Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Snowboarder Lee Sang-ho Targets Medal at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Eyes South Korea’s 400th
    Snowboarder Lee Sang-ho Targets Medal at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Eyes South Korea’s 400th South Korea’s top alpine snowboarder, Lee Sang-ho (Nexen Wingard), will try to add a milestone to the nation’s Olympic history at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Lee is scheduled to compete Sunday (Korea time) in the men’s parallel giant slalom at Livigno Snow Park in Italy’s Sondrio province. Qualifying begins at 5 p.m., and if he finishes in the top 16, he will advance to the head-to-head finals starting at 9 p.m. to decide the medals. Lee won silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, delivering South Korea’s first-ever Olympic medal in skiing or snowboarding. He is seeking another Olympic medal for the first time in eight years after falling in the quarterfinals at the 2022 Beijing Games. He has dealt with multiple injuries and had an uneven start to the season while continuing equipment tests. But he surged just before the Olympics, winning a International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup race on Jan. 31 in Rogla, Slovenia. Lee, the captain of South Korea’s men’s team at these Games, is also aiming for what would be the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in skiing or snowboarding. His result is drawing added attention because it could also mark South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal overall. South Korea have won 320 medals at the Summer Olympics (109 gold, 100 silver, 111 bronze) and 79 at the Winter Olympics (33 gold, 30 silver, 16 bronze), for a total of 399. The first South Korean medalist at the Milan Winter Olympics would become the 400th. Also competing in the men’s parallel giant slalom are Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) and Cho Wan-hee (Jeonbuk Ski Association). In the women’s event, Jung Hae-rim (High1) is set to race.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 07:45:00
  • <Ukraine War in 5th year> A long war, fading certainties
    A long war, fading certainties *Editor’s Note: As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears its fifth year, AJP reviews how the war began, how it has evolved, and where it is heading — and asks the most urgent question of all: will it end? This first installment examines the toll on Ukraine, Russia, and the world. SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches its fifth year, the war shows signs of diplomatic motion without political resolution — inching toward talks, yet anchored by irreconcilable claims over land, security and identity. According to a recent report by Reuters, Washington is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to explore a tentative peace framework, with March floated as an ambitious target for progress. U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and former presidential adviser Jared Kushner, have discussed proposals that could eventually be put to a Ukrainian referendum. Yet diplomats on both sides acknowledge that the timeline is fragile. Russia remains adamant about retaining occupied territories, while Ukraine refuses to legitimize territorial loss. For now, the war grinds on — suspended between battlefield exhaustion and diplomatic paralysis. A Goliath Wounded What began on Feb. 24, 2022, as a rapid campaign envisioned by President Vladimir Putin has hardened into a prolonged war of attrition. Russia failed to seize Kyiv, lost tens of thousands of elite troops, and settled into incremental advances measured in meters rather than kilometers. An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that Russian forces have suffered roughly 1.2 million casualties, including more than 325,000 killed since 2022 — the highest toll for a major power since World War II. At current rates, CSIS warns, combined casualties on both sides could approach two million by 2026. Ukrainian losses are estimated at 500,000 to 600,000, according to CNN, while Britain’s UK Ministry of Defence said Russia crossed the threshold of one million killed or wounded by mid-2024. Despite sustained offensives, Russian units in some sectors have advanced by no more than 70 meters per day — slower than the pace of trench warfare at the Somme in 1916. The result is a modern paradox: a militarized giant bleeding manpower, capital and credibility, yet still capable of sustaining war. The Logic of Attrition Unable to secure a decisive breakthrough, the Kremlin has embraced a strategy of exhaustion — wearing down Ukraine’s infrastructure, economy and manpower through steady artillery fire, drone strikes and missile barrages. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Most of those gains, however, have come at extraordinary human cost. Economically, Moscow’s war footing rests on narrow foundations. Manufacturing output weakened through much of 2025, consumer demand softened, and growth slowed to around 0.6 percent. Demographic decline and labor shortages have deepened structural fragilities. Russia, once eager to present itself as a technology power, no longer hosts a single firm among the world’s top 100 by market value. Yet the war machine persists, sustained in part by external lifelines. Western intelligence agencies say Chinese exports of dual-use goods have enabled Russian factories to expand missile production, while North Korea supplies ammunition in exchange for economic and technological support. Iran, too, remains a critical drone supplier. These networks have allowed Moscow to absorb losses that would have crippled most economies — but at the price of deeper strategic dependence. A Fraying Western Consensus The war has also tested Western cohesion. “The West is showing fatigue,” said Berthold Rittberger of LMU Munich. “Without the U.S., Europe still lacks the capability to contain Putin. Populists and pro-Russian forces are exploiting this to deepen polarization.” Across the Atlantic, Joseph Parent of the University of Notre Dame offers a bleaker assessment. “The war was effectively over in its first six months,” he said. “Both sides lost. Ukraine won’t get its old borders back, and Russia won’t keep Ukraine out of the West. The longer it drags on, the weaker both societies become.” In Washington, election politics further complicate strategy. Uncertainty over future U.S. commitment has already influenced European calculations — and emboldened Moscow. Europe’s Strategic Dilemma For Europe, the war has been both a geopolitical awakening and a fiscal burden. In the early months of the invasion, European leaders moved with unusual unity, imposing sanctions, expanding defense budgets and funneling military aid to Kyiv. Nearly five years on, that consensus has thinned. Energy prices have stabilized, but political cohesion has not. Far-right and Eurosceptic parties — many openly sympathetic to Moscow — are gaining ground from Paris to Prague. Governments face rising defense bills at a time of slowing growth and voter fatigue. “Europe has done more than it ever imagined it would,” said Berthold Rittberger of LMU Munich. “But it is reaching the limits of what it can sustain politically and economically.” While European Union members have pledged tens of billions of euros in military and financial assistance, much of their security architecture still depends on American power. Without U.S. leadership, Europe struggles to translate resources into credible deterrence. “Without the United States,” Rittberger added, “Europe still lacks the military capacity and institutional coordination to contain Russia on its own.” This dependency has sharpened anxieties about Washington’s future reliability. A shift in U.S. policy, European officials fear, would leave the continent exposed — diplomatically, militarily and psychologically. Privately, European diplomats now speak less about “victory” and more about “managing decline”: preventing Ukraine’s collapse, limiting escalation, and preserving NATO’s credibility. The change in tone reflects hard arithmetic. Ammunition stocks are depleted. Defense industries are struggling to scale up production. And public patience is eroding. “Support for Ukraine remains strong in principle,” one senior EU official said, “but weaker in practice. Every budget cycle becomes harder.” For Moscow, this erosion is strategic. Russia’s war planners have long calculated that Western unity would fray before Ukrainian resistance. Europe’s growing ambivalence — amplified by domestic politics — suggests that calculation may yet prove correct. Seoul’s Strategic Lens In South Korea, the war is increasingly viewed not only as a European crisis, but as a rehearsal for geopolitical realignment in Asia and feels too closely at home with the same global superpowers deeply involved in the war including North Korea. Kwon Young-se, a senior lawmaker of the People Power Party and former ambassador to China, observed Trump’s return to had reshaped the conflict. “Trump is unlikely to invest large sums of money in a war he considers unrelated to U.S. interests. That is why Washington is now pushing ceasefire ideas that Kyiv can hardly accept.” For Seoul, the war’s most troubling byproduct lies farther east. “North Korea has gained leverage,” Kwon said. “With Russian technology transfers, its missile and nuclear programs are advancing. That changes the threat environment.” Another former ambassador and lawmaker Kim Gunn traced the conflict to deeper historical anxieties, invoking British geographer Halford Mackinder’s theory of Eurasian power. “Russia believes that without controlling its neighbors, it is vulnerable,” he said. “But recognizing spheres of influence is dangerous. That logic justified past imperialism. It invites endless expansion.” “After the war, Russia will seek new partners,” Kim said. “Its Far East development could become central. Korea may emerge as an important economic partner.” Between War and Peace The current diplomatic push reflects exhaustion more than reconciliation. Russia seeks recognition of its territorial gains. Ukraine seeks security guarantees and sovereignty. The United States wants stability before electoral uncertainty intensifies. None of these goals align easily. For now, negotiations resemble parallel monologues rather than genuine compromise. The front lines barely shift. Casualties accumulate. Reconstruction plans outpace peace prospects. For South Korea, the lesson is strategic duality: maintain solidarity with Western allies while preserving diplomatic channels across Eurasia. “Korea must strengthen its military and work with value-sharing partners,” Kwon said. “But we must also remain pragmatic.” He suggests Seoul must have eyes on post-war order. “It may sound cold,” he said, “but once reconstruction begins, there will be a huge economic stage. Korea should position itself early.” Kim echoed that view: “Our diplomacy must be multidimensional. If major powers tolerate revisionist aggression, global instability will deepen.” Nearly five years in, Russia’s war has become more than a territorial dispute. It is a test of endurance, governance and global resolve. It has exposed the limits of military power, the fragility of alliances, and the costs of strategic ambiguity. Whether March produces a ceasefire or another missed deadline, the deeper reckoning will persist. The conflict has already reshaped Europe’s security order and Asia’s strategic calculations. As one empire’s ambitions erode under the weight of reality, the fault lines of the next global contest are taking shape — slowly, relentlessly, and at immense human cost. 2026-02-08 07:30:53
  • South Korea’s Internet Banks Step Up Lending to Sole Proprietors
    South Korea’s Internet Banks Step Up Lending to Sole Proprietors South Korea’s internet-only banks are accelerating efforts to grow lending to sole proprietors as they look for new revenue sources. With major commercial banks taking a more cautious approach to such loans to manage asset quality, online lenders are moving to capture niche demand and diversify their portfolios. According to the financial industry on Saturday, KakaoBank since Feb. 2 has added a new three-year maturity option to its real estate-backed loan for sole proprietors, which has a maximum limit of 1 billion won. The bank previously offered only 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year terms, but expanded choices as demand for short-term funding has grown. It also added a bullet repayment option alongside installment repayment, allowing borrowers to reduce monthly payments. Toss Bank, which has not yet launched a collateralized loan, is strengthening its lineup with unsecured products aimed at specific sole proprietors. On Feb. 5, it introduced a “professional sole proprietor loan” for nine licensed professions, including doctors, lawyers and accountants. The bank said it can automatically verify license and certification information through a non-face-to-face process. K Bank moved first among internet-only banks by launching a real estate-backed loan for sole proprietors and has sought to add customers by expanding refinancing so borrowers can switch from loans at most regulated financial institutions. It is promoting competitive terms, including an average interest rate about 1 percentage point lower than major commercial banks. The push reflects the need to sustain growth as financial regulators continue to tighten oversight of household lending, limiting asset growth for internet-only banks that have relied heavily on consumer loans. Loans to sole proprietors are seen as a new growth area because they are relatively less affected by those rules. Demand is also shifting as South Korea’s five largest banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup — have raised rates or tightened screening for sole proprietor loans amid concerns about weakening asset-quality indicators. As of the end of last year, the five banks’ outstanding sole proprietor loans totaled 324.4325 trillion won, down 0.4% from a year earlier. Over the same period, KakaoBank’s outstanding sole proprietor loans, including real estate-backed and unsecured loans, rose 61.3% to 3.0550 trillion won. K Bank’s total outstanding sole proprietor loans also doubled. “Because growth strategies centered on household lending are becoming difficult, we have no choice but to expand corporate credit, especially financing for sole proprietors,” an internet-only bank official said. “Non-face-to-face financial services that improve convenience for sole proprietors will continue to be introduced.” 2026-02-08 07:03:00
  • Cha Jun-hwan’s jump error leaves South Korea out of Olympic figure skating team final
    Cha Jun-hwan’s jump error leaves South Korea out of Olympic figure skating team final South Korea’s top men’s figure skater, Cha Jun-hwan of Seoul City Hall, stumbled in his first appearance at his third Olympics, finishing eighth in the men’s short program of the figure skating team event. Cha scored 83.53 points on Saturday (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. He earned 41.78 points in technical elements and 41.75 in program components, placing eighth among 10 skaters. The team event is a nation-based competition across four disciplines — men’s and women’s singles, pairs and ice dance. Points are awarded by placement in each segment (10 to 1), and the top five teams advance to the final (free skating and free dance). South Korea returned to the Olympic team event for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. South Korea had 11 points after Friday’s segments: ice dancers Lim Hae-na and Kwon Ye placed seventh (four points), and women’s singles skater Shin Ji-a placed fourth (seven). South Korea did not enter a pairs team and received zero points; it was the only team-event nation without an entry in one discipline. To reach the top five, South Korea needed Cha to finish in the top two in men’s singles to add nine or 10 points. His eighth-place result ended South Korea’s chances. The team finished seventh overall. Skating fifth, Cha performed his short program to “Rain in Your Black Eyes.” He opened with a clean quadruple Salchow, then landed a triple Lutz-triple loop combination. His flying camel spin earned Level 4. But he made a costly mistake on his final jump, the triple Axel. He lost rotation on takeoff and completed only a single Axel. The men’s short program requires either a double Axel or triple Axel; Cha’s single Axel was scored zero. He finished with a change-foot combination spin and a step sequence, both graded Level 4. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan won the segment with 108.67 points. Ilia Malinin of the United States was second with 98.00. The five teams advancing to the free programs were the United States (34 points), Japan (33), Italy (28), Canada (27) and Georgia (25).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 05:42:22
  • South Korea Mixed Doubles Curlers Beat U.S. in Extra End for First Win at Milan-Cortina
    South Korea Mixed Doubles Curlers Beat U.S. in Extra End for First Win at Milan-Cortina South Korea’s mixed doubles curling team of Kim Seon Yeong (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Provincial Government) earned its first win of the round-robin, beating the United States in its sixth game. Kim and Jeong defeated Cory Thies and Cory Dropkin 6-5 in an extra end at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in the mixed doubles round-robin at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Thies and Dropkin are the 2023 mixed doubles world champions in Gangneung and entered the game 4-1, staying near the top of the standings. The victory snapped South Korea’s five-game losing streak against Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Britain and the Czech Republic, improving the team to 1-5. South Korea led early, scoring one with last stone in the first end and stealing one in the second for a 2-0 advantage. It protected the lead through the middle ends and added one in the sixth to go up 4-2. In the seventh, the U.S. called a power play to try to score multiple points, but South Korea defended and stole one to extend the lead to 5-2. The U.S. tied it in the eighth with last stone, scoring three to force an extra end. In the ninth, South Korea had last stone and won when Jeong cleared an opponent’s stone to open the house, then placed the final stone closest to the button to secure the one-point victory. “It's disappointing that the first win came so late, but it was more important to show our game,” Kim said. “More than the win itself, I liked the way we played and the style we’re pursuing.” Jeong said he would “do my best with the determination to beat teams in the playoff race” in the remaining schedule. Kim and Jeong are scheduled to play Estonia at 6:05 p.m. Saturday (Korea time) as they try for a second straight win.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 05:42:00
  • Italy Sets €180,000 Bonus for Gold at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
    Italy Sets €180,000 Bonus for Gold at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Italy, the host of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, has set medal bonuses of 180,000 euros (about 312 million won) for gold, 90,000 euros (about 156 million won) for silver and 60,000 euros (about 100 million won) for bronze. Forbes reported on Feb. 7 (Korea time) that the Italian National Olympic Committee, known as CONI, approved the payouts, matching the amounts offered for the Paris Olympics two years ago. The first Italian athlete to earn the gold bonus was speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida. She won the women’s 3,000 meters on Feb. 8 at the speedskating venue in Milan, setting an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds. Competing in her fourth straight Winter Olympics — after Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 — Lollobrigida captured her first Olympic gold and delivered Italy’s first gold medal of these Games. Local reports said Italy’s medal target for the event is at least 19. From the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 through the Beijing Games in 2022, Italy won 141 Winter Olympic medals: 42 gold, 43 silver and 56 bronze.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 02:54:00
  • Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida wins women’s 3,000 meters for first gold of Milan-Cortina Games
    Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida wins women’s 3,000 meters for first gold of Milan-Cortina Games Host nation Italy claimed its first gold medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics in women’s speedskating. Francesca Lollobrigida won the women’s 3,000 meters on Saturday at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, setting an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds. The victory gave Lollobrigida her first Olympic gold after taking silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Including a bronze in the mass start in Beijing, it was her third career Olympic medal (one gold, one silver, one bronze). Ragne Wiklund of Norway took silver in 3:56.54 for her first Olympic medal. Valerie Maltais of Canada won bronze in 3:56.93. Skating in the outer lane in the eighth pair, Lollobrigida moved into first as soon as she crossed the finish line. Four skaters who raced afterward failed to beat her time, sealing the title.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 02:33:00
  • South Korea mixed doubles curling team falls to Czech Republic for fifth straight round-robin loss
    South Korea mixed doubles curling team falls to Czech Republic for fifth straight round-robin loss South Korea’s mixed doubles curling pair Kim Seon Yeong (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Province Office) lost again in round-robin play at the 2026 Milano-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, dropping their fifth straight match. Kim and Jeong fell 9-4 to the Czech team of Julie Zelingrova and Vit Havlicovsky on Friday (Korea time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. South Korea had previously lost 10-3 to Sweden, 8-4 to Italy, 8-5 to Switzerland and 8-2 to Britain. The defeat to the Czech Republic left the team at the bottom of the standings. Ten teams are competing in mixed doubles, with one man and one woman per team. After a round-robin in which each team plays the others once, the top four advance to the semifinals and final to determine the medals. South Korea gave up two points in the first end. With last stone in the second, it had a chance for a big score but managed only one point. The team tied it 2-2 in the third by stealing a point after a precise freeze shot. The Czech Republic pulled away in the fourth, taking two points for a 4-2 lead, then stole two more in the fifth after Jeong missed his final shot. Trailing 6-2, South Korea used its one power play of the game in the sixth end and scored two to close the gap, but surrendered three in the seventh and lost 9-4. Kim and Jeong are scheduled to play the United States at 3:05 a.m. Saturday.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 00:42:00
  • South Korea’s Lee Ui Jin, Han Da Som Fail to Finish Women’s Skiathlon at Milan-Cortina Olympics
    South Korea’s Lee Ui Jin, Han Da Som Fail to Finish Women’s Skiathlon at Milan-Cortina Olympics South Korean cross-country skiers Lee Ui Jin (Busan Metropolitan City Hall Sports Council) and Han Da Som (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) failed to finish their events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Competing in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Tesero, Italy, on Feb. 7 (Korea time), Lee covered 13.3 kilometers in 43:37.8 and Han 11.8 kilometers in 41:19.4 before both were pulled after being lapped. Under skiathlon rules, athletes who are caught by the leaders by a full lap are removed from the race. Both South Koreans reached the midpoint but were lapped afterward, falling short of their goal of finishing in the top 50. Lee passed the halfway mark in 22nd out of 70 but was overtaken as rivals surged in the freestyle portion. Lee and Han were listed 54th and 64th. Nordic powers dominated the medals. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won gold in 53:45.2, followed by teammate Ebba Andersson in 54:36.2. Norway’s Heidi Weng took bronze in 55:11.9. The 10km + 10km skiathlon combines two techniques: classic skiing in set tracks and freestyle skating. Athletes switch from classic to freestyle at the midpoint. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 23:15:00
  • Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins first gold of Milan-Cortina Olympics in men’s downhill
    Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins first gold of Milan-Cortina Olympics in men’s downhill Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen won the first gold medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, taking the men’s downhill on Friday at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, Italy. Von Allmen finished in 1 minute, 51.61 seconds to beat 33 other starters. Born in 2001, he won gold in his first Olympic race. “It feels like a scene from a movie. It doesn’t feel real,” he said after the race. “It’s hard to put into words what this gold medal means to me. I think it will sink in a few days after the Games are over.” Von Allmen has competed on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup since 2023 and has five World Cup downhill wins across last season and this season. He also won the men’s downhill title at the Alpine skiing world championships in Saalbach, Austria, in February last year. He arrived in strong form after winning the final pre-Olympics World Cup downhill on Feb. 1 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Switzerland have now won back-to-back Olympic men’s downhill golds, following Beat Feuz at the 2022 Beijing Games. Host nation Italy took silver and bronze in the first medal event of the Olympics. Giovanni Franzoni was second in 1:51.81, and Dominik Paris was third in 1:52.11. Swiss skier Marco Odermatt, who leads the men’s overall standings this season with three downhill wins, three giant slalom wins and two super-G victories, placed fourth in 1:52.31. 2026-02-07 21:27:00