Culture minister vows bigger budget to back K-culture, weighs 'Korea Arena' concept "I will firmly support K-culture so it can keep pushing forward," Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said Feb. 12 at a meeting with reporters in Seoul, repeatedly stressing the need to significantly expand the culture budget. Choi said K-culture is gaining strength and spreading widely into everyday life around the world, adding, "I will not miss this opportunity." He said there is growing agreement that because culture and the arts are recognized as February 12, 2026

T’way Air tops 11 million passengers in 2025 T’way Air said Wednesday that its total passenger count for 2025 topped 11 million. The figure was up about 10% from roughly 9.9 million passengers in 2023, when travel demand began recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic, and up 5% from 10.5 million the year before. T’way Air operated 50 scheduled routes in 2023. It expanded service with new Europe routes such as Paris and Rome in 2024 and broadened international flights departing from regional airports via Cheongju and Jeju February 12, 2026

Test drive: KG Mobility revives Musso pickup with new diesel and gas options "An appealing vehicle with a solid, heavyweight feel." South Korea’s Musso pickup is back. KG Mobility (KGM) is rolling out a new Musso this year, packaging what it calls 24 years of pickup heritage as it moves to expand its share of the market. On Tuesday, the reporter drove about 120 kilometers (75 miles) round trip from Times Square in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo district to Have Fun Cafe in Paju to test the new Musso. The diesel model felt large enough to fill a parking-space February 12, 2026

BYD Signs Official Partnership With Manchester City FC BYD said Wednesday it has signed a deal to become Manchester City FC’s official automotive partner. Under the agreement, BYD Group will supply BYD and DENZA vehicles to the club. It will also provide vehicle-charging infrastructure and energy-storage battery solutions at the City Football Academy, the training complex used by the men’s and women’s first teams and academy sides. Starting Wednesday, the BYD logo will appear on the sleeve of the men’s first-team training k February 12, 2026

KTV to Recruit 10 Young Online Creators for Social Media Content KTV National Broadcasting, known as KTV, said Wednesday it is accepting applications for its “KTV Online Young Creator” program.  KTV said the open recruitment aims to strengthen policy communication with direct youth participation and to attract more young subscribers to its social media channels, which it said have largely drawn older audiences.  Applicants must be ages 19 to 39. Selected creators will produce online content for KTV’s official social media channels, including YouTube, February 12, 2026

Court orders HYBE to pay Min Hee Jin about 25.5 billion won in Ador put-option case A South Korean court has ordered HYBE to pay about 25.5 billion won to Min Hee Jin, former CEO of Ador and now CEO of OK Records, in a dispute over a put option, or stock buyback right. The Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31, led by Presiding Judge Nam In Soo, ruled Thursday that HYBE must pay Min about 25.5 billion won in a stock purchase price lawsuit she filed. The court also dismissed HYBE’s separate lawsuit seeking confirmation that a shareholder agreement had been term February 12, 2026

Kia Reopens Historic Siheung Service Center Site as Flagship Store Kia’s Siheung Service Center, a site tied to the automaker’s early history, has reopened as the Kia Siheung Flagship Store. Kia said Thursday it has officially opened the new store as a one-stop complex where customers can view vehicles, take test drives, buy cars, receive service and experience the brand in one place. The Siheung location is Kia’s sixth flagship store, following sites in Seoul’s Gangseo district, Incheon, Bucheon, Gwangju and Wonju. Built on the former Siheung Service Ce February 12, 2026

Wolves held 0-0 at Nottingham Forest as Hwang Hee-chan sits out, winless streak hits six Wolverhampton Wanderers, without key forward Hwang Hee-chan, drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest. Wolves and Nottingham played to a scoreless draw in a 2025-2026 English Premier League Round 26 match at the City Ground in Nottingham, England, on Wednesday. The result extended Wolves’ winless run to six league matches. Wolves added one point but stayed bottom of the table with nine points. Hwang was left out of the matchday squad after he was substituted with calf pain in a loss to Chelsea o February 12, 2026

Kolon Mobility Group outlines plan to reach 1 trillion won valuation by 2027 Kolon Mobility Group said Thursday it held its “2026 Town Hall Meeting” to share its mid- to long-term strategy and vision, including a goal of surpassing a corporate valuation of 1 trillion won in 2027. The meeting, held under the slogan “A leap toward a 1 trillion won valuation in 2027,” drew about 130 managers in person, while about 1,700 employees nationwide joined via a live YouTube broadcast. The event featured CEO keynote talks by co-CEOs Kang Lee Gu and Choi Hyun Seok, February 12, 2026

Hyundai Steel Wins South Korea’s First KOLAS Recognition for Cryogenic Tensile Testing Hyundai Steel said Wednesday it has become the first company in South Korea’s steel industry to receive Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme, or KOLAS, recognition in cryogenic materials testing, a key area for next-generation energy storage facilities. Its Pohang testing center recently received international accredited testing-lab recognition from KOLAS, an accreditation body under the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, for cryogenic tensile testing. KOLAS accreditation is an February 12, 2026