Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Kumho Petrochemical Earns A- in CDP Climate Rating Kumho Petrochemical said Sunday it received an A- rating from CDP, a global sustainability and environmental, social and governance assessment platform, up from a B rating last year. CDP is a nonprofit that discloses, analyzes and evaluates environmental information from more than 24,000 major companies worldwide at the request of global financial institutions representing a combined $130 trillion in assets. It assesses companies’ climate strategies and execution, including efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, expand the use of self-consumed solar power and develop Scope 3 reduction road maps. CDP’s system can lower a company’s score if it shows no improvement from the previous year. The results are widely used as a key reference by global ESG rating agencies, institutional investors and international business partners, the company said. Kumho Petrochemical had maintained a B rating for the past three years but was upgraded to A- this year, it said. The company said the higher score reflected its management of carbon emissions in raw and subsidiary materials, known as Scope 3 Category 1, using verified data, and its establishment of a supply-chain climate assessment system that led to practical emissions reductions. Chief Executive Officer Baek Jong-hoon said earning the A- rating showed the company’s climate response had been applied across management and worksites, not limited to declarations or plans. “We will continue responsible climate action so that meaningful change continues across the entire process, including the supply chain,” he said. Separately, the Kumho Petrochemical Group said its affiliates Kumho Mitsui Chemicals and Kumho Polychem received Platinum ratings last year from EcoVadis, a global supply-chain sustainability assessor.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 18:03:00 -
Hyundai, Kia poised to surpass 1 million EVs in cumulative sales in Europe SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia are on the verge of reaching 1 million cumulative electric vehicle sales in Europe by the first half of this year, the automotive giant said on Sunday. Their combined EV sales stood at 915,996 units as of the end of last year, since the launch of Kia's compact sport-utility vehicle Soul in 2014. With monthly sales surpassing 15,000 units, they are on track to surpass 1 million units in cumulative sales soon. The milestone comes after the two automakers achieved annual sales of 100,000 units for the first time, with some 135,408 units sold there in 2021. Sales continued to rise, reaching 143,460 vehicles in 2022 and 147,457 in 2023, before slightly slipping to 121,705 amid reduced EV subsidies in major European countries including Germany. But sales rebounded to 183,912 last year, buoyed by a wave of new releases such as Hyundai's Ioniq 9 and Kia's EV4 and EV5, setting a record. Meanwhile, Europe's EV market has regained momentum since last year. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), annual EV sales reached 2.59 million units last year, accounting for 19.5 percent of the market. In December, EV sales also surpassed those of gasoline vehicles for the first time. 2026-02-15 16:24:03 -
ACC to Stream Children’s Theater and Contemporary Dance on YouTube During Lunar New Year Holiday During the Lunar New Year holiday, viewers can watch children’s theater and contemporary dance at home on the ACC YouTube channel. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s National Asian Culture Center said Sunday it will run an online program, “Lunar New Year with ACC,” on the ACC YouTube channel from Feb. 14 to 18. The streamed performances are the children’s play “Eoduksini” and the dance work “1℃,” which raises questions about the climate crisis. “Eoduksini,” created for the “2023 ACC Children and Youth Original Production,” reinterprets Korean folktales in a modern way. The production has continued to tour after winning an acting award at the 2024 Seoul Children’s Theater Awards, earning praise for balancing artistic quality and popular appeal. It follows a traditional Korean goblin, Eoduksini — a creature said to exist only when it receives human attention — and a human child who has retreated into the darkness. As they comfort each other’s wounds, they search for the value of existence in a journey that is dark yet warm. ACC said the play offers children imagination and gives adults a chance to reflect on overlooked beings. A “2025 ACC International Cooperation Performance,” “1℃” is a contemporary dance work by choreographer Heo Seong-im and was selected for the 2025 Seoul International Performing Arts Festival. The piece asks, “Can art spur action in the face of the climate crisis?” and draws audiences into the reality of climate change. It portrays the serious threat that a temperature shift of just 1 degree Celsius can pose to Earth’s ecosystems through dynamic movement, lighting and music, and delivers the message that “every small gesture matters in shaping the future.” The work premiered last October at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and later completed invited performances at three theaters in the U.K., including London’s Southbank Centre. ACC said the program was planned to expand public access to culture during the holiday and to improve access to ACC original productions. No reservation or fee is required, and anyone can watch through the official ACC YouTube channel. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 16:03:00 -
South Korea secures fifth medal, eyes more in short-track speed skating SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics now halfway through in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, South Korea added one more silver medal as short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon finished second in the men's 1,500 meters on Saturday. South Korea is currently ranked 14th in the overall tally, with one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. Norway continued to lead the standings with ten gold medals, followed by Italy with six, the U.S. with five, and both Australia and France with four each. Hwang's medal was the country's fifth, following snowboarders Kim Sang-gyeom, who won silver in the men's parallel giant slalom; Yoo Seung-eun, who took bronze in the women's big air; Choi Ga-on, who claimed gold in the women's halfpipe; and skater Rim Jong-un, who earned bronze in the men's 1,000 meters in short-track speed skating. With 71 athletes competing at this year's quadrennial sporting event on snow and ice, South Korea is aiming for a top-10 finish with at least three gold medals. The country is now expecting more medals in short-track speed skating. Earlier in the day, the women's 3,000-meter relay team consisting of Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, Lee So-yeon, and Shim Suk-hee advanced to the final, which is slated for Wednesday. After missing out on medals in both the women's 500 meters and the mixed relay earlier last week, they are determined to win this time. Choi and Kim, who also advanced through the preliminary round of the women's 1,000 meters along with Noh Do-hee, are set to compete in the semifinals and final scheduled for Monday. In speed skating, Kim Jun-ho wrapped up his fourth Olympic appearance by finishing 12th in the men's 500 meters with a time of 34.68 seconds, while his compatriot Koo Kyung-min placed 15th with a time of 34.80 seconds. Speed skaters Kim Min-sun and Lee Na-hyun are set to compete in the women's 500 meters later in the day. Russian-born Ekaterina Avvakumova, who became a naturalized South Korean in 2016, finished 58th out of 91 competitors in the women's 7.5-kilometer biathlon sprint with a time of 23:18.03. She previously made history by winning South Korea's first-ever biathlon gold medal at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin. Biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting, became an official Olympic discipline for women at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. Meanwhile, Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became South America's first Winter Olympic medalist by winning gold in the men's giant slalom. It was the first time an athlete from a South American nation had ever won a medal at the Winter Olympics, which began in 1924. Braathen, born to a Brazilian mother and Norwegian father, competed for Norway at the 2022 Beijing Olympics before switching to represent Brazil in 2024. 2026-02-15 14:36:00 -
Hyundai, Kia Near 1 Million EV Sales in Europe as Market Rebounds Hyundai Motor and Kia are expected to reach 1 million cumulative electric-vehicle sales in Europe in the first half of this year. Hyundai Motor Group said on Feb. 15 that the two automakers sold a combined 915,996 EVs in Europe from the start of Soul EV sales in 2014 through last year. In 2021, they sold 135,408 EVs in Europe, topping 100,000 annual sales there for the first time. Sales continued to rise in 2022 and 2023, reaching 143,460 and 147,457 vehicles, respectively. In 2024, sales fell to 121,705 amid reduced EV subsidies in major European countries including Germany and concerns about an economic slowdown. Last year, sales rebounded to 183,912 on the strength of new models such as the Ioniq 9, EV4 and EV5. That was more than a 50% increase from a year earlier and the highest annual total on record. Given that Hyundai and Kia averaged more than 15,000 EV sales a month in Europe last year, the group said it is likely the companies will surpass 1 million cumulative sales in the European EV market in the first half of this year. Europe’s EV market has also regained momentum since last year. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, or ACEA, said annual EV sales totaled 2,585,187 last year, accounting for 19.5% of the market, and in December EV sales surpassed gasoline vehicles for the first time.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 14:06:32 -
President Lee Jae-myung congratulates Hwang Dae-heon on Olympic 1500m silver President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday congratulated short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon after he won a silver medal in the men’s 1,500 meters at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. In a Facebook post titled, “A calm race by a true ice competitor — congratulations on Korea’s short-track silver,” Lee said, “I sincerely congratulate him,” adding that he applauded Hwang for a “hard-earned silver medal.” Hwang finished second in the men’s 1,500-meter final held Saturday (local time), crossing in 2:12.304 behind Jens van’t Wout of the Netherlands. Hwang, who won silver in the 500 meters at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and gold in the 1,500 meters plus silver in the 5,000-meter relay at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has now medaled at three consecutive Games. Lee said Hwang “proved once again he is among the world’s best” by adding silver to his 2022 Olympic gold, and noted he also set a record as the first in South Korean men’s short track to win medals at three straight Olympics. “Even in a fierce race, he stayed calm to the end and kept his pace,” Lee wrote, calling Hwang a true “ice competitor” and adding, “It’s incredible, and I’m proud.” Lee also voiced support for Hwang’s pledge to become “an athlete remembered for a long time, not a star who shines briefly,” saying he hoped Hwang’s hard work and passion would lead to more strong results. Lee again congratulated Hwang on the silver and offered encouragement to fellow South Korean competitors Shin Dong-min and Lim Jong-eon. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 13:24:00 -
National Gugak Center to Stage Lunar New Year Show 'Seol Majung Gase' on Feb. 17 The National Gugak Center said Sunday it will present a Lunar New Year family program, “Seol Ma(馬)jung Gase,” at 3 p.m. on Feb. 17 at its Yeakdang Theater. The show was planned for 2026, the Byeongo Year (丙午年), described as the “Year of the Red Horse.” It will pair traditional and newly created Korean music and dance to welcome New Year’s blessings and deliver a message of hope about moving forward. The program opens with the center’s Court Music Orchestra performing “Sujecheon.” It continues with the Folk Music Orchestra’s “Binari” and a medley of folk songs, offering wishes for peace and good fortune. The center’s Dance Company and Folk Music Orchestra then join for a fan dance, followed by “Pangut” and a janggu drum dance. A one-act changgeuk excerpt from “Simcheongga,” titled “The Road to Hwangseong,” will feature National Changgeuk Company members Seo Jeong-geum and Choi Yong-seok, among others. In the second half, the center’s Creative Music Orchestra will perform “Sound of Hoofbeats,” filling the stage with driving rhythms. The orchestra will also team with Ssinggeut Arariga for a traditional Korean children’s song set aimed at young audience members. On the day of the performance, the center will run a Lunar New Year hands-on program, “Umyun Land Returns,” from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on its lawn. Activities include traditional folk games, clay dumpling-making and crafting lucky pouches. A center official said the Lunar New Year program “brings together tradition and new works, music and dance,” and will serve as “a place to welcome New Year’s blessings and start the year with hope.” The performance will be held at the Yeakdang Theater, with folk and craft activities for attendees on the lawn beginning two hours before curtain. Tickets are available through the National Gugak Center website or by phone. All seats cost 20,000 won* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 13:06:00 -
National Museums in South Korea Offer Lunar New Year Events, Free Exhibits National museums across South Korea are marking the Lunar New Year holiday with cultural programs designed for families nationwide. The National Museum of Korea said Sunday the events were planned to celebrate Seollal, the country’s traditional New Year, and to offer visitors more hands-on opportunities to experience traditional culture. At the National Museum of Korea, the spring plum blossom exhibit "Ipchun Maehyang" is being held during the holiday period. The exhibit began Feb. 3 and runs through Feb. 18, featuring plum blossoms in full bloom. From mid-March, the museum will continue the seasonal theme with a spring flower festival, "Geoulmot Plum Blossom Fragrance," timed to the blooming of plum trees around the Mirror Pond on the museum grounds. The museum is also running a Seollal-themed, visitor-participation SNS event tied to the plum exhibit: visitors who post a verification photo after viewing and register it with the event post will be entered in a drawing for small souvenirs. During the Lunar New Year holiday, visitors can also see the "Our Yi Sun-sin" exhibition free of charge. The museum will be closed on Seollal itself. The National Museum of Korea is also displaying the full 22-panel set of "Daedongyeojido" by cartographer Kim Jeong-ho (1804?~1866?) starting Feb. 12 on the first floor of the permanent exhibition hall along "The Road of History." The display offers a rare chance to view the complete "Daedongyeojido," produced by Kim in 1861 (Cheoljong 12), at a glance. The National Folk Museum of Korea will hold its 2026 Seollal festival, "Bok-it-Seol," on the 16th. In the main building lobby, visitors can use a yut-stick fortune-telling kiosk for a New Year’s fortune experience titled "Byeongo Year Seen Through Yut." The museum will also run a "Well-Wishes Archive" where families and neighbors can leave New Year messages. Other offerings include a special Seollal performance, the family pansori-style theater piece "Finding the Sound of Princess Bari"; a "Sodam Play Yard" featuring traditional games such as jegi, ttakji and spinning tops; and videos exploring the meaning of Seollal. At the museum’s Paju branch, the Seollal seasonal program "Seolma-jung — A Soft-and-Lively Seasonal Playground" will be offered. In a storage-linked activity based on the tradition of exchanging well-wishes on Seollal, "New Year’s Greetings Completed With Horse-Related Words," visitors will find horse-related artifacts and use their meanings to complete a New Year greeting. Those who finish the activity sheet will receive a Seollal souvenir inspired by tteokguk. Regional national museums are also hosting Seollal events reflecting local themes. The Gwangju National Museum will offer a multi-stamp bookmark-making activity at its ceramics culture center and a workshop to make a horse-insignia plaster air freshener. At the Buyeo National Museum, visitors can try folk games including yutnori, tuho and jegichagi. The Daegu National Museum will host hands-on sessions where visitors can make items such as a card-holder-style horse insignia and a gat key ring. Other national museums around the country have prepared additional programs, including traditional games such as jegichagi, rolling hoops and spinning tops, Seollal lucky pouches, and gonggi. Visitors can join on site without reservations, and participation is free. Yoo Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, said the museum "carefully prepared" a range of events so people can spend the holiday enjoying traditional culture with their families. He added that the museum will continue developing programs so it can serve not only as a place to view artifacts but also as a cultural hub connecting generations and local communities. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-15 11:27:00 -
OPINION: What Bangladesh's democratic transition means for Asia SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Asia is no longer on the margins of the global order. Population, production, technology, and culture are increasingly shifting east, with major trade and logistics networks centered on Asian ports. Digital innovation and cultural industries are also expanding rapidly across Asian cities. Yet political developments are still often judged through a Western lens, with democracy and market economies assessed by how closely they align with Western standards. The key question is whether Asia should continue defining itself in comparison with the West or develop its own framework based on its history and experience. This series, part of "Asia Insight," begins with the idea that Asia should develop its own language to explain itself and reinterpret democracy and market economics in an Asian context. Its first case study is Bangladesh's recent change of government. Since gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh has experienced military coups, authoritarian rule, dynastic politics, and street protests. Democracy in Bangladesh has repeatedly been challenged, and elections have at times sparked conflict and division. The two major parties, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have competed for power for decades, reflecting not only political rivalry but also competing visions of national identity. The 2026 general election last Friday marked a major turning point in Bangladesh's political trajectory. A BNP-led coalition secured widespread voter support through a nationwide campaign and strong party organization, winning well over a majority of seats amid high turnout on election day. Voting and counting proceeded relatively smoothly under the oversight of international monitors and domestic election authorities, and despite some objections, the results were accepted without large-scale clashes. The outcome was significant beyond a simple win or loss, demonstrating that power could change hands through ballots rather than force. The process, in which Tarique Rahman returned home after 17 years in exile and emerged as the leading candidate for prime minister, was presented as a transfer of power through constitutional procedures rather than military intervention or emergency rule. During the post-election transition, efforts were made to avoid sharp confrontation, and the new leadership pledged to prioritize national stability and the restoration of normal governance. The implications extend beyond Bangladesh, as Asia confronts overlapping pressures from U.S.-China rivalry, rising protectionism, energy-security uncertainties, and rivalry over technological dominance. Global supply chains are being reshaped, and middle powers are pursuing balanced diplomacy to avoid overdependence on any single major power. Bangladesh, too, signaled its intention to guard against excessive reliance on one country and diversify its diplomatic and economic strategy, a concern shared by many nations in Southeast Asia. The question of whether states become arenas for great-power competition or achieve strategic autonomy is not unique to Bangladesh. Still, an election victory is only a starting point. Democracy is not built on votes alone; it also requires judicial independence, press freedom, a political culture that respects the opposition, and transparent governance. Post-election restraint and limits on the use of power are seen as central tests for the new government. If the rule of law weakens, markets can become instruments of privilege; if institutional trust collapses, sustainable economic growth is undermined. Whether Bangladesh’s political shift leads to durable democratic institutions will depend on the decisions made in the coming period. South Korea offers valuable lessons. It emerged from colonialism and war, democratized through grassroots struggle against authoritarianism, and became an economic success story through strategic industrialization, educational investment, and technological prowess. South Korea's development was shaped by a combination of public checks on power, a strong rule of law, peaceful democratic transfers of government, and a market economy governed by transparent rules. While the system was not perfect, it was continually refined and improved, demonstrating that democracy is an evolving process rather than a fixed condition. Bangladesh and South Korea already share extensive people-to-people exchanges. Many Bangladeshi workers are employed in South Korean businesses, gaining valuable experience with industrial technologies and skills. This goes beyond labor migration, serving as a channel for social learning. Exposure to contract reliability, compliance with safety regulations, production management systems, e-government, and digital administration provides an unseen foundation for growth. Such experience could help set new standards in Bangladesh’s industry and public sector when these workers return their home. Across Asia, political progress has been shaped by long periods of colonial rule, military dictatorships, and single-party dominance. The path has not been smooth, marked by setbacks and turmoil, but civic awareness steadily accumulates, and greater access to education and information makes it increasingly difficult to maintain monopolies on power. Market economies require transparency and predictability, which can drive institutional reform. An Asian perspective does not reject freedom but seeks to integrate it within each country's history and culture, balancing communal values with individual rights while pursuing both growth and fairness. This is where "Asia Insight" begins. The goal is not to deny Western perspectives but to build an indigenous Asian language for understanding Asia itself. Bangladesh's change of government is presented as more than a single country's political event, a case that shows both the possibilities and limits of democracy in Asia. The underlying principle is that sustainable prosperity becomes possible when power derives from the people, law stands above authority, and markets operate under fair rules and that these principles belong to no single civilization. Truth, justice, and freedom are universal values, and Asia plays a role in upholding them. No longer peripheral, Asia becomes central when it defines itself on its own terms and interprets the world in its own voice. Bangladesh's transition is one chapter in that story, and "Asia Insight" turns the first page. *The author is an AJP columnist. 2026-02-15 11:21:47 -
3.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Gyeonggi Province SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - A 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province early Sunday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake occurred at around 4:13 a.m. Residents in nearby areas such as Gimpo, Paju, and Pocheon in the province, as well as Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, felt weak tremors. So far, there have been no reports of damage or injuries. It was the strongest earthquake recorded on the Korean Peninsula this year. Of the eight earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or higher in 2026, this was the first to reach magnitude 3.0, while the rest ranged between 2.0 and 2.9. 2026-02-15 10:12:11