JIWON SONG

AP Reporter

Song is a business and politics reporter covering South Korea.

A tourist views high-rise apartment buildings from a bus in Incheon, South Korea, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

South Koreans are starkly divided over North Korea’s nuclear threat

There are two Koreas, North and South. But there’s also more than one South Korea; it’s split into camps with often polar opposite views on the danger posed by their nuclear-armed neighbor to the north.

Doctors stage a rally against the government's medical policy in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 3, 2024. South Korean officials said Tuesday they are seeking to get the leaders of thousands of striking junior doctors to face police investigations as part of legal repercussions for their walkouts that have disrupted hospital operations. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Thousands of Korean doctors face license suspensions as Seoul moves to prosecute strike leaders

Thousands of striking junior doctors in South Korea are facing proceedings to suspend their medical licenses. Meanwhile, authorities are pushing for police investigations into leaders of the walkouts that have disrupted hospital operations.

A lecture room is seen at a medical school in Daegu, South Korea, Monday, March 4, 2024. South Korea’s government is pressing ahead with its vow to suspend the licenses of thousands of junior doctors who ignore its repeated demands to end their collective walkouts. (Yun Kwan-shik/Yonhap via AP)

What’s next for South Korean doctors who face license suspensions because of walkouts

South Korea’s government is pressing ahead with its vow to suspend the licenses of thousands of junior doctors who ignore its repeated demands to end their collective walkouts.

A medical worker walks to enter Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. South Korea’s government made a last appeal to junior doctors to end a walkout, with hours left to go before the Thursday deadline on its threats to suspend medical licenses and prosecute the strikers. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Young South Korean doctors resist back-to-work orders, risking prosecution

South Korea’s government is making a last appeal to junior doctors to end a walkout just hours ahead of a Thursday deadline or risk the suspension of their medical licenses and prosecution.

In this photo provided by LG Electronics, its CEO William Cho, from left, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and LG COO Kwon Bong-seok pose for a photo after their meeting at LG Twin Towers headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Zuckerberg discussed cooperation on extended reality (XR) devices with LG Electronics executives on Wednesday, as he visited South Korea for the first time in about 10 years. (LG Electronics via AP)

Zuckerberg meets LG, Samsung chiefs in Seoul as Meta ramps up AI ambitions

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has discussed cooperation on extended reality devices with LG Electronics executives as part of his visit to South Korea that highlights Meta’s ambitions in artificial intelligence.

Members of The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union stage a rally to demand expansion of public hospitals and medical students at the Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Here’s why thousands of junior doctors in South Korea walked off the job

Thousands of junior doctors in South Korea are a week into a labor boycott in protest of the government’s push to recruit more medical students to cope with the country’s fast-aging population.

Lee Ho-yang, a prominent K-pop composer and producer better known by his professional name of "Shinsadong Tiger,"speaks during a showcase in Seoul, South Korea, on April 12, 2015. Lee was found dead on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, South Korean police said. (Yang Ji-ung/Yonhap via AP)

Prominent K-pop composer, known as ‘Shinsadong Tiger,’ found dead, South Korean police say

South Korea’s police say Lee Ho-yang, a prominent K-pop composer and producer better known by his professional name of “Shinsadong Tiger,” has been found dead.

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu works against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game on Sept. 1, 2023, in Denver. Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu looks set to return to South Korea after 10 years in Major League Baseball, South Korean media reported. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Former Blue Jays pitcher Ryu returns to South Korea’s Hanwha Eagles

Former Blue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu has agreed to return to his former South Korean baseball club, becoming the most expensive player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu throws to the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of a baseball game on April 20, 2019, in Milwaukee. Pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu looks set to return to South Korea after 10 years in Major League Baseball, South Korean media reported. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)

Ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu likely to return to South Korea’s Hanwha Eagles

South Korean media reports say former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu is set to return to South Korea. Yonhap news agency says the 36-year-old left-hander is expected to come back to his former club Hanwha Eagles.

Rangers take win streak into matchup with the Stars

The New York Rangers play the Dallas Stars with a seven win streak intact.

Wheelchairs are placed at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. South Korean trainee doctors collectively walked off their jobs Tuesday to escalate their protest of a government medical policy, triggering cancellations of surgeries and other medical treatments at hospitals. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean doctors walk out to protest medical training push, causing surgery cancellations

South Korean trainee doctors have collectively walked off their jobs to protest a government medical policy, triggering cancellations of surgeries and other medical treatments at hospitals.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, second from right, presides over a meeting of ministers at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Trainee doctors in South Korea began resigning en masse Monday in protest of a government medical policy, causing reported delays in surgeries and other treatments at hospitals though no major disruption in the country's medical service has yet occurred.(Hwang Gang-mo/Yonhap via AP)

South Korea doctors submit resignations in a spat with the government over school admission quotas

Trainee doctors in South Korea have begun resigning en masse in protest of a government plan to increase the number of medical students.

Doctors stage a rally against the government's medical policy near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Hundreds of South Korean doctors rallied in the capital, Seoul, and other cities on Thursday in protest of a government plan to boost the number of medical students in the country. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean doctors rally against government plans to increase the number of medical students

Hundreds of South Korean doctors have rallied in the capital Seoul and other cities against a government plan to boost the number of medical students.

FILE - The new presidential office building is seen in Seoul, South Korea, on May 9, 2022. South Korea’s presidential office claimed Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, that the country’s move to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba would deal a “political and psychological blow” to the South’s war-divided rival North Korea, whose diplomatic footing is largely dependent on a small number of Cold War allies.(Yonhap via AP, File)

South Korea says opening diplomatic relations with Cuba would shock North Korea

South Korea’s presidential office claims that the country’s move to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba would deal a “political and psychological blow” to its war-divided rival North Korea, whose diplomatic footing is largely dependent on a small number of Cold War allies.

Min Seungki, an electronics company manager, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. North Korea’s recent escalation of threats and endless tests of weapons aimed toward South Korea haven't done much to upset the calm in Seoul. Residents like Min Seungki in the South's capital feel they've seen it all before and it's North Korea's way of getting attention in an election year for South Korea and the U.S. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Koreans stay calm as they see showmanship in the North’s escalating threats

North Korea’s recent escalation of threats and endless tests of weapons aimed toward South Korea haven’t done much to upset the calm in Seoul.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from left, leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. A South Korean court acquitted Lee of financial crimes in relation to a contentious merger between two Samsung affiliates in 2015 that tightened his grip over South Korea’s biggest company. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong is acquitted of financial crimes related to 2015 merger

A South Korean court has acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong of financial crimes related to a contentious merger in 2015 that tightened his grip over South Korea’s biggest company.

FILE - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong speaks during a bilateral meeting in Manila, Philippines on March 24, 2023. North Korea said Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, it was hosting a visit by a Chinese government delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, as it continues its efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing and Moscow in the face of deepening confrontations with Washington. (Francis Malasig/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Chinese vice foreign minister visits North Korea in latest diplomacy between countries

North Korea says it’s hosting a Chinese government delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, as it continues its efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing and Moscow.

People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyunjin speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on May 31, 2023. South Korean police say a governing party lawmaker is being treated at a Seoul hospital after being attacked by an unidentified man who struck her head with a rock-like object. (Go Bum-joon/Newsis via AP)

South Korean lawmaker is injured in an attack weeks after the opposition leader was stabbed

South Korean police say a governing party lawmaker is being treated for lacerations at a Seoul hospital after being attacked by an unidentified man who struck her in the head with a rock-like object.

A TV screen shows a report of North Korea's cruise missiles with file footage during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. South Korea's military says North Korea fired several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast, adding to a provocative run of weapons demonstrations in the face of deepening nuclear tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

North Korea says it tested a cruise missile, flaunting new nuclear-capable weapon

North Korea says it has conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of tensions with the United States and neighbors.

Gunmen abduct volunteer searcher looking for her disappeared brother, kill her husband and son

Gunmen burst into a home in central Mexico and abducted one of the volunteer searchers looking for the country’s 114,000 missing people, and killed her husband and son.

FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Jan. 15, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

Analysis: North Korea’s rejection of the South is both a shock, and inevitable

In abandoning his country’s decades-old aspirational goal of reconciliation with South Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be revealing significant changes to the way he sees the world, as he navigates growing tensions with neighbors and exploits broader geopolitical shifts to gain leverage

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho speaks during a press conference demanding an investigation into the case for the death of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Lee, a popular South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite," was found dead in a car in Seoul on Dec. 27, 2023, authorities said, after weeks of an intense police investigation into his alleged drug use. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

‘Parasite’ director calls for a thorough probe into the death of actor Lee Sun-kyun

Oscar-winning “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho and other artists in South Korea have called for a thorough investigation into the death of popular actor Lee Sun-kyun.

In this photo provided on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter visits a newly-built chicken farm in Hwangju County of North Hwanghae Province on Jan. 7, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea’s Kim turns 40. But there are no public celebrations of his birthday

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un turns 40 on Monday with no announced public celebrations at home. He entered the new year with artillery barrages into the sea and vows to expand his nuclear arsenal.

In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korea's tank fires during a fire exercises at the Northwest Islands area in South Korea, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Rival Koreas conduct provocative drills along their tense sea boundary, escalating animosities

The rival Koreas have fired artillery rounds into the sea as part of provocative drills along their disputed sea boundary, in violation of the fragile 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, with his daughter and his wife Ri Sol Ju, left, attends a performance to celebrate the New Year in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

South Korea views the young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as his likely successor

South Korea’s spy agency says it views the young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as her father’s likely heir apparent.

Min Seung-kee, a vascular surgeon at the hospital who performed the operation, speaks during a briefing at the hospital in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. South Korea’s main opposition leader is recovering well from surgery after being stabbed in the neck earlier this week, his doctor said Thursday, as police seek a formal arrest warrant to extend the suspect's custody.(Im Hwa-young/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean opposition leader is recovering well from surgery after stabbing attack, doctor says

A South Korean hospital says the country’s main opposition leader is recovering well from surgery after being stabbed in the neck earlier this week.

South Korea police arrives for seize materials at the office of the man who stabbed opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, in Asan, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. South Korean police on Wednesday raided the residence and office of a man who stabbed the country’s opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, in the neck in an attack that left him hospitalized in an intensive care unit, officials said. (Lee Ju-hyung/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean police raid house of suspect who stabbed opposition leader Lee in the neck

South Korean police have raided the residence and office of a man who stabbed the country’s opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, in the neck this week.

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen after he was injured in Busan, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Lee was attacked and injured by an unidentified man during a visit Tuesday to the southeastern city of Busan, emergency officials said. (Sohn Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean opposition leader is stabbed in the neck. Police say attacker approached for autograph

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been stabbed in the neck by an unidentified man during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan.

Family members of victims react outside the Supreme Court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. South Korea’s top court on Thursday ordered a third Japanese company to compensate some of its former wartime Korean employees for forced labor, the second such ruling in a week. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP)

South Korea’s top court orders a 3rd Japanese company to compensate workers for forced labor

South Korea’s top court has ordered a third Japanese company to compensate some of its former wartime Korean employees for forced labor. Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Court is the second such ruling in a week.

A TV screen shows a file image of South Korean religious sect leader Jung Myung-seok during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Jung whose sex crimes were featured in the popular Netflix series "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal" earlier this year was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Friday, court officials said. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A South Korean religious sect leader has been sentenced to 23 years in prison over sex crimes