Early voting begins nationwide for June 3 local elections SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - Voters on Friday began casting ballots in early voting for the June 3 local elections at 3,571 polling stations across the country. Eligible voters may cast their ballots at any polling station nationwide from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, regardless of their registered address. A valid photo ID, such as a resident registration card, passport or driver's license, is required to cast a ballot. The elections nex May 29, 2026

Campus dips into May festival mood SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - Students and visitors filled the campus of Yonsei University in western Seoul on Wednesday as university festival season continued across South Korea. Club band performances and student-run booths took place throughout the Sinchon campus near central Seoul, while students wearing school uniforms and varsity jackets moved between food stalls and performance areas, enjoying the festive atmosphere. International students were also seen joining the celebrations a May 28, 2026

K-pop girl band aespa showcase new album SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - K-pop girl band aespa showcased a new album at a hotel in southern Seoul on Thursday. Their second full-length album, "LEMONADE," which comes about two years after their first full-length album in May 2024, contains 10 songs including pre-released tracks such as "SHAKIN" and "WDA (Whole Different Animal)" featuring G-Dragon. The album's title track of the same name is an electronic dance tune driven by bold, tre May 28, 2026

KOSPI 8,000 mark under threat in first week on rate hike warning SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) -Foreign and institutional investors rattled by escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and the Bank of Korea’s strongest-yet signal of aggressive tightening hammered South Korean equities Thursday, threatening to drag the KOSPI back below the 8,000 mark first breached earlier this week. The benchmark index plunged as low as 7,841 before paring losses to close at 8,114.01, as retail investors rushed in late to scoop up semiconductor heavyweights dumped by instituti May 28, 2026

Be aware of hazardous substances in children's products sold online SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - A slew of children's products purchased online from overseas websites have been found to pose safety concerns, according to a recent inspection. The Seoul Metropolitan Government inspected some 32 children's products including umbrellas, raincoats, clothing, and toys purchased from overseas online platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein, and found that 10 of them failed to meet safety guidelines set by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resourc May 28, 2026

Annual beauty trade fair opens in Seoul with over 800 booths SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - A trade fair for cosmetics and beauty products kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday. Organized by Korea International Exhibition, the three-day expo, dubbed "CosmoBeauty Seoul" and now in its 40th year, brought together hundreds of companies and industry professionals as well as buyers around the world, with around 800 booths showcasing a diverse range of cosmetics from haircare and nail products to spa services, in May 27, 2026

Lanterns adorn temples nationwide as South Korea celebrates Buddha's Birthday SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - Buddhist temples across South Korea held celebrations on Sunday for Buddha's Birthday, one of the country's major religious holidays, as lantern-lit temple grounds drew worshippers, locals and foreign tourists. The day commemorating the birth of Buddha falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar and has been observed as a national holiday in South Korea since 1975. At Bongeunsa in southern Seoul, col May 24, 2026

Historic map featuring Dokdo islets to be auctioned next week SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Daedongyeojido, a map of the Korean Peninsula, that includes South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo as part of its territory, is slated to go on auction in Seoul next week. According to Seoul Auction in southern Seoul, the hand-colored copy of the map created by famed geographer Kim Jeong-ho will be put up for auction next Thursday, along with about 145 works spanning modern and traditional Korean art, with a combined estimated value of about 10.3 bill May 22, 2026

Blue zones and EVs: PUBG takes over Seongsu SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) -Seoul’s hip Seongsu district has turned into a real-world battleground — minus the gunfire, but with plenty of blue zones, laser combat and electric vehicles. To mark the eighth anniversary of PUBG Mobile, South Korean game publisher Krafton and Kia launched “Area 8,” an immersive pop-up event stretching across “PUBG Seongsu” and “Kia Unplugged Ground” through May 25. The collaboration transforms parts of Seongsu May 22, 2026

AMCHAM invites former White House acting chief of staff Mulvaney SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted a special luncheon seminar at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday, inviting former White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to discuss the future direction of U.S. policy under a possible second Donald Trump administration. The event, titled “The Return of America First: What Trump 2.0 Means for Business and Geopolitics,” focused on shifting U.S. policy priorities, glob May 21, 2026