Journalist

Kwon,sung jin
  • Korea adds bronze, advances relay and curling amid gold drought in Milan
    Korea adds bronze, advances relay and curling amid gold drought in Milan SEOUL, February 17 (AJP) -South Korea picked up another bronze medal in short track speed skating, advanced to the men’s relay final and extended its winning streak in women’s curling as Olympic action aired Tuesday morning in Korean time at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Kim Gil-li won bronze in the women’s 1,000 meters at Milano Ice Skating Arena, earning South Korea’s sixth medal of the Games and her first career Olympic podium. The 21-year-old finished behind Dutch star Xandra Velzeboer and Canada’s Courtney Sarault after a dramatic nine-lap race. Kim stayed near the back early as Sarault set the pace, with Italy’s Arianna Fontana close behind. She surged into third place with four laps remaining and briefly took the lead with two laps left after a bold inside pass. Velzeboer and Sarault, however, regained control in the final stretch, pushing Kim to third. It marked South Korea’s third short track medal in Milan, following Rim Jong-un’s bronze in the men’s 1,000m and Hwang Dae-heon’s silver in the men’s 1,500m. South Korea has now collected 56 Olympic short track medals, the most by any country. Two-time Olympic champion Choi Min-jeong missed the final after placing fourth in her semifinal and finished third in Final B. Men’s relay books final berth South Korea advanced to the final of the men’s 5,000m relay for the first time in 20 years. The quartet of Lee June-seo, Rim, Lee Jeong-min, and Shin Dong-min won Heat 2 of the semifinals ahead of the Netherlands. Canada and Italy advanced from Heat 1, with the final scheduled for Friday. After staying near the back early in the 45-lap race, South Korea surged late. Lee Jeong-min’s decisive inside pass with six laps remaining set up the winning move, and Rim anchored the team by holding off Dutch star Jens van 't Wout. “We executed more than 90 percent of our race plan,” Lee June-seo said. “Everyone played their role.” Women’s curling beats China, improves semifinal hopes South Korea’s women’s curling team also boosted its medal prospects with a dramatic win over China. Led by skip Kim Eun-ji, with third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun, and fifth Seol Ye-ji, “Team 5G” edged China 10-9 in their sixth round-robin match Tuesday morning (Korean time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. The victory extended South Korea’s winning streak to two matches and lifted the team to a 4-2 record, tied for second place with Switzerland and the United States. South Korea had revived its campaign two days earlier by beating longtime rival Japan 7-5 and followed up with another close win over China. Ten teams are competing in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the knockout stage. “Team 5G,” which went undefeated at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, is aiming for its first Olympic medal since “Team Kim” won silver at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. South Korea face Switzerland at 10:05 p.m. Tuesday (Korea time). Despite steady medal production, South Korea remains without a short track gold in Italy. With five medal events completed and four remaining, the country has earned one silver and two bronze medals in short track. No Korean skater remains in the men’s 500m after Rim and Hwang were eliminated. South Korea will next compete in the men’s 5,000m relay final, the women’s 3,000m relay final, and the women’s 1,500m, where Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong are still in contention. South Korea has won at least two short track gold medals at every Olympics since 1992, when the sport became a medal event. That streak is now in jeopardy. At most Winter Games, short track has driven South Korea’s medal count. This year, however, half of the country’s six medals have come from snowboarding, including its lone gold so far by Choi Gaon in the women’s halfpipe. 2026-02-17 08:11:10
  • Elana Meyers Taylor Wins Olympic Women’s Monobob Gold at Milan-Cortina
    Elana Meyers Taylor Wins Olympic Women’s Monobob Gold at Milan-Cortina Elana Meyers Taylor, a 41-year-old mother raising two children with disabilities, won her first Olympic gold medal in her fifth Games appearance.  Taylor posted 59.51 seconds in the fourth and final run of the women’s monobob on Feb. 17 (Korea time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Her four-run total of 3:57.93 edged Germany’s Laura Nolte (3:57.97) by 0.04 seconds for the title at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Born in October 1984, Taylor won three silver medals and two bronze medals from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics through the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This time, she finally stood atop the Olympic podium. Taylor has continued competing after giving birth to Nico, who is deaf, in 2020, and Noah, who has Down syndrome, in 2022. Ahead of the Games, she said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel,” adding, “I want to give hope to many parents raising children with disabilities.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-17 06:51:00
  • South Korea Women’s Curling Beats China for Second Straight Win at Milan-Cortina Games
    South Korea Women’s Curling Beats China for Second Straight Win at Milan-Cortina Games South Korea’s women’s curling team beat China 10-9 for its second straight win, improving its chances of reaching the semifinals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The South Korean team — skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and alternate Seol Ye-ji — defeated China in its sixth round-robin game at the Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina, Italy, on Feb. 17 (Korea time). After edging rival Japan 7-5 two days earlier, South Korea moved to 4-2 and into a three-way tie for second with Switzerland and the United States. The women’s event features 10 teams playing a full round robin, with the top four advancing to the medal round. Known as “Team 5G,” the squad is chasing an Olympic medal for the first time since “Team Kim” won silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Team 5G also went 10-0 to win gold at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games. South Korea controlled the early stages. After a scoreless first two ends, it scored three in the third. China answered with two in the fourth, but South Korea capitalized on a Chinese mistake in the fifth, when Kim Eun-ji’s final stone helped produce four points for a 7-2 lead. The match swung late. South Korea gave up three in the sixth and allowed a steal in the seventh to see its lead cut to 7-6. It managed only one point in the eighth, then surrendered three in the ninth to fall behind 9-8. In the 10th, Kim Eun-ji delivered a precise final shot to set up two scoring stones in the house, sealing a 10-9 comeback win. South Korea next plays Switzerland, also tied for second, at 10:05 p.m. on Feb. 17 (Korea time) in its seventh round-robin game.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-17 06:21:00
  • South Korea’s Kim Yuran finishes 22nd in Olympic women’s monobob, misses final run
    South Korea’s Kim Yuran finishes 22nd in Olympic women’s monobob, misses final run Kim Yuran finished 22nd in the women’s monobob at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, failing to advance to the fourth and final run. Kim posted 1 minute 00.51 seconds in the third run on Feb. 16 (local time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Her combined time for runs 1-3 was 3:02.37, placing her 22nd among 24 athletes and outside the top 20 who qualified for run 4. She was 23rd after the first two runs with a combined 2:01.86 and moved up one spot in the third run, but did not break into the top 20. Kim placed 14th in the women’s two-woman bobsleigh at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. At the 2022 Beijing Games, she became the first South Korean to compete in the newly added monobob and finished 18th.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-17 05:30:00
  • South Korea Faces Short Track Gold Drought at Milan-Cortina Olympics; Women’s 1,500 Last Individual Chance
    South Korea Faces Short Track Gold Drought at Milan-Cortina Olympics; Women’s 1,500 Last Individual Chance South Korea’s short track team, long a reliable source of Olympic gold, is facing growing concern that it could finish the Games without a top podium in the sport. Through Feb. 16 (Korea time), South Korea has won one silver and two bronze medals across six short track events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Lim Jong-eon opened the medal count with bronze in the men’s 1,000 meters. Hwang Dae-heon added silver in the men’s 1,500, and Kim Gil-li took bronze in the women’s 1,000, giving South Korea three medals overall. But a gold medal has yet to come. With only three events remaining — the women’s 1,500-meter individual race and the men’s and women’s relay events — there is speculation South Korea may not surpass the two golds it won at the Beijing Games four years ago. The men’s team has already completed its individual events without winning a gold. It is the third time South Korea’s men have gone without an Olympic individual gold, after the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and the 2014 Sochi Games. The women’s team is also under pressure. After missing gold in the 500 and 1,000, only the 1,500 remains in the individual program. If South Korea fails to win that race as well, it would mark the first time in Olympic history that the country wins no gold medals in both men’s and women’s individual short track events. The absence of a dominant star has added to the challenge. Choi Min-jeong, the team’s ace who defended South Korea’s pride with back-to-back Olympic golds at Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022, has struggled in individual events at this Olympics. As South Korea has stumbled, rivals have surged. The Netherlands, once known mainly for speed skating, has made rapid gains in short track and has broken South Korea’s hold on the top step. The Dutch have swept up four gold medals at these Games, setting a new national record for most Olympic golds in the sport.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-17 04:51:00
  • Agriculture minister dismisses further tariff-related pressure from US
    Agriculture minister dismisses further tariff-related pressure from US SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - South Korea is unlikely to be pressed to open its agricultural market further beyond the scope of last fall's broader tariff-related deal with the U.S. Dismissing doubts, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong made the remarks during a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong on Monday, when reporters asked whether South Korea's move to expand imports of American potatoes was made at Washington's request. She clarified that the imports from about a dozen U.S. states were part of an extension of quarantine procedures that began in 2019 and brushed off farmers' concerns, saying the impact would be minimal. Song argued that domestically grown potatoes are more competitive in both quality and price than American ones, citing that previous imports from 22 U.S. states did not affect the domestic market. On the controversial plan to relocate the Korea Racing Authority, the country's equestrian agency, for housing development, which has sparked violent protests from locals in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, she said the government will work with relevant ministries, including Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to find a solution. Addressing concerns over rising rice prices, she pledged that the government would intervene promptly should prices surge including the immediate release of stockpiles to stabilize the market. Regarding the government's proposed tax on sugar, Song said the government is still reviewing various scenarios, adding that if the levy only targets sweetened beverages, the impact on inflation would likely be limited. 2026-02-09 16:57:26
  • Lee Jae Myung Floats Possible Sugar Tax, Sparking Health vs. Inflation Debate
    Lee Jae Myung Floats Possible Sugar Tax, Sparking Health vs. Inflation Debate President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday raised the possibility of introducing a “sugar levy,” often called a sugar tax, to curb sugar consumption, prompting competing arguments over public health benefits and concerns about higher prices. Lee shared an article on X, formerly Twitter, titled “A sweet addiction stronger than drugs; 80% support introducing a sugar tax,” and asked for public input. “Like tobacco, what about curbing sugar use with a sugar levy and reinvesting the revenue to strengthen local and public health care?” he wrote. A sugar tax is an additional tax on foods and drinks with added sugar. The article said more than 120 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have adopted such taxes. The World Health Organization recommended in 2016 that member states consider a sugar tax, citing research linking sugar intake to higher risks of obesity, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. The U.K. taxes soft drinks based on sugar content at 0.18 to 0.24 pounds per liter. Supporters say a sugar tax can improve health. The article cited research in the United States finding that taxing soft drinks was linked to lower body mass index. Fabrice Etilé, a professor at the Paris School of Economics, estimated that a 10% increase in soft drink prices would reduce obesity rates by 3.9%. Critics warn it could fuel inflation, especially as a weak currency has already pushed up raw material costs. Denmark introduced a similar “fat tax” in 2011 but repealed it the next year, citing rising prices and a shrinking food industry, the article said. Public opinion appears favorable. A survey of 1,030 people conducted from Jan. 12-19 by Seoul National University’s Health Culture Project Group found 80.1% supported introducing a sugar tax. The article attributed the result to heightened health awareness, including the popularity of “zero” sugar drinks and foods. Yu Ho Rim, a professor at Kangnam University’s Graduate School of Taxation who wrote a paper titled “Analysis of Overseas Research Trends on Health Taxes (Sugar Tax) and Policy Implications,” suggested an alternative approach. “Rather than an indirect tax on consumers, there could be a way to impose a health tax as a direct tax on suppliers,” Yu said, adding that increasing suppliers’ tax burden could help curb production of foods considered harmful to health. Yu also said higher cigarette prices have, in part, contributed to lower smoking rates, and that “based on scientific analysis and social consensus,” policymakers could consider whether to apply the tax to sugar substitutes as well. 2026-01-28 17:24:42
  • South Koreas finance chief links pension strategy, digital assets to currency stability
    South Korea's finance chief links pension strategy, digital assets to currency stability SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Despite a record current-account surplus, South Korea’s currency market has become more volatile, driven by imbalances in capital flows rather than trade, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said Wednesday. Koo made the remarks Tuesday in a video address to a symposium hosted at the Korea Federation of Banks building in Seoul, while on a visit to the U.S. The event focused on changes in the foreign-exchange market environment and policy priorities. He attributed the recent market moves to imbalances in foreign-exchange supply and demand, citing in particular a rapid increase in overseas securities investment by domestic institutions. The government, he said, is working to strengthen economic fundamentals while also pursuing short-term market responses and measures to improve supply-demand conditions. Koo highlighted the National Pension Service as a key participant in the market, noting that its overseas assets now exceed South Korea’s foreign-exchange reserves. He said the government would accelerate discussions on a new framework aimed at balancing investment returns with foreign-exchange market stability. Turning to South Korea’s long-running push to be included in MSCI’s developed-market index, Koo described the effort as essential to enhancing the attractiveness of the country’s capital and foreign-exchange markets and aligning them more closely with advanced economies. Koo also pointed to digital assets as a potential source of structural change in financial markets, saying their institutionalization could reshape trading beyond traditional financial and foreign-exchange transactions. On stablecoins, Koo said setting clear rules is an urgent task, adding that the government plans to prepare measures within the year to prevent regulatory circumvention as stablecoins are legalized. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-14 15:43:04
  • Koreas instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years
    Korea's instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years S​​​​EOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s ramyeon exports topped US$1.5 billion last year, extending a long-running rise as the product becomes a leading item in the country’s food exports. Preliminary Korea Customs Service data released Sunday showed ramyeon exports rose 21.8 percent from a year earlier to a record US$1.521 billion (about 2.2 trillion won). Exports were US$952 million in 2023, below US$1 billion, but climbed by more than US$500 million in just two years. Compared with 2022, when exports totaled US$765 million, the figure has doubled in three years. It is up sevenfold over the past decade from US$219 million in 2015. Samyang Foods, which built the “Buldak” stir-fried noodle brand, produces all of its products in South Korea for export. Nongshim, by contrast, also has factories in the United States and China, suggesting overseas sales of Korean ramyeon are far larger than export totals alone. Ramyeon exports have increased for 11 straight years since 2014, with faster growth in recent years. Since 2021, exports have risen an average of 23 percent annually over five years. Korean ramyeon has gained visibility overseas alongside K-pop and Korean dramas. Reflecting that cultural reach, “ramyeon” has been listed as an English word in the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines it as a Korean-style instant noodle dish. “Ramen,” a Japanese term, was already included. Last year, a scene in the Netflix animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” showing fictional K-pop group members eating cup noodles with gimbap drew attention. British The Times reported in November under the headline, “Thanks to K-pop Demon Hunters, Korean spicy noodles are popular in the U.K.” Ramyeon makers are pushing further into global markets. Nongshim has rolled out “K-pop Demon Hunters” collaboration ramyeon in key markets including the United States since last year and named girl group aespa as the first global ambassador for Shin Ramyun. Samyang Foods completed its Miryang Plant No. 2 last year and is building its first overseas factory in Jiaxing, China. It decided to install eight production lines, two more than originally planned. Still, the Trump administration’s tariff war has weighed on exports. Ramyeon exports to the United States rose 18.1 percent last year, below the overall export growth rate. U.S.-bound ramyeon exports grew an average of 68 percent a year from 2022 to 2024, but the growth rate fell sharply last year after the Trump government’s 15% reciprocal tariff took effect. From August, when the reciprocal tariff was introduced, through December, ramyeon exports to the United States totaled US$100 million, up just 1.4% from the same period a year earlier. 2026-01-11 13:40:25
  • South Koreas finance chief warns wons volatility remains high, vows swift action
    South Korea's finance chief warns won's volatility remains high, vows swift action SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s deputy prime minister and finance minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Thursday that volatility in the foreign exchange market “remains high," pledging swift follow-up measures to stabilize overall conditions. Koo made the remarks at a policy coordination meeting attended by Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin and Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-young. He said the current exchange rate appeared to be diverging from economic fundamentals and stressed the need for authorities to maintain “firm and consistent” policy responses. Koo said equity and financial markets have remained buoyant, citing foreign investor inflows, while government bond yields have stayed stable, leaving overall market conditions “generally stable.” However, he warned that downside risks persist in global markets, pointing to geopolitical uncertainty and shifts in monetary policy by major economies. Authorities will maintain a 24-hour market monitoring system and closely track external developments, he said. Koo also said the government would step up so-called productive finance to channel funding toward advanced industries as well as venture and startup firms. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-08 10:03:35