Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Hybrids Top 30% of South Korea Auto Sales for First Time in 2024
    Hybrids Top 30% of South Korea Auto Sales for First Time in 2024 Hybrid vehicles accounted for more than 30% of South Korea’s domestic auto sales for the first time last year, government data showed. According to vehicle registration statistics released Sunday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the five major automakers — Hyundai Motor, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Korea and KG Mobility — sold a combined 1,373,221 vehicles in the domestic market last year. Of those, 415,921 were hybrids. Hybrids made up 30.3% of total sales, the highest share on record. The hybrid share has climbed steadily in recent years, rising from 10.4% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2022, 19.5% in 2023 and 26.5% in 2024. Hybrid sales volume also nearly tripled, from 149,489 vehicles in 2021 to 415,921 last year. With the shift to full electrification moving more slowly than expected, hybrids have emerged as a mainstream alternative that offers some benefits of electric vehicles without the burden of charging infrastructure, the report said. The report cited fuel efficiency, quiet operation, driving convenience and lower upkeep costs as strengths that help offset drawbacks such as higher prices and long wait times. By model, the Kia Sorento Hybrid led the market with 69,862 sold last year. It was followed by the Kia Carnival Hybrid with 46,458 and the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid with 43,064. Renault Korea’s Grand Koleos Hybrid sold 35,352 units, ranking sixth and making it the only non-Hyundai-Kia brand to place in the top 10, the data showed. The auto industry expects the hybrid market to expand further this year. Genesis plans to introduce its first hybrid lineup, and Kia plans to launch a new Seltos Hybrid to strengthen its position in the small SUV segment. Interest in hybrid models is also growing in the imported-car market. Global brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Chinese brands including BYD and Zeekr, are stepping up efforts to target South Korea by emphasizing efficiency and value, the report said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 15:00:00
  • South Korea Women Win First Asia Team Badminton Title Led by An Se Young
    South Korea Women Win First Asia Team Badminton Title Led by An Se Young An Se Young of Samsung Life Insurance led South Korea’s women’s national badminton team to its first title at the 2026 Asia Mixed Team Badminton Championships. South Korea swept host China 3-0 in the women’s final on Saturday at Conson Gymnasium in Qingdao, China. An, who rested in Friday’s semifinal against Indonesia to manage her condition, needed 39 minutes to beat Han Qianxi 21-7, 21-14 in women’s singles. The second game was tied 11-11, but An pulled ahead 15-14 and closed it out by winning the next six points. In women’s doubles, Baek Ha Na (Incheon International Airport)-Kim Hye Jeong (Samsung Life Insurance) defeated Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian 24-22, 21-8. Kim Ga Eun (Samsung Life Insurance), ranked No. 17 in the world, then beat Xu Wenjing (No. 127) 19-21, 21-10, 21-17 to clinch the title under the best-of-five, first-to-three format. The men’s team, without ace Seo Seung Jae because of a shoulder injury, finished tied for third after losing 2-3 to China in Friday’s semifinals. Despite missing the final, the men’s team earned a berth in the finals of the BWF World Men’s Team Championship, the Thomas Cup, by reaching the semifinals. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 14:30:00
  • South Korea captures first win in mixed doubles curling at Winter Games
    South Korea captures first win in mixed doubles curling at Winter Games SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - South Korea recorded its first victory in the mixed doubles curling tournament at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 7, as the main medal competitions got underway. Kim Sun-young and Jeong Yeong-seok defeated the United States pair of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin 6-5 in an extra end at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The South Korean duo, who had suffered five consecutive losses to open the round-robin stage, held off a late surge from the Americans to secure the win. South Korea led 5-2 heading into the final end of regulation, but the U.S. team, the 2023 world champions, scored three points to force the match into overtime. Kim Sun-young and Jeong Yeong-seok regained their composure in the extra end, outmaneuvering their opponents to clinch the deciding point. Despite the win, the South Korean pair remains at the bottom of the 10-team standings with a 1-5 record, making a top-four finish to qualify for the semifinals unlikely. In figure skating, Cha Jun-hwan struggled in his opening performance during the team event at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. Competing in the men's short program, Cha Jun-hwan finished eighth out of 10 skaters with a total score of 83.53 points. He received 41.78 for technical elements and 41.75 for program components after a mistake on his final jump, a triple axel. The result left South Korea in seventh place overall in the team event with 14 points, failing to advance to the free skating portion reserved for the top five nations. The United States, Japan, Italy, Canada, and Georgia progressed to the next round. In cross-country skiing, Lee Eui-jin and Han Da-som finished 54th and 65th, respectively, in the women's 10-plus-10-kilometer skiathlon. Both athletes were unable to complete the full distance before being lapped. Elsewhere on the first full day of medal competition, gold medals were awarded to athletes from Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Japan, and Norway. 2026-02-08 14:20:53
  • South Korea expected to secure three golds at Milano Cortina Winter Games
    South Korea expected to secure three golds at Milano Cortina Winter Games SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - South Korea is projected to win three gold medals and finish 15th in the overall standings at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, according to a forecast released by Sports Illustrated on February 8. The 2026 Winter Games, which officially opened on February 6 and run through February 22, are being held across several clusters in Northern Italy, including Milano and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Approximately 2,900 athletes from 92 nations are competing for 116 gold medals in eight sports. This year's program features the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering and the return of NHL players to the men's ice hockey tournament. Sports Illustrated expects South Korea's gold medal haul to come entirely from short track speed skating. Lim Jong-eon is tipped for the title in the men's 1,000 meters, while Kim Gil-li is favored in the women's 1,500 meters. The third gold is projected for the men's 5,000-meter relay team. Beyond the top of the podium, the magazine predicts silver medals for Choi Min-jeong in the women's 1,500-meter short track and the mixed 2,000-meter relay team. The women's curling team and the women's 3,000-meter short track relay are both listed as bronze medal candidates. The projections largely mirror a February 4 report from Shoreview Sports Analytics. The Canadian firm also predicted a seven-medal total for South Korea—comprising three gold, two silver, and two bronze—though it placed the nation one spot higher at 14th place overall. Despite the identical total medal counts, the two outlets differ on where the gold medals will be won. Shoreview Sports Analytics expects Choi Ga-on to take gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe, an event in which Sports Illustrated did not list her as a medalist. Instead, Sports Illustrated projected Japan's Shimizu Sara for gold and American Chloe Kim for silver. The firms also disagree on Lim Jong-eon's prospects; while Sports Illustrated sees him as a champion, Shoreview Sports Analytics placed him sixth. Conversely, the Canadian firm projects gold for the women's 3,000-meter relay team, an event Sports Illustrated marked for bronze. In the race for the overall lead, Sports Illustrated puts Norway in the top spot with 16 golds, followed by the United States with 12 and Japan with nine. Shoreview Sports Analytics also lists Norway first with 14 golds, with the United States and Germany following with 13 and 12, respectively. 2026-02-08 14:11:26
  • S. Korean researchers capture electricity-switching moment in next-gen memory materials
    S. Korean researchers capture electricity-switching moment in next-gen memory materials SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Kyungpook National University have developed a technique to observe the real-time electrical switching process within nano-devices. By rapidly melting and freezing tellurium at cryogenic temperatures, the team successfully created and stabilized amorphous tellurium, a material essential for high-speed, low-power memory. This research provides a foundational understanding of how and when electrical switching occurs, offering a new blueprint for designing efficient semiconductor materials. As artificial intelligence applications expand, computers require faster and more energy-efficient memory. The performance of these semiconductors depends on the switching principle, the mechanism by which memory materials turn electricity on and off. Tellurium has gained attention as a candidate for next-generation memory due to its ability to transition between high and low resistance states. However, tellurium is highly sensitive to heat, making it difficult to maintain its amorphous state—a disordered atomic structure similar to glass—under normal operating conditions. The research team, led by Professor Seo Jun-gi of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Professor Lee Tae-hoon of Kyungpook National University (KNU), addressed this instability by lowering the surrounding temperature to cryogenic levels. In this environment, they applied electrical current to momentarily melt tellurium and then cooled it rapidly to lock it into an amorphous state. This method allowed the researchers to compare the electrical flow of disordered amorphous tellurium with that of regularly arranged crystalline tellurium within the same device. Through this comparative analysis, the team identified that microscopic defects within the amorphous tellurium play a critical role in electrical conduction. The study revealed that switching occurs in two distinct stages: first, current increases sharply along these defects when a specific voltage is reached, and second, heat accumulates until the material melts. Previously, it was believed that the sudden increase in current was caused primarily by the melting process itself, but this research clarifies the specific roles of defects and thermal energy. The researchers also successfully demonstrated a self-oscillation phenomenon, where voltage repeatedly rises and falls while maintaining the amorphous state without excessive current. This finding indicates that stable electrical switching can be achieved using only tellurium, a single-element material, without the need for complex chemical compositions. Professor Seo Jun-gi stated that this is the first study to implement amorphous tellurium in an actual device environment and clarify the switching principle. He noted that the research sets a new standard for the study of next-generation memory and switching materials. Heo Nam-uk, a student in the integrated master's and doctoral program at KAIST, served as the lead author. The study was published online in Nature Communications on January 13. (Paper information) Journal: Nature Communications Title: On-device cryogenic quenching enables robust amorphous tellurium for threshold switching DOI: https://bit.ly/4knBqqs 2026-02-08 12:00:00
  • South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan, Shin Jia gain team-event experience, eye Olympic singles medals
    South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan, Shin Jia gain team-event experience, eye Olympic singles medals South Korea’s figure skating standouts Cha Jun-hwan and Shin Jia used the team event as a tune-up, getting a feel for the Olympic ice and atmosphere ahead of the singles competition. South Korea finished seventh with 14 points in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Saturday (Korea time) at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy. The top five advanced to the final segment (free skating and free dance), and South Korea did not qualify. Cha placed eighth in the men’s short program. His key mistake came on the final jump element, a triple axel, when he lost rotation on takeoff and turned it into a single axel (one and a half rotations). Under short program rules, skaters must attempt a double axel or triple axel for the element to count, so it was scored as zero. Afterward, Cha told reporters in the mixed zone, “It’s disappointing that I made a mistake on the third jump (the triple axel). I want to think of it as a vaccine shot ahead of the individual event.” He added, “It’s frustrating because it’s not something I usually do, but I’m satisfied because the other elements were about as good as in practice. I’ll make up for it in the individual event.” Cha will skate the men’s short program on Feb. 11, with medals decided in the free skate on Feb. 14. Shin, competing in her first Olympics, boosted expectations with a steady performance in the women’s short program on Feb. 6, finishing fourth. After a clean skate, she clenched her fist in celebration. In a broadcaster interview, Shin said she tried not to dwell on the Olympic stage. “I thought I’d get nervous if I kept thinking it was the Olympics, so I controlled my mindset and told myself it was a competition I always do,” she said. “That helped me skate like I usually do.” She added, “The team event helped me find my rhythm. I’ll carry that momentum into the individual event and show everything I can do.” Shin is scheduled to skate the women’s short program on Feb. 18, aiming for South Korea’s first Olympic figure skating medal in 16 years since Kim Yu-na. The free skate is set for Feb. 20. 2026-02-08 11:36:00
  • Ryu Seung-wan’s ‘Humint’ Tops Advance Ticket Sales Ahead of Release
    Ryu Seung-wan’s ‘Humint’ Tops Advance Ticket Sales Ahead of Release The film ‘Humint’ has climbed to No. 1 in overall advance ticket sales ahead of its theatrical release. According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office system, ‘Humint’ ranked first as of 10:24 a.m. on Saturday, with 142,151 tickets reserved. The surge followed the first preview screening, with moviegoers calling it “pure catharsis experienced in a theater.” ‘Humint’ is a term for intelligence work that relies on human networks, meaning an informant. The story is set in Vladivostok, where secrets and truth are buried in an icy sea, and people with different goals collide. Directed by Ryu Seung-wan, the film stars Jo In Sung, Park Jung Min, Shin Se Kyung and Park Hae Joon. It opens in theaters Feb. 11. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 11:24:00
  • Pyongyang highlights military role in national development on army anniversary
    Pyongyang highlights military role in national development on army anniversary SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - North Korea has marked the 78th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces on February 8, with state media calling for the military to guarantee national prosperity ahead of a major political gathering. The Workers' Party of Korea is scheduled to hold its ninth congress in Pyongyang later this month. The event, held every five years, is the highest decision-making body of the state and is expected to outline new development goals while reinforcing the country’s security posture. An editorial in the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party, stated that the Korean People's Army must maintain its political and military power to match the status of the state. The publication urged the military to provide a strong defense for the party and people as they move toward what it described as a new stage of socialist development. "The struggle of our party and people to raise the phase of national prosperity to a new high level must be firmly guaranteed by powerful arms," the editorial said. It added that the military has successfully suppressed challenges and threats from hostile forces to ensure the safety and rights of the people. The state also emphasized the military's involvement in domestic economic projects, particularly the Regional Development 20x10 Policy. This initiative involves the military in the construction of local factories across the country. North Korea has newly organized 20 units known as the 124th Regiments, with each regiment assigned to a specific construction site. The editorial called on the personnel of the 124th Regiments to act as the vanguard of the new year's struggle and to fulfill their duties in expanding the regional revolution. February 8 commemorates the date in 1948 when the Korean People's Army held its official founding ceremony in Pyongyang. North Korea recognized this date as its Army Day until 1977, after which it moved the anniversary to April 25 to mark the 1932 formation of anti-Japanese guerrillas by Kim Il-sung. The country returned to observing the February 8 anniversary in 2018. 2026-02-08 10:06:33
  • HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to Showcase Advanced Warship Technology at Saudi Defense Expo
    HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to Showcase Advanced Warship Technology at Saudi Defense Expo HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is taking part in the Middle East’s largest defense exhibition in Saudi Arabia as it steps up efforts to win the kingdom’s next frigate program. The company said it will attend the 2026 World Defense Show, or WDS, in Riyadh from Feb. 8 through Feb. 12. It plans to run a joint exhibition area with LIG Nex1, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and EOST to present advanced shipbuilding technology and maritime defense capabilities. Held every two years, WDS is expected to draw about 770 defense companies from 76 countries and more than 100,000 visitors this year, bringing together key decision-makers from the Middle East and the global defense market. Saudi Arabia is pursuing a naval modernization program that includes large-scale procurement of new frigates. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will display eight types of vessels, including the 6,000-ton export frigate HDF-6000, designed to meet Saudi requirements. The company said it developed the HDF-6000 as an “Aegis destroyer-class frigate,” expanding its size and significantly upgrading onboard systems and performance based on experience building the Sejong the Great-class and Jeongjo the Great-class Aegis destroyers. At the show, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to highlight a package approach for the Saudi naval modernization effort to officials from the Saudi Defense Ministry and navy. It said it will emphasize its design, construction and project-management capabilities, along with experience in local construction and maintenance, repair and overhaul, citing successful results at Peru’s SIMA shipyard. The company also said it will propose a phased localization plan tailored for shipbuilding in Saudi Arabia. If it wins a frigate order, it is considering gradually increasing the share of local construction for the HDF-6000 centered on the Saudi IMI shipyard, established through joint investment by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Saudi state-owned company Aramco, among others. Separately, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will sign a joint memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment and 12 South Korean companies, including LIG Nex1 and STX Engine, to build a local supply chain. The MOU aims to set cooperation measures under Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Participation Program, or IPP, and pursue joint entry into the Saudi market. Joo Won-ho, president of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said the company added strategic weight by presenting the HDF-6000, optimized for Saudi requirements, at the region’s largest defense exhibition. He said the company will do its best to win the next frigate program through local construction and industrial cooperation using IMI, the largest shipyard in the Middle East and North Africa. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 09:33:00
  • LGES buys battery JV in Canada as Ottawa weighs industrial offsets in submarine bid
    LGES buys battery JV in Canada as Ottawa weighs industrial offsets in submarine bid SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) -LG Energy Solution (LGES) has agreed to acquire its partner’s entire stake in a major Canadian battery plant for a symbolic $100, underscoring how slowing electric vehicle demand, shifting industrial policy and geopolitics are reshaping North America’s manufacturing landscape. In a regulatory filing on Friday, the South Korean battery maker said it would purchase the 49 percent stake held by Stellantis in their joint venture, NextStar Energy Inc., ending the partnership formed in 2022 to build Canada’s first large-scale EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario. Stellantis however will remain as a customer. Under the agreement, LGES will take full ownership of the venture by June 30, 2026, acquiring shares for $100 that Stellantis had originally bought for $980 million. LG has committed $1.46 billion to the project and said its investment will continue as planned. The price reflects the deteriorating outlook for EV demand in North America, where automakers have scaled back expansion plans amid weaker sales and the rollback of U.S. consumer tax incentives. LGES said the ownership change would allow it to realign the facility toward a broader customer base, including energy storage systems (ESS), as automakers cut battery orders. Company officials in Seoul said the move reflects a strategic shift away from reliance on a single carmaker and toward fast-growing demand from data centers and renewable energy projects. One production line at the Windsor plant has already been converted for ESS manufacturing, with LG targeting utilization of more than 70 percent by year-end. The facility’s full capacity stands at about 49.5 gigawatt-hours annually. The pivot follows the cancellation of a $6.5 billion EV-related supply deal with Ford Motor late last year and mirrors similar conversions at LGES’ U.S. plants in Michigan. The restructuring comes as Canada intensifies efforts to protect its auto sector and attract non-U.S. investment, amid trade tensions with Washington and uncertainty over the future of North American supply chains. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has rolled out incentives tied to domestic production and revived EV purchase subsidies to stabilize the industry after major cutbacks by automakers. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and parts, dealing a major blow to exports and accelerating streamlining of Canadian operations by carmakers including Stellantis which has moved production of its Jeep Compass model from Ontario to Illinois. Canadian officials now say the ability of foreign partners to deliver broader industrial benefits — beyond a single project — is becoming central to Ottawa’s investment strategy. The battery plant deal is also being watched closely in Seoul and Berlin, as Canada evaluates bids for its multibillion-dollar Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s special envoy for defense procurement, said during a recent visit to South Korea that automotive and advanced manufacturing cooperation would weigh heavily in the final decision. “If there are areas where we can cooperate in sectors like automobiles, we are looking to pursue broader partnerships that go beyond defense,” Fuhr said after touring facilities operated by Hanwha Ocean. Analysts observe LGES' deeper commitment to Canadian manufacturing may strengthen South Korea’s case by reinforcing long-term industrial ties at a time when Ottawa is seeking to reduce dependence on U.S.-based supply chains. For LGES, full control of NextStar offers operational freedom and access to generous Canadian production subsidies. For Ottawa, it preserves a flagship manufacturing asset while reinforcing its pitch for foreign partners willing to invest across multiple sectors. 2026-02-08 08:02:18