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  Rally in Seoul raises awareness for people with disabilities SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - A nationwide association of parents of children with disabilities held a rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on Monday. The rally was held to mark the day for the physically challenged, observed annually on April 20 since 1981, to raise awareness of people with disabilities and better protect their rights. At the rally, participants held a procession that included taking three steps and one bow, a Buddhist practice of prostration that April 20, 2026
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  NCT WISH drops its first studio album SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT WISH has dropped its first full-length album on Sunday after successfully wrapping up an encore concert in Seoul. According to SM Entertainment, NCT WISH releases its first studio album, Ode to Love, at 6 p.m. The 10-track album, featuring the lead single of the same name, brings together the group’s signature “fresh and neo” sound that it has built since debut. Ahead of the release, the group held its first solo conce April 20, 2026
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  Bakery fair underway in southern Seoul SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - A bakery fair is being held in southern Seoul, with around 300 booths from 100 bakeries and confectionery makers participating. Co-hosted by the Korea Confectionery Master Association and the Korea Bakery Association, the fair at COEX kicked off on Thursday and runs until Sunday under the theme of "Bake the World," showcasing bakery-related machinery, packaging solutions, and raw materials During the four-day run, a competition is also scheduled, April 17, 2026
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  Annual coffee expo brings together industry professionals and coffee enthusiasts in Seoul SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - A large-scale coffee expo is underway in southern Seoul this week, bringing together industry professionals, baristas, and coffee enthusiasts. Co-hosted by the Korea Coffee Association and COEX, the annual expo, now in its 15th year, kicked off its four-day run on Wednesday and runs until Saturday, showcasing coffee-related machines, equipment, beans, and other products. Under the slogan of "Blend the World," the expo features a special pavilion April 17, 2026
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  Nation honors Sewol victims as 12th anniversary deepens calls for accountability SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - A synchronized silence descended upon the plaza fronting the Seoul City Council building at precisely 4:16 p.m. on Tuesday, as hundreds of citizens bowed their heads to mark twelve years since the Sewol ferry disaster. The gathering was held at the "Memory and Light," a civic space that served as a solemn anchor for a nation still grappling with the loss of 304 lives. The vast majority of victims were Danwon High School students from the city of A April 16, 2026
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  Car exports edge up last month despite Middle East conflict PYEONGTAEK, April 16 (AJP) - South Korea's car exports increased last month despite the prolonged conflict in the Middel East. According to a report by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday, the total amount of car exports stood at $6.37 billion in March, up 2.2 percent from the same period last year. Exports of hybrid vehicles drove the increase, surging by over 60 percent, despite a significant decline in shipments to the Middle East. April 16, 2026
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  Spring gives way to early summer heat SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - This year's spring, which had only just begun, has suddenly disappeared, giving way to early summer heat this week, with daily highs hovering above 20 degrees Celsius nationwide. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), temperatures in most parts of Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area soared to 27 degrees Celsius on Thursday, marking one of the warmest levels recorded for April. The unusually high temperatures, compared with April 16, 2026
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  Into the void: sinkhole response drill Gyeonggi, April 16 (AJP) -The ground opens without warning. Asphalt fractures, steel buckles, and in seconds, what was solid becomes void. On Wednesday, fire authorities staged that moment. At the Gyosan public housing development site in Hanam, 77 rescue personnel moved through a carefully choreographed collapse — a large-scale sinkhole scenario designed to mirror one of the most unpredictable urban hazards. The three-day drill, running from April 15 to 17, brought toget April 16, 2026
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  Remembering Sewol classmates, the silence still speaks 12 years later SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) -Desks remain as they were—names etched in pencil, jackets draped over chairs, notebooks opened mid-sentence. Time, here, does not move forward. It pauses, deliberately, asking each visitor to look closer. There are shoes that never made it home, ID cards that still carry smiling faces, and letters that were never meant to be final. Each object resists abstraction. This is not a number, not a headline, but 250 students and 11 teachers whose ordinary April 16, 2026
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  Statue of Joseon-era war hero gets bathed SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - The landmark statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin, one of the key attractions in central Seoul, was washed down on Tuesday. The cleaning work on the statue of the naval commander who repelled Japanese invaders in a famous 16th-century maritime battle during the Joseon Dynasty came a day after the nearby statue of King Sejong the Great in Gwanghwamun was also cleaned, as part of regular maintenance and preservation efforts with the arrival of spring. Dust and othe April 14, 2026