PHOTOS: One year after deadly Jeju Air disaster

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (AJP) — South Korea on Monday marked one year since a Jeju Air passenger jet crashed during an emergency landing, killing 179 people in one of the country’s deadliest aviation disasters. Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 traveling from Bangkok, struck a concrete localizer structure while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province at 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29 last year. Of the 181 people on board, 179 were killed and two

December 29, 2025

Job security demands shadow S. Korean president's return to Blue House

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - As South Korean President Lee Jae Myung officially commenced duties at Cheong Wa Dae, the celebratory atmosphere was met with immediate domestic pressure as non-regular presidential staff launched a labor protest through the heart of the capital. On Monday morning, members of the Seoul Regional Public Services Branch — a chapter under the powerful Korean Confederation of Trade Unions — convened at Gwanghwamun Square to demand permanent job se

December 29, 2025

PHOTOS: Seoul Illustration Fair highlights growing 'character culture'

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s premier celebration of visual storytelling, the Seoul Illustration Fair, concluded its 11th-anniversary edition on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands to the COEX convention center in Gangnam. The four-day event, which ran from Dec. 25 to 28, featured over 900 artists and more than 1,000 booths. This year’s iteration saw a significant global presence, with approximately 50 international teams joining a diverse roster of domestic c

December 29, 2025

President Lee Jae-myung's first commute to Blue House

SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung arrived at the Blue House main building for the first time on Dec. 29, holding a morning tea time with aides and marking the beginning of the Blue House era. President Lee's commute to the Blue House comes about seven months after his inauguration and about three years and seven months after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration moved the presidential office to Yongsan in May 2022. At 12 a.m. on this day, the Phoenix Flag, symb

December 29, 2025

Homeless left outdoors in Seoul's deep freeze

SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -A bitter cold settled over Seoul as temperatures fell below zero, pushing the wind chill near minus 17.6 degrees Celsius (0.3 degrees Fahrenheit). Beneath Seoul Station, some homeless people lay on the floor wrapped in cardboard and thin sleeping bags, sheltering under fluorescent lights that never go out. Outside, they huddle inside fragile tents as Arctic air cuts through. The city issued its first freeze warning of the winter and activated round-th

December 26, 2025

PHOTOS: Seoul art show opens in Coex

SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - The 2025 Seoul Art Show, an exhibition offering a comprehensive look at the latest trends in contemporary art, opened December 24 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and runs through December 28. Now in its 14th year, the Seoul Art Show is held annually during the Christmas season and has become a fixture of the city's year-end cultural calendar. The event serves as a barometer for the Korean art market and a primary point of contact between the public and

December 26, 2025

Cold wave grips South Korea

SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Bitter Artic air gripped South Korea Friday, sending temperatures in Seoul and elsewhere well below freezing and triggering widespread weather alerts. The mercury fell to as low as minus 17.6 degrees Celsius (0.3 degrees Fahrenheit) as of 5 a.m. and will stay subzero for most of the day.

December 26, 2025

PHOTOS: Merry Christmas, 1,004 Santas spread cheer across Seoul

SEOUL, December 25 (AJP) - “Merry Christmas!” Bright and spirited voices rang out as volunteers dressed as Santa Claus gathered in the heart of Seoul. On Tuesday afternoon, volunteers in Santa costumes held a send-off ceremony along Yonsei-ro in Seodaemun District. Marking Christmas Eve, 1,004 Santas set out across the capital to visit underprivileged children, practicing year-end giving and social solidarity. Hosted by Korea Youth Foundation, the “2025

December 25, 2025

PHOTOS: As Christmas arrives, trees light up a fractured world

SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - As Christmas Day arrives, trees are lit across the world. It is a season that calls, however quietly, for peace and harmony — regardless of heartbreak, loss, grievance or conflict — as people mark the birth of Christ in their own idiosyncratic ways. In Rockefeller Center, the annual tree lighting took place on Dec. 3, as it does every year. Thousands of LED lights pierced the Manhattan night, drawing cheers from

December 24, 2025

Children's choir lights candles for Christmas

SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - As the year-end Christmas season arrives, choirs across the country are spreading holiday joy and cheer. Among them, a children's choir at Light and Salt Church in northern Seoul lit candles last week, about a week ahead of Christmas. Through their carols, they prayed that small lights might come together to overcome the darkness, and that their small voices could swell into a thunderous chorus, bringing warmth to the cold winter night.

December 24, 2025