Pyongyang condemns US and S. Korea's joint aerial exercise involving supersonic bomber

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - North Korea’s defense ministry has condemned Wednesday the United States and South Korea for rolling out a joint aerial drill involving B1-B supersonic heavy bombers on the previous day. “The U.S. reckless bluffing military demonstration is a futile act of increasing the security threat to its mainland only,” Pyongyang’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday, citing a press statement released by North Korea

April 17, 2025

Nobel laureate Han Kang to release book of essays

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Author Han Kang is set to publish her first book since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature last December. Slated for release next Thursday, the book, titled "Light and Thread" features a collection of about a dozen essays, along with her speech and lectures delivered in Stockholm, Sweden when the Nobel literature laureate was there to accept the prestigious award. According to its publisher, the book also includes several pieces previously publ

April 17, 2025

Bank of Korea holds rate steady amid growing economic headwinds

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.75 percent on Thursday, choosing caution in the face of mounting global uncertainty, despite signs of faltering domestic growth. The decision comes as central banks around the world grapple with intensifying economic turbulence, fueled in part by an escalation in global trade tensions. The U.S. Federal Reserve earlier this week signaled a pause in its easing cycle, underscoring the fragile i

April 17, 2025

'Korean shipbuilders are key partners for American naval rebuilding'

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - A recent column published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggest that South Korean companies Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries should play a central role in revitalizing the United States' declining shipbuilding industry. The column, authored by Park Jin-ho, a policy advisor to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, urges the U.S. to pursue formal partnerships with its longtime ally, citing the collapse of do

April 17, 2025

PHOTOS: Kyrgyzstan's special performance 'Color of Asia'

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - To commemorate the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Republic of Korea and Kyrgyzstan (Ambassador Aida Ismailova), a large-scale classical concert titled Color of Asia was held on the evening of Wednesday, Apr. 16, at Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, Seoul. The concert was designed to express Asia’s artistic diversity and harmony through performance. It was produced by ABC Corporation, a company specializing in classical production, and d

April 17, 2025

Korean wedding industry under crackdown for false advertising

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s antitrust regulator has issued warnings to several prominent wedding planning firms for engaging in false and misleading advertising. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) disciplined three companies — IniWedding, Weddingbook, and Wedding Crowd — for promotional claims that regulators said were unsubstantiated and potentially deceptive. The firms advertised themselves as the “largest in Korea,” “industry leader,&

April 17, 2025

Naver's AI pivot signals Korea's bid for global tech prominence

Editor's Note: This article is the 14th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Once a modest search engine born out of a Samsung SDS skunkworks project in the late 1990s, Naver Corp. has reimagined itself as South Korea's digital juggernaut. Now, the tech conglomerate is placing an ambitious bet on artificial intelligenc

April 17, 2025

Eight PPP candidates compete to run for presidential election

SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Eight candidates from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are set to compete in the first round of the party's internal primary for the presidential election slated for early June. About a dozen candidates submitted their bids early this week, but three were eliminated during a selection process, finalizing a lineup of eight contenders: IT tycoon-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo, former party leader Han Dong-hoon, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, former L

April 16, 2025

PHOTOS: Cheong Wa Dae

SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Cheong Wa Dae served as the presidential office and official residence from Aug.15, 1948, to May 9, 2022. With the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who relocated the presidential office to Yongsan, there is growing interest in whether Cheong Wa Dae will be used as the presidential office again. Here are some photos of Cheong Wa Dae.

April 16, 2025

Finance minister to lead delegation to Washington for critical tariff negotiations

SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - South Korea will dispatch a high-level economic and trade delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, to Washington next week in a bid to avert the impact of sweeping U.S. tariffs. Choi is expected to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Washington. Separately, South Korea’s Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Trad

April 16, 2025