Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Teen snowboarder reaches men's halfpipe final SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics underway in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan, teen snowboarder Lee Chae-un finished ninth in the qualifying round of the men's halfpipe on Wednesday, becoming the first South Korean man to reach the final. He is now set to compete in the final round in the alpine town of Livigno in northern Italy on Thursday, where the top 12 snowboarders will vie for medals. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Lee competed as South Korea's youngest athlete but was eliminated in the qualifying round after finishing 18th. Now he hopes to secure a medal that eluded him four years ago. Meanwhile, Australia's Scotty James led the qualifying round with 94 points, followed by Japanese snowboarders Yuto Totsuka (91.25) and Ryusei Yamada (90.25). 2026-02-12 10:25:27 -
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 international certification system that recognizes the competence of testing, calibration and inspection bodies under global standards. Test reports bearing KOLAS accreditation are recognized as equivalent in 104 member countries of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, or ILAC, and are widely seen as a marker of technical credibility. Hyundai Steel said the accreditation is also the first case in South Korea to meet test requirements under what it described as the world’s most stringent standards for LNG storage tank design and construction. The recognition covers not only the test itself but also strict temperature-control conditions. Cryogenic tensile testing is a required quality-verification process that evaluates how steel reinforcement withstands impact and loads in extreme cold of minus 165 degrees Celsius or lower. The company said the work demands precise control, including managing temperature deviation at the center of the specimen, meeting required holding times after reaching cryogenic temperatures, and controlling strain rate. Because of those requirements, domestic companies had relied on overseas specialized labs such as the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, or LIST, for cryogenic testing. Hyundai Steel said it has localized the capability with its own technology, strengthening technical self-reliance. With the accreditation, Hyundai Steel said it can now provide a one-stop solution, from producing materials to issuing internationally recognized test reports. It also said it can sharply cut the time needed to issue certificates, which typically took three months or longer, helping shorten delivery schedules. The company said the capability is expected to be especially useful in LNG terminal projects. It said Korea Gas Corp. and Doosan Enerbility have been reported to highly value the ability to conduct fast and accurate verification in South Korea without relying on overseas institutions. A Hyundai Steel official said the KOLAS recognition shows the company is evolving beyond a steel supplier into a technology company that provides customers with trust and safety. “Through continuous R&D and more advanced testing and analysis capabilities, we will become a premium partner that customers seek out first,” the official said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 10:24:00 -
KAI, Chosun University sign deal for AI-aerospace education partnership Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Chosun University to develop artificial intelligence-integrated education in the aerospace sector. The agreement is aimed at meeting rising demand for future aerospace talent by systematically training AI-based aerospace specialists, while promoting exchanges of new technologies and joint research and development, KAI said. The two organizations plan to deepen education and research cooperation in stages, focusing on the fast-growing field of AI-based integrated product support (IPS) for aerospace. They also said they will pursue a sustainable partnership that links education, research and projects by joining industry- and government-connected initiatives. Under the agreement, KAI and Chosun University will jointly use education and research programs and facilities and seek and carry out support projects to train aerospace professionals. They also plan to cooperate on research tasks, consortium formation and other steps needed to take part in R&D and related support programs. Park Kyung Eun, an executive vice president at KAI, said the deal is a starting point for connecting AI-based IPS education and research with industrial needs to produce practical results. He said KAI will combine its IPS operations experience and technical capabilities with the university’s education and research to build a sustainable cooperation model. Chosun University President Kim Choon Sung said the partnership is meaningful because it will train specialists in aerospace IPS based on AI convergence capabilities and produce research results with both public value and industrial relevance through university-industry cooperation. He said the university plans to keep expanding government- and industry-linked research and education cooperation based on the agreement.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 10:21:26 -
Hyundai Motor Names Kim Gi-yang Top Passenger-Car Seller for 2025 With 382 Vehicles Hyundai Motor said Thursday it has released its list of top sales performers for last year, naming 10 passenger-vehicle and three commercial-vehicle winners. Kim Gi-yang, a 57-year-old sales director at the company’s Daejeon branch, was the top passenger-vehicle seller nationwide. Kim sold 382 vehicles last year, ranking No. 1 in Hyundai’s passenger-vehicle sales for the fifth straight year. He joined Hyundai in October 1991 and has sold a cumulative 6,948 vehicles through last year. “Today’s result was possible because of trust with customers and consistent communication,” Kim said. “This year, I will move with greater care, work with more depth and continue to do my best with sincerity.” The passenger-vehicle top 10 also included Lee Jeong Ho of the Seongdong branch (368 vehicles), Choi Jin Seong of the Seodaemun Jungang branch (328), Kwon Gil Ju of the Suwon branch (325), Kwon Yun Hyeong of the Seocho Nambu branch (247), Kim Yeong Hwan of the Banpo branch (230), Park Jong Cheol of the Jungnang branch (205), Choi U Hyeok of the Yeouido branch (202), Kwon Yeong Ho of the Daecheon branch (199) and Lee Seok I of the Cheonan City Hall branch (197). The top three commercial-vehicle sellers were Choi Geun Min of the Ulsan Truck branch (201), Song Jae Yeol of the Gyeonggi Truck branch (172) and Kim Yun Gu of the Daegu Truck branch (158). Hyundai said it runs multiple recognition programs to boost morale, including its nationwide top sales selection, the “The Class Awards” and an honorary sales awards system. The nationwide top sales selection and The Class Awards recognize annual top performers. The nationwide program honors top sellers across the country, while The Class Awards divide annual sales totals into ranges and reward winners in each range. Under the honorary sales awards system, employees earn titles and prizes based on cumulative sales in passenger and commercial vehicles: “Sales Master” at 2,000/1,000 vehicles, “Sales Grand Master” at 3,000/1,500, “Sales Expert” at 4,000/2,000 and “Sales Legend” at 5,000/2,500. A Hyundai official said the company will keep pursuing innovation this year to deliver “customer satisfaction” as industry paradigms continue to change. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 10:21:00 -
Court set to rule on former interior minister over alleged martial law involvement SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min is set to be sentenced on Thursday for his alleged role in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict at 2 p.m., in a trial broadcast nationwide. Lee is accused of aiding Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024 by instructing police and fire agencies to cut off power and water to media outlets on Yoon's orders. He is also charged with perjury for denying his involvement in the botched debacle, during Yoon's impeachment trial in February last year. In his final hearing last month, Lee remained adamant, persistently denying all allegations. But prosecutors sought 15 years in prison, saying Lee, who oversaw national security and disaster management, failed to stop Yoon despite being fully aware that Yoon's late-night bid was illegal and unconstitutional. Thursday's ruling will be the second in cases related to the debacle, after former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison, heavier than the 15 years prosecutors sought, as the court found that the short-lived, late-night fiasco constituted an insurrection. Much attention is now focused on the implications of these two rulings for Yoon's own trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, with his verdict set for next Thursday. 2026-02-12 09:41:33 -
Korea Habitat Holds Forum on Sustainable, Housing-Led Urban Regeneration International housing welfare nonprofit Korea Habitat and the Korean Society of Urban Regeneration held a forum on Feb. 11 at the University of Seoul’s 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall in Seoul, focusing on sustainable, housing-centered urban regeneration through cooperation among the private sector, government and academia and through corporate social responsibility. Organizers said the event was designed to seek sustainable models for regenerating housing-vulnerable areas as South Korea faces structural challenges including low growth, population decline and regional depopulation. Experts in housing welfare, urban regeneration and CSR, along with corporate, academic and civic participants, discussed strategies that combine corporate social contributions with public-sector and academic expertise. The program, which began at 2 p.m., featured presentations followed by a panel discussion, sharing on-the-ground case studies and policy proposals. In the first session, Lee Eun Kyung, a manager at Korea Habitat, presented the “Sustainable Society” program (formerly the Urban Innovation School) under the theme “Sustainable Society operating cases: Revitalizing communities through private-public-academic cooperation.” She said Korea Habitat has operated an urban regeneration model since 2020 that links local government regeneration projects, corporate social contributions and curricula at 17 universities, with residents and young people working together to improve neighborhood environments. Citing outcomes such as resident-run village restaurants and cafes and the creation of rentable spaces by improving vacant homes, Lee said, “Sustainable urban regeneration where residents and young people grow together is possible when the power of government, voices from the field and professional knowledge come together.” Park Jung Eun, a research fellow, said, “Cities must thrive for companies to thrive, and companies must thrive for cities to thrive,” and called for a “Collective Impact” collaboration platform that sets shared tasks with local governments, public institutions and civil society and shares results. Park introduced domestic and international examples that connect private-sector creativity and execution to solving local problems, saying quality of life and local economies can improve at the same time. Kim Young Ha, a center director, said regeneration should go beyond building hub facilities and instead design operating models and leadership structures together. Kim cited youth-participation models including the Ibagu Platform, where young people from outside the area settled and built a startup ecosystem; the Namseon Center, where local youth joined a village enterprise to strengthen revenue models; and the Muan Mokpo National University Portfolio Club, based on short-term participation by college students. In the second session’s panel discussion, Kim Hang Jip, honorary chairman of the Korean Society of Urban Regeneration and a professor at Gwangju University, moderated a conversation on “Sustainable development directions for housing-centered urban regeneration.” Panelists were Kim Su Min, CEO of Localstitch; Na Hae Moon, head of the Jeju Urban Regeneration Center; Choi Jeong Hwa, a professional at POSCO E&C; and Yang Se Young, a student at Hanyang University. Korea Habitat Secretary-General Lee Gwang Hoe said the forum brought together nonprofit field experience, corporate social contributions, public policy and urban planning research, and young people’s experimentation and entrepreneurship to discuss ways to revitalize both housing and cities. “Housing is the starting point of urban regeneration and a social safety net,” Lee said. “We will continue to identify and expand models that connect private-public-academic cooperation and corporate CSR to long-term housing improvements and regional regeneration.” Organizers said the forum was free and open to anyone, including related institutions, businesspeople, experts and interested members of the public. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 09:39:00 -
POSCO Wins KR Certification for Homegrown Naval Ship Steel, a First in South Korea POSCO said it has set a new milestone for South Korea’s defense industry by developing materials technology for naval ships. The company said Thursday it has developed high-ductility steel and ballistic steel for warships for the first time in South Korea and received certification in January from the Korean Register (KR). POSCO said the certification followed a full process covering steel development, weldability verification and securing protective performance for naval vessels. POSCO said its newly developed high-ductility steel improves elongation by more than 35% compared with conventional thick plate used in shipbuilding. In warship collision simulations, the company said, shock absorption improved by about 58%. POSCO said the material is designed to maximize deformation and minimize damage in collisions with other vessels or floating objects, improving survivability. POSCO also said it developed ballistic steel that reduces thickness by about 30% compared with conventional shipbuilding thick plate. The company said the steel can be applied to areas such as the bridge, radar and zones where advanced weapons systems are concentrated to protect against external threats. POSCO said the lighter upper structure can also improve resistance to hull shaking and contribute to better stability. POSCO said it conducted joint research for several years led by its Technical Research Laboratories, with production, quality and marketing teams working in a “One Team” structure. The company said it expects the results to support expanded South Korean defense exports and entry into the global naval ship market. POSCO linked the development to the group’s future-industry strategy. POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa said in a New Year’s address that the group should “strengthen market leadership and optimize the profit structure by completing a product portfolio essential to future industries.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 09:36:00 -
National Museum of Korea to light exterior pink in Blackpink collaboration starting Feb. 27 The National Museum of Korea said Wednesday it will light the museum’s exterior walls in pink as part of a global project in collaboration with K-pop group Blackpink. The collaboration, titled “National Museum of Korea X Blackpink,” will begin at 2 p.m. on Feb. 27 to coincide with the release of Blackpink’s new album and will run through March 8, for a total of 10 days. The outdoor lighting event will illuminate the museum’s Open Plaza and other exterior areas in pink, the group’s signature color. It will be open for anyone visiting the museum to view. Inside the museum, a listening zone will be set up in the “Path of History” area starting at 2 p.m. on Feb. 27, allowing visitors to hear music from the new album released at that time. The museum will also offer an audio docent program in which Blackpink introduce eight museum artifacts. The members took part in recording the audio, and visitors can access Korean and English versions by scanning QR codes at the exhibits. Jisoo and Jennie recorded in Korean, Rosé in English, and Lisa in Thai. The Thai audio guide will be released in March. Limited-quantity postcards featuring the artifacts and member photos will also be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum said it expects Blackpink’s global recognition, backed by a fandom of about 100 million, to help introduce South Korea’s cultural heritage to international visitors. Director Yu Hong Jun said the collaboration is an effort to present the cultural heritage the museum has protected “in today’s language” so more people will visit and experience culture. He said the museum will continue to pursue collaborations to expand the possibilities of a “K-museum” as an open museum that communicates through culture across generations and borders. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 09:21:00 -
MMCA Names Christine Sun Kim for MMCA X LG OLED Series 2026 The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, said Wednesday it has selected Christine Sun Kim as the participating artist for “MMCA X LG OLED Series 2026.” Kim works across sound and language, drawing, performance and video to examine how communication is structured and how social relationships are formed. Her work treats sound as a social system closely tied to power, institutions and norms, and uses drawing and graphic notation — a system that translates sound into visual language — to explore the unseen rules of communication and how language functions. For “MMCA X LG OLED Series 2026,” she will present a new large-scale video installation based on animation. The exhibition runs from July 31 to Nov. 29 at MMCA Seoul. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 09:12:00 -
Geely Auto Group Reports January Sales of 270,167 Vehicles; Targets 3.45 Million in 2026 Geely Auto Group said Wednesday it sold 270,167 passenger vehicles worldwide in January, up 1% from a year earlier. New energy vehicles accounted for 124,252 of those sales, a 3% increase from the same period a year earlier. Sales outside China totaled 60,506 vehicles, up 121% year over year. Overseas NEV sales rose 76% from the previous month to 32,117. By brand, premium EV maker Zeekr sold 23,852 vehicles in January, up 99.7% from a year earlier. The company has officially launched its premium electric shooting brake, the 7GT, in 12 major European countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Geely, the group’s largest brand, sold 82,990 vehicles. Lynk & Co delivered 28,877 vehicles, up 12% from a year earlier, pushing its cumulative global sales past 1.71 million. Geely Auto Group attributed the results to Geely Holding Group’s “One Geely” strategy, which links brands including Zeekr, Geely and Lynk & Co, as well as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. The plan is a five-year blueprint aimed at 2030 that focuses on tighter coordination among brands, stronger global cooperation and building strategic capabilities. Under the strategy, Geely Holding Group aims by 2030 to achieve: combined global sales of more than 6.5 million passenger and commercial vehicles; revenue of more than 1 trillion yuan (about 209 trillion won); a top-five global ranking by sales; a 75% share for NEVs; and raising the share of sales outside China to more than one-third. A Geely Auto Group official said the company has set a 2026 sales target of 3.45 million vehicles and plans to sell 640,000 vehicles in overseas markets, led by Zeekr and Lynk & Co. The official said the group will accelerate new-model launches, expand its global network and improve customer experience to support sustainable growth and long-term value worldwide.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 09:10:03