SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to avoid at least some public attention when he makes his court appearance next week for his trial on insurrection charges related to his botched martial law debacle late last year. Yoon is likely to be whisked once again into the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul next Tuesday, as he did so earlier this week, through a secluded passageway from the underground parking lot. The Seoul High Cour

SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - Acting President Han Duck-soo is facing divided public opinion over his job performance, according to a new Gallup Korea poll released Friday. The survey found that 41 percent of respondents believe Han is doing well in his role, while 50 percent said he is not. Nine percent reserved judgment. Han received strong backing from supporters of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), with 88 percent offering a positive evaluation. In contrast, 90 percent of Democra

SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, a leading presidential contender from the Democratic Party (DP), pledged Friday to relocate the ocean ministry to the southern port city of Busan to strengthen South Korea’s maritime competitiveness. Through a social media post, Lee said he would move the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan to make the city “the undisputed center of South Korea’s maritime leadership” and to ensure “field-oriented policymaki

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, considered a front-runner in the upcoming presidential election slated for early June, has been included in the U.S. magazine TIME's "100 Most Influential People" for this year, in its annual list released on Wednesday. The former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) made it onto the list along with Rosé, a member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, making them the two South Koreans on the list. Lee was named al

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Former President Moon Jae-in's daughter Da-hye on Thursday was slapped with a fine of 15 million won (US$10,000) on Thursday for charges of drunk driving and illegally running a lodging business. The Seoul Western District Court ruled to let her off with only a fine, citing the defendant's "deep regret" for her wrongdoings and also taking into account that she has no prior criminal record. The sentence came about several months after the

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, a presidential contender from the Democratic Party (DP), is currently leading by a wide margin in hypothetical three-way matchups for South Korea’s next June 3 presidential election, according to a new poll released Thursday. The National Barometer Survey (NBS) shows that Lee received 45 percent support in all three matchups tested. In a virtual race against former labor minister Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP) and Lee Jun-

SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized the importance of international cooperation in tackling climate change at the biennial P4G summit, the Foreign Ministry here said on Thursday. At the summit which opened in Hanoi the previous day, Cho also pledged US$1.8 million to reaffirm South Korea's commitment to global efforts to combat climate change, stressing the need to "restore global momentum" in confronting environmental challenges. P4G, sh

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

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