Korean

Six South Korean activists who visited Ukraine in May to discuss the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) have been booked by police on charges of violating passport laws.

Jang Se-yul, who leads the Seoul-based North Korean defector group Gyeoreol Unification Solidarity, told Yonhap News Agency on Friday that Seoul’s foreign ministry reported the group to police on suspicion of violating the Passport Act.

The activists traveled to Ukraine from May 7-11 in an effort to prevent the forced repatriation of two North Korean POWs captured while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region in early 2025. The two have reportedly expressed their desire to go to South Korea.

During their visit, the activists met with officials at the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War under Ukraine’s defense ministry, calling for support for the POWs’ wishes and warning of the risks the soldiers would face if repatriated to North Korea.

Jang claimed that the foreign ministry had required recommendation letters from the unification minister and that they were unable to do so before departing for Ukraine due to a tight schedule.

Ukraine has been on South Korea’s travel ban list since February 2022.

The foreign ministry said South Koreans are advised to leave travel-banned countries unless they have obtained exceptional permission to use their passports, adding that those who fail to comply may face criminal charges.

It declined to comment further on the matter, citing the ongoing investigation.

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July 31 (Asia Today) — Nearly half of the North Korean defectors tested last year after living near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site showed chromosomal changes above a minimum detection threshold, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Friday.

The ministry cautioned, however, that the findings did not establish a connection between the individuals’ radiation exposure and North Korea’s nuclear tests.

The Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences conducted biological radiation tests on 59 defectors from eight cities and counties near Punggye-ri in North Hamgyong Province.

The group included former residents of Kilju, Hwadae, Kimchaek, Myonggan, Myongchon, Orang, Tanchon and Paekam.

Tests found stable chromosomal abnormalities above the minimum detection level in 26 people, or 44.1% of those examined.

Stable chromosomal abnormalities can reflect radiation accumulated from birth until the date of testing. The measurement can include exposure from natural sources, medical procedures and work environments.

The institute said the test cannot determine when the exposure occurred or identify its source.

Age, smoking, alcohol use, heavy metals and other factors can also affect the results, it said.

Researchers conducted an additional test for unstable chromosomal abnormalities among the 26 people whose initial readings exceeded the detection threshold.

That second test, which is more useful for identifying relatively recent radiation exposure, produced above-threshold results in six people.

Older age complicates findings

The average age of the 26 people with elevated results was 52.8, or 13.2 years older than the average age of the 33 participants whose results remained within the normal range.

The group with elevated readings had also spent less time near Punggye-ri than the group with normal results.

Researchers found differences in drinking-water sources as well. Piped water was more common among participants with elevated readings, while a greater share of the normal group reported using water from mountain streams.

The findings did not demonstrate that the 26 participants were exposed to radiation from underground nuclear explosions, the institute said.

“There are limitations to interpreting the stable chromosome-aberration test results as exposure caused by past nuclear tests,” the institute said.

It said the participants with elevated readings were older on average and had several possible contributing factors, including medical radiation exposure.

The institute recommended continued health examinations and long-term monitoring for participants whose biological dose assessments exceeded the minimum detection level.

It said the results should be interpreted carefully because of possible confounding variables.

More environmental information would be needed to conduct a reliable assessment, including radiation measurements around former residential areas, drinking-water tests and radioactivity measurements from local food, the institute said.

No cancer cases identified

The Unification Ministry also provided detailed medical examinations to five defectors whose radiation tests conducted from 2017 through 2024 had produced readings above the detection threshold.

The ministry said no confirmed or suspected cancer cases were identified among the people examined during the latest program.

South Korea conducted similar examinations of defectors from areas near Punggye-ri in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024 after concerns were raised about possible radiation leakage from the test site.

Across tests conducted since 2017, researchers have identified chromosomal abnormalities in some former residents of the region, but they have not established that North Korea’s nuclear tests caused them.

North Korea carried out six underground nuclear tests at Punggye-ri between 2006 and 2017.

The country has not allowed international nuclear inspectors to conduct an independent environmental assessment at the site.

North Korea has maintained that its nuclear tests were conducted safely and did not release radioactive material into surrounding communities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260731010011734

South Korea, the United States, Japan and eight other countries on Friday issued a joint alert about North Korean information technology (IT) workers accused of generating revenue to help fund Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction programs.

The relevant authorities of the 11 countries released the alert, urging all countries, companies and other entities to deepen their understanding of North Korean IT worker schemes, implement measures to deal with them and strengthen countermeasures, such as enhancing identity verification procedures.

“North Korea relies upon a network of skilled Information Technology workers, deployed within and outside of North Korea, to obtain false identities and remotely earn income to fund North Korea’s unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs,” they said in the alert released by the U.S. State Department.

They pointed out that North Korean IT workers impersonate nationals of other countries to obtain work and income through online platforms operated by private companies for employment, procurement and contracting of services.

“These workers seek out contracts with the intent of remitting their salaries to their parent North Korean agencies. They also pose an insider threat to companies and are involved in data exfiltration, cryptocurrency theft, and theft of sensitive information,” they said.

“North Korean IT workers employ increasingly sophisticated methods, including the integration of AI, to obfuscate their identities and expand their activities globally.”

All U.N. member states must repatriate to North Korea all North Korean nationals earning income in that member state’s jurisdiction, subject to limited exceptions, they stressed, citing a U.N. Security Council resolution on the reclusive regime.

“Additionally, contracting with North Korean IT workers and paying them for services rendered may also violate the domestic laws of many countries, including Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea, and may result in legal consequences or financial penalties,” they said.

The countries that issued the joint alert included Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

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July 30 (Asia Today) — South Korean police have referred a woman in her 20s to prosecutors on allegations that she spread false information about the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement on Instagram.

The Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul said Thursday that the woman, whose identity was withheld, was recently referred without detention on suspicion of violating a special law concerning the 1980 democracy movement.

The woman allegedly posted a comment May 15 describing the movement as an armed insurrection carried out by anti-state forces.

She posted the comment under an Instagram message promoting benefits offered in Gwangju and other areas to commemorate the anniversary of the movement.

She then captured an image of her comment and shared it through the Instagram Stories feature on her account, police said.

The May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement began in May 1980, when citizens protested martial law and military rule. Government troops violently suppressed the demonstrations.

South Korean law prohibits knowingly spreading false information about the movement through newspapers, broadcasts, the Internet or other publicly accessible channels.

A conviction can carry a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won, or about $34,200.

Police began investigating after receiving a complaint through the government’s online civil petition service May 21.

“Historical distortion concerning May 18 not only insults victims and their families and damages their reputations but can also create social confusion by spreading a false understanding of history,” a police official said.

Police said they would strictly investigate the deliberate creation and distribution of clearly false information that exceeds the legally protected boundaries of free expression.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011422

July 30 (Asia Today) — Residents near South Korea’s border with North Korea were briefly ordered to evacuate Thursday after the military detected an unidentified aircraft that was later confirmed to be a U.S. drone involved in a training exercise.

South Korean troops detected the aircraft south of a general outpost in northern Gyeonggi province and responded in accordance with established operational procedures, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

“After checking, it was confirmed to be a U.S. drone participating in training,” a Joint Chiefs official said.

The aircraft was detected by South Korean personnel using thermal observation equipment. The military initially could not determine whether it belonged to South Korea, North Korea or another operator.

Residents living north of the Civilian Control Line near Cheorwon in Gangwon province received emergency messages at about 2:30 p.m. telling them that a drone had been detected and instructing them to move to nearby shelters or leave a restricted checkpoint area.

The Civilian Control Line marks a restricted zone south of the Demilitarized Zone where civilian access is limited for security reasons.

The military identified the aircraft as a U.S. drone about an hour after the warning was issued and ended the emergency response.

U.S. Forces Korea later said the incident occurred during combined training involving U.S. Marines and South Korea’s 1st Marine Division.

“The U.S. Marine Corps is assessing the circumstances surrounding the incident and remains in coordination with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and relevant local authorities,” U.S. Forces Korea said.

It remained unclear whether the drone’s flight plan had been shared in advance with all South Korean units responsible for monitoring the border area.

South Korean military officials said further investigation was needed to determine the aircraft’s specific unit and why its operation was not immediately identified.

The incident raised the possibility that incomplete communication about the U.S. training exercise caused confusion among South Korean troops and local authorities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011478

July 29 (Asia Today) — Hanwha Aerospace said Wednesday it was formally selected to supply its Arion-SMET multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle to the South Korean military.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration notified Hanwha of its selection for the 49.6 billion won ($33.6 million) program, the company said.

Hanwha Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem reportedly competed for the contract.

The Arion-SMET can carry a payload of about 990 pounds and is equipped with day-and-night surveillance systems that help distinguish friendly forces from potential threats. It is also designed for extended continuous operations.

The arms procurement agency’s defense project management committee previously reviewed and approved the Arion-SMET as the vehicle for the military’s multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle program.

The vehicle is considered a key component of Army TIGER 4.0, South Korea’s program to modernize Army units through artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and networked combat capabilities.

Hanwha Aerospace is also involved in projects to develop and deploy unmanned reconnaissance vehicles, explosive ordnance detection and disposal robots and manned-unmanned chemical, biological and radiological reconnaissance vehicles.

The company plans to sign a mass-production contract with the procurement agency as early as August.

“As South Korea’s leading UGV platform company, we will continue building a comprehensive manned-unmanned teaming portfolio that combines unmanned systems with existing platforms such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer and infantry fighting vehicles,” a Hanwha Aerospace official said.

The official said the company would rapidly begin mass-production procedures to minimize any gap in military capabilities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260729010010793

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea, July 28 (UPI) — Seventy-six years after the United Nations Command was established to help repel North Korea’s invasion of the South, the multinational force remains an essential pillar of stability on the Korean Peninsula, its deputy commander said.

Speaking after a July 7 ceremony marking the command’s founding anniversary, Australian Army Lt. Gen. Scott A. Winter said the command’s responsibilities have evolved far beyond its wartime origins while remaining rooted in the Korean War armistice that halted fighting in 1953.

“The United Nations Command has two key missions,” Winter told UPI at UNC headquarters on Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 35 miles south of Seoul. “One is to enforce the armistice, which is a sacred duty that we take every day. The other is to coordinate sending-state contributions in times of crisis or conflict.”

Created by a U.N. Security Council resolution on July 7, 1950, the command brought together forces from 22 nations under U.S. leadership after North Korea invaded South Korea. More than 1.9 million service members from UNC member states served in combat, medical and logistical roles during the Korean War.

Active fighting ended with the signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953 — the anniversary of which was commemorated Monday — rather than a peace treaty, meaning the two Koreas remain technically at war. The UNC continues to oversee implementation of the agreement and maintains a rare direct communication channel with North Korea’s military.

Winter said the command still conducts routine telephone communications twice daily with the Korean People’s Army through the military hotline, also known as the “pink phone.”

“It continues to enable us to de-conflict, avoid any sort of miscalculation,” he said, citing the example of recent firefighting operations inside the Demilitarized Zone.

The milestone comes as North Korea has abandoned its longstanding policy of peaceful reunification with South Korea, accelerated development of its nuclear and missile programs and deepened military cooperation with Russia, including sending troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Winter said North Korea’s partnership with Russia has reinforced the need for the UNC to adapt to an increasingly complex security environment and strengthen its deterrence role on the peninsula.

“The growing nexus between North Korea and Russia is a reminder for all of us of the global nature of these security threats,” he said. “It’s clear that North Korea has gained both contemporary battlefield experience and exposure to technology.”

He argued that the UNC’s multinational composition strengthens deterrence by demonstrating that security on the Korean Peninsula remains an international concern.

“The more flags that we bring together, the more we can provide multinational legitimacy during periods of peace, the more we contribute to deterrence,” Winter said.

Despite renewed efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration to reduce tensions with Pyongyang and eventually pursue a formal peace regime, Winter said the command would continue to have a role even if the armistice were someday replaced.

“Having a ready-made coalition prior to a crisis is much easier than trying to pull a coalition together in crisis or conflict,” Winter said. “I absolutely believe that the best way to prevent conflict is through that multilateral working together.”

He added that the armistice itself was designed to create conditions for a political settlement rather than become a permanent arrangement.

“The armistice was put in place to ultimately create the space for a political solution,” he said. “We welcome any moves in that direction.”

Reflecting on the anniversary, Winter said the command’s history offers lessons that remain relevant as conflicts continue in Europe and the Middle East.

“Seventy-six years ago, nations came together because they understood that’s what it would take to prevent further aggression,” he said. “The importance of multilateralism, the importance of building coalitions of the willing with like-minded countries, because the alternative is unthinkable.”

July 27 (Asia Today) — Growing artificial intelligence demand and stronger trade barriers are rapidly reshaping the production and supply chains of South Korea’s major manufacturing industries, the Bank of Korea said Monday.

The central bank said Taiwan has become South Korea’s second-largest semiconductor export destination as the AI supply chain draws Korean memory-chip producers closer to Taiwanese manufacturers.

Meanwhile, South Korean automakers are increasing production in the United States and expanding hybrid vehicle exports as tariffs and U.S. industrial policies make direct exports less competitive.

The findings were included in the Bank of Korea’s Map of Production and Supply Chains for South Korea’s Major Manufacturing Industries. The report used data from 2024 and 2025 to examine 11 industries, including semiconductors, automobiles, steel, shipbuilding and petrochemicals.

South Korean semiconductor exports to Taiwan nearly tripled from $12.78 billion in 2022 to $36.77 billion in 2025.

Taiwan’s share of South Korea’s semiconductor exports increased from 9% to 19.9%, moving it from the fourth-largest export destination to the second largest.

China remained the largest destination, but its share fell from 53.1% in 2022 to 40.3% in 2025.

The central bank attributed the change to a shift in demand from conventional dynamic random-access memory chips to graphics processing units and high-bandwidth memory used in AI systems.

The AI semiconductor supply chain generally involves U.S.-based Nvidia designing graphics processors, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. producing and packaging the chips and Samsung Electronics and SK hynix supplying high-bandwidth memory.

That structure has increased the volume of South Korean semiconductor products shipped to Taiwan.

Semiconductors have also become more important to South Korea’s overall manufacturing sector.

Domestic semiconductor production rose from 74 trillion won in 2014 to 210.8 trillion won in 2024 ($50.4 billion to $143.6 billion). Its share of total manufacturing production doubled from 5% to 10.1% during the same period.

Production remains heavily concentrated in the greater Seoul area, which accounted for 82.3% of the national total. The Chungcheong region accounted for another 14.7%.

Major facilities in the Seoul metropolitan region include Samsung Electronics plants in Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek and Giheung and SK hynix’s plant in Icheon.

China’s growing influence was most apparent in South Korea’s automobile import market.

The share of vehicle imports from China increased from 3.5% in 2022 to 37.2% in 2025. Chinese-made vehicles accounted for about 70% of South Korea’s electric vehicle imports by value in 2025.

The report attributed the increase to China’s price competitiveness and its extensive supply chain covering vehicles, batteries and components.

The United States remained South Korea’s largest automobile export market in 2025. Shipments were valued at $30.15 billion and accounted for 41.9% of total finished-vehicle exports.

However, the United States’ share of South Korea’s electric vehicle exports fell from 33.6% in 2022 to 5.2% in 2025.

The central bank said U.S. subsidies, local production requirements and tariff barriers had weakened the competitiveness of electric vehicles manufactured in South Korea and shipped directly to the United States.

South Korean automakers have responded by expanding U.S. factory operations while increasing exports of hybrid vehicles.

Hybrids’ share of South Korea’s finished-vehicle exports rose from 11.6% in 2022 to 20.4% in 2025.

The shift reflects automakers’ efforts to respond to slowing electric vehicle demand and insufficient charging infrastructure by offering vehicles that combine electric motors with internal combustion engines.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260727010009651

SEOUL, July 23 (UPI) — South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday warned that landmines laid by North Korea in the Demilitarized Zone may have been washed into the South after recent heavy rainfall.

“There is a very high possibility that these washed-away landmines could flow into our territory via the rivers shared between the two Koreas, and an explosion of these landmines could cause significant damage,” JCS spokesman Capt. Jang Do-young said during a regular press briefing.

Jang urged the public to be cautious when near inter-Korean rivers and to report any suspected landmine to police or a nearby military unit.

The alert comes days after South Korean authorities issued a flood warning for the Imjin River following heavy downpours and North Korea’s release of water from a dam without advance notice.

Seoul’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Monday that satellite imagery confirmed water had been released from North Korea’s Hwanggang Dam on the upper reaches of the Imjin River.

A Unification Ministry official on Tuesday said joint responses to natural disasters should be treated as humanitarian matters.

“Responsible cooperation between the two sides is necessary,” the official told reporters.

An unannounced discharge from Hwanggang Dam in September 2009 caused flooding that killed six South Koreans. The following month, North Korea agreed to provide advance notice before future releases. Pyongyang sent notifications on a handful of occasions in 2010 and 2013 but has not done so since.

North Korea released water from the dam several times during last year’s monsoon season, prompting the Unification Ministry to publicly urge Pyongyang to provide advance notice. A ministry spokeswoman said the appeal served as a form of “indirect communication” because Pyongyang had cut off inter-Korean communication channels in April 2023.

Thursday’s warning also comes as Pyongyang continues an extended campaign to fortify the border and harden its military posture toward South Korea, including laying large numbers of landmines inside the DMZ.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the South a “hostile state” and scrapped an inter-Korean military agreement in late 2023.

Beginning in April 2024, Pyongyang ramped up activity along the DMZ by clearing land, laying mines, reinforcing tactical roads and installing anti-tank barriers near the Military Demarcation Line.

South Korean military officials have said North Korea increased the number of troops assigned to the work from roughly 1,000 last year to about 5,000 this year.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry last month described the activity as a violation of the armistice agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, an assessment later contradicted by the U.S.-led United Nations Command.

Personal information of all South Korean diplomats was presumed to be leaked due to a data breach at an online education system run by an institution affiliated with the foreign ministry, officials said Tuesday.

The ministry disclosed Monday it had been notified by a relevant government agency in early February about suspicious access to the online education system of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA). Upon the notification, the ministry shut down the system, which has remained offline since. An investigation is under way.

The data breach was presumed to affect all ministry personnel, including retirees, an official at the foreign ministry said, noting the system held approximately 10,000 records of personal data.

An unidentified hacker is believed to have gained access to the server sometime between April and May last year, and maintained that access until February.

The compromised server is believed to have stored educational videos and information on trainees, including their names, user IDs, positions, email addresses and encrypted passwords. Officials from other government agencies who had been deployed to South Korea’s overseas missions may also be among those affected, given that they occasionally use the system.

No “sensitive personal data,” such as identification numbers, mobile phone numbers or home addresses, appeared to be affected, the ministry official said, noting that there may be some overlap among the individuals whose information was compromised.

The official said the ministry could not yet confirm whether all the data stored in the system had been compromised, adding that the 10,000 figure represents the maximum possible number of cases affected.

The ministry currently lacks the technical analysis needed to identify the attacker, the official said.

“We do not rule out any possibility, including involvement by overseas hacker groups,” the official added. “We regard this as a situation with implications for national security.”

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July 17 (Asia Today) — A South Korean court Thursday rejected an arrest warrant for former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung over allegations that he participated in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed declaration of martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court said prosecutors had not sufficiently demonstrated that Shim was likely to destroy evidence.

The court also said the progress of the investigation and related court proceedings made it difficult to conclude that he posed a flight risk.

The court separately rejected an arrest warrant for Jeon Moo-gon, a former head of the policy planning division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

The court said Jeon’s arguments, the progress of the investigation and the evidence collected did not indicate that he was likely to flee or destroy evidence.

Shim and Jeon are accused of reviewing plans to dispatch prosecutors to a joint martial law investigation headquarters under instructions from then-Justice Minister Park Sung-jae on Dec. 3, 2024.

Investigators also suspect they discussed how to handle crimes that would fall under military court jurisdiction after the martial law declaration.

They are further accused of participating in the preparation of a document concerning court jurisdiction under martial law.

The second special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young requested arrest warrants for Shim and Jeon on Tuesday on allegations of participating in an insurrection and abusing their authority to obstruct the exercise of rights.

The special counsel team’s failure to secure their detention could complicate its investigation into allegations that senior prosecution officials participated in the martial law attempt.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260716010006339

An international heritage body has recommended that Japan take further steps to adequately reflect the “whole history” of the Sado mine World Heritage site, linked to the wartime mobilization of Korean laborers, saying Tokyo’s related efforts remain insufficient.

The recommendation was included in a draft decision released Wednesday by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee following its review of a State of Conservation (SOC) report submitted by Japan late last year, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.

When approving the inscription of the mine as a World Heritage site in July 2024, the committee recommended that Japan present the site’s “whole history” across all periods of mining activity.

South Korean foreign ministry officials said the “whole history” includes the period during which more than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the mine during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Once known for its gold production, the complex was later used to produce war supplies for the Japanese imperial army during World War II.

“The interpretation and presentation strategy of the whole history has shown some progress but remains to be fully developed,” the draft decision read.

“Further clarification is needed regarding how the interpretation and presentation strategy and facilities comprehensively address, at the site level, the whole history of the property throughout all periods of mining exploitation,” it noted.

The committee also recommended that Japan closely consult with relevant parties to improve its interpretation and exhibition strategy and ensure that the site’s whole history is fully presented, and submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

The draft decision is scheduled to be discussed at the 48th committee session in the southeastern South Korean city of Busan next week. Unless objections are raised by member states, it is expected to be adopted by consensus.

“We view the decision as reflecting our consistent position that Japan’s implementation of the committee’s recommendations remains insufficient,” a foreign ministry official said.

“We will continue to work closely with the UNESCO Secretariat and relevant countries to ensure that Japan faithfully implements the committee’s decisions and the commitments it made at the time of the site’s inscription,” the official added.

Japan has held annual memorial ceremonies for workers at the mine as part of commitments made during the inscription process. South Korea, however, has declined to attend the Japan-hosted event for two consecutive years, noting the ceremony failed to adequately reflect the site’s whole history, including the forced mobilization of Korean laborers.

Seoul has instead held separate memorial services each year near the mine site with the bereaved family members of the forced laborers.

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July 14 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s new court administration chief warned Tuesday that growing outside pressure is making it more difficult for judges and other court employees to perform their duties independently.

Supreme Court Justice Roh Kyung-pil, 62, made the remarks during his inauguration as minister of the National Court Administration at the Supreme Court in Seoul.

“External pressure and burdens that make it difficult for judges to conduct independent trials and for court members to perform their duties in a stable manner are increasing,” Roh said.

He said the National Court Administration would serve as a protective barrier so judges and other employees could carry out their responsibilities according to the law and their professional judgment.

“The National Court Administration will provide firm support so that all members of the judiciary can confidently perform their duties in accordance with laws and principles,” Roh said.

He also pledged to strengthen personnel and material resources for judges and court employees working in difficult positions.

“The more demanding the position, the more we must reduce the burden, even slightly, so they can concentrate on their work,” he said. “We will expand the necessary personnel and physical foundations and develop effective support measures.”

Roh’s appointment filled a position that had remained vacant for about four months.

Former court administration chief Park Young-jae resigned in February after the ruling bloc pushed three controversial judiciary bills through the National Assembly.

The measures included the creation of a criminal offense for intentionally distorting the law, a system allowing constitutional challenges to court judgments and an expansion of the number of Supreme Court justices.

Park stepped down in protest against the legislation.

Roh was born in Haenam County in South Jeolla Province. He graduated from Gwangju High School and Seoul National University’s College of Law.

He was appointed as a judge in 1997 and later served as a Supreme Court research judge, a Seoul High Court judge and a presiding judge at the Gwangju and Suwon high courts.

Roh was appointed to the Supreme Court in August 2024.

The head of the National Court Administration oversees judicial administration under the direction of the chief justice and supervises court administrative operations and personnel.

The position does not involve directing judges’ decisions in individual trials but carries significant responsibility for the judiciary’s budget, staffing and administrative policies.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260714010005202

July 14 (Asia Today) — The U.S. Navy has asked major South Korean shipbuilders for information about their ability to design and build destroyers and fleet support vessels, potentially opening the world’s largest naval market to South Korea’s shipbuilding industry.

The requests for information mark a significant step in Washington’s effort to address shipyard capacity constraints and strengthen its maritime industrial base with help from key allies.

The development comes as South Korea and the United States expand cooperation under MASGA, short for Make American Shipbuilding Great Again, a bilateral initiative intended to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding through investment, workforce development, technology cooperation and naval vessel maintenance.

The prospective U.S. market could dwarf South Korea’s recent efforts to win Canada’s next-generation submarine program, estimated by the industry at about 60 trillion won, or approximately $43 billion. Long-term U.S. naval construction and modernization spending could reach about 1.6 quadrillion won, or roughly $1.2 trillion, according to industry estimates cited in South Korea.

U.S. Navy examines Korean shipbuilding capacity

Naval News reported Friday that the U.S. government had issued two requests for information involving destroyer-class surface combatants and medium-sized fleet tankers.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean responded to requests covering both destroyers and support vessels. Samsung Heavy Industries submitted information concerning fleet replenishment ships, an area in which it has extensive commercial tanker-building experience.

A request for information is an early market-research procedure rather than a formal order or bidding process. It allows a U.S. government agency to assess potential suppliers, technical capabilities, prices and delivery schedules before deciding whether to proceed with a procurement program.

The inquiries are nevertheless notable because U.S. law and defense procurement rules generally require Navy vessels and major hull components to be built in American shipyards.

Changes to existing law or a congressionally approved national security exemption would probably be required before a U.S. warship could be constructed at a South Korean yard.

The outreach reflects growing concern about delays, workforce shortages and limited production capacity within the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has repeatedly reported that Navy shipbuilding programs are running years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

U.S. policymakers are also seeking ways to respond to China’s rapidly expanding naval and commercial shipbuilding capacity.

Korean companies highlight destroyer experience

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean have experience designing and constructing some of the South Korean Navy’s most advanced surface combatants.

South Korea’s Sejong the Great-class and Jeongjo the Great-class destroyers use the U.S.-developed Aegis combat system, which is also installed aboard the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

That experience could make South Korean shipbuilders attractive partners in vessel design, component manufacturing or joint production, although U.S. technical, security and domestic-content requirements would remain major obstacles.

South Korea’s latest Aegis destroyers displace more than 8,000 tons and incorporate advanced radar, missile defense and stealth-related technologies.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has also been developing export-oriented destroyer designs and has pursued partnerships with U.S. defense contractors and shipbuilders.

Hanwha Ocean has established a direct foothold in the United States through its acquisition of Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania. The company has announced plans to expand the yard’s capacity and introduce South Korean production technology.

The company has also completed maintenance work on U.S. Military Sealift Command support ships at its Geoje shipyard in South Korea.

The USNS Wally Schirra, a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship, entered the Geoje facility in September 2024 for maintenance, repair and overhaul work. The ship departed after approximately six months of repairs.

Such projects allow South Korean yards to demonstrate their ability to meet U.S. Navy technical standards and delivery requirements, while helping Washington reduce maintenance backlogs.

MASGA moves from proposal to implementation

The Navy inquiries come as the two governments seek to turn MASGA into a broader industrial partnership.

South Korea proposed the initiative as part of trade and security negotiations with the Trump administration. The package includes investment in American shipyards, training for U.S. workers, supply-chain development and maintenance services for U.S. naval vessels.

South Korea and the United States signed a memorandum in May establishing a bilateral shipbuilding partnership initiative and plans for a Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center in Washington.

The program is expected to support cooperation among government agencies, shipbuilders, research institutions and equipment suppliers in both countries.

U.S. officials have increasingly acknowledged South Korea’s mass-production capabilities. U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll praised South Korean defense manufacturing during a congressional hearing in April, citing Hanwha as an example of an effective industrial production model.

The U.S. administration has also pushed for faster construction of commercial and naval vessels as part of its effort to restore the country’s maritime industrial capacity.

Legal and political barriers remain

Despite the growing cooperation, an RFI does not guarantee that South Korean shipyards will receive orders for U.S. Navy vessels.

Congress would have to address laws that restrict foreign construction of naval vessels. U.S. labor unions and domestic shipbuilders could also resist proposals they believe would transfer American jobs or defense production overseas.

A possible compromise could involve South Korean companies investing in U.S. yards, supplying ship components or jointly constructing vessels in both countries rather than building complete American warships in South Korea.

South Korean shipbuilders could also provide designs and production management systems while final assembly takes place at an American facility.

Industry specialists said the South Korean government will need a coordinated strategy involving the presidential office, defense and industry ministries and diplomatic officials if Korean companies are to secure a meaningful role.

They said technical competitiveness alone may not be sufficient because major defense contracts are also shaped by alliance politics, domestic employment considerations and long-term security relationships.

South Korean companies recently faced difficulties in European and Canadian defense competitions despite offering competitive prices, technology and local production plans.

The prospective U.S. programs therefore represent both a major commercial opportunity and a test of Seoul’s ability to coordinate industrial policy with security diplomacy.

For South Korean shipbuilders, the immediate goal is not necessarily the full construction of U.S. destroyers at Korean yards. Securing design work, component orders, maintenance contracts or joint-production projects would still mark an important expansion of the country’s naval defense industry.

The Navy’s decision to formally examine South Korean capabilities indicates that cooperation once considered politically difficult is now under active consideration.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260714010005100

July 13 (Asia Today) — South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is facing mounting pressure from an allegation that he deserted his military post four decades ago and growing opposition to his plan to consolidate the country’s three service academies.

The two controversies have converged, raising questions about whether the Lee Jae Myung administration can maintain momentum behind its broader military reform agenda.

Complaint filed over parliamentary testimony

Kim Young-soo, head of the Korea Institute for Military Rights and a former Navy major, filed a police complaint against Ahn on June 27. The complaint alleges Ahn violated a law governing testimony and evidence before the National Assembly.

At a news conference at the National Assembly on Monday, Kim claimed Ahn left his post without authorization for about seven months while serving as a supplementary-duty soldier with an Army unit in Gochang County in 1984.

Kim also alleged that military police arrested Ahn and detained him for 30 days.

The complaint argues that Ahn gave false testimony during his confirmation hearing in July 2025 when he denied that such incidents had occurred.

The case is being investigated by Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. Police are scheduled to question Kim as the complainant Thursday.

The allegations have not been substantiated and remain under investigation.

Ministry calls allegation “clearly false”

The Defense Ministry rejected the desertion allegation Friday, calling it “clearly false.”

According to Ahn and the ministry, he completed his required service and was discharged from supplementary duty in January 1985. He returned to Sungkyunkwan University in March but was told in June that he was required to perform additional service.

The ministry said the issue arose after Ahn’s mother served lunch to active-duty soldiers at the request of his company commander. The period during which the incident was internally reviewed was mistakenly omitted from the administrative process when Ahn was initially released from duty, leading to his recall in August.

The ministry said Ahn was never detained or subjected to disciplinary action.

It has declined to publicly release his military service record, however, arguing that disclosing an incorrect 40-year-old document could create further misunderstanding regardless of the underlying facts.

Ahn has said he will seek to have the record corrected after leaving office.

SBS reported Sunday that a small number of ruling-party officials had examined the military records and said they contained no entries related to desertion or detention.

Military academy announcement abruptly postponed

Amid the dispute, the ministry abruptly postponed the scheduled release of its basic plan for establishing a unified armed forces academy. The announcement was canceled about 100 minutes before a briefing Monday.

The proposal calls for jointly selecting cadets for the Army, Navy and Air Force academies. Cadets would receive common instruction during their first two years and service-specific education during their third and fourth years.

The government has also reportedly considered relocating the Korea Military Academy from its current campus in northeastern Seoul to South Jeolla Province.

The ministry attributed the postponement to Ahn’s attendance at a presidential meeting and his schedule accompanying President Lee to a NATO summit.

The decision was widely interpreted, however, as a response to strong opposition from retired military organizations and alumni associations.

Academy alumni stage first joint protest

The alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies held a rally outside the National Assembly on Wednesday opposing the consolidation plan and the proposed relocation of the Army academy.

It was the first time the three associations had jointly mobilized over the issue.

People Power Party Reps. Han Ki-ho and Lim Jong-deuk, both graduates of the Korea Military Academy, attended the demonstration. They described the proposal as a deterioration of national defense rather than genuine reform and called for it to be reconsidered from the beginning.

Twelve former commanders of the Army Training and Doctrine Command also issued a statement calling for a review of the plan.

The opposition People Power Party has linked the military service allegation with the academy consolidation proposal and called for Ahn’s resignation.

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has also demanded that Ahn release his military service record.

A public petition seeking Ahn’s impeachment had received more than 310,000 signatures as of Sunday.

Thursday’s police questioning of the complainant is expected to become the first major turning point in the dispute over Ahn’s service history.

The policy battle, however, is unlikely to disappear regardless of the investigation’s outcome.

Opposition to consolidating the academies and dismantling the Defense Counterintelligence Command has already developed independently of the allegation against Ahn. The unprecedented joint protest by the three academy alumni associations demonstrates the extent of that resistance.

The ministry’s continued refusal to release Ahn’s service record is also prolonging the controversy. Its decision to postpone correction procedures until after Ahn leaves office risks allowing the dispute to remain a source of political conflict.

At the same time, treating the military service allegation and the academy reform proposal as a single political issue could undermine a substantive national security debate.

Defense experts familiar with the controversy say the allegation should be investigated according to the law, while the merits of military reform should be debated separately according to the national interest.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260713010004389

South Korean stocks closed higher Friday, extending their winning streak to a second consecutive session, as semiconductor shares rallied following overnight gains on Wall Street. The local currency gained ground against the U.S. dollar.

After choppy trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 184.03 points, or 2.52 percent, to close at 7,475.94.

Trade volume was moderate at 449.53 million shares worth 31.16 trillion won (US$20.73 billion), with gainers far outnumbering losers 799 to 92.

Institutions purchased a net 1.13 trillion won worth of shares, while individuals and foreigners sold a net 772.82 billion won and 322.56 billion won, respectively. Foreign investors turned net sellers after two consecutive sessions of net buying.

After opening more than 3 percent higher, the KOSPI climbed as much as 5.7 percent during the session, triggering a buy-side sidecar that temporarily halted program trading in KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes. It marked the third activation of the trading curb this week.

The KOSPI gave up some of its earlier gains in afternoon trading as investors locked in profits.

Investor sentiment improved after U.S. stocks closed higher overnight, supported by a strong rebound in semiconductor shares and easing oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.27 percent, while the S&P 500 rose 0.81 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.3 percent.

In Seoul, large-cap stocks finished broadly higher.

Semiconductor heavyweight Samsung Electronics went up 2.52 percent to 285,000 won.

In contrast, SK hynix edged down 0.27 percent to 2.18 million won after opening higher. The company is set to make its debut on the tech-heavy Nasdaq through the listing of its American depositary receipts (ADRs).

“Investor sentiment toward the semiconductor sector improved as Meta’s capital spending plans and Micron’s investment outlook helped ease concerns about the industry’s prospects,” said Lee Kyung-min, an analyst at Daeshin Securities. “Strong investor demand for SK hynix’s ADR offering also supported sentiment toward semiconductor stocks, adding upward momentum to the broader market.”

Artificial intelligence investment firm SK Square advanced 6.18 percent to 1.41 million won, while chip components maker Samsung Electro-Mechanics gained 6.1 percent to 1.58 million won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,501.4 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., up 4.7 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys went down 1 basis point to 3.768 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds lost 0.8 basis point at 4.008 percent.

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South Korean computer chip maker SK Hynix has raised $26.5bn (£19.8bn) in its New York share offering, marking the largest ever listing by a foreign firm in the US.

The company, a key supplier to artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia, said on Thursday that it had sold 177.9 million American depositary shares for $149 each. The shares are set to begin trading on Friday on the Nasdaq.

In May, SK Hynix saw its market value top $1tn in its home country, lifted by the boom in demand for AI chips.

Its share price has more than tripled in South Korea this year, which along with Samsung Electronics has helped boost the benchmark Kospi index by more than 70% over the same period.

SK Hynix is one of the world’s leading memory chip makers. The industry has been given a major boost by the hundreds of billions being spent on AI.

Shares in rivals Samsung Electronics and Micron have more than doubled in recent months.

The US listing gives SK Hynix easier access to huge amounts of potential investment from the world’s biggest economy, which has fewer barriers than South Korea, said Seoul National University finance professor Jaewon Choi.

Traders are closely watching the listing as a “yardstick to test the water” for whether investor enthusiasm for memory chip makers will continue, Choi said.

The AI boom has triggered a rush of companies raising money on the the stock market.

In June, GrokAI owner SpaceX became the world’s biggest ever listing as it raised $85.7bn.

Meanwhile, AI developers Anthropic and OpenAI are preparing to go public, with valuations of more $1tn.

Demand for SK Hynix’s offering was reportedly over seven times more than the number of shares available, highlighting the strong investor appetite for a key company in the AI supply chain.

Each American depositary share is equivalent to a tenth of a Seoul-traded common share, SK Hynix said.

The offering gives US investors a way to buy SK Hynix shares without having to trade via an overseas stock exchange.

The company has pledged major investments to develop South Korea’s chip making and AI capabilities in the coming years.

The country’s government is likely to be counting on SK Hynix’s US listing to raise funds that can support the firm’s domestic investments, said Hanyang University business professor Yun Youngjin.

But the Nasdaq listing carries some risks, especially if investors move money towards the US and away from South Korea’s stock market, Yun added.

In June, the country’s government unveiled plans for more than $880bn of investments in partnership with SK Hynix and Samsung.

Both SK Hynix and Samsung have stock market valuations of more that $1tn, joining growing group of firms which includes tech giants Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Google-owner Alphabet.

July 6 (Asia Today) — North Korea is using tacit support from China and Russia to harden its status as a nuclear-armed state, raising pressure on South Korea to rebuild the kind of international sanctions coordination that brought Pyongyang back to negotiations in 2018 and 2019, analysts said Monday.

North Korea has repeatedly stressed the “constant expansion and strengthening” of its nuclear forces and the “thorough exercise” of its status as a nuclear-armed state, signaling that it has no intention of returning to talks premised on denuclearization.

Diplomatic observers in Seoul say North Korea is taking advantage of a turbulent international environment to consolidate its nuclear status.

Russia, which has become a close partner of North Korea since the war in Ukraine, vetoed the renewal of the U.N. panel monitoring sanctions on North Korea in March 2024. At the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in May, Russia also opposed including language on North Korea’s nuclear program in a consensus document, according to the report.

China, which has long maintained a formal position supporting denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, did not mention the issue during a North Korea-China summit in June.

The North Korean nuclear issue has become even more difficult to resolve as U.S. attention remains focused on the Middle East and the U.N. Security Council has become increasingly ineffective, analysts said.

Experts say South Korea should pursue denuclearization by maintaining sanctions on North Korea, strengthening its military capabilities in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup and securing diplomatic means to apply pressure through China and Russia.

Kim Tae-woo, former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, said South Korea must acquire capabilities that can offset North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.

“As North Korea’s nuclear threat grows, South Korea must secure corresponding capabilities to neutralize that threat,” Kim said. “Only when North Korea recognizes that an intensifying arms race will be harmful to both Koreas can nuclear arms control negotiations begin.”

Kim said South Korea should quickly move forward with security consultations under the Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet. He said Seoul should pursue the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, secure what he called “nuclear latent capability” and push for stronger U.S. extended deterrence.

Analysts also said Seoul should wage a more active diplomatic campaign toward China and Russia, which retain significant influence over North Korea.

They said South Korea should work to recreate the diplomatic environment of 2016 and 2017, when the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a series of strong sanctions resolutions in response to North Korea’s nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

Experts say those sanctions were the key factor that pushed North Korea into inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks in 2018 and 2019.

A former senior South Korean diplomat, who requested anonymity, said sanctions remain one of the few long-term sources of leverage over North Korea.

“Every area of North Korea except its nuclear program remains backward because of sanctions,” the former official said. “As long as sanctions are not abandoned in the long term, I believe there is still hope for North Korea’s denuclearization.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260707010002164

July 5 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties clashed Sunday over a revised online information law set to take effect Tuesday, with the ruling Democratic Party calling it a safeguard against fake news and the main opposition People Power Party denouncing it as a threat to free speech.

The revised Information and Communications Network Act allows punitive damages of up to five times the actual damage when false or manipulated information is distributed online and causes harm. Repeat distribution can also trigger administrative fines of up to 1 billion won, or about $655,000.

The People Power Party called the measure an online “gag law” and said the standard for determining what counts as false or manipulated information is too vague.

Choi Soo-jin, the party’s chief floor spokesperson, said posts criticizing the government or raising reasonable suspicions could become targets of disputes.

“To avoid large damages and fines, platforms will have no choice but to preemptively delete posts even before illegality is clearly determined,” Choi said. “Excessive deletion and de facto prior censorship are structurally inevitable.”

People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo said he plans to file a constitutional challenge after the law takes effect.

“The law is rushed legislation that does not even have a body to determine false or manipulated information,” Joo wrote on social media. He said the measure violates constitutional protections against prior censorship as well as principles of proportionality and freedom of speech and the press.

The Democratic Party rejected the criticism and said the law is being misrepresented.

Jeon Su-mi, a party spokesperson, said the measure is not designed to silence ordinary citizens but to prevent malicious false information and so-called “cyber wreckers,” a Korean term for online personalities who profit from sensational or defamatory content.

“Not a single citizen who shares daily life, expresses legitimate political opinions or sharply criticizes power will be subject to punishment under this law,” Jeon said.

She accused the People Power Party of defending false information and online harassment by portraying basic social filtering as censorship.

The Democratic Party also criticized opposition proposals to limit regulation to already illegal information, saying such an approach would leave manipulated falsehoods unaddressed.

The dispute comes as South Korea continues to debate how to regulate online misinformation without chilling political speech. Supporters say the revised law is needed to hold malicious content creators accountable when false claims cause real harm. Critics say vague definitions could pressure platforms to over-remove content and discourage citizens from criticizing public officials.

The revised law was passed by the National Assembly in December under Democratic Party leadership.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260706010001674

July 2 (Asia Today) — South Korean researchers have developed an experimental prodrug that uses elevated hydrogen peroxide in brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease as a signal to activate treatment, KAIST said Thursday.

The compounds remained largely inactive under healthy brain conditions but became active therapeutic agents after encountering hydrogen peroxide associated with Alzheimer’s pathology. The researchers confirmed their effects in animal experiments.

The research was led by Mi Hee Lim, a professor in KAIST’s Department of Chemistry. The university worked with research teams led by Min Geun Kim of Chonnam National University, Chul Ho Lee and Kyung Sim Kim of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology and Young Ho Lee of the Korea Basic Science Institute.

A prodrug is an initially inactive compound that converts into an active treatment only under specific conditions in the body.

The research team designed its prodrugs to activate only when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species found at elevated levels in brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Hydrogen peroxide has generally been treated as a harmful substance that should be removed because it can damage cells. The researchers instead used it as a biological signal to switch on the treatment.

The two prodrugs, called BE-1 and BE-2, showed little reaction under healthy brain conditions. When exposed to hydrogen peroxide in an Alzheimer’s-like environment, they converted into active compounds known as AP-1 and AP-2.

The activation process reduced hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species. It also interfered with the aggregation of amyloid beta, a protein that can accumulate in the brain and form toxic clumps associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Advanced analytical tests showed that the activated compounds altered the structure of amyloid beta and prevented it from developing into larger aggregates, the researchers said.

Tests using mice with Alzheimer’s-like conditions showed that the prodrugs crossed the blood-brain barrier, which regulates which substances in the bloodstream can enter the brain.

The compounds then converted into their active forms inside the animals’ brains. The findings demonstrated that the prodrugs could reach their intended target and respond to the disease-related environment.

The approach differs from treatments designed to act continuously against a single protein. Instead, the KAIST-led strategy uses conditions within diseased tissue to activate treatment only where it is needed.

Researchers said this targeted activation could provide a strategy for increasing therapeutic effects while limiting unnecessary activity in healthy tissue. KAIST said the technology could also have potential applications in treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

“This study is significant because it uses hydrogen peroxide, which had previously been regarded only as something that should be removed, as a signal that activates the drug,” Lim said.

“The technology, which activates drugs only in diseased tissue, could become a new platform for treating complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s more safely and effectively,” she said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260702010001077

June 29 (Asia Today) — The Esther Prayer Movement began a five-day fasting prayer conference Monday in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to pray for the salvation of North Koreans and what organizers call “gospel unification.”

The 36th Gospel Unification Conference, also called the Fasting Prayer Assembly for North Korea’s Salvation, will continue through Friday at the Osanri Choi Jasil Memorial Fasting Prayer Mountain.

Organizers use “gospel unification” to refer to reunification accompanied by religious freedom and the spread of Christianity in North Korea.

The interdenominational gathering brings Christians together to pray for what the organization describes as “a holy South Korea,” the salvation of North Koreans and gospel-based reunification.

The fasting prayer gathering began in January 2009 and has since been held twice a year, during the second week of January and the first week of July. The conferences run for five days and are livestreamed on YouTube for viewers in South Korea and abroad.

At its 35th conference in January, the organization announced a 40-day fasting prayer campaign for the country during 2026.

About 600 pastors and church members registered for the campaign, which is continuing throughout the year, organizers said. Members also participated in a 150-day special overnight prayer campaign from Jan. 17 through June 14.

The organization said the latest gathering is intended to draw attention to North Koreans living under the rule of the Kim family.

It said North Koreans are subjected to the state-sponsored deification of the ruling family and compelled to show reverence to statues and portraits of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Lee Yong-hee, head of the Esther Prayer Movement, cited Hebrews 13:3, which calls on Christians to remember prisoners and people who are mistreated.

He also cited 1 Timothy 5:8, which says believers should care for their relatives and immediate families.

“The Korean church should fulfill its responsibility toward fellow Koreans,” Lee said.

Lee said he had recently heard accounts that North Korean Christians who fasted and prayed during the gatherings experienced what they described as divine grace, including speaking in tongues.

“Let the underground church in North Korea, Korean churches overseas and churches around the world unite and do their utmost in fasting and prayer to bring forward the day of gospel unification,” Lee said.

He said Christians should make every effort if greater participation in fasting and prayer could hasten that day.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260629010009929

Failure in Group A brought fan anger to boiling point.

It started with a promising 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but then a team containing Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in of Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae lost 1-0 to Mexico. It left the Taeguk Warriors needing a point against South Africa to secure second.

Hong, who also led the team to a group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup, left captain and talisman Son on the bench and the team slumped to defeat, with former Tottenham Hotspur defender Lee Young-pyo describing it on television as “the worst match by a Korean football team in the 21st century”.

After the game, a reporter asked Hong if there had been an outbreak of food poisoning in the camp or something similar, as there could be no explanation for such a performance. To make matters worse, South Korea had to wait more than three days in their training camp to discover whether they would squeeze through into the last 32 as one of the best third-placed finishers or go home.

The camp had not been an especially happy place as earlier in June, media personnel were overheard on camera mocking Son’s military record. The former Tottenham star won exemption from the country’s 21-month mandatory military service by being part of the team that took gold at the 2018 Asian Games. In return, the players boycotted domestic media duties for a number of days.

Son turns 34 in July and it would not be a surprise if he soon calls time on his international career. There will be no public return to South Korea as the welcome ceremony planned at Incheon International Airport was cancelled. The captain and the players have, however, escaped most of the public ire with the focus on how the sport is governed in the country.