Hollywood star Charlize Theron spotted in Seoul's trendy neighborhood

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Hollywood actress Charlize Theron was recently spotted in Seoul's trendy areas near Hongik University, crating a buzz among fans here. A video clip posted on social media on Sunday showed Theron dressed in a brown trench-style coat and sunglasses, walking with her daughter without any security guards. The clip went viral immediately. When one fan approached her and asked to take a photo together, Theron smiled and warmly posed with her arm around

November 24, 2025

Gov't unveils plans to attract global talent, top scientists by 2030

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea unveiled its plans to attract 2,000 foreign experts and recruit 100 top-tier global scientists by 2030 at a meeting held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Bae Kyung-hoon, the Minister of Science and ICT and other officials from relevant ministries. The ambitious plans aim to address the declining school-age population amid the country's ultra-low birthrate, as

November 24, 2025

South Korean man found dead in bag in Viet Nam

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - The body of a man believed to be South Korean was discovered inside a large bag in Viet Nam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. According to the South Korean Consulate General there, the body was found inside a large blue bag near a residential area in Ho Chi Minh City the previous day. "We are in close communication with local authorities and will provide necessary consular support," said a ministry official, declining to give

November 24, 2025

South Korea boasts fastest mobile download speeds in world

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea's three major telecom companies have been found to offer download speeds more than three times faster than those in major countries worldwide. According to a report released by the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA) on Monday, their average download speed last year was 1,025.52 megabits per second (Mbps), about 3.8 times higher than the 268.01 Mbps recorded across seven surveyed countries including Japan, Germany, and the

November 24, 2025

Lee's approval rating edges up to 55.9%

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has inched up to 55.9 percent, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous week, pollster Realmeter said on Monday. According to the nationwide poll of over 2,500 people aged 18 and older conducted from Nov. 17 to 21, some 40.5 percent of respondents disapproved of Lee's performance, down 0.7 percentage points. The uptick in approval was attributed to his recent diplomatic achievements including a US$15

November 24, 2025

Lee heads to Turkey for final leg of overseas trip

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday headed to Turkey, the final stop of his 10-day overseas trip after wrapping up his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa. While attending a series of sessions at the G20 in Johannesburg over the weekend after visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt earlier in the week, Lee proposed easing debt burdens for developing countries and normalizing multilateral trade systems. He also emphasized inte

November 24, 2025

Record number of 30-somethings in Seoul unable to afford their own homes

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - A triple whammy of soaring home prices, an increase in single-person households, and tighter loan regulations has pushed the number of households in their 30s without their own homes in Seoul to a record high. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the figure rose by 17,215 from the previous year to 527,729, the highest since relevant statistics began in 2015. After a slight dip from 475,606 in 2015 to 456,461 in 2018, the number of househo

November 24, 2025

Lee meets Japanese and Chinese leaders at G20 in South Africa

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung held a marathon round of meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) in South Africa over the weekend. According to the presidential office on Monday, Lee on Sunday met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi again after their previous meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju late last month. The two leaders emphasized the importance of their

November 24, 2025

Korean president speaks up on climate action and AI at G20 summit

SEOUL, November 23 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, as part of a regional tour of the Middle East and Africa designed to broaden South Korea's diplomatic engagement. During the two-day meeting, he outlined South Korea's views on climate and disaster response, artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation and inclusive economic growth. After visiting the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Lee j

November 23, 2025

School cooks speak up and walk out as Korea's free-lunch system strains livelihoods

SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - In South Korea, school lunches are free — but the expectations are anything but modest. The national obsession with high-quality meals for students, coupled with strict hygiene standards and demanding palates of children and their parents, has long placed the burden squarely on the shoulders of cafeteria staff. This week, many of them stepped away from the steam-filled kitchens and into the streets. On Friday, about 94,000 members of the Nation

November 21, 2025