Opposition leader cleared of perjury charges, but legal battles continue

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was cleared on Monday of charges that he had pressured a witness to provide false testimony in his favor. The Seoul Central District Court found Lee not guilty as there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations that the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party had coerced a former mayoral secretary into committing perjury on his behalf. In a series of legal battles that could threaten his

November 25, 2024

Russia warns South Korea against possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Russia warned that South Korea's supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine would "fully destroy relations" with Moscow, a senior Russian official said Sunday. "Seoul must realize that the possible use of South Korean weapons to kill Russian citizens will fully destroy relations" between the two countries, Moscow's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told the country's state-run news agency TASS. "We will respond in every

November 25, 2024

South Korea rejects Japan's forced labor memorial

SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea has pulled out of a memorial ceremony in Japan honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, from an old Japanese mine complex. The decision came after Tokyo announced that Akiko Ikuina, a parliamentary vice minister with a history of visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, would represent the government at the event. Seoul expressed concerns about Ikuina's appointment, citing her association with the shrine, which honors conv

November 24, 2024

Prime Minister Han stresses global solidarity at Boao Forum for Asia

SEOUL, November 22 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stressed the need for international solidarity and cooperation amid rising geopolitical tensions and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Boao Forum Seoul Conference on Friday, Han said now is a critical time for enhanced global collaboration. The conference, held under the theme "Towards a Shared Future" at a hotel in Seoul, is organized by a no

November 22, 2024

North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts become daily torment for border-town residents

Loudspeakers in North Korea are visible from Paju, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea on Sept. 5, 2024. Yonhap SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Residents living near the border with North Korea have been enduring deafening noise from loudspeaker broadcast blaring across the demilitarized zone for several months. In July, South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts in response to a series of North Korean provocations including its bizarre campaign of sending trash-filled balloons toward the South

November 21, 2024

US greenlights potential sale of fight jet upgrades to South Korea

SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - South Korea will acquire equipment, program support and other related logistics to upgrade its F-15K fighter jets from the U.S. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Tuesday that the U.S. State Department has approved the purchase which is estimated to cost US$6.2 billion. The procurement is being made under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which is part of the U.S. strategy to supply weapons to foreign governments and requires

November 20, 2024

Russia accuses US of 'fueling' Ukraine war by allowing long-range missiles

SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Russia warned on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. would "fuel the fire" of the war in Ukraine, further escalating international tensions. "It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps, and they have been talking about this, to continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this confli

November 19, 2024

Yoon stresses 'high-level communication' with Beijing, while maintaining strong alliance with US

SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol has stressed the importance of maintaining cooperative ties with both the U.S. and China. In an interview with Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo, Yoon, who is in Peru for the G20 summit, said, "The United States and China are, for , very important partners of cooperation. So, I consider it not a case of choosing one or the other country." The bilateral alliance with the U.S. is a "comprehensive global s

November 19, 2024

Disruptions loom as subway workers threaten full-scale strike

SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Unionized subway workers in Seoul said they will go on a full-scale strike on Dec. 6. Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 through 8, threatened to strike unless their demands for higher wages as well a s better working conditions including the hiring of more staff to ensure safety are met, during a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall on Tuesday. Concerns are mounting over possible severe disruptions to railway services, as the Ko

November 19, 2024

Subway workers to go on strike

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Commuters are expected to experience delays and disruptions as unionized subway workers plan to go on strike if their demands are not met. Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 through 8, said Monday that over 70 percent of its 9,450 union members voted in favor of a strike. They are set to announce their detailed strike plans in front of the City Hall in the capital on Tuesday. The union members held several rounds of negotiations with manageme

November 18, 2024