Online pyramid scheme in Thailand claims nearly 10,000 victims across 20 countries

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - A massive online pyramid scheme operated by Icon Group in Thailand has defrauded 9,469 victims of 2.9 billion baht ($82 million) as of Saturday, with victims emerging from 20 countries including China, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and several European nations, the Bangkok Post reported Monday. The company allegedly lured participants through online sales courses, pressuring them to bulk-purchase health supplements

October 29, 2024

At parliamentary hearing, Duterte defends drug war, refuses to apologize

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared before a Senate committee on Monday to defend his controversial drug war, refusing to apologize and confronting families of victims who claim their relatives were killed unlawfully by police during his administration. "I will not apologize. Don't question my policy. I did what I had to do for my country," Duterte declared in his first congressional testimony since leaving office in 2022, add

October 29, 2024

Tokyo begins tree removal for contested urban development project

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Construction crews began removing trees in Tokyo's historic Jingu Gaien district, marking the start of a multibillion-dollar redevelopment project that has sparked protests from environmental advocates and cultural preservation groups. The initiative on Monday, led by real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co., moved forward after receiving approval from Tokyo authorities for a modified blueprint that reduces the number of trees slated for removal to 619

October 29, 2024

US vows strong ties with Japan despite LDP election setback

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining robust bilateral relations with Japan, as the Asian ally faces political uncertainty following a major electoral defeat of its ruling coalition. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press briefing on Monday that the alliance, which he called "the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity" in the region and across the world for over seven decades, has "never bee

October 29, 2024

OPINION: LGBTQ+ voters could swing US presidential election

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election may come down to LGBTQ+ voters. Polling data shows that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are running in a near-dead heat in four states – Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. And as a scholar of LGBTQ+ politics, I suspect that LGBTQ+ voters could play an outsize role in these states and the race. So, how might LGBTQ+ voters swing these states? LGBTQ+ voting behavior, explained In the most

October 29, 2024

Seek wisdom from elders to weather crisis, seasoned boffin advises

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - It is an old custom in South Korea for elderly politicians and scholars to be consulted for their wisdom whenever the country faces a crisis. "Through our combined knowledge and expertise across diverse areas, we can provide a clearer vision and guidance for the country's future," said Oh Myung, the chair of the Korea National Council of Senior Leaders in an interview with Aju Business daily last Friday. Currently led by Oh, the council is

October 29, 2024

VISUALS: Romance film 'Hear Me: Our Summer' to be released next week

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - The cast and director of "Hear Me: Our Summer" held a press conference at Megabox COEX in Seoul on Monday. The Korean remake of a popular Taiwanese romance film features Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo as Yongjoon and Yeoreum, whose lives intertwine when they meet during a lunch box delivery. Kim Min-ju plays Yeoreum's hearing-impaired sister. Directed by Cho Sun-ho, the film premiered at the 29th Busan International Film Festival this month and will hit

October 28, 2024

PHOTOS: Latin American Cultural Center marks 30th anniversary with art exhibition

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - The Latin American Cultural Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, is hosting an exhibition of Mexican artist Lino Chávez’s works to commemorate its 30th anniversary. The exhibition opened Thursday and will run until the end of the year.

October 28, 2024

PHOTOS: Vietnam War veterans condemn North Korea's alleged troop dispatch to Russia

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - The Korean Vietnam War Veterans Association held a rally in central Seoul on Monday, condemning North Korea's alleged dispatch of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. Police estimated that about 1,000 people attended the rally, while organizers put the number at about 2,000.

October 28, 2024

Network equipment failure causes nationwide online transit payment disruption

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - LG CNS, South Korea's major IT service provider, confirmed Monday a network equipment failure at its data center in Bupyeong, west of Seoul, triggered a nationwide outage of the T-money transit payment system over the weekend. The disruption, which lasted about 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon, left passengers unable to purchase bus tickets at terminals and pay on the T-money mobile app across the country. "We identified the system error at 1:06 p

October 28, 2024