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
A South Korean court has sentenced a North Korean defector in her 30s—often described as one of Southeast Asia’s “three major drug lords”—to 23 years in prison for masterminding large-scale methamphetamine trafficking.
The Uijeongbu District Court’s Criminal Division 13 also ordered her to complete 80 hours of a drug addiction treatment program and to pay 458.55 million won in forfeiture. The defendant, identified only by her surname Choi, reportedly defected to South Korea in 2011 and was previously convicted in a drug-related case in 2017.
After leaving for China in 2018, investigators said she moved between China, Southeast Asia and South Korea, coordinating drug distribution through so-called “drop-off” deals, in which narcotics are hidden and their locations are disclosed to buyers after payment. Prosecutors added that she also used meth herself.
Between 2020 and 2021, Choi allegedly smuggled about 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from Cambodia, disguising the drugs as yarn and shipping them via international mail. She was arrested in Cambodia in 2022 and later extradited to South Korea.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
A Korean NGO school official has encouraged Cambodian students, particularly those studying in the Republic of Korea, to apply for his school’s awards in either Korean or English.
The awards, known as the “Miracle Diversity Awards,” feature multiple categories, including Literature (poetry, essays and short stories) and Arts (painting, photography and video), and are open to students worldwide, said Oh Taeseok, General Manager of Miracle Operation Korean (OK) School based in Seoul.
Since the awards were launched in 2024, students from the United States, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, India, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and several other countries have applied. Speaking at his office in Seoul on Friday to Dr. Chhay Sophal, President of the Asia Journalist Association, Oh said Miracle OK School’s outreach programmes provide tailored Korean-language education for migrant families to support daily settlement, for migrant workers in corporate environments, and for university students for academic purposes.
Currently, Miracle OK School offers Korean-language classes at its Gimpo Center, Pocheon Center and Seocho headquarters, where a small number of Cambodian migrant workers are also enrolled. The school also runs the Seesaw Project, an intercultural exchange initiative that allows native residents and migrant students to participate together in understanding and accepting different cultural backgrounds, transforming negative perceptions into positive ones and helping to realize a beautiful and diverse society.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
Bangladesh has signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan, under which about 7,379 Bangladeshi products — including ready-made garments — will receive 100 per cent duty-free access to the Japanese market. In return, Japan will gradually receive duty-free or preferential access for 1,039 products in the Bangladeshi market.
The agreement was signed in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, on Friday. This marks the first time Bangladesh has signed an economic partnership agreement with any country. According to a government statement, the agreement was signed at a ceremony at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin and Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hori Iwao.
The effective implementation of the agreement is expected to open a new chapter of mutual prosperity. It will also create opportunities for skilled Bangladeshi professionals to work in Japan across about 120 service sectors in some 16 fields, including information technology, engineering, education, caregiving and nursing.
Japan is currently Bangladesh’s largest export destination in Asia. Bangladesh’s annual exports to Japan are valued at around US$2 billion, most of which consist of ready-made garments. Imports from Japan, meanwhile, have fluctuated between US$1.8 billion and US$2.7 billion annually over the past few years.
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