South Korea women win first Asian Badminton Team Championships title, return home South Korea’s women’s national badminton team, led by world No. 1 An Se Young, returned home Sunday afternoon through Incheon International Airport after winning their first title at the 2026 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. The South Korean men’s and women’s teams, coached by Park Joo Bong, swept host China 3-0 in the finals Saturday in Qingdao, China. It was the first time since the tournament began in 2016 that South Korea’s women finished on top. An anchored the run from the group stage through the final, playing first in singles and not dropping a single game. She also told the coach she wanted to keep playing to maintain momentum, helping drive the team’s “One Team Korea” unity. South Korea fielded a full-strength lineup that included An, Kim Ga Eun and the doubles pair Lee So Hee-Baek Ha Na. The team beat Singapore and Taiwan in group play, then defeated Malaysia in the quarterfinals and Indonesia in the semifinals before lifting the trophy. With the result, the women secured a spot in the finals of the BWF World Team Championships for women, the Uber Cup, to be held in Denmark in April. An said the achievement was special because it was earned together, and she pledged strong performances at future world events. The men’s team finished tied for third despite losing ace Seo Seung Jae to a shoulder injury. Led by Kim Won Ho, singles prospects helped the team clinch a berth in the men’s world team finals, the Thomas Cup. Park said he was pleased with the women’s historic first title and the men’s better-than-expected showing, and he praised the potential of the next generation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 20:36:00

South Korea Mixed Doubles Curlers Lose to Norway, Eliminated at Milan-Cortina 2026 South Korea’s mixed doubles curling pair Kim Seon Young (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Provincial Government) finished the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics round-robin with a comeback loss to Norway. Kim and Jeong lost 8-5 to Norway’s Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten on Sunday (Korea time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in their ninth and final round-robin game. They ended the tournament 3-6. 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 decide the medals. Kim and Jeong opened with five straight losses before turning things around. On Saturday, they beat medal contender the United States, then followed with wins over Estonia and Canada for a three-game streak. Even so, they were already unable to catch the top four regardless of the result against Norway. South Korea started strongly in the finale, scoring one in the first end and two in the second for a 3-0 lead. Norway pulled within 3-2 with two in the third, but South Korea added points in the fourth and fifth to go up 5-2. The momentum shifted late. Norway used a power play in the sixth end — a rule that lets the team with last stone reposition stones to set up a big score — and tied it by scoring three to make it 5-5. In the seventh, South Korea called for a power play but committed a hog line violation on the final stone, giving up two points and falling behind 7-5. South Korea could not recover in the eighth, allowing one more point to finish the 8-5 loss.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 20:30:00

Samsung Coach Kim Hyo Beom Arrives Late, Misses First Half vs. KT A rare scene unfolded on a pro basketball court as a head coach did not appear before tipoff. The Korean Basketball League game between Suwon KT and Seoul Samsung at KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, began at about 7 p.m. Monday with Samsung coach Kim Hyo Beom absent. Kim also skipped the pregame media interview and did not show up on the bench through the end of the first half. Samsung’s coaching staff ran the team in his place. The club said Kim was delayed getting to the arena for personal reasons. Samsung said Kim arrived during the second quarter but could not join the bench while play was ongoing, so he waited off the court. The club said he was expected to take charge from the second half. Samsung, in ninth place in the league, still led 48-41 at halftime against KT despite the coach’s absence.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 20:24:00

On a bread ride in Daejeon SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - At exactly 1 p.m., a gray sedan rolled up in front of Exit 4 of Tanbang Station, Daejeon city of South Korea. Out stepped driver An Seong-woo — with two bread-shaped plushies tucked under his arms and a smile warm enough to melt butter. That’s how our “Bread Vatican pilgrimage,” officially known as the Daejeon Bread Taxi Tour, began. He had arrived early that morning to scout parking spots for customers who drove in. A small detail, maybe. But on this tour, small details are everything. Inside the taxi, bread plushies and Sungsimdang character dolls were everywhere. On the back of the passenger seat hung a laminated guide explaining Daejeon's "bread capital" reputation — complete with tips on reheating pastries at home. Air fryer? Microwave? Defrost first? Ahn had answers to all of it. Before the engine even started, it was clear: this wasn't just a ride. It was a carefully curated bread experience. As we pulled away, An explained how the route works. He personally tastes every bread. Checks prices. Inspects interiors. Verifies hygiene. Studies customer reviews. Only then does a bakery make the cut. Routes change depending on who books and what they want. Today's lineup included Mimi Dessert, famous for Dubai-style chewy cookies; Sungsimdang, Daejeon's bread legend; Mongsim, winner of the Daejeon Bread Festival; Jeongdong Munhwasa; and one "secret" bakery he refused to name. Our job was simple: pick up the bread he had already reserved and listen. At each shop, An turned into a walking encyclopedia — explaining signature menus, owners' stories, ingredient choices, and even which pastries travel best. At Mimi Dessert, people recognized him instantly. Customers waved. Some asked for business cards. A group of students squealed when they spotted him. He wasn't just a driver. He was the bread guy. In-car dining, bakery edition Then came the highlight: in-car dining. Behind the front seats were fold-down tables — just like airplane trays. Pull one out, and suddenly cup holders appeared, side panels extended, and extra space opened up for napkins and wipes. An said he tested eight different products before choosing this one. Once the bread arrived, he laid out knives, forks, spoons, water and drinks. Then came the extras: balsamic oil, butter and cream cheese — matched carefully to each pastry. "This one goes best with butter." "That one needs cream cheese." "This one, try plain first." We ate fresh bread right there in the taxi. When crumbs fell, Ahn pulled out a cordless vacuum. "Please drop as many crumbs as possible," he joked. Everything was ready. Nothing was accidental. It felt like a moving bakery café. No waiting, no stress — just cake Next stop: Sungsimdang inside Lotte Department Store. We were there for Strawberry Siru cakes — famous for requiring hours of waiting. But An had already reserved them. Instead of lining up for half a day, we walked straight to checkout. Five minutes later, cake in hand. For travelers, that alone felt like winning the lottery. The final stop was the "secret" bakery. No signboard. No big crowds. Just a quiet alley filled with the smell of roasting coffee and fresh bread. We bought whole wheat campagne and sipped omija tea made with house-made syrup. Sweet. Tart. Refreshing. Perfect with bread. It felt like a hidden ending scene — the kind you only reach if you take the long way. Two hours later, the tour wrapped up. An handed us a Bread Tour Certificate. It read, like an award: "Certified to have participated in the bread tour, eaten deliciously and abundantly, and completed it excellently." We laughed. We took photos. We carefully packed our bread. Then An drove us back to our parked car. We said goodbye with arms full of pastries and bags heavy with memories. A warm, sweet ride For two hours, Daejeon became a moving bakery. And a taxi became a tiny, rolling café. We left full. We left smiling. We left smelling faintly of butter and coffee. And honestly? We'd do it again in a heartbeat. 2026-02-09 19:09:27

GC Biopharma Joins CEPI-Led Pandemic Vaccine Drill; Other Korea Pharma Updates GC Biopharma joins CEPI-led tabletop drill to prepare for future pandemics GC Biopharma said Monday it took part in the Korea 100Day Mission Tabletop Exercise held Feb. 5-6 and organized by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the International Vaccine Institute. The scenario-based drill tested whether the full process — from vaccine development to approval, manufacturing and supply — could be completed within 100 days in a future pandemic. Organizers said the goal was to refine decision-making among the government, international organizations and vaccine makers to reduce the risk of delays during an actual outbreak. GC Biopharma participated as a manufacturer capable of handling the full production process for messenger RNA, or mRNA, medicines, using the exercise to review its vaccine development and manufacturing capacity based on its mRNA platform. The company said the drill also included discussions on flexible approaches to clinical and regulatory procedures during a pandemic, and it expects closer coordination with the government could enable faster responses. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical backs Ulsan children’s rights committee Kwangdong Pharmaceutical said Monday it held a launch ceremony for the Ulsan Metropolitan City Children’s Happiness Committee with the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association to support children’s rights protection in the region. The company said the event included programs with children participating directly. The committee plans initiatives including child safety and anti-violence campaigns, promoting positive parenting, operating children’s rights education programs and expanding child participation in policymaking. It also plans to focus on strengthening local safety nets, including safety checks of school routes and play environments and building an early detection system for child abuse risks. Cha Bio F&C’s Evercell launches ‘Cell Youth Plumping Ampoule’ Cha Bio F&C said Monday its premium anti-aging cosmetics brand, Evercell, launched a new product, the Evercell Cell Youth Plumping Ampoule. The ampoule mist is a new addition to the Cell Youth line and features lactobacillus-derived exosomes and rose polydeoxyribonucleotide, or PDRN, as key ingredients. The company said it is designed to support anti-aging care and help create an immediate look of skin volume and radiance. Cha Bio F&C said its CHA-probiotics EV Complex™, an exosome delivery ingredient, and rose PDRN help improve skin condition and support regenerative care, while 20-layer hyaluronic acid helps deliver moisture for hydration. The product uses a dual-texture formula with separate gel and oil layers that are mixed by shaking just before use, the company said, adding that the feel can vary depending on how it is used. Alteogen reports progress on once-monthly obesity drug candidate Alteogen said Monday it disclosed development progress on a once-monthly obesity treatment based on its in-house ultra-long-acting platform. Built on the company’s protein engineering technology, the platform extends dosing to once a month, compared with its existing long-acting platform, NexP, which supports once-weekly dosing. With once-weekly obesity treatments established as the standard in the global market, the company said next-generation candidates are being developed to achieve greater weight loss and improve dosing convenience. Alteogen said a once-monthly obesity drug candidate it previously disclosed last year showed a long half-life and sustained drug concentration in animal pharmacokinetics tests. In the latest pharmacodynamics study, the company evaluated weight-loss effects and patterns of weight regain after stopping dosing in an obese rat model. It said the candidate showed weight loss comparable to the control group, retatrutide, and also showed a trend toward reduced rapid weight regain after treatment stopped.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 18:06:00

South Korea’s Kim Sang-gyeom wins snowboard silver, becomes oldest Korean individual Olympic medalist South Korean snowboarder Kim Sang-gyeom made Olympic history with a surprise silver medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Kim won silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom final on Feb. 8 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, delivering South Korea’s first medal of these Olympics. After qualifying eighth, Kim advanced through the bracket and upset this season’s World Cup No. 1, Roland Fischnaller of Italy, in the quarterfinals. He reached the final and lost to Benjamin Karl of Austria by 0.19 seconds to secure silver. The medal capped Kim’s fourth Olympic appearance. He emerged as a top prospect after winning the 2011 Erzurum Winter Universiade in Turkiye, but struggled at the Olympics: 17th in qualifying at the 2014 Sochi Games, eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, and 24th in qualifying at the 2022 Beijing Games. He broke through at age 37. Kim is now South Korea’s oldest Olympic medalist in an individual event. The previous mark belonged to shooter Jin Jong-oh, who won gold in the 50-meter pistol at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics at age 36. The oldest South Korean Winter Olympic medalist had been speedskater Lee Seung-hoon, who won bronze in the mass start at the 2022 Beijing Games at age 34. Including team events, South Korea’s oldest Olympic medalist remains archer Oh Jin-hyeok, who won gold in the men’s team event at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics at age 40. Kim’s result also added to South Korea’s ski and snowboard history. It marked the country’s second Olympic medal in this event, eight years after Lee Sang-ho won silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games for the nation’s first Olympic podium in skiing and snowboarding. Kim’s silver was also South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal. South Korea won its first Olympic medal at the 1948 London Summer Olympics, when weightlifter Kim Seong-jip took bronze. Through the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, South Korea had 320 Summer Games medals (109 gold, 100 silver, 111 bronze). Through the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, it had 79 Winter Games medals (33 gold, 30 silver, 16 bronze), for a total of 399. Kim’s silver pushed the overall count to 400. 2026-02-09 18:04:08

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries posts best results since 2012, expands push into Middle East HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, benefiting from a shipbuilding upcycle, said it has returned to annual operating profit above 2 trillion won for the first time in 13 years, helped by an order strategy focused on high-value vessels. The company said it plans to widen its global footprint this year, extending moves in the United States and India to the Middle East to strengthen its position in shipbuilding and offshore markets. In a regulatory filing on Sunday, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries reported consolidated 2025 revenue of 17.5806 trillion won, up 21.4% from a year earlier. Operating profit surged 188.9% to 2.0375 trillion won. It was the first time operating profit exceeded 2 trillion won since 2012, during the industry’s peak boom. The company attributed the improvement to a focus on high-value ship types, including liquefied natural gas carriers, ultra-large container ships and eco-friendly, high-efficiency vessels. In the fourth quarter, LNG carriers accounted for 48.4% of revenue, down slightly from the previous quarter, while the share of liquefied petroleum gas and ammonia carriers (VLAC) rose to 32.2%, offsetting the decline. More than 80% of total merchant-ship revenue came from high-value gas carriers, it said. Building on the results, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will broaden management activity this year to the Middle East, following efforts to expand overseas operations through cooperation on U.S. maintenance, repair and overhaul work and plans to establish a shipyard in India. It said it is also moving ahead with a plan to enter the Middle East directly by setting up a joint-venture shipyard. The company’s push reflects expectations of continued large orders from Middle Eastern countries amid energy transition and rising defense demand, the report said. The region is seeing growing demand for both LNG-related vessels and offshore plants. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will seek orders by leveraging its experience and technical competitiveness in building high-value ships. It has also joined the Middle East’s largest defense exhibition in Saudi Arabia and has entered the competition for Saudi Arabia’s next frigate program, the report said. A key pillar of the Middle East strategy is the IMI (International Maritime Industries) joint-venture shipyard being built by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai’s intermediate shipbuilding holding company, with Saudi partners near Jubail in the King Salman Maritime Industrial Complex. IMI is targeting completion this year. “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is expanding its portfolio beyond merchant ships into special-purpose vessels and defense,” an industry official said. “Once IMI begins full operations in the second half of this year, it will have a base to respond directly to demand for high-value ships and offshore plants in the Middle East, bringing major change.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 18:03:40

Hyundai Motor Group Expands U.S. Presence as Rivals Cut EV Spending Global automakers are slowing electric vehicle investment and trimming production in North America, but Hyundai Motor Group is moving in the opposite direction, expanding investment and leaning more heavily on hybrids. Industry watchers say the strategy is helping Hyundai and Kia stay competitive as the pace of the EV transition cools. According to the auto industry on Monday, Stellantis, which has operations in Europe and the United States, has entered a restructuring phase as it revises its EV strategy. It has begun running restructuring programs, including large-scale voluntary retirement, in major markets such as South Korea. The shift follows losses of 22.2 billion euros (about 38.4 trillion won) tied to its EV business reset. In October, the U.S. government tightened requirements for EV tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, prompting automakers to slow EV rollouts and focus more on profitability. General Motors last month reduced a Canadian plant from three shifts to two and cut about 500 jobs. Ford is estimated to have absorbed losses of US$19.5 billion while adjusting its EV investment plans. Hyundai Motor Group, meanwhile, has continued to expand in North America, boosting sales and investment as rivals pull back. The group has been increasing hybrid output to raise market share. At its 2025 CEO Investor Day, Hyundai said it would expand its hybrid lineup from 14 models to at least 18. Kia lowered its 2030 target for EVs as a share of sales to 30% from 38% and said it would raise hybrids to 26% from 20%. The approach has supported results. Last year, Hyundai Motor Group sold a record 1,836,172 vehicles in the United States, up 7.5% from a year earlier. Its U.S. market share rose to 11.3% from 10.8%. In January, combined sales by Hyundai (including Genesis) and Kia rose 7.7% from the same month a year earlier to 125,296 vehicles, helped by strong demand for hybrid models such as the Palisade. Hyundai plans to keep increasing investment to match sales growth. By 2028, it plans to invest US$26 billion in the United States and expand capacity at its Georgia Metaplant (HMGMA) to 500,000 vehicles a year from 300,000. A Hyundai-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery cell plant is also targeting completion and start of operations in the first half of this year. As Hyundai Motor Group increases local production, the industry expects South Korean parts suppliers to step up expansion of their North American manufacturing bases as well. A Hyundai official said expanding hybrids and local production in line with U.S. sales trends has strengthened the group’s competitiveness in North America.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 18:03:26

South Korean Arms Makers Showcase Advanced Weapons at Saudi Defense Expo South Korea’s defense industry, riding a boom, is taking its pitch to the Middle East’s biggest market as companies compete for Saudi Arabia’s oil-funded procurement. Major firms are showcasing advanced land, sea and air systems alongside global rivals.  Industry officials said Monday that leading South Korean defense companies joined the 2026 World Defense Show, which opened Sunday (local time) in Riyadh.  Hanwha’s three defense affiliates, Hyundai Rotem, LIG Nex1 and Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, set up near the entrance of the third exhibition hall, close to pavilions for host Saudi Arabia as well as China and Russia.  Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean built a combined 677-square-meter booth, their largest yet, to highlight future integrated weapons systems using artificial intelligence and network-centric battlefield solutions.  KAI said it will focus marketing on exporting the KF-21, which is scheduled to be fielded this year, while also displaying the FA-50, the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), a nano synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite and unmanned aircraft. The KF-21 area is being run as a joint exhibit with companies that took part in developing the aircraft under a “Team Korea” concept.  Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, commander of the Saudi air force, visited KAI’s Sacheon headquarters on Jan. 28, watched a KF-21 demonstration flight and toured mass-production facilities, the company said.  LIG Nex1, which entered the Middle East market with a 2024 export of the Cheongung-II to Saudi Arabia, is promoting a layered air-defense package. It includes Cheongung, the long-range surface-to-air guided weapon (L-SAM), the long-range artillery interception system (LAMD) and the Shingung (CHIRON), aimed at countering missile, drone and aircraft threats.  Hyundai Rotem said it will emphasize ground systems and future-warfare technologies, including maneuver weapons, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) and hydrogen mobility, as it seeks to expand in the Middle East.  The South Korean government is also backing the push. Defense Minister Ahn met in Riyadh with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, proposing forward-looking cooperation in defense and the defense industry and inviting Khalid to visit South Korea within the year.  Saudi Arabia allocated $78 billion for defense spending last year and is pursuing measures to promote its defense industry, including attracting domestic and foreign investment, according to the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI). 2026-02-09 18:03:00

Bithumb scandal sparks deep skepticism over Korea's crypto exchange systems SEOUL, Feb 09 (AJP) - A “fat finger” blunder at Bithumb, South Korea’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, has become a windfall for a few and a nightmare for many, involving more than $40 billion in erroneous transactions and raising fresh concerns over the safety of crypto trading in Korea. At around 7 p.m. KST last Friday, a staff member attempted to distribute 620,000 won in prize money but mistakenly transferred 620,000 won worth of Bitcoin instead—each unit valued at about 100 million won at the time. At the time of the incident, Bithumb reportedly held about 40,000 Bitcoins. Yet the erroneous payout amounted to nearly 15 times that figure. The exchange said it had recovered more than 99 percent of the wrongly distributed assets, but about 125 Bitcoins—worth roughly 13 billion won—remain unreturned. As volumes several dozen times larger than actual market capitalization were deposited into accounts, some investors panicked. This triggered a flash crash, sending Bitcoin prices plunging from around 100 million won to 80 million won and causing significant losses for many traders. Korean investors are familiar with such “fat finger” incidents. In 2018, Samsung Securities mistakenly issued “ghost stocks” worth 112 trillion won after entering share quantities instead of cash dividends. The Bithumb case has revived memories of that episode. Weak safeguards despite massive volumes The scandal has reignited criticism over the lack of preventive mechanisms in South Korea’s crypto market, which ranks among the world’s largest by trading volume. Although the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users has been in force since July 2024, its provisions are seen as falling short of safeguards in major overseas markets. The incident stemmed from the absence of internal systems to block abnormal transactions at the platform level. Once the erroneous data was entered, it translated directly into actual transfers. In Japan, a 2025 amendment to the Payment Services Act allows withdrawals to be immediately blocked when irregular activity is detected, supported by approval processes using cold wallets. While Korean rules require at least 80 percent of assets to be stored in cold wallets, they impose few concrete restrictions on withdrawal procedures, complicating recovery efforts. In the European Union, detailed ledger and disclosure requirements allow regulators to access full records of balances, transaction purposes and histories, making it difficult for exchanges to record volumes far exceeding their holdings. Fears of manipulation mount Some experts view the incident as evidence that the risks of “naked short selling” in crypto markets have been underestimated. “During the Samsung Securities fat finger incident, there were overwhelming suspicions that the firm traded non-existent shares to intentionally manipulate stock prices,” said Seok Byoung-hoon, an economics professor at Ewha Womans University. “I believe this case will be remembered as a representative example showing that naked short selling is indeed possible in the crypto world.” Korean investors are particularly sensitive to such practices. In May 2024, the Financial Supervisory Service identified about 150 billion won in illegal short selling by seven investment banks, including HSBC Hong Kong and BNP Paribas. The findings led to a temporary ban on short selling, which was lifted in March 2025. FSS Governor Lee Chan-jin said Monday that authorities would respond sternly, without specifying details. “The essence of this issue is that erroneous virtual data actually led to real-world transactions,” he said. 2026-02-09 17:59:38