Lee departs for Europe to attend G7 summit in France SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung left for Europe on Tuesday to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France. During his nearly two-week trip, which will take him to Belgium, Italy and the Vatican from June 9 to 18, Lee will make his first stop in Brussels to meet with South Koreans living there. Lee is then scheduled to hold talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and King Philippe, as the two countries mark the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relation June 9, 2026

South Korea outlines strategy to attract 2 million cruise visitors SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - South Korean government and tourism officials met with industry representatives aboard a docked cruise ship in Busan on June 5, 2026, to outline a strategy aimed at expanding international cruise tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization said Monday. The 21st Cruise Development Council meeting took place aboard Royal Caribbean's 169,000-ton Spectrum of the Seas, marking the first time the annual council convened on an active vessel. About 90 officials from June 8, 2026

Lee vows to nurture super-gap growth engines beyond semiconductors SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung marked his first year in office on Monday by unveiling plans to aggressively expand the country's economic focus, pledging to discover and nurture global super-gap growth engines beyond the semiconductor sector. Lee assumed the presidency on June 4 last year, following a snap election triggered by the December 2024 impeachment of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who had briefly declared emergency martial law. Lee frame June 8, 2026

Financial watchdogs step up warnings as won slides despite verbal interventions SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - Financial authorities on Sunday issued their strongest warning yet over speculative trading and other suspicious activity, as the South Korean won's sharp decline pushed the won-dollar rate above 1,560. They vowed to step up inspections and scrutiny of illegal foreign exchange transactions by importers and exporters at an emergency meeting convened by Finance and Economy Minister Koo Yun-cheol, which was attended by key financial chiefs including Bank of Ko June 7, 2026

Former Naver CEO tapped as next PM SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seong-sook was tapped to become the next prime minister, replacing incumbent Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. At a press briefing in Seoul, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Han as the next prime minister. Referring to the outgoing prime minister, Kang also thanked Kim for his service and said the government's policy achievements were largely d June 7, 2026

Lee calls for honoring sacrifice, punishing betrayal in Memorial Day speech SEOUL, June 06 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung said that South Korea must honor those who sacrificed for the nation while holding accountable those who betrayed it, speaking at the Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday. During the 71st Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery, Lee said the country has a responsibility not only to honor those who defended it, but also to punish those who betrayed the community for their own interests. “Only when dedication is honored and June 6, 2026

What lies ahead for DP after falling short where it mattered most despite overall win? SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korean voters handed President Lee Jae Myung's ruling Democratic Party (DP) a broad victory in this week's local elections while simultaneously delivering a warning against one-party dominance, as the conservatives retained the key Seoul mayoralty and narrowed losses in parliamentary by-elections. The DP won 12 of 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races in the June 3 local elections, a sharp reversal from its crushing defeat in the 2022 vo June 5, 2026

Lee 'mulls cabinet reshuffle' after DP falls short in key local election races SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is reportedly mulling a new prime minister as part of a partial cabinet reshuffle, after the ruling Democratic Party (DP) failed to win several key posts such as Seoul mayor despite its overall victory in this year's local elections, which wrapped up earlier this week. His longtime aide Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho and presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik are emerging as the two possible candidates to carry out Lee's sweepi June 5, 2026

South Korea signs free trade deal with Serbia SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korea has signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), a broader form of free-trade agreement, with Serbia, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on Friday. The agreement, which comes after about two years of negotiations, was signed in Belgrade by South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and his Serbian counterpart Jagoda Lazarević. The broader deal goes beyond tariff reductions to include economic and supply-chain coopera June 5, 2026

Six-term DP lawmaker Cho Jeong-sik elected National Assembly speaker SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - Cho Jeong-sik, a six-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was elected on Friday as National Assembly speaker for the second half of the year. Cho won 267 of 276 votes cast during a parliamentary plenary session to assume the independent and impartial role. It follows his selection as the DP's candidate for the role after winning a majority in an internal party vote on May 13. His two-year term as speaker will run through May 2028. The June 5, 2026