hat once essential for Korean men stepping into public, may become this year's hottest Halloween costume in Western societies. The iconic headgear – spotlighted in Saja Boys' "Your Idol" stage performance that won global fans and in Netflix's blockbuster "KPop Demon Hunters" – is now a must-try at Everland, Korea's largest theme park in Yongin, just south of Seou October 2, 2025

South Korea emerges as new hub in Asian drug trade after first joint bust with US DEA SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - South Korea's first joint drug operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has exposed a shift that officials had long warned about. The country is no longer just a market for narcotics but is being used as an exporter and transit hub in the regional drug trade. Police in South Gyeonggi Province said Wednesday that they arrested a 35-year-old woman who ran a beauty supply export company in Uiwang and a man in his 20s who helped with October 2, 2025

Military postpones annual field training to mid-November SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - The military has postponed its large-scale field training to mid-November. The annual "Hoguk Exercise," involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force, initially scheduled for the fourth week of October, will now be held from Nov. 17 to 21, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. The postponement comes as South Korea prepares for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, to ensure sa October 2, 2025

Glass ceiling still persists for women in public-sector jobs SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - Many women, particularly those in state-run and public-sector jobs, still struggle to climb the career ladder due to a persistent glass ceiling in South Korean society. According to data from the Ministry of Personnel Management submitted to lawmaker Kwang Hyang-yeop of the ruling Democratic Party, women accounted for only 12.9 percent of high-level government posts, with just 201 among 1,554 senior officials, as of December last year. Gender disparity October 2, 2025

Malaysia targets 47 million visitors in 2026 tourism push KUALA LUMPUR, October 01 (AJP) - Malaysia unveiled an ambitious target to draw 47 million international visitors in 2026 at the opening of Global Travel Meet 2025, a three-day summit focused on sustainable tourism development and industry partnerships. The event, running from Oct. 1 to 3 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, seeks to bolster Malaysia's standing as a premier travel destination while building momentum for Visit Malaysia 2026, the country's major tourism camp October 1, 2025

Hotels in flurry of preparations ahead of APEC summit in Gyeongju SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea comes just around the corner, accommodation arrangements for leaders and heads of state have become a point of contention. With both U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend, the historic city of Gyeongju is drawing attention as it prepares to host the multilateral gathering from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. Recently, Hotel Shilla asked customers to cancel r October 1, 2025