North Korea claims ‘radioactive tsunami’ weapon test at sea
March 24, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea claimed Friday to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to generate a gigantic “radioactive tsunami” that would destroy naval strike groups and ports.
Do Kwon, wanted in $40B crypto crash, arrested in Montenegro
March 24, 2023 GMTPODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Police in Montenegro have arrested Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who is wanted in South Korea in connection with a $40 billion crash of the firm’s cryptocurrency that devastated retail investors around the world, the European country’s interior minister said Thursday.
Japan, South Korea drop export claims against each other
March 23, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan and South Korea almost simultaneously dropped their export claims against each other on Thursday in the latest sign of improving ties.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that effective Thursday the country would lift export controls of three key semi-conductor-related materials imposed in 2019 against South Korea, while Seoul said it would drop its complaint with the World Trade Organization over the issue.
North Korea fires cruise missiles as allies stage drills
March 22, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched cruise missiles toward the sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, three days after the North carried out what it called a simulated nuclear attack on South Korea to protest its military drills with the United States.
Swedish investigator says S. Korea key to her adoption probe
March 22, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Swedish legal expert investigating the country’s international adoption practices said Tuesday she’s trying to determine whether Swedish authorities were aware of falsified child origins as they approved the adoptions of thousands of South Korean children.
South Korea to restore Japan’s trade status to improve ties
March 21, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday his government will move to restore Japan’s preferential trade status as he pushes to resolve history and trade disputes with Japan despite domestic opposition.
North Korea: Latest missile simulated nuclear counterattack
March 20, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday it simulated a nuclear attack on South Korea with a ballistic missile launch over the weekend that was its fifth missile demonstration this month to protest the largest joint military exercises in years between the U.S.
North Korea launches missile into sea amid US-SKorea drills
March 19, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, ramping up testing activities in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
North Korea says ICBM test aimed to strike fear into enemies
March 17, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile to “strike fear into the enemies” as South Korea and Japan agreed at a summit to work closely on regional security with the United States and staged military exercises around the region.
Japan, South Korea renew ties at Tokyo summit
March 17, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan and South Korea agreed to resume regular visits between their leaders and take steps to resolve a trade dispute during a long-awaited summit Thursday. Japan's prime minister called their meeting a “big step” to rebuilding the two nations’ security and economic ties as they try to overcome a century of difficult history.
North Korea launches ICBM before South Korea-Japan summit
March 16, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Thursday just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit expected to be overshadowed by North Korean nuclear threats.
Samsung to invest $230 billion to build “mega” chip cluster
March 15, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it expects to invest 300 trillion won ($230 billion) over the next 20 years as part of an ambitious South Korean national project to build the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing base near the capital, Seoul.
Japan, S. Korea summit must overcome history to renew ties
March 14, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — South Korean and Japanese leaders will meet in Tokyo this week, hoping to resume regular visits after a gap of over a decade and overcome resentments that date back more than 100 years.
North Korea launches 2 missiles to sea as allies hold drills
March 14, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles in another show of force Tuesday, a day after the United States and South Korea began military drills that Pyongyang views as an invasion rehearsal.
US, South Korea hold drills as North sub test-fires missiles
March 13, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries launched their biggest joint exercises in years Monday while North Korea said it tested submarine-fired cruise missiles in an apparent protest of the drills it views as an invasion rehearsal.
Kishida makes 1st pitch in Japan game with South Korea
March 10, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida threw out the first pitch for Friday's World Baseball Classic game between Japan and South Korea, bouncing a ball that was scooped up by Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama, his designated catcher.
Kim supervises N. Korean troops simulating attack on South
March 10, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire artillery drill simulating an attack on a South Korean airfield and called for his troops to be ready to respond to the enemies’ “frantic war preparation moves” — apparently referring to the recent series of military drills between the United States and South Korea.
North Korea fires ballistic missile toward sea, Seoul says
March 9, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday fired a short-range ballistic missile toward waters off its western coast, South Korea’s military said.
The launch came as the United States and South Korea prepare to hold their biggest combined military training exercises in years next week to counter the threat of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which leader Kim Jong Un has aggressively expanded in recent years despite his country's deepening economic isolation and pandemic-related difficulties.
South Korea, Japan to hold summit next week to expand ties
March 9, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of South Korea and Japan will meet next week for a summit on strengthening ties, both governments said Thursday, days after South Korea unveiled a step toward resolving strained ties stemming from Tokyo’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea: Kim’s daughter enjoys horseback riding, skiing
March 8, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The recently unveiled daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is being home-schooled and spends her leisure time horseback riding, skiing and swimming, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Tuesday.
Yoon: Forced labor plan crucial for better ties with Japan
March 8, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday defended his government’s contentious plan to use local funds to compensate Koreans enslaved by Japanese companies before the end of World War II, saying it’s crucial for Seoul to build future-oriented ties with its former colonial overlord.
Biden to host April state visit for South Korean leader Yoon
March 8, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will crank up the pomp and pageantry for South Korea's president.
The White House on Tuesday announced its second state visit, an April 26 affair for President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
Kim’s sister warns N. Korea ready to act against US, South Korea
March 7, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korea’s leader warned Tuesday that her country is ready to take “quick, overwhelming action” against the United States and South Korea, a day after the U.S.
South Korean plan aims to heal forced labor feud with Japan
March 6, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea took a step toward improving ties with its traditional rival Japan on Monday, announcing a plan to compensate Koreans who performed forced labor during Tokyo’s colonial rule that doesn’t require Japanese companies to contribute to the reparations.
US, South Korea announce largest field exercises in 5 years
March 3, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries announced Friday they will hold their biggest joint field exercises in five years later this month, as the U.S. flew a long-range B-1B bomber to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against North Korea.
South Korea’s Yoon renews hopes for improved ties with Japan
March 1, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president on Wednesday called Japan “a partner that shares the same universal values” and renewed hopes to repair ties frayed over Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea holds rare meeting on farming amid food shortage
February 27, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened a major political conference dedicated to agriculture, state media reported Monday, as outside assessments suggest the country is facing a serious shortfall of food.
North Korea says it fired cruise missiles as rivals trained
February 24, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it test-fired long-range cruise missiles off its eastern coast a day earlier, adding to a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations as its rivals step up military training.
Group urges radiation tests for 900 North Korean escapees
February 21, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Human rights advocates on Tuesday urged South Korea to offer radiation exposure tests to hundreds of North Korean escapees who had lived near the country’s nuclear testing ground.
North Korea fires 2 missiles in tests condemned by neighbors
February 20, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the country Monday in its second test launch in three days, prompting Japan to request an emergency meeting of the U.N.
North Korea fires missile as US, S. Korea prepare for drills
February 19, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday fired a long-range missile from its capital into the sea off Japan, according to its neighbors, a day after it threatened to take strong measures against South Korea and the U.S.
N. Korea threatens unprecedented response to South-US drill
February 17, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea threatened Friday to take “unprecedently” strong action against its rivals, soon after South Korea announced a series of planned military drills with the United States to hone their joint response to the North’s increasing nuclear threats.
South Korean defense minister denies Vietnam War massacres
February 17, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s defense minister on Friday insisted the country’s soldiers didn’t commit any massacres during the Vietnam War and indicated the government will appeal a ruling that ordered compensation for a Vietnamese woman who lost several relatives to a shooting rampage blamed on South Korean marines in 1968.
South Korea defense report revives ‘enemy’ label for North
February 16, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea called North Korea “our enemy” in its biennial defense document published Thursday, reviving the label for its rival for the first time in six years, as tensions worsen between the two countries.
Kim Jong Un shows off daughter, missiles at N. Korean parade
February 10, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his young daughter took center stage at a huge military parade, fueling speculation that she is being primed as a future leader of the isolated country as her father showed off his latest, largest nuclear missiles.
Court says South Korea responsible for Vietnam War massacre
February 7, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court on Tuesday ordered the government to pay 30 million won ($24,000) to a Vietnamese woman who survived a gunshot wound but lost several relatives when South Korean marines rampaged through her village during the Vietnam War in 1968.
Aid, rescuers rushed to Turkey, Syria after deadly quake
February 7, 2023 GMTMany governments and aid groups have rushed to dispatch personnel, funds and equipment to help the rescue efforts in quake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria.
North Korea party meeting set to discuss ‘urgent’ food issue
February 6, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has scheduled a major political conference to discuss the “urgent task” of improving its agricultural sector, a possible sign of worsening food insecurity as the country's economic isolation deepens amid a defiant nuclear weapons push.
N. Korea warns of ‘overwhelming nuclear force’ to counter US
February 2, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday it’s prepared to counter U.S. military moves with the “most overwhelming nuclear force” as it warned that the expansion of the United States’ military exercises with rival South Korea is pushing tensions to an “extreme red line.”
US to increase weapons deployment to counter North Korea
January 31, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said the United States will increase its deployment of advanced weapons such as fighter jets and bombers to the Korean Peninsula as it strengthens joint training and operational planning with South Korea in response to a growing North Korean nuclear threat.
S. Korea to support civilian aid to North in hopes of talks
January 27, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government said Friday it will promote civilian efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea in hopes of softening a diplomatic freeze deepened by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s growing nuclear ambitions.
South Korea, Japan grapple with heavy snow chaos, delays
January 25, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Frigid winter weather gripped East Asia for the second straight day on Wednesday, causing several deaths and multiple injuries in Japan and a scramble for flights out of South Korea's resort island of Jeju following delays by snowstorms.
Japan refiles request to list divisive gold mine on UNESCO
January 20, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan has formally resubmitted documents seeking to obtain UNESCO World Heritage recognition for a controversial former gold mine that has added to diplomatic frictions with South Korea over Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula and its wartime actions.
Fire burns makeshift homes in shadow of Seoul’s skyscrapers
January 20, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fire destroyed about 60 makeshift homes in a densely packed neighborhood surrounded by some of the wealthiest streets of South Korea’s ultramodern capital Friday.
Firefighters extinguished the flames in Seoul’s Guryong village within about five hours, and no injuries or deaths were reported.
S. Korea, Iran summon each other’s envoys over Yoon comment
January 19, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and Iran have summoned each other’s ambassadors in a diplomatic spat triggered by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s comments describing Iran as the “enemy” of the United Arab Emirates during a trip to that country this week.
North Korea sustains high defense spending with new budget
January 19, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament has passed a budget that sustains a high level of defense spending despite the countrys' economic troubles as leader Kim Jong Un pushes for an aggressive expansion of his nuclear arsenal.
South Korea president, in UAE, backs return to nuclear power
January 17, 2023 GMTABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that his nation's efforts to be carbon neutral by 2050 would rely in part on returning to nuclear power, even though his predecessor had tried to move away from atomic power.
South Korean president travels to UAE, seeks arms sales
January 15, 2023 GMTABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received an honor guard welcome Sunday on a trip to the United Arab Emirates as he hopes to expand his country's military sales here.
South Korea plans fund to compensate forced labor victims
January 12, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials are considering creating a domestic fund to compensate Koreans who were enslaved by Japanese companies before the end of World War II, as they desperately try to repair relations with Tokyo that have deteriorated in recent years over historical grievances.
The AP Interview: Korean leader cites North’s serious threat
January 11, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea's spike in missile tests, growing nuclear ambitions and other provocative acts pose a “serious threat” that could lead to a dangerous miscalculation and spark a wider conflict, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday.
Davos to host leaders, CEOs amid weighty global issues
January 10, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The Swiss town of Davos will host 52 heads of state and government and nearly 600 CEOs as the World Economic Forum hosts its annual meeting in the Alps next week, organizers said Tuesday.
Seoul: Kim’s daughter reveal hints at prolonged family rule
January 5, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s disclosure of his daughter in recent public events was likely an attempt to show his people that one of his children would one day inherit his power in what would be the country’s third hereditary power transfer, South Korea’s spy service told lawmakers Thursday.
NKorea’s Kim orders ‘exponential’ expansion of nuke arsenal
January 1, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the “exponential” expansion of his country’s nuclear arsenal and the development of a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, state media reported Sunday, after he entered 2023 with another weapons launch following a record number of testing activities last year.
N. Korea fires 3 missiles amid tensions over drone flights
December 31, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters in its latest weapons display on Saturday, a day after rival South Korea conducted a rocket launch related to its push to build a space-based surveillance to better monitor the North.
South Korea’s unannounced rocket launch causes UFO scare
December 30, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military confirmed it test-fired a solid-fueled rocket Friday after its unannounced launch triggered brief public scare of a suspected UFO appearance or a North Korean missile launch.
South Korea stages drills simulating downing of North drones
December 29, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea staged large-scale military drills Thursday to simulate shooting down drones as a step to bolster its readiness against North Korean provocations, three days after the North flew drones into its territory for the first time in five years.
North Korea’s Kim lays out key goals to boost military power
December 28, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented new plans to further bolster his military power next year at a meeting of top political officials, state media reported Wednesday, in an indication he’ll continue his provocative run of weapons displays.
Asian shares mixed after tech-led decline on Wall Street
December 28, 2022 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Wednesday after a post-holiday retreat on Wall Street, as markets count down to the end of a painful year for investors.
Shares fell in Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul but rose in Hong Kong as the Chinese government took further steps to reopen to foreign travel after relaxing its stringent “zero-COVID” policies.
Seoul: UN agency to boost efforts to monitor N. Korean nukes
December 15, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday his organization will push to bolster its capacity to verify North Korean nuclear activities and raise international awareness of the urgency of its weapons program.
US, S. Korea, Japan to curb illicit N Korea cyber activities
December 13, 2022 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Senior diplomats from the United States, South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to boost efforts to curb North Korea’s illicit cyber activities and other methods to finance its nuclear program and evade international sanctions.
Dogs gifted by North’s Kim resettle in South Korean zoo
December 12, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A pair of dogs gifted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un four years ago ended up at a zoo in South Korea after a dispute over who should finance the caring of the animals.
Workers at GM joint venture battery plant vote to join UAW
December 9, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — Workers at a General Motors joint venture electric vehicle battery factory in Ohio have voted to join the United Auto Workers union.
About 900 workers at the new plant near Warren, Ohio, are the first to decide on union representation at a battery plant.
South Korean truckers end 16-day strike over freight rates
December 9, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Thousands of South Korean truckers are returning to work after voting Friday to end their 16-day walkout that disrupted construction and other domestic industries.
Thousands of truckers seeking financial protections as fuel prices rise went on strike Nov.
More South Korean adoptees demand probes into their cases
December 9, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Nearly 400 South Koreans adopted as children by families in the West have requested South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigate their adoptions through Friday’s application deadline, as Seoul faces growing pressure to reckon with a child export frenzy driven by dictatorships that ruled the country until the 1980s.
Korean firms plan $4 billion-plus battery plant in Georgia
December 8, 2022 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group and a South Korean battery maker say they will jointly invest $4 billion to $5 billion in Georgia to build a new plant northwest of Atlanta that would supply electric batteries for Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles assembled in the United States.
South Korea widens back-to-work orders on striking truckers
December 8, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government expanded its back-to-work orders Thursday against thousands of cargo truck drivers who are staging a nationwide walkout over freight fare issues, saying a prolonged strike could inflict “deep scars” on the country’s economy.
South Korea’s truth commission to probe foreign adoptions
December 8, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission will investigate the cases of dozens of South Korean adoptees in Europe and the United States who suspect their origins were falsified or obscured during a child export frenzy in the mid- to late-1900s.