news highlight

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  South Korea's exports top $80 billion for second straight month SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - South Korea's exports surged 48 percent year-on-year in April to $85.89 billion, breaching the $80 billion threshold for a second consecutive month as a semiconductor supercycle powered by global artificial intelligence investment continued to underpin the trade-dependent economy. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reported Friday that the April figure trailed only the all-time high of $86.6 billion set in March, making it the second-largest monthly May 1, 2026
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  Lee calls for end to 'pro-labor vs. pro-business' divide SEOUL, May 01 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for an end to the long-standing dichotomy that pits workers against employers, vowing to deliver "real growth" through cooperation between labor and management. Speaking at a Labor Day ceremony at the Blue House on Friday — the first such event ever held at the former presidential compound — Lee said the country could only move forward by abandoning the "outdated binary" of pro-labor ve May 1, 2026
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  Top court upholds guilty verdicts for all protesters in violent court intrusion case SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - Some 18 die-hard supporters of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol including far-right YouTubers, were handed prison terms or suspended sentences on Thursday, as the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's rulings on charges of trespassing, causing a disturbance, and other offences. Some 59 people were convicted after breaking into the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo in January last year in a protest against Yoon's arrest over his botched mar April 30, 2026
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  South Korea to command multinational naval forces at RIMPAC exercise for first time SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - South Korea will command multinational naval forces in an U.S.-led maritime exercise late next month, the Navy said on Thursday. According to the Navy, it will be the first time the country assumes command in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world's largest multinational naval exercise, since joining in 1990. Launched in 1971, the biennial exercise, hosted by the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet, is designed to enhance cooperation among participating co April 30, 2026
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  Appeals court increases ex-president's martial law-related sentence to 7 years SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday over one of several charges related to his botched martial law debacle as an appeals court stiffened the initial five-year sentence handed down in January. In a televised verdict, the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul found him guilty of obstructing official duties, fabricating official documents, and other charges related to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. April 29, 2026
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  South Korea launches new homegrown frigate with delivery slated for next year SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - A launch ceremony for a new homegrown frigate with enhanced anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities was held in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday. The ceremony for the Jeju, named after the country's southern resort island, was held at SK Oceanplant's shipyard, about a year ahead of its planned delivery to the Navy slated for June next year, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The 3,600-ton frigate is April 29, 2026
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  Former first lady's sentence increased to four years in prison on appeal SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced on Tuesday to four years in prison on multiple charges in an appellate ruling, more than twice the 20-month sentence handed down in the first trial. In a televised verdict, the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul found her guilty of accepting luxury handbags and jewelry in return for favors from secretive religious sect Unification Church, better known as the Moonies, as well as involvement in stock manipulation, am April 28, 2026
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  Appellate court upholds two-year sentence for former PPP leader SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Kweon Seong-dong, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was again sentenced on appeal to two years in prison for bribery charges on Tuesday. The Seoul High Court upheld the earlier sentence in the first trial and ordered Kweon to forfeit 100 million won ($68,000) for accepting illegal political funds from the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies. Earlier in January, Kweon was found guilty of receiving 100 million w April 28, 2026
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  Jipyeong Soju expands offline retail reach with Lotte Mart listing SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Jipyeong announced that its premium distilled spirit Jipyeong Soju has secured shelf space at Lotte Mart, expanding its offline retail footprint after an earlier listing at E-Mart. Unlike conventional rice-distilled spirits, the company explained that Jipyeong Soju blends three grains — rice, barley and sorghum — in what is described as an optimized ratio, yielding a layered flavor profile that balances the spice of sorghum, the nuttiness of barle April 28, 2026