American resident shot and kidnapped in Southern Philippines

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - An American resident, Elliott O'Neal Eastman, 26, was shot and kidnapped on Oct. 17 in Sibutu City, Zamboanga Peninsula, southern Philippines. According to Eastman's Filipino father-in-law, four armed men in black clothes and masks, claiming to be police officers, entered Eastman's home and attempted to abduct him. When Eastman tried to escape, he was shot in the leg before being taken away by boat. Philippine authorities are investigating the i

October 21, 2024

Court rejects Young Poong's injunction against Korea Zinc buyback

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - The Seoul Central District Court on Monday once again dismissed an injunction filed by Young Poong Corp. to block Korea Zinc from acquiring its own shares in the ongoing battle for control of the world's largest zinc smelter. Young Poong, Korea Zinc's largest shareholder, along with private equity firm MBK Partners, recently increased their stake in the company from 33.13 percent to 38.47 percent through a public tender offer that concluded on Oct.

October 21, 2024

Support for Japan's opposition parties grows ahead of general election: poll

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - Support for Japan's opposition parties is rising ahead of the Oct. 27 general election, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) grapples with a recent funding scandal, a Kyodo News poll showed. The survey revealed on Sunday that while 22.6 percent of respondents said that they plan to vote for the LDP in the proportional representation segment of the election, 14.1 percent supported the CDPJ, the gap narrowing to 8.5 percentage points. In single

October 21, 2024

Suspect in attack on Japan's ruling party HQ referred to prosecution

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - A man suspected of attacking the headquarters of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo was referred to prosecutors Sunday, authorities said. The suspect, identified as Atsunobu Usuda, 49, allegedly hurled multiple Molotov cocktails at the LDP building on Saturday before driving to the Prime Minister's Office, where he crashed into a fence and set his vehicle ablaze. Police found numerous Moloto

October 21, 2024

Chinese vice president meets with Indonesian president

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - The past decade has seen significant progress in China-Indonesia relations, with the two countries' leaders working together to strengthen their partnership and build a shared future, said Chinese Vice President Han Zheng last week. Invited by the Indonesian government, Han, representing Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta last Sunday. Han highlighted the strong growth in China-Indonesia re

October 21, 2024

China aims to enhance doctoral education, focusing on science and engineering

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - China has unveiled plans to boost the quality of its doctoral education system, with a particular emphasis on developing talent in science, engineering, and other key fields last week. This initiative came as the country seeks to strengthen its position as a global innovation leader. A new guideline, jointly issued by central government offices last Sunday, outlines a comprehensive reform of doctoral education in China. The document stresses the importance

October 21, 2024

OPINION: What does China want from next US president?

SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - During a Taiwan National Day speech on Oct. 10, Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te said that Taipei was determined to defend Taiwan's sovereignty against "annexation and encroachment," and emphasized that "China has no right to represent Taiwan." China's response was swift. Less than a week after Lai's provocative speech, a record 153 Chinese war planes swarmed and surrounded Taiwan during a Chinese military exercise over 24 ho

October 21, 2024

New evidence suggests North Korea's alleged troop deployment to support Russia's war in Ukraine

SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Fresh evidence suggests North Korea's alleged troop deployment to support Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia is reportedly preparing to supply military gear to North Korean soldiers deployed on its territory, according to a CNN report on Saturday. North Korean recruits have been instructed to "fill out a questionnaire providing their sizing for hats, headgear, uniforms, and shoes," it said. Discovered by Ukrainian authorities, the questionnai

October 20, 2024

North Korea deploys 12,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine, spy agency says

SEOUL, October 18 (AJP) - North Korea has been deploying a large number of troops to assist Russia's war in Ukraine, the National Intelligence Service said Friday. The spy agency said, "North Korea has recently decided to send a total of 12,000 troops, including special forces, in four brigades to the Ukraine war." The deployment marks the first time the renegade country has sent ground forces on such a large scale. President Yoon Suk Yeol immediately called up t

October 18, 2024

Online lender K-Bank delays IPO, citing weak demand

SEOUL, October 18 (AJP) - K-Bank, a Korean internet-only bank, on Friday postponed its initial public offering (IPO) to next year due to insufficient demand from institutional investors. The bank announced that it had submitted a withdrawal notice to the Financial Services Commission regarding its KOSPI listing, originally scheduled for late this month. The bank cited insufficient demand during the recent institutional investor book-building process. "With a total of 82 m

October 18, 2024