BDH Foundation chair praises BDH Paras after strong showing at national para winter games On Feb. 2, Bae Dong Hyun, chair of the BDH Foundation, encouraged athletes from BDH Paras, a global para sports team, after their strong performance at the 23rd National Para Winter Games, held for four days starting Jan. 27 across Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Hosted by the Korea Paralympic Committee, the event featured seven sports — cross-country skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, curling and short track — and drew 1,127 participants, including 486 athletes. BDH Paras competed in cross-country skiing and biathlon, winning 14 medals — seven gold, three silver and four bronze. The team, which achieved a grand slam at the previous Summer National Sports Festival, also showcased its strength at the winter event. Kim Yun Ji, who recently won gold medals at the FIS World Cup in Finsterau, Germany, and the IBU World Cup in Jakuszyce, Poland, dominated again. She won four titles — biathlon 4-kilometer sitting sprint and 6-kilometer sitting individual, plus cross-country 3-kilometer sitting and 4-kilometer sitting — and was named the meet’s MVP. Shin Eui Hyun, a 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics gold medalist, won three gold medals in the biathlon 6-kilometer sitting individual and the cross-country 3-kilometer sitting and 4-kilometer sitting events. Won Yu Min, an IPC athletes’ committee member, added two silver and two bronze medals, while Jung Jae Seok won one silver and two bronze. Bae said, “I pay my respects to all the athletes who competed and gave their best until the end, and I sincerely congratulate those who placed.” He added, “I hope the valuable experience gained at this competition becomes meaningful groundwork in the preparation process for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, and we will continue to provide support so the athletes can prepare for the next stage without wavering.” The BDH Paras team will begin a 25-day training camp in Livigno, Italy, starting Feb. 4, as preparation for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, which open March 6. The camp will focus on building fitness and improving performance in a high-altitude environment while maintaining race readiness.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 10:18:00

Gwangju Police Book 50-Something Woman for Drunk Driving After Red-Light Violation Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said Thursday it booked a woman in her 50s, identified only as A, on suspicion of driving under the influence in violation of the Road Traffic Act. Police said she is accused of driving about 2 kilometers while intoxicated, leaving a restaurant in Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, at about 4 p.m. Wednesday and heading to an area near the Unam 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center. Officers said she ran a red light while driving through an intersection and was caught by nearby patrol police who witnessed the violation. Her blood alcohol concentration measured between 0.03% and 0.08%, a level that triggers license suspension, police said. Police said they are investigating the circumstances of her drinking.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-29 09:00:00

South Korean coach leads Viet Nam to victory in men's football at SEA Games SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Viet Nam's under-23 national team, led by South Korean coach Kim Sang-sik, won the men's football tournament at this year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. At the biennial multi-sport event featuring 11 Southeast Asian countries, Viet Nam came from behind in a dramatic fashion to beat host Thailand 3-2 in extra time in the final match in Bangkok on Wednesday, reclaiming the victory for the first time since 2021. The latest triumph comes after Viet Nam won the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup earlier this year and the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship in July, making Kim the country's first coach to achieve the feat of winning all three major tournaments. Kim, who took the helm of the team in May last year, set a new milestone that his predecessor Park Hang-seo, who was hailed as a football hero during his stint there, did not achieve. Viet Nam reached the final by beating Laos and Malaysia in the group-stage matches before defeating the Philippines in the semifinals. Thailand advanced with group-stage wins over Singapore and Timor-Leste, followed by a semifinal victory against Malaysia. 2025-12-19 10:09:07

Seoul, Washington agree to 'speed up' implementation of bilateral agreements SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Some progress appeared to have been made in follow-up talks on the comprehensive joint fact sheet signed between Seoul and Washington last month, which outlines agreements on bilateral trade and security. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lak, who met with key U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright earlier this week, reportedly said the two countries agreed to speed up the implementation of the bilateral agreement, although he did not elaborate. Along with reciprocal tariff-related deals, Seoul and Washington reached a broader agreement in late October that included a U.S. commitment to support the construction of nuclear submarines using U.S.-supplied fuel, the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and uranium enrichment. Wi is set to travel from Washington, D.C., to New York before returning home. While in New York, he is scheduled to meet with senior United Nations officials to discuss security-related issues on the Korean Peninsula. 2025-12-19 09:02:01

Opposition parties push for independent probe into Unification Church scandal SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is working together with the minor centrist Reform Party (RP) to push for a probe by independent prosecutors into bribery allegations involving the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. After a meeting between the two parties' floor leaders Song Eon-seok and Cheon Ha-ram on Wednesday, they agreed to proceed with it as early as this week, although they need to resolve some differences including the scope of the probe. The development comes amid a snowballing scandal involving the church’s leader Han Hak-ja who allegedly bribed a slew of government officials and politicians from both the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and opposition parties. But a bill for the probe would face an uphill battle in the National Assembly, where the DP holds a majority of seats and has firmly opposed it. Meanwhile, the widow of the church's founder, Moon Sun-myung, has been held in a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province since September on various corruption charges including bribery and embezzlement. 2025-12-18 09:23:15

15-hour raid on Unification Church ends without finding key evidence SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Police on Tuesday failed to find key evidence after a 15-hour raid on about a dozen locations linked to the powerful Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, over allegations of bribery involving political figures. During the raid, which began at 9 a.m. the previous day and wrapped up after midnight, police searched about 10 locations including the sprawling residence of the church's leader Han Hak-ja in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province as well as other sites and the offices of those linked to the allegations including former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Chun Jae-soo. Chun is under investigation for allegedly receiving 20 million Korean won (about US $14,000) in cash and a luxury watch worth 10 million won in 2018. Police will analyze seized records, phones, and computers, with further questioning of those involved expected based on the findings. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-16 08:53:28

Independent prosecutors set to wrap up six-month probe into martial law debacle SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors are set to brief on the findings of their investigation on Monday into disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched Dec. 3 martial law debacle last year. Wrapping up their six-month-long probe led by prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, they will explain the details of the investigation that led to charges against 27 individuals including Yoon. Of the 12 arrest warrants requested, five were issued. Prosecutors have also sought an extension of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's detention, which expires on Christmas next week, with a decision slated for later this week. Cho's team secured Yoon's arrest within three weeks of starting their investigation on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to the debacle, while former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min was also indicted on similar charges. However, arrest warrants for several other officials including former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, were denied. Cho believes Yoon planned his martial law gambit in late 2022 to conceal controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee, who faces multiple allegations including accepting bribes, involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, and a slew of other charges. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-15 09:27:17

Driver sentenced to five years in prison for fatal crash in central Seoul SEOUL, December 4 (AJP) - A driver involved in a fatal crash in central Seoul last year was sentenced to five years in prison, as the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the lower court's ruling. The man in his late 60s, identified by his last name Cha, was charged with violating traffic laws after crashing into pedestrians near City Hall in July 2024, killing nine people and injuring five others. Investigations revealed that he had mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake while driving in the wrong direction on a one-way, four-lane street, hitting pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. The initial court sentenced him to seven and a half years in prison, counting each death and injury as a separate crime. The appellate court, however, ruled that the crimes resulted from a single incident and reduced the sentence to five years. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-04 14:26:16

Ex-spy chief arrested over alleged involvement in martial law debacle SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Cho Tae-yong, a former head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), was arrested on charges of allegedly being involved in disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle last year. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for him, citing concerns he could destroy or tamper with evidence. Cho is accused of failing to notify the National Assembly of Yoon's plan to declare martial law, despite being aware of it. Cho faces perjury charges for testifying to the National Assembly and Constitutional Court that he had not seen related documents before the Dec. 3 debacle. But CCTV footage from an emergency meeting with key officials at the presidential office that day showed him pocketing what appeared to be documents related to the debacle. Earlier arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae were denied, but Cho's arrest is expected to give independent investigators probing Yoon's case new momentum. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-12 10:58:34

Two rescued, at least seven missing after structure collapse at power plant in Ulsan SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) - A large structure collapsed at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, trapping believed to be seven people under the debris, authorities said. The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. at the state-run utility company Korea East-West Power. According to firefighters, two individuals were rescued shortly after the collapse, while search efforts continue for the remaining victims. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse and assessing the extent of the damage. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-06 15:45:01