Journalist
Jeong Se-hee
ssss308@ajunews.com
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1 dead, 3 injured due to fire at aging apartment complex in southern Seoul SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - A fire broke out in an apartment unit in southern Seoul on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and three others injured. About 70 residents were evacuated after the fire began at around 6:20 a.m. at the Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul's Gangnam district, according to district officials. Fire authorities said they contained the fire in about an hour and were working to extinguish the remaining flames. The aging complex, built in 1979 and long slated for redevelopment into high-rise skyscrapers that could house nearly 6,000 households, has seen property prices surge in recent years. 2026-02-24 08:37:31 -
Actress Kim Ji-su Shares Update From Prague, Says She’s Preparing New Work 배우 김지수가 자신의 근황을 전했다. Kim Ji-su shared an update on social media on the 22nd, posting photos from her daily life in Prague and saying she is preparing “productive work” there. In the post, she wrote, “Hearing such joyful, hearty laughter made me laugh, too. I think laughter might be the strongest cure-all.” She added that many people assume she is simply traveling, but said she has been living between Prague and South Korea. “Even in Prague, I’m not just spending time anymore — I’m preparing productive work,” she wrote. Kim said it can be overwhelming and difficult at times, but that solving things one by one is part of the fun. “I like myself for living diligently,” she wrote, adding, “Spring is coming soon — not the spring that comes every year, but another new spring.” Born in 1972, Kim debuted in 1992 as a talent recruited in SBS’ second open audition. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 07:39:15 -
Lee Jaeyong declines to host concert organized by conservative YouTuber Jeon Han-gil Former announcer Lee Jaeyong said he turned down a request to emcee a concert hosted by Jeon Han-gil, a hard-line conservative YouTuber and former Korean history instructor. Lee told Yonhap on the 23rd, “As soon as I recognized the nature of the event yesterday, I contacted the organizer and said I couldn’t host it, and asked to be removed from the poster.” He said that when he first received the request, he was told it was a conservative March 1 Independence Movement commemoration concert and that he would only handle the music portion, “so I heard there would be no problem.” He added, “There was no mention at all that it was an event connected to Jeon Han-gil.” Lee said he generally accepts requests to host concerts or book launch events regardless of political leanings, but added, “Events on the far right or far left are outside my scope, so I don’t do them at all.” He said he would not have accepted if he had been told it had a far-right character or that Jeon was involved. Lee said he has no intention of taking legal action. Earlier, Jung Chan-hee said on social media the previous day, “I hadn’t said anything separately because I decided not to appear in this performance, but I’m posting because so many people have contacted me. I will not appear in this performance.” Jung said he had verbally agreed to appear at a March 1 music event, but learned about the poster when an acquaintance sent it to him two days earlier. “I contacted them and decided not to appear,” he added.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-23 16:30:16 -
Firefighters struggle to contain wildfire in small town of Hamyang SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - Firefighters are still struggling to contain a wildfire in the small town of Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province. According to the Korea Forest Service, the fire has burned some 190 hectares of land and forest as of early Monday morning since the fire broke out around 9 p.m. last Saturday. More than 100 fire trucks and 600 personnel have been deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby residential areas, but strong winds and rugged terrain have hampered efforts to contain it. No casualties have been reported. 2026-02-23 10:46:36 -
Soprano Jung Chan-hee Says She Won’t Perform at Jeon Han-gil Concert Soprano Jung Chan-hee said she will not appear at a concert hosted by Jeon Han-gil, a hard-line conservative YouTuber who previously worked as a Korean history instructor. Jung wrote on social media on the 22nd, “I had decided not to appear in this performance and hadn’t said anything separately, but I’m posting this because so many people have contacted me. I will not appear in this performance.” She said she had verbally been asked to perform at a March 1 music concert and agreed, but learned about the poster only after an acquaintance sent it to her two days earlier. “I contacted them and decided not to appear,” she added. Jung said she initially thought no explanation was needed because she had already decided not to participate, but chose to clarify after hearing from many supporters. Earlier, Tae Jin-ah’s agency, Jina Entertainment, also issued a statement the same day saying he would not perform. The agency said it had only received an inquiry describing it as a general event, not a political one. It said an event official visited days earlier and asked whether Tae could appear at an event at 2 p.m. March 2 at KINTEX, and the agency replied that his schedule was available. The agency said it asked whether it was related to politics given the upcoming local elections, but was told it was “just a general event at KINTEX.” The agency added, “Tae Jin-ah has never accepted countless invitations from the political world, and he has absolutely no intention of appearing at political events in the future.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-23 09:42:15 -
BLACKPINK tops 100 million YouTube subscribers, thanks fans Girl group BLACKPINK has shared its reaction after becoming the first artist worldwide to surpass 100 million YouTube subscribers. On the afternoon of the 20th, BLACKPINK crossed the 100 million mark and received YouTube’s “Red Diamond Button” to certify the milestone. The members thanked fans in a video posted that afternoon. Jennie said, “I want to once again thank everyone who always takes interest in our music and loves us,” adding, “I’m especially happy we could make this record together with BLINK,” the group’s fandom. Rosé said the achievement “means even more,” adding that she had heard BLACKPINK was the first official artist channel to reach 100 million subscribers on YouTube. Lisa thanked YouTube “for creating a space where we can always communicate with fans around the world,” and added, “Most of all, thank you so much to BLINK for being with us every moment, watching and listening to our music, and growing with us. We couldn’t have come this far without you.” BLACKPINK is also set to release its third mini album, “DEADLINE,” on the 27th. The release will be the group’s first album in three years and five months since its second full-length album in September 2022. Jisoo said, “We worked hard for a long time and put a lot of care into preparing our third mini album, ‘DEADLINE,’ so please give it lots of love.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 20:42:15 -
Actor Koo Sung-hwan mourns death of pet dog Flowerbun, featured on 'I Live Alone' Actor Koo Sung-hwan's dog Flowerbun, who drew attention after appearing on MBC's "I Live Alone," has died. Koo wrote on social media on the 21st that he had rewritten and deleted the post many times, saying he still did not want to accept it. He said Flowerbun, whom he called his "daughter," "younger sister" and "partner," died on the 14th. "Flowerbun received so much love, and I wanted to say thank you for all the love she was given in this life," he wrote, adding that he regretted not feeding her more good food or taking her on more walks. "Flowerbun, you were so kind and affectionate. Thank you, I'm sorry, and I love you so, so much," he wrote. "Let's meet again someday. Over there, eat lots of tasty food, run around with your friends and be happy." He also thanked people for loving Flowerbun and said he would pull himself together and return in good health. After the news, Koo's close friend Lee Joo-seung wrote, "My little friend, rest easy," and Code Kunst posted, "I love you, Flowerbun." Flowerbun appeared on "I Live Alone" in May 2024 and became popular.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 19:33:14 -
Actress Jeon Won-ju Says Her Sons May Be Eyeing Her Assets Actress Jeon Won-ju said she feels her children may be coveting her property. A video titled “Jeon Won-ju visits a romance-focused fortune-telling shop as its first customer” was posted on the YouTube channel “Younggu TV” on the 20th. In the video, a shaman told Jeon that things would go well for her in 2026, adding that she had “made it through a major hurdle” and warning her to go to the hospital if she has headaches. The shaman also said Jeon should be especially careful about her health in 2027 and 2028, and advised her to sort out and organize her assets. Jeon said, “My children are after my property. I have two sons, and I don’t know why they keep asking me for my seal stamp,” adding that she has recently felt she should stop being someone who trembles and instead become someone who spends freely. Comedian Shim Hyung-rae responded that he was not telling her to spend unconditionally, but to use her money for herself. Jeon replied, “Now I’m going to spend a little,” emphasizing her point.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 18:09:15 -
Comedian Kim Ji-min Says She Injured Her Face in a Fall Comedian Kim Ji-min said she was injured in a fall. Kim wrote on social media on Tuesday that she fell and hit her face while getting out after taking a half-body bath 10 days earlier, posting photos along with the message. “The bruising has gone down, but maybe my cheek muscle is knotted — a strange spot sinks in like a dimple,” she wrote, asking if anyone knew how it should be treated. Online commenters responded with messages such as “Hope you get well soon” and “Go to the hospital quickly.” Kim married comedian Kim Jun-ho in July last year. The couple has been reported to be preparing to have a child.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 09:39:00 -
Opera Singer Lim Hyung-joo Calls His Award Certificates His 'Wife, Girlfriend and Child' Opera singer Lim Hyung-joo said he thinks of the award certificates he has received as his wife, girlfriend and child. Lim appeared on TV Chosun’s “Dad and Me,” which aired on Feb. 18. On the show, he opened his “certificate room” and said, “I call certificates babies,” adding, “To me, certificates are a girlfriend, a wife and a child.” Host Jun Hyun-moo sighed and joked, “You’ll never get married.” When Lim said being in the room brings him mental calm, Jun teased, “You’ve got a lot of girlfriends.” Lim said he wants to collect 100 certificates but has 77 so far. He added that his mother does not like them much and has said she wants to get rid of the certificate room, which is why it is located next to the garage. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 08:39:00
