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'The King's Warden' on track to become Korea's biggest box-office hit after "Exhuma" SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) -"The King’s Warden" is rapidly emerging as South Korea’s next potential 10-million-viewer blockbuster, signaling a renewed appetite for domestic cinema after a year without a mega hit following "Exhuma" in 2024. According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office database, the historical drama drew 581,184 admissions on Friday, ranking No. 1 for the day. Its cumulative audience reached 5,260,595. Given packed cinemas nationwide over the weekend, the cumulative tally is likely to top six million admissions once weekend figures are fully reflected — a milestone many analysts now regard as all but certain. The film is directed by Jang Hang-jun and stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, and Jeon Mi-do. In addition to box office momentum, audience reviews on South Korea’s leading portal Naver reflect strong viewer engagement. With more than 3,200 real-time audience ratings, The King’s Warden holds a 9.02 out of 10 average score, with: 73 per cent of reviewers rating it 9–10/10, 17 per cent rating it 7–8, and a gender split showing wider female viewer participation (66 per cent) vs male (34 per cent) Such robust ratings point to strong word-of-mouth, particularly among female audiences — a factor that industry observers say is helping sustain box office growth beyond the opening week. "The King’s Warden" reached the five-million mark two days faster than "The King and the Clown", the first Korean historical film to surpass 10 million viewers, and is tracking similarly to "Masquerade", which eventually drew more than 12 million admissions. Unlike many recent releases that peaked early and tapered off, this film’s attendance curve continues to rise, a pattern distributors associate with strong long-term potential. “At this pace, six million admissions look nearly certain, and reaching 10 million is well within reach,” said a senior distribution executive. Released on Feb. 4, the film has benefited from a favorable competitive landscape. With no major domestic blockbusters scheduled through the March 1 Independence Movement Day holiday, The King’s Warden has maintained wide screen availability and high occupancy rates. Set in 1457 during the Joseon Dynasty, the film explores the psychological isolation and daily life of the deposed King Danjong during his exile in Cheongnyeongpo, Yeongwol, and his unlikely bond with a village chief seeking to revive his struggling community. Distributors credit its emotional storytelling and ensemble cast with drawing audiences beyond traditional historical drama fans. The film’s success follows a challenging 2025 for Korean cinema. In 2025, no domestic film surpassed the 10-million-viewer mark, an unprecedented outcome outside of 2021 when theaters were largely shuttered due to pandemic restrictions. The year’s most successful local release, "My Daughter Is a Zombie", drew about 5.6 million viewers. The last Korean film to cross the 10-million threshold was "Exhuma" in 2024. At No. 2 was "Humint", directed by Ryoo Seung‑wan, which drew 100,053 viewers over the same period, with a cumulative total of 1,491,010. The espionage thriller stars Jo In‑sung, Park Jung‑min, Shin Se‑kyung, and Park Hae‑joon. Third place went to No. 1, directed by Kim Tae‑yong, with 6,724 admissions and a cumulative total of 223,399. Unlike many recent mid-range hits that cooled quickly after opening week, "The King’s Warden" continued to add audiences heading into its second weekend — a rare sign in the current theatrical landscape. “The combination of high viewer ratings and strong weekend occupancy gives this film a real shot at reaching the 10-million mark,” said a theater-chain analyst. If current momentum holds, the film is expected to top six million admissions comfortably in the coming days, and early forecasts increasingly point toward it becoming the first true Korean mega-hit in the post-pandemic era. 2026-02-22 11:45:03
Aboard India's Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA, February 22 (AJP) - About 10 miles off Vizag Port, our small vessel — packed with around 80 local and international journalists — cuts through the swells for 30 to 40 minutes. Then, without warning, it appears. A vast steel wall, rising slowly over the horizon. INS Vikrant. India's first indigenous aircraft carrier. It takes several more minutes to pull alongside her and for the boarding bridge to be secured. Nobody speaks much. We are all just staring. The first stop is not the flight deck. It is somewhere far more unexpected — the hangar bay. Descend below deck and the scale hits you immediately. Roughly the size of two football fields, the hangar bay is the carrier's garage at sea — a cavernous steel chamber where up to 20 aircraft can be parked, serviced, and armed between sorties. Jets are chained to the floor with heavy-duty fittings, barely shifting even as the 45,000-ton ship rolls through open water. Technicians maneuver them into position on hydraulic turntables with practiced efficiency. Two 30-ton elevators on the starboard side stand ready to lift aircraft up through armored doors to the flight deck above — doors that stay sealed whenever the carrier is underway. We ride one of those elevators up. Slowly, the hangar bay disappears beneath us, replaced by open sky and a rush of sea wind. The first thing that strikes you is not the fighter jets parked nearby. It is the deck itself. The flight deck stretches 262.5 meters in length and more than 60 meters across — roughly two and a half football fields — hosting around thirty aircraft, including MiG-29K fighters. Look down and you will notice the lines painted across the steel: bright yellow and red, sharp and deliberate. The yellow line is a landing alignment guide, helping pilots center their aircraft on approach. The red Safety Line marks zones that are absolutely off-limits during flight operations — a boundary between routine and catastrophe, protecting crew from the lethal force of jet blast. "Crossing beyond that line can mean risking your life," one officer says grimly, his eyes fixed on the runway ahead of us. We stay well behind it. At the bow, the deck curves sharply upward into a 14-degree ski-jump ramp. There are no catapults here — aircraft launch on engine thrust alone, hurled skyward by the ramp's angle and their own power. Landing, however, is another matter entirely. "Landing is the real challenge," one pilot tells us. "You're coming in at hundreds of kilometers per hour, and your tailhook has to catch one of just three wires stretched across the deck. The system adjusts the tension in a split second — based on your speed and weight — and that's what brings you to a dead stop in such a short distance." If the hook fails to catch, the pilot immediately powers back up, circles around, and comes in for another attempt. He says it calmly. The physics of it are anything but. After the deck tour, we are escorted into a sealed briefing room deep inside the ship. Mobile signals vanish instantly. No Wi-Fi, no reception — just steel walls and the hum of machinery. Moments ago, we stood under open sky. Now, there is nothing but metal in every direction. On a carrier, silence is security. Beneath the flight deck lies a world of its own — more than 2,200 compartments housing around 1,700 crew members, who cycle between long deployments at sea and intensive maintenance periods in port. Vikrant generates enough electricity to power thousands of homes. Her onboard hospital has an ICU and a CT scanner. Three automated galleys produce nearly 5,000 meals a day. "The naan from the baking room is actually really delicious," one crew member says with a grin. Even here, morale is part of the mission. Under India's SAGAR doctrine — Security and Growth for All in the Region — Vikrant is both deterrent and lifeline. In 2025, her helicopters evacuated an injured sailor from the Arabian Sea, proof that this ship's purpose reaches far beyond combat. Back at the edge of the deck, steel meets open water. The horizon stretches without end. The carrier holds steady. And standing here, at the edge of a floating city in the middle of the Indian Ocean, that feels like the most remarkable thing of all. 2026-02-22 10:59:23
'A Man Living With the King' Tops 5.26 Million Admissions, Leads Weekend Box Office 영화 '왕과 사는 남자'가 520만 관객을 돌파했다. The film “A Man Living With the King” remained No. 1 at the box office, drawing 581,184 moviegoers on Feb. 21, according to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing network. Its cumulative audience reached 5,260,595. The film hit 5 million admissions two days earlier than “The King and the Clown,” the first historical film to surpass 10 million moviegoers, and is matching the pace of “Masquerade,” which drew 12 million admissions, the data showed. Set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, the period drama follows a village chief who volunteers for exile to revive his community and a young deposed king sent into exile. It is directed by Jang Hang-jun and stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do. “Humint,” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, ranked No. 2, selling 100,053 tickets over the same period for a total of 1,491,010 admissions. Set in Vladivostok, the film centers on people with different aims who collide in a place where secrets and truths are buried in an icy sea. It stars Jo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Shin Se-kyung and Park Hae-joon. “No. 1,” directed by Kim Tae-yong, placed third. It drew 6,724 moviegoers over the same period, bringing its cumulative total to 223,399.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 10:57:16
Short track, snowboard lead Korea's charge as Milan–Cortina Olympics close SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) - The 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics drew to a close Sunday, ending 17 days of competition that tested a new model of decentralized hosting while offering South Korea renewed confidence in its next generation of winter athletes. The Games, held across northern Italy and officially titled the Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics, featured venues spread over hundreds of kilometers, making it the most geographically dispersed Winter Games in history. Events were staged in four major clusters, supported by six athlete villages, with the closing ceremony held separately in Verona. Organizers promoted the format as a sustainability-driven alternative to large-scale construction. While the approach showcased both urban Milan and the Alpine landscape, it diluted the traditional festival atmosphere associated with the Olympics, according to many athletes and officials. Operational challenges emerged early. Several venues were completed only shortly before opening day. Power outages at curling arenas, schedule disruptions caused by heavy snowfall and norovirus cases, and concerns over defective medals added to a sense of early instability. Despite these issues, competition on ice and snow remained the central focus as the Games progressed. Korea Finishes 13th with Improved Medal Tally South Korea, which sent 71 athletes as part of a 130-member delegation, stood 13th in the medal table heading into the final day, with three gold, four silver, and three bronze medals. The result marked an improvement over the Beijing 2022 Games, where Korea collected two golds and finished 14th. Although the team fell short of its target of a top-10 finish, officials noted that both the quality and diversity of medals improved. Short track speed skating and snowboarding emerged as the pillars of Korea’s performance. Kim Gil-li delivered Korea’s strongest individual showing, winning gold in the women’s 1,500 meters and adding another gold in the 3,000-meter relay. Her victory halted teammate Choi Min-jung’s bid for a third consecutive Olympic title in the event and made Kim the only double gold medalist on the Korean team. In men’s competition, Lim Jong-eon claimed bronze in the 1,000 meters and contributed to a silver in the relay, reinforcing his status as a rising leader of the squad. The results reaffirmed short track’s position as Korea’s most reliable Olympic discipline. The biggest surprise came on the slopes. Choi Ga-on, a 17-year-old high school student born in 2008, captured gold in the women’s halfpipe, becoming Korea’s first-ever Olympic champion in a snow event. Competing despite injury, she quickly emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Games. Yoo Seung-eun added a bronze in the women’s big air, further strengthening Korea’s presence in a discipline long considered a weak point. The success of teenage athletes suggested that Korea’s winter sports portfolio is beginning to broaden beyond ice-based events. Norway once again topped the medal table, securing 18 gold medals and confirming its status as the world’s leading winter sports nation. Johannes Klaebo led the charge by sweeping all cross-country skiing events to claim six gold medals, one of the most dominant performances in Winter Olympics history. Korea also achieved notable results beyond competition. Kim Jae-youl, president of the International Skating Union, was elected to the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board. Former bobsleigh star Won Yun-jong won the IOC Athletes’ Commission election, securing an eight-year term. 2026-02-22 10:45:20
BTS to Open Ticket and Viewing Details for Gwanghwamun Square Comeback Show BTS’ Gwanghwamun Square concert is 27 days away. HYBE shared additional details on Weverse, raising anticipation among fans. Access to the designated viewing areas will be limited to winners selected from Weverse Global reservation purchasers and to holders of advance-sale tickets. Areas outside the viewing zones may face partial restrictions under on-site safety guidelines. The audience setup will include standing sections and reserved seating. Some reserved seats may have limited views because of stage production and safety structures, though large LED screens will be available on-site for viewing. The show will be available both in person and online. Offline ticket reservations will be offered for free through NOL Ticket at 8 p.m. tomorrow (23). Those unable to attend in person can watch on Netflix. “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang” will run for about an hour starting at 8 p.m. on March 21 in and around Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. Traffic in the area will be controlled to support operations and safety, and nearby subway stations may pass through without stopping depending on crowd levels. BTS will release its fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” at 1 p.m. on March 20. The 14-track album reflects the group’s identity and deep love, and uses the title of a well-known Korean folk song to express the team’s roots and the emotions felt by its members through music. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 10:21:16
ANALYSIS: Trump raises global tariff to 15% and what it means for Korea SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) -President Donald Trump has moved to raise a blanket U.S. import tariff to 15 percent, up from 10 percent, after the Supreme Court of the United States on Friday struck down much of his second-term tariff regime, renewing trade pressure on surplus-running countries such as South Korea. The new rate, 10 to 15 percent, replaces many duties invalidated by the court and takes effect immediately. It is being imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a rarely used provision that allows temporary tariffs of up to 15 percent for up to 150 days to address balance-of-payments problems. For Korea, which consistently runs large trade surpluses with the United States, the move signals that Washington’s tariff strategy is entering a new legal phase rather than winding down. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), rejecting the administration’s argument that the 1977 law implicitly authorized such measures. The ruling dismantled a core pillar of Trump’s second-term trade policy. But the White House responded swiftly. Within hours, the administration reinstated a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122. A day later, Trump said on social media that he intended to raise the rate to the fully permitted 15 percent level. “During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs,” he wrote, vowing to continue his “extraordinarily successful” trade policy. As of Sunday, the White House had yet to formally update its Friday announcement on the temporary 10 percent surcharge, which was introduced to “address fundamental international payments problems” while complying with the court ruling. Section 122 limits such tariffs to 150 days. Trump has said the administration will use that window to prepare longer-lasting measures under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which requires formal investigations into alleged unfair trade practices. The rapid shift underscores a clear strategy: rotate legal authorities to preserve tariff leverage despite judicial constraints. Why and where Korea is exposed Korea’s vulnerability lies in its persistent trade surplus with the United States, driven by strong exports of automobiles, electronics, machinery, batteries and industrial components. Under Section 122, tariffs must be applied universally and cannot target specific countries. But the provision is justified on balance-of-payments grounds, making surplus countries politically sensitive in Washington. From the U.S. perspective, Korea fits that profile. A uniform 15 percent surcharge weakens Korean exporters’ price competitiveness and reduces their ability to absorb costs in the U.S. market, especially as competition from Japan, Southeast Asia and Mexico intensifies. Korea’s exposure is underscored by the scale and persistence of its trade surplus with the United States. Korean exports to the U.S. totaled $127.8 billion in 2023 and rose to $138.1 billion in 2024 before easing to $122.9 billion in 2025, when shipments still grew 3.8 percent from a year earlier. Over the same period, Korea recorded trade surpluses of $44.4 billion in 2023, $55.6 billion in 2024 and $47.9 billion in 2025. Although the surplus narrowed last year from its 2024 peak, it remains historically high, reinforcing Washington’s perception of Korea as a structurally surplus-running trading partner and keeping bilateral imbalances firmly in the political spotlight. Short-term impact: manageable In the near term, the impact on Korean exporters may be manageable. Under trade arrangements reached in 2025, many Korean products were already operating under tariff ceilings close to 15 percent, linked to large-scale investment and procurement commitments to the United States. In that sense, the new surcharge partly restores a previous baseline. In addition, goods already covered by national-security tariffs under Section 232 — including steel, aluminum and automobiles — are exempt from stacking, limiting immediate damage in some core sectors. These factors reduce the risk of an abrupt export shock. The greater threat lies beyond the Section 122 window. Once the 150-day limit expires, the administration is expected to pivot to more durable tools, including Section 301 investigations into country- or product-specific practices, expanded use of Section 232 national-security tariffs, and sector probes in semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. Unlike Section 122, these measures can be tailored to specific partners and industries. For Korea, whose export structure is concentrated in politically sensitive sectors, the risk of selective and longer-lasting barriers remains high. The current surcharge may therefore serve as a bridge to more targeted actions. For Korean companies, the main cost is not only the tariff rate, but instability. In less than a week, U.S. policy shifted from court invalidation to a 10 percent emergency tariff, then to a 15 percent surcharge under a different statute, with further changes promised. This volatility creates three immediate problems. First, contract risk rises as exporters are forced to renegotiate prices and delivery terms. Second, investment planning becomes more difficult as assumptions about market access continue to change. Third, compliance costs increase as firms repeatedly adjust to new customs rules and exemptions. In effect, uncertainty itself becomes a non-tariff barrier. The tariff shift also complicates Korea’s $350 billion U.S. investment commitment, negotiated partly in exchange for more stable trade conditions. With the original tariff framework weakened by the court ruling, questions have emerged over how binding the package remains in political and legal terms. Seoul is unlikely to reopen negotiations, given their links to defense, shipbuilding and energy cooperation. But companies may become more cautious in sequencing projects, using implementation speed as leverage in future talks. Washington, meanwhile, may continue to cite investment progress as a benchmark in trade negotiations. Another unresolved issue is whether companies will be able to recover tariffs paid under the invalidated IEEPA regime. The Supreme Court did not require automatic refunds, prompting firms to prepare legal claims. For Korean exporters operating under DDP (delivered duty paid) terms or paying duties through U.S. subsidiaries, prolonged refund procedures could strain cash flow, particularly for smaller firms. Government support for documentation and claims processing is likely to become increasingly important. For now, the Korean government is opting for restraint rather than retaliation. Policy priorities include monitoring exemptions and non-stacking rules under Section 122, quiet engagement with Washington on sector-specific risks, and strengthening support for exporters facing refund and compliance issues. Officials see limited scope for immediate countermeasures and are focusing instead on risk management. For Korea, the short-term impact may be contained. But with a large and persistent surplus and heavy exposure in strategic industries, the medium-term risks remain firmly in place. 2026-02-22 09:32:55
Norway Clinches Top Spot in Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics; South Korea 13th Norway locked up first place in the overall standings at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics with one day remaining. South Korea stayed 13th with 10 medals (three gold, four silver, three bronze). As of Feb. 21 local time, Norway led with 18 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals. With only five gold medals left on the final day, the United States in second (11 gold, 12 silver, nine bronze) cannot catch Norway even if it wins all remaining events. The result gives Norway a fourth straight Winter Games overall title, after Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022. Norway’s dominance was most evident in cross-country skiing. Johannes Klaebo swept all six men’s gold medals — the 10km+10km skiathlon, sprint classic, 10km interval start free, 4x7.5km relay, team sprint and 50km mass start — to set a new record for most golds by one athlete at a single Winter Olympics. He also raised his career Olympic gold total to 11, breaking the previous record held by American Eric Heiden, who won five golds at Lake Placid 1980. South Korea, which collected one gold and two silvers in short track the previous day, added no medals on Feb. 21 and remained 13th overall. Jeong Jae-won finished fifth in the men’s speedskating mass start, and Park Ji-woo (both Gangwon Provincial Government) placed 14th in the women’s mass start. South Korean speedskating ended the Olympics without a medal for the first time in 24 years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 07:36:00
Cha Jun-hwan, Lee Hae-in bring Korean music to Olympic figure skating gala in Milan Cha Jun-hwan of Seoul City Hall and Lee Hae-in of Korea University, two of South Korea’s top figure skaters, took the ice in the Olympic gala show with programs set to Korean music. They skated in the 2026 Milan-Cortina figure skating gala at Milan’s Ice Skating Arena. The gala is an exhibition in which selected Olympic skaters perform without required jumps and with freedom in costumes and music choices. It features medalists in men’s and women’s singles, pairs and ice dance, along with specially invited skaters chosen with competition results and fan requests in mind. South Korea did not have a skater in the gala at the 2022 Beijing Games, but Cha and Lee performed this time. The show opened with a performance by Italian women’s singles standout Carolina Kostner, who competed in the same era as South Korean star Kim Yuna. Skating fourth in the second half, Cha performed to musician Song So-hee’s “Not a Dream.” He mixed triple jumps, step sequences and spins, drawing applause from the crowd. “Falling in love with figure skating was about freedom, and when I heard this song I felt a lot of that freedom, so I chose it for the gala,” Cha said. “At the Olympics, a festival for people around the world, I wanted to perform to a song that could introduce Korea as a Korean representative, and I’m grateful I had the chance.” Cha said his 2018 Pyeongchang gala showed the bright, bold feel he could bring as a teenager, but that eight years later he has grown and took a bigger role in choreography. “I wanted to show my own story and message,” he said. Lee, who has often used K-pop in past gala appearances, skated this time to the theme song of the popular animated series “K-pop Demon Hunters.” Wearing a black gat hat and carrying a fan with a durumagi-style outfit, she delivered a lively performance that drew cheers. Lee said it was “special” to skate in the gala at her first Olympics. “It’s already disappointing that it’s over, and I’m excited to see what I’ll show at the next competition I enter,” she said. Also performing were the men’s and women’s singles champions, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan and Alysa Liu of the United States. Spain’s ice dance team of Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck staged a penalty kick with a soccer ball, performing in support of Spain’s national team and its hopes of winning the 2026 World Cup in North America. Malinin, who had been viewed as a leading contender in men’s singles but missed the medals after repeated jump mistakes in competition, landed a high-difficulty quadruple toe loop and then a backflip, earning loud applause. 2026-02-22 07:27:00
K Bank IPO Draws Tepid Demand on First Day of Retail Subscription K Bank, seen as this year’s first major IPO, posted weaker-than-expected results on the first day of its retail share subscription. Even after setting its offering price at the bottom of the indicated range, investor interest was markedly cooler than during KakaoBank’s 2021 listing. According to the financial investment industry on the 22nd, subscription deposits collected by lead managers and underwriters NH Investment & Securities, Samsung Securities and Shinhan Investment Corp. totaled about 608.2 billion won as of the close on Feb. 20, the first day of retail subscriptions. By firm, subscription competition ratios were 7.88 to 1, 8.74 to 1 and 45.24 to 1. The number of subscription applications totaled about 320,000. The contrast with KakaoBank’s 2021 IPO was sharp. KakaoBank drew about 12.0522 trillion won in deposits on the first day and posted a combined competition ratio of 37.8 to 1, with about 960,000 subscription applications. K Bank set its offering price at 8,300 won, the low end of its indicated range of 8,300 to 9,500 won. The total offering size is 498 billion won, and its expected market capitalization after listing is about 3.3673 trillion won. That is a steep cut from the roughly 5 trillion won valuation discussed during its second attempt to go public. Analysts say valuation premiums for internet-only banks have been shrinking as the interest-rate environment shifts and household lending rules tighten. A stronger investor focus on profitability and asset quality has also weighed on demand. Ko Kyung-beom, an analyst at Yuanta Securities, said market expectations for internet banks have fallen during K Bank’s three IPO attempts. He added that a decline in net interest margin, compared with other internet banks, is a key burden. Attention now turns to the final subscription results on the 23rd. Based on first-day deposits alone, many observers say it will be difficult to expect a breakout hit. While IPO subscriptions often see a late surge on the final day, it remains unclear whether enough money will flow in to quickly change the tone. Cho A-hae, an analyst at Meritz Securities, said valuation premiums for internet banks are rooted in growth expectations, but recent return on equity has been lower than that of major commercial banks. With a household-loan-heavy portfolio and tighter lending regulations raising the risk of slower growth, Cho said how well the company proves its growth prospects will be a key driver of the stock price. 2026-02-22 07:03:00
Kim Yu-ran, Jeon Eun-ji Place 16th in Women’s Two-Woman Bobsled at Milan-Cortina Olympics Kim Yu-ran of Gangwon Provincial Office and Jeon Eun-ji of the Gyeonggi federation finished 16th in the women’s two-woman bobsled at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Racing at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the pair posted a four-heat total of 3 minutes, 52.04 seconds after completing heats three and four on Feb. 22 (Korea time). They were 15th among 25 teams after the first two heats in 1:55.79. In the third heat, they clocked 58.15 seconds to stay 15th at 2:53.94 overall and secure a spot in the fourth heat, reserved for the top 20 teams. They trimmed their time slightly to 58.10 in the final run but slipped one place to 16th in the final standings. South Korea last competed in the event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, when Kim teamed with Kim Min-seong and placed 15th. The country did not qualify for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, making this its first women’s two-woman entry in eight years. Germany’s Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi won gold in 3:48.46 to repeat as Olympic champions. Teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Nelle Schuten took silver in 3:48.99. The United States’ Kaillie Humphries and Jasmine Jones earned bronze in 3:49.21. Humphries added her second bronze medal of these Games after also taking bronze in monobob.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 06:15:00