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  Seoul sizzles as early summer heat pushes temperatures above 30C SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) -An unusually early summer heat spell swept across South Korea on Friday as temperatures in Seoul climbed above 30 degrees Celsius, driving citizens and foreign tourists toward fountains and shaded public spaces to escape the scorching weather. At Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, visitors crowded around fountain facilities and water features as children splashed through streams of water under clear blue skies. The scene reflected the growing popularity of o May 15, 2026
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  S. Korea celebrates birthday of Hangeul inventor King Sejong the Great SEOUL, May 15 (AJP) - South Korea has celebrated the 629th birthday of King Sejong the Great, the creator of the Korean alphabet Hangeul, with cultural programs and hands-on experiences at Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul on May 15. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said commemorative events took place at Heungnyemun Square inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, offering visitors a chance to experience the Korean language and traditional culture th May 15, 2026
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  Firefighters flex for burn victims in Seoul charity bodybuilding contest SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - Muscles, rescue gear and stage lights filled a Seoul fire academy on Thursday as firefighters stepped briefly away from emergency calls to compete for a place in one of the city’s most unusual charity campaigns. The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters held its 15th annual “Bodybuilder Firefighter Contest” at the Seoul Fire Academy in northwestern Seoul, where 29 firefighters — including 25 men and four women — compete May 14, 2026
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  Annual rose festival set to open in Seoul this week SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - A flower festival featuring roses in full bloom is set to open in Seoul's northeastern district of Jungnang this week. According to district officials, the annual rose festival, famous for its 5.45-kilometer flower tunnel, will begin with a walking event on Friday taking a strool along riverside trails and run through May 23. This year's event, now in its 18th year, features some 320,000 roses across 232 varieties, lining walking trails along the J May 14, 2026
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  Largest media expo underway in southern Seoul SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - The Korea International Broadcasting, Media, Audio & Lighting Show (KOBA), which kicked off on Wednesday, runs until Friday. Under the theme of "The AI-Awakened Media Era: Content Connects, Creation Evolves, Convergence Opens," the four-day expo reflects the rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technologies in the broadcasting and media industry, such as OpenAI's "Sora," Google's "Veo" and Meta's &quo May 14, 2026
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  Campaign season kicks off ahead of June local elections SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Ahead of South Korea’s ninth nationwide local elections on June 3, the country’s election authority rolled out a public voting campaign installation in central Seoul on Wednesday, turning a busy downtown plaza into a civic awareness site. The sculpture, installed by the National Election Commission in front of the Korea Press Center in Seoul’s Jung District, features the commission’s mascot character “Cham Cham” alongside t May 13, 2026
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  Gyeongbokgung Palace opens historic royal library to public through fall SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Seoul's historic Gyeongbokgung Palace has opened its doors to a hidden gem, Jibokjae, a former royal library that was once off-limits to the public. Starting Wednesday, visitors can explore the storied space as part of a special program running through the end of October. Used by King Gojong as his study and office, Jibokjae also served as a reception space for foreign envoys during the Joseon Dynasty. Since 2016, Jibokjae has opened seasonally as a smal May 13, 2026
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  Clean protest rolls through Seoul as climate activists bicycle to National Assembly SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Civic group members staged a bicycle protest on Tuesday urging the National Assembly to promptly revise the Carbon Neutrality Act. The Climate Constitutional Petition Group held a press conference in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul announcing a 'Climate Bicycle March from the Constitutional Court to the National Assembly' before beginning the march. In August 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Carbon Neutrality Ac May 13, 2026
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  A rollercoaster day for KOSPI before testing new 8,000 peak SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) -South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI swung violently on May 12 after briefly nearing the symbolic 8,000-point threshold before tumbling into its first decline in six sessions, underscoring the heightened volatility gripping one of the world’s hottest equity rallies. The KOSPI opened at a record 7,953.41, up 1.68 percent from the previous session, and climbed as high as 7,999.67 in early trading — just shy of the historic 8,000 level — before a May 12, 2026
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  Another round of cash vouchers for lower-income households to begin next week SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Another round of cash handouts to help ease the burden on households hit hardest by soaring fuel prices is set to be available to those in the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket starting next week. Those eligible can sign up for cash vouchers from May 18 to July 3 through mobile apps or by visiting banks or local community centers, and will receive between 100,000 won (US$70) and 250,000 won, with larger households and those in certain rural and provincial May 12, 2026