Pro-Palestine Activists Protest Trump's Visit to South Korea in Gyeongju
Pro-Palestine Activists Protest Trump's Visit to South Korea in Gyeongju
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea on the morning of October 29, 2025, via Gimhae International Airport in Busan. This visit is a state visit, with a diverse schedule including a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. During his visit, Trump is expected to discuss ways to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance and promote economic cooperation. In particular, the summit is expected to focus on ways for the two countries to cooperate on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, as well as strengthening security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump's visit is expected to reaffirm the close cooperative relationship between the U.S. and South Korea and serve as an important opportunity to promote shared security and economic interests. Furthermore, Trump is expected to meet with business leaders during his visit to seek investment and discuss ways to promote economic cooperation, which is expected to further strengthen the economic partnership between the two countries. Trump's visit is expected to have a positive impact on stabilizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace in the region, and is expected to make an important contribution to the development of U.S.-Korea relations.
President Trump is scheduled to attend events related to the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held at the Gyeongju Arts Center. APEC is an international organization aimed at promoting economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, with the goal of liberalizing trade and expanding investment among member countries. Trump's participation in this APEC-related event is interpreted as a demonstration of the United States' continued interest and commitment to the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, Trump is expected to explain the direction of U.S. economic policy at the event and discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Trump is also expected to hold bilateral talks with APEC member state leaders to explore ways to cooperate economically with individual countries and exchange views on issues of mutual concern. The Gyeongju Arts Center, a representative cultural facility in the Gyeongju area, is expected to demonstrate its ability to host international events through this APEC-related event and contribute to revitalizing the local economy. Trump's participation in the APEC-related event is expected to strengthen relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region and play an important role in promoting U.S. economic interests.
Recently, a controversy has erupted over congratulatory money received by the daughter of Choi Min-hee, Chair of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, sparking heated debate inside and outside the political arena. The controversy began with allegations that excessive congratulatory money was exchanged at the wedding of Chairwoman Choi Min-hee's daughter. Some have pointed out that it is inappropriate for large sums of congratulatory money to be exchanged at the wedding of a public official's daughter and that there is a possibility of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. On the other hand, some argue that it is an excessive political attack to question personal congratulatory money. Chairwoman Choi Min-hee's side has not made any official statements regarding the controversy and has been criticized for evading clarification of the allegations. The congratulatory money controversy is expected to have a significant impact on Chairwoman Choi Min-hee's political standing in the future, and there are concerns that it could deepen public distrust of the political sphere as a whole. In particular, with the general election approaching next year, the controversy is expected to intensify the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties, and the issue of morality in politics is expected to once again be highlighted as a point of contention. This incident should serve as an opportunity to raise awareness of the ethical consciousness of public officials, and the political sphere should strive to implement transparent and fair administration that meets the expectations of the public.
All metropolitan and provincial offices of education across the country have expressed support for the ban on 'selection-based level tests' (level tests) targeting children aged 4 and 7. This is due to concerns that it will cause excessive competition at the early childhood education stage and promote early education that is not appropriate for children's developmental stages. The education offices pointed out that selection-based level tests place unnecessary stress on children and can deepen educational inequality, emphasizing that early childhood education should be conducted in a way that supports children's holistic growth and development. In addition, the education offices stated that selecting children with outstanding abilities through selection-based level tests deviates from the essence of education and that efforts should be made to provide all children with equal educational opportunities. This decision is expected to have a positive impact on eradicating selection-based level tests in the field of early childhood education and supporting children's happy growth. The education offices said they will continue to strive to improve the quality of early childhood education and develop educational programs that are appropriate for children's developmental stages. In addition, they plan to provide parents with accurate information on early childhood education and support them in practicing education that respects children's individual characteristics.
