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

South Korea Prepares for Local Election Campaign Season as Posters Fill Seoul Streets SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) -Stacks of campaign posters wait to be sorted as election officials inspect candidate materials at the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission in Seoul on May 20, on the eve of South Korea’s official campaign season for the June 3 local elections. Beginning May 21, the country’s streets, subway exits and neighborhood intersections will transform into a sea of banners, loudspeakers and campaign trucks as candidates fan out nationwide for 13 days of ra May 21, 2026

AWS' annual tech expo in Seoul showcases agentic AI, robotics innovations SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The annual tech expo hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday, offering a space to experience the latest agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and physical AI technologies. The two-day AWS Summit Seoul brought together companies from various industries including beauty, media, manufacturing, security and robotics, showcasing their AI solutions, drawing more than 50,000 pre-registrations and about 6,000 on-site attende May 20, 2026

Rain drenches Seoul and cools off unseasonable heat wave SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Rain drenched Seoul and surrounding areas on Wednesday, offering some relief from the unseasonable heat wave in May. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the rain that began overnight in central and southern regions is forecast to spread across most parts of the country, with up to 80 millimeters of rainfall expected in Seoul, Incheon and other areas of Gyeonggi Province. The much-needed rain to end a late-spring drou May 20, 2026

Digital hermitage exhibition opens at Seoul's Oil tank culture park SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - A digital exhibition of Russia's Hermitage Museum, considered one of the world's three greatest museums, is being held at the Oil Tank Culture Park in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul. On Monday, May 18, diplomatic envoys from 31 countries, including Russia, visited the exhibition featuring majestic masterpieces created over centuries. Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev emphasized, "What I want to stress is that this project May 19, 2026