TRAVEL: Glimpse into daily life in North Korea from across the Amnok River

Amnok River, July 09 (AJP) - North Korea was once one with South Korea and remains close, yet unreachable. Today, we can only catch glimpses of the country under limited circumstances and in specific places. We cannot talk to them, shake their hands, or interact freely. One of the few places we can view North Korea relatively closely is from the Chinese border. While South Korea and North Korea are separated by the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, China and North Korea are sep

July 15, 2025

PHOTOS: Ancient rock carvings in South Korea added to UNESCO heritage list

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has finalized the inscription of a series of ancient Korean rock carvings onto its World Heritage list, recognizing the sites as significant historical and artistic treasures. The petroglyphs, discovered in the 1970s, offer a vivid glimpse into the lives of the early inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula. Located on the cliffs of the Bangudae Stream, a tributary of the Taehwa River in Ulsan, the carvings are situated on a

July 14, 2025

PHOTOS: Pictorial album of Mount Baekdu's landscapes

SEOUL, July 11 (AJP) - North Korea’s Foreign Languages Publishing House released a new pictorial album in June showcasing the natural landscapes of Mount Baekdu and Lake Chon. Mount Baekdu, which stands at 2,744 meters, is the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula. Its summit features Lake Chon, a caldera lake. The lake has a circumference of 14 kilometers, an average depth of 213 meters, and a maximum depth of 384 meters. From mid-October to mid-May, Lake Chon is typically c

July 11, 2025

PHOTOS: Record heat grips South Korea

SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - A relentless, record-breaking heat wave is scorching South Korea. Temperatures in Seoul climbed to an unprecedented 37.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the highest ever recorded for early July. The intense heat has sent a dramatic surge of patients to emergency rooms across the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 238 individuals sought emergency medical attention for heat-related illnesses on Monday alone. This brings the t

July 10, 2025

TRAVEL: Korea's coastal 'fan trail,' where land meets sea

GANGNEUNG, July 09 (AJP) - Along South Korea's rugged East Coast, a unique pedestrian path known as the Badabuchae-gil Trail offers a captivating journey where ancient geology meets stunning ocean vistas. Stretching from Jeongdongjin to Simgok Port in Gangneung, this coastal walk is distinguished as the nation's sole trail built along a marine terrace, a testament to millions of years of geological transformation. The coastal terrace at Jeongdongjin, a prominent feature

July 9, 2025

TRAVEL: The still lake in the sky: A journey to Baekdu Mountain's Heaven Lake

Baekdu Mountain, July 07 (AJP) - Surrounded by steep cliffs streaked with greens and reds, Heaven Lake at the top of Baekdu Mountain appears like a pool painted with deep blue and navy ink. Not a ripple disturbs its surface. From the western and northern slopes, the lake mirrors the jagged ridgelines and the fractured walls that encircle it, an untouched reflection resting in complete silence. In late June, I visited both the North and West Slopes

July 8, 2025

PHOTOS: Lee's first press conference as president

SEOUL, July 03 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, who took office a month ago, held his first news conference as president on Thursday at the Yeongbingwan, the state guest house of Cheong Wa Dae. The conference offered the public and media a glimpse into his policy priorities and governing style. This is a collection of photographs that captured moments from the conference.

July 3, 2025

TRAVEL: The royal pines of Samcheok — A legacy etched in wood

SAMCHEOK, July 02 (AJP) - In the mountainous reaches of Samcheok, Gangwon Province, lies Jungyongmyo, the tomb of General Yangmu, the father of King Mokjo and a fifth-generation ancestor of Yi Seong-gye, the visionary who founded the Joseon Dynasty. Surrounding this sacred ground is a remarkable forest of Geumgang pine trees, a distinctive species deeply woven into the fabric of Korean history and culture. This dense cluster boasts approximately 140,000 pine trees, many of them

July 2, 2025

PHOTOS: Beauty of Mount Kumgang in North Korea

SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) - North Korea's Foreign Languages Publishing House recently issued a collection of postcards showcasing the natural landscapes of Mount Kumgang, one of the Korean Peninsula's most revered and picturesque mountains. Mount Kumgang, often translated as "Diamond Mountain," is a majestic range in North Korea's Kangwon Province, celebrated for its dramatic granite peaks, cascading waterfalls, and serene valleys. Revered in Korean culture for centuries,

July 1, 2025

PHOTOS: Centuries-old stele earns National Treasure status

SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - A remarkable stele from the ancient Silla Dynasty, which chronicles the construction of an embankment and a pond designed to mitigate natural disasters, was designated a National Treasure on June 20. The ancient stone in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, stands beside a reservoir known as Cheongmot, a body of water that has been in continuous use since its creation during the Silla period, more than a millennium ago. Carved on both sides of a single,

June 26, 2025