Korea to launch first late-night autonomous taxi service

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Korea's first late-night autonomous taxi service is set to begin in southern Seoul on late Thursday. The city announced the late-night service will operate in a designated self-driving test area in Gangnam, spanning 11.7 square kilometers, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays. Rides will be free before paid service begins next year. Three vehicles will be available through the Kakao T taxi-hailing app. Users will see a "Seoul Self-Driving Ca

September 26, 2024

Trump claims his reelection would lead to 'mass exodus of manufacturing' from Korea

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed during his campaign rally in Georgia on Tuesday that his reelection would usher in a "manufacturing renaissance" in the U.S. Trump pledged voters and supporters that the U.S. would see a "mass exodus of manufacturing" from countries like Korea and China if they voted for him in the presidential election in November. Trump outlined plans to provide tax incentives and reduce red t

September 25, 2024

Nat'l football team's head coach denies nepotism in his appointment

SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) - Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the Korean men's national football team, came under intense scrutiny on Tuesday as he appeared before lawmakers at the National Assembly. During a parliamentary session of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee attended by Hong and other officials from the Korea Football Association (KFA) including chairman Chung Mong-gyu, calls were made for clarification regarding the controversies surrounding his appointment in J

September 24, 2024

Korea, US strengthen space alliance

SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) will strengthen its space alliance with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). KASA chief Yoon Young-bin signed a joint statement with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson for cooperation in space and aerospace activities at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to the Korean space agency, Monday. This agreement follows the commitment made in April when the presidents of Korea and

September 23, 2024

Nuclear-powered US submarine docks in Busan

SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - A nuclear-armed U.S. submarine arrived in South Korea on Monday. The USS Vermont docked at a naval base in Busan to replenish supplies and allow crew members to rest while carrying out its missions in the Asia Pacific region, according to the Navy. This is the first visit of the 7,800-ton Virginia-class submarine, 115 meters long and 10 meters wide, to South Korea since it was commissioned in 2020. The arrival of submarine, which is among the most a

September 23, 2024

Over 1,500 displaced as heavy rains batter southern provinces

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Unusual autumnal torrential downpours swept across southern regions, causing landslides and flooding, and displacing more than 1,500 people, authorities said on Sunday. The record heavy rains also led to submerged roads and inundated buildings. Although heavy rain warnings have been lifted, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) warned of more rainfalls across the southern provinces later in the day. The hardest-hit areas included South Gyeon

September 22, 2024

Koreans' views toward Japanese improve, survey finds

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - Four in 10 Koreans see Japan favorably, a recent survey reveals. According to a survey of over 1,000 Koreans conducted by the East Asia Institute (EAI) last month, some 41.7 percent of respondents hold a favorable view of Japan, up 12.8 percentage point from a year ago and the highest level since the annual survey first began in 2013. An almost similar proportion, or 42.7 percent, had the opposite view, but that was a significant decrease from 53.3 per

September 20, 2024

Czech Republic optimistic about Korean consortium's bid for nuclear power plant project

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - Czech President Petr Pavel has shown optimism about a Korean consortium's chances of winning a bid for the construction of two new nuclear power plants in Dukovany. This positive prospect was shared during a summit with Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of Korea's National Security Office, on Friday. At the summit held at Prague Castle, Pavel expressed his high expectations for Korea's participatio

September 20, 2024

Most foreign students opt for job opportunities in Korea instead of returning home

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - Most of foreign students in Korea hope to find a job here after graduation rather than returning to their home countries, a recent straw poll suggests. JobKorea, Korea's largest employment portal, conducted a survey of some 155 international students here and found that about eight out of ten were either searching for a job here or planning to do so. About 10 percent of them have already landed a job, while only a fraction had no interest at all i

September 20, 2024

USFK nominee warns of North Korean missile threats

SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programs are the most urgent challenging tasks for the post to lead the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said a nominee during his confirmation hearing. Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson, who is poised to assume the triple-hatted position also overseeing the Combined Forces Command (CFC) and United Nations Command (UNC), if confirmed, stressed the need to strengthen defense against North Korea's grow

September 19, 2024