AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
The World Korean Newspaper has announced the recipients of its 2025 Best Head of Overseas Mission Award and Best Consul Award, honoring overseas mission heads and consular officers who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in protecting Koreans abroad, responding to incidents and emergencies, communicating with Korean communities, and strengthening cultural and public diplomacy.
Recipients of the Best Head of Overseas Mission Award are Kim Hak-jae, Ambassador to Chile; Lee Seong-ho, Ambassador to India; Lim Soo-seok, Ambassador to Spain; Lim Jeong-taek, Consul General in San Francisco; and Ham Sang-wook, Ambassador to Austria. The Best Consul Award was presented to Lee Kwon-yeol (Barcelona), Lee Gil-su (Wuhan), Lee Dong-hee (El Salvador), and Choi Young-joon (UAE).
All awardees were selected based on recommendations from local Korean community organizations. The Best Consul Award was established last year to recognize and encourage heads of overseas missions and consular officers who have devoted themselves to serving overseas Korean communities. The Best Head of Overseas Mission Award has been presented annually since the founding of the World Korean Newspaper in 2010.
The selection committee consisted of Kim Deok-ryong, Chairman of the Global Korean Community Foundation; Kim Jeong-nam, former Senior Secretary for Education, Culture, and Social Affairs at the Blue House; Yoo Ju-yeol, former Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lee Gap-san, Chairman of the Pan-Civic Organizations Federation; Kang Sung-joo, former Head of MBC News; and Lee Jong-hwan, Publisher of the World Korean Newspaper.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
The Korea Heritage and Cultural Agency (KHCA) this week fully restored Chorm Temple, part of the early 12th-century Preah Pithu Temple Group located near Angkor Thom Temple within the Angkor Wat complex.
The restoration project, which began in 2019, was carried out in collaboration with experts from Cambodia’s APSARA National Authority (ANA) and was completed on Tuesday. Eo Jinkyu, architect and project leader for the restoration and conservation of the Elephant Terrace and the Preah Pithu Temple Group at KHCA, said that Chorm Temple now stands firm following the experts’ careful restoration work. The project involved dismantling and reassembling the entire structure, and included returning 113 stones found around the temple to their original positions, he said.
The Korean experts also expressed their joy at seeing the temple regain its complete and solid appearance after suffering significant damage prior to the renovation, Jinkyu added. He said he expects tourists and members of the public to visit the temple once it is reopened by the APSARA National Authority.
Nasir Aijaz, Sindh Courier, Pakistan
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who is on an official visit to Libya, met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, to discuss matters of mutual interest, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said on Thursday.
“Matters of mutual interest, regional security dynamics, and avenues for enhancing bilateral defence and military-to-military cooperation were discussed during the meeting with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar,” the ISPR said in a statement.
The statement added that both sides underscored the importance of collaboration in the areas of training, capacity building, and counter-terrorism. Field Marshal Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Libya based on shared interests.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
The Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has expressed hope that leading South Korean companies will show interest in investing in Bangladesh. He said the interim government has undertaken several reform initiatives aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.
Dr. Yunus made the remarks during a meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Park Young-sik on Wednesday. As his diplomatic tenure has come to an end, Ambassador Park paid a farewell call on the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka. The ambassador conveyed his best wishes for Bangladesh’s democratic transformation and expressed hope that a free, fair, and peaceful election would be held on February 12.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and South Korea. Ambassador Park said that South Korean electronics giant Samsung has shown interest in expanding its operations in Bangladesh, including plans to increase mobile phone production.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Syeda Amna Batool, has been nominated as a member of the FIFA Reforms Committee. In this role, she will contribute to efforts aimed at improving football in Pakistan.
Speaking to Daily Jang, she said there is significant room for improvement in Pakistani football. She noted that the development of any sport requires multi-faceted efforts, adding, “I believe that institutional reforms in Pakistani football will now be more substantial than in previous eras, and our players will receive maximum opportunities in global football.”
Since taking office in May this year, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Mohsin Raza Naqvi has utilized his relationships with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to play a key role in inducting individuals associated with Pakistani football into various international committees. This initiative is expected to bring improvements to the sport at both national and international levels.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information has welcomed Amna Batool’s nomination to the FIFA Reforms Committee, describing it as a significant development for Pakistani football.
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