Han River pool opens as heat wave arrives early SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) -Seoul's outdoor swimming season has arrived unseasonably early, together with the early arrival of heat wave. The Seoul Metropolitan Government opened the facilities simultaneously on June 19, including swimming pools at Yeouido and Ttukseom and water play areas at Jamsil, Gwangnaru, Nanji and Yanghwa Han River parks. The Han River outdoor pools and water playgrounds are one of Seoul's most popular seasonal attractions. According to June 23, 2026

Fair in Seoul highlights data protection amid rising security concerns SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - A fair to raise awareness of the protection and security of personal information is currently underway at COEX in southern Seoul. The two-day fair, hosted by the Personal Information Security Fair & CPO Workshop (PIS FAIR) in cooperation with the Personal Information Protection Commission, kicked off on Monday, bringing together some 89 organizations along with around 4,000 privacy-related workers, data protection managers, and information security profess June 23, 2026

Botanical gardens become popular summer escapes SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - As South Korea's flower season peaks, visitors are flocking to botanical gardens and parks across the country. As South Korea's flower season peaks, visitors are flocking to botanical gardens and parks across the country. Yulbom Botanical Garden in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, has seen a steady stream of visitors seeking respite from the summer heat. Families and couples were spotted posing for photos in front of colorful blooms, while children too June 22, 2026

A self-imposed 'Teach You a Lesson' at Starbucks Korea SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) -For three hours on Monday afternoon, South Korea's busiest coffee shops stopped serving lattes and became temporary classrooms. At 3 p.m., Starbucks Korea simultaneously closed more than 2,160 stores nationwide, marking its first nationwide early closure since opening its first Korean outlet near Ewha Womans University in 1999. The unprecedented shutdown and self-imposed business suspension was not caused by a labor strike, a natural disaster June 22, 2026

World Cup 26: Wave of red and faces of hope and disbelief SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) -— At Gwanghwamun Square, the familiar wave of Korean red was joined by a new shade of lavender purple — matching Team Korea's away uniform — and occasional splashes of daring Mexican green. Together, they painted an emotional portrait that shifted every few minutes. By late morning, all 11,000 prepared seats had been filled, forcing authorities to open nearby roads as more spectators poured into the square. Under June 19, 2026

Uzbek expats celebrate historic World Cup debut in Seoul SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - On the morning of June 18, the underground floors of S Tower in Seongsu-dong—Seoul’s renowned hipster district—were transformed into a cauldron of Central Asian football passion. Roughly about 200 Uzbekistan expatriates, international students, and workers living in South Korea gathered to witness a monumental milestone: the Uzbekistan national football team’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match against Colombia. June 18, 2026

KOSPI leaps to new four-digit milestone SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) -South Korea's benchmark KOSPI crossed another four-digit threshold on Thursday, racing from 7,000 to 9,000 in less than two months in one of the fastest equity rallies in its history. The index closed 2.4 percent higher at 9,072.86, up nearly 50 percent from 6,191.92 just two months ago. The latest milestone arrived in 22 trading sessions after KOSPI first broke above 8,000 on May 15. The pace itself has become the story. The benchmark June 18, 2026

Visitors wash hair in calamus water ahead of Dano festival SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - Foreign tourists and children participated in a centuries-old Korean tradition of washing their hair in water infused with calamus root at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday, two days ahead of this year's Dano festival. The museum held the demonstration in the courtyard of Ochon-daek, a traditional house on its grounds, as part of its seasonal Dano program. Dano falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and has long been marked June 17, 2026

Ruling party members shooed away as Jamsil rally takes a far-right turn SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The political tide appeared to shift Wednesday at Gate 2-1 of Seoul Olympic Park's Handball Gymnasium, where a protest initially fueled by younger voters' concerns over ballot shortages increasingly showed signs of becoming dominated by older, far-right activists. Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea visited the site of an ongoing rally over the June 3 local election ballot shortage, urging demonstrators not to disrupt public access and sp June 17, 2026

KOSPI refueled on U.S.-Iran preliminary deal SEOUL, June 15 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI posted sharp gains on Monday, buoyed by investor optimism following news of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States. The KOSPI opened 402.50 points, or 4.95 percent, higher at 8,526.12 and extended its rally in early trading. The rapid advance triggered a buy-side sidecar six minutes after the market opened. The volatility control measure is activated when KOSPI 200 futures rise more than June 16, 2026