Hanwha Ocean Signs Canada Shipyard, College Deals to Expand Naval, Workforce Ties Hanwha Ocean said it has set up a cooperation framework with Canada’s Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College to help strengthen Canada’s shipbuilding competitiveness and train skilled workers. The company said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Ontario Shipyards in Toronto on Feb. 18 for strategic cooperation. It also signed a three-way strategic cooperation letter of intent with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College. Canadian members of Parliament Aslam Rana, Chris Bittle, John Paul Danko and Shima Akan attended the event, the company said, welcoming closer shipbuilding and naval-industry cooperation between Canada and South Korea. Under the MOU, Hanwha Ocean will provide Ontario Shipyards with ship design and engineering advice, production planning and process management support, help building quality-control systems, and advanced processes based on smart-shipyard technology. Hanwha Ocean said the goal is to gradually rebuild Ontario’s large-vessel construction capability and support Canada’s long-term naval industrial base. The companies said they will pursue cooperation with an eye on future Canadian Navy projects, including the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. Hanwha Ocean said it will provide technical support starting in the preparation stage, including design work, for ships Ontario Shipyards will begin building this year. Hanwha Ocean also said it will work with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College to establish a “shipbuilding workforce training hub” at the shipyard. The company said the hub will be tied to the shipyard’s 10- to 15-year expansion and modernization plan and will train key skilled workers in areas including welding, fabrication, marine machinery, electrical work, robotics and nondestructive testing. The three organizations said they plan to move forward in stages, including building an integrated training campus at Ontario Shipyards, developing industry-led advanced training programs, setting up a workforce development system aligned with production and expansion plans, and jointly identifying applied research projects using technologies such as virtual reality, robotics and digital twins. Shaun Padulo, CEO of Ontario Shipyards, said the shipyard is playing a leading role in rebuilding large-ship construction capability in Ontario. “Through our partnership with Hanwha Ocean, we will accelerate the rebuilding of shipbuilding capacity, the creation of high-quality jobs, and the strengthening of the marine and defense industrial base in Ontario and Canada,” he said. Kim Hee-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Ocean, said the two agreements “are about the future of Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards” and will deepen friendship between Canada and South Korea. He said the company will “firmly build the foundation” for the successful execution of Canadian Navy projects, including the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 16:51:00

Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist Choi Ga-on Diagnosed With Three Fractures Choi Ga-on of Sewha High School, who won South Korea’s first Olympic gold medal in snow sports, has been diagnosed with three fractures. Choi posted a hospital exam photo on Instagram on Feb. 19 (Korea time) with the words “3 fractures.” The results appear to show fractures in three places. Choi won gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, scoring 90.25 at Livigno Snow Park in Italy early on Feb. 13. She was injured on her first run, catching an edge on the lip of the slope during a landing after her second jump and taking a hard fall. She stayed down for an extended time, prompting medical staff to enter. On her second run, she slipped again and did not score. She rallied on her third run to complete a comeback, beating Chloe Kim of the United States, who had led through two runs with 88.00. After winning gold, Choi said, “I tried to move my foot by putting strength from my toes,” adding, “I’m glad I was able to come down and compete again.” Choi said upon returning to South Korea through Incheon International Airport on Feb. 16 that her knee had improved significantly, but she later disclosed the exam results on Instagram, writing that she had “three fractures.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 16:33:00

Korean president flags plan to move HMM to Busan "soon" SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -The proposed relocation of South Korea’s flagship shipping line HMM to Busan has returned to the spotlight after President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his commitment to the plan despite continued employee opposition. Lee wrote on social media platform X on Thursday that HMM would relocate to Busan “soon,” following the establishment of a maritime court and a state-backed investment corporation focused on Southeast Asian shipping routes. The move forms part of his broader pledge to turn the country’s second-largest city into a regional maritime hub. He also reposted an earlier roadmap by former oceans minister Chung Jae-woo, who is widely rumored to be preparing a run for the Busan mayoral race in June. Relocating HMM’s headquarters from Yeouido in western Seoul to Busan was one of Lee’s major campaign pledges. Although HMM is publicly traded, it remains heavily influenced by the state after receiving government support during the prolonged shipping downturn in the late 2010s. As of Thursday, government-affiliated entities controlled about 77 percent of its shares, including 35.42 percent held by Korea Development Bank, 35.08 percent by Korea Ocean Business Corporation, and 6.51 percent by the National Pension Service. HMM was effectively nationalized in 2016 after its former rival Hanjin Shipping collapsed and entered court receivership. The company returned to profitability in 2020, and privatization efforts began in 2023, but have yet to yield results. Given the government’s dominant stake, industry observers say the relocation could be pushed through if formally raised at a shareholders’ meeting. HMM’s articles of incorporation currently designate Seoul as its headquarters. Any relocation would require a revision approved by a two-thirds majority of attending shareholders at a general meeting. With government-related institutions holding nearly 70 percent of shares, approval would be likely if the agenda is submitted. According to investment banking sources, there are no clear signs yet that the board plans to place a charter revision on the agenda for the March shareholders’ meeting. However, an extraordinary board meeting could still be convened in late February or early March to do so. HMM’s land-based labor union has strongly opposed any relocation without prior consultation, warning of possible collective action. The union argues that moving the headquarters ahead of local elections, without sufficient review of operational efficiency and employee impact, would be unreasonable. About 800 employees currently work at the Yeouido headquarters. With amendments to labor laws scheduled to take effect in March, the possibility of large-scale strikes remains. Supporters argue that relocating HMM would strengthen Busan’s role as a maritime cluster and improve policy coordination among shipping firms, ports and regulators. Busan Port handled 22.95 million TEUs in 2023, ranking sixth globally. Critics counter that Seoul’s financial infrastructure and talent pool are essential for attracting high-value cargo and managing global networks. They point out that Maersk, the world’s second-largest shipping company, is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark’s political and financial center. As of the end of last year, more than 1,000 of HMM’s 1,824 employees were based in Seoul, mainly in management, sales and accounting. Shares of HMM ended Thursday up 5.83 percent at 22,700 won. 2026-02-19 16:32:42

Impeached ex-president sentenced to life behind bars SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday on charges of insurrection and abuse of power over his botched martial law debacle in 2024. In a nationally televised trial, the Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, lighter than the death penalty prosecutors had sought at Yoon's final hearing last month. The court found Yoon guilty of resorting to declare martial law, which it deemed an act of insurrection in violation of the Constitution, ruling that his actions "fundamentally undermined the core values of democracy" and were "highly blameworthy." The court also pointed out that Yoon had sought to cripple the National Assembly by mobilizing police and military troops, severely damaging political neutrality, while South Korea's international credibility took a sharp hit, leaving society deeply divided. The court also cited the enormous social costs of the fallout, from a new presidential election to large-scale investigations and trials, saying the full extent of the damage could not be calculated. The court said a heavy sentence was unavoidable for Yoon, given that he had taken the lead in orchestrating the debacle and shown no remorse. However it considered some mitigating factors that the bid was short-lived, poorly executed, and that he had no prior criminal record. Yoon was ousted from the presidency on April 4 last year after the Constitutional Court of Korea unanimously upheld his impeachment. Yoon was already sentenced to five years in prison last month in a separate trial for one of several charges related to the debacle. Thursday's trial was held in the same courtroom where former strongman Chun Doo-hwan stood trial in 1996 after being convicted of treason. The putschist was sentenced to death but was pardoned the following year. Chun seized power in a military coup in 1979 and ruled with an iron fist from 1980 until he stepped down in 1987 amid mass pro-democracy demonstrations. He died in November 2021 after suffering from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his involvement in the debacle, while four other former military and police officials received sentences ranging from three to 18 years. 2026-02-19 16:30:53

BTS’ ‘ARIRANG’ Tops Spotify Countdown Charts Global for Fifth Straight Week BTS’ fifth full-length album, ‘ARIRANG,’ ranked No. 1 on Spotify’s ‘Countdown Charts Global’ for the Feb. 18 chart, extending its run at the top to five straight weeks. The album first reached No. 1 on the Jan. 21 chart and has held the spot since. The chart tracks pre-save totals for albums and singles, a metric widely used to gauge global listener anticipation ahead of release. ‘ARIRANG’ has surpassed 3.45 million pre-saves on Spotify, drawing attention to how it will perform after it is released. BTS will release ‘ARIRANG’ at 1 p.m. on March 20. The next day, the group will hold ‘BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE｜ARIRANG’ around Gwanghwamun Square, with the performance livestreamed on Netflix. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 16:16:02

Period drama dominates box office over Lunar New Year holiday SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Director Jang Hang-jun's "The King's Warden" has attracted over 4 million viewers since its release earlier this month. According to the Korean Film Council, the period drama has topped the box office for seven consecutive days since last Friday, when South Korea's biggest Lunar New Year holiday began, drawing a cumulative 4.17 million viewers since its release on Feb. 4. Last Tuesday alone, it drew about 661,449 viewers, the highest single-day holiday attendance since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic kept audiences away from theaters. It took 15 days for the film to reach the milestone, two days faster than "The King and the Clown," the first period drama to attract 10 million moviegoers in 2005, and last year's top-grossing film "My Daughter is a Zombie." The film tells the story of Danjong, the sixth king of the Joseon Dynasty, who was exiled to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. Meanwhile, director Ryoo Seung-woo's spy-action film "Humint," starring Park Jeong-min and Zo In-sung, was also off to a strong start, drawing over 1 million viewers in about a week since its release on Feb. 11. 2026-02-19 16:13:57

Snowboarder Kim Sang-gyeom, Milan 2026 silver medalist, sets sights on 2030 Olympic gold “I want to keep riding the snowboard I love and compete on the Olympic stage even in my 40s.” Kim Sang-gyeom, who won silver for High1 at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, said his path has been driven by a love of “snow” and “board,” even when reality was far from romantic. In an interview with this newspaper on Feb. 14, Kim said the Olympics had been “so desperately important” to him. “I’ve never chased money while snowboarding. I got this far because I love snowboarding,” he said. “I may be slow, but I’m an athlete who doesn’t quit. I think the Olympic medal came because I kept going steadily.” ◆Years of hardship before the podium Kim won silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom final on Feb. 8, finishing 0.19 seconds behind the winner. It was the first medal for South Korea’s team at these Olympics. He wiped away tears during a TV interview after the race, overwhelmed by what he described as 12 years of pent-up emotion. “I’m not usually someone who cries, but I think that changed this time,” Kim said, adding with embarrassment that people now tease him for being more emotional. Before the success, he said, he struggled to make ends meet when there was no company team. During training periods, he worked part-time one day each weekend, and in the offseason he took day labor jobs at construction sites. Equipment costs were another burden. Kim said his 195-centimeter board costs several million won each, and because boards wear out, he replaces them regularly. “I ride five or six boards in a season, and the fixed cost alone is 25 million to 30 million won,” he said. Joining the High1 sports team in 2019 became a turning point, he said. “With financial breathing room, I became mentally stable, too,” Kim said. “I didn’t have to spend my salary on equipment, and I could get support for training camps, so I could focus only on training.” ◆“My wife is my strength” Even with better support, the Olympics remained a steep climb. Kim debuted at the 2014 Sochi Games, finishing 17th in qualifying. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, he failed to reach the round of 16. At the 2022 Beijing Games, he placed 24th in qualifying and was eliminated. Kim said family helped him endure the setbacks, especially his wife, Park Han-sol, whom he married in 2023. “Once I had a family and someone I had to take responsibility for, it was different,” he said. “It felt like I had someone completely on my side.” He added, “I had to raise my performance because I had to support my family. That urgency and responsibility overlapped, and after that my results started trending upward.” Kim said his wife was the first person who came to mind after he crossed the finish line in the final. “The moment I won silver, all I could think was that I wanted to go home and see my wife,” he said. “After the race we video-called, and we both just kept crying without saying anything.” Asked about being labeled a devoted husband after the Games, Kim said, “Not at all. I’m blunt and not good at expressing myself, but I think people saw it kindly.” ◆Next goal: 2030 Olympic gold At 37, Kim said he is already looking ahead four years. In men’s parallel giant slalom, he noted, athletes in their late 30s and early 40s often remain competitive. “This silver medal is incredibly valuable, but it’s also true that I feel some regret,” he said. “Every athlete wants to be first. I’m the same.” He said he plans to challenge the 2030 Alps Winter Olympics and aims to stand on the top step of the podium. “Next time, I want to put on a gold medal and really cry my eyes out,” he said with a laugh. Asked how he wants to be remembered, Kim said, “As an athlete who doesn’t give up even in hard moments, and someone who can be a good example for younger athletes. I hope I’m remembered as someone who proved that steady effort can bring good results.” ◆South Korean snowboarding posts best-ever Olympic result Kim’s silver helped spark what the article described as a renaissance for South Korean snowboarding at these Games. Yoo Seung-eun of Seongbok High School won a surprise bronze in women’s big air, becoming South Korea’s first female medalist in the sport at the Olympics. Choi Ga-on won gold in halfpipe, delivering South Korea’s first-ever gold medal in a snow event. The article said she fell in her first final run and suffered a serious injury, but did not quit and produced a dramatic performance on her third run to take the title. NBC, the U.S. Olympic broadcaster, named it one of the best moments of the first half of the Games, the article said. South Korea finished the Olympics with one gold, one silver and one bronze in snowboarding. It ranked third in the sport behind Japan (four gold, two silver, three bronze) and Austria (two gold, one silver, one bronze), the article said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 15:48:00

Korean Pharma-Bio Brief: Yuhan Phase 2 CSU Trial, Celltrion ECCO Data, JW Award, HLB MOU Yuhan begins Phase 2 trial of allergy drug Resigercept in CSU patients Yuhan said Feb. 19 it is moving forward with a multinational Phase 2 clinical trial of its allergy-disease treatment Resigercept in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The company registered key details of the Phase 2 plan on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical trial database. The study is designed to evaluate safety and efficacy after 12 weeks of dosing with Resigercept or placebo in 150 CSU patients. The primary endpoint is the change from baseline to week 12 in UAS7, a seven-day urticaria activity score. Resigercept previously received Phase 2 IND approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in October 2025, followed by IND approval from Chinese regulators in February this year. The trial is expected to run in South Korea as well as Japan, China, Bulgaria and Poland. The company expects the last patient to complete the study in July 2027 and aims to produce key results in the fourth quarter of that year. JW Lee Jong Ho Foundation seeks nominees for 2026 JW Seongcheon Award JW Lee Jong Ho Foundation said Feb. 19 it is accepting nominations for the 2026 JW Seongcheon Award. The award was established in 2012 by the late honorary chairman Lee Jong Ho to carry on the “respect for life” philosophy of Seongcheon Lee Gi-seok, the founder of JW Pharmaceutical. It honors medical professionals each year for notable social contributions and service. Nominations will be accepted through March 31. Applicants can download a recommendation form from the foundation’s website and submit it by email, or apply through an online link in the website notice. The foundation said it expanded nomination channels beyond institutional recommendations, allowing patients and fellow medical workers to apply as well. Eligible nominees include licensed medical professionals authorized by the health minister — including physicians, dentists, practitioners of traditional Korean medicine, nurses and midwives — as well as medical organizations. Selection includes document screening, on-site review and a final comprehensive review, with the board making the final decision. Celltrion says post-hoc analysis supports Remsima SC in IBD patients after treatment gaps Celltrion said Feb. 19 it will participate in the 2026 European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) congress to showcase its clinical experience and portfolio in autoimmune diseases. Celltrion said it will be the only South Korean company operating a standalone promotional booth at ECCO and will hold academic activities including a symposium and poster presentations related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatments. On the first day of the congress, the company plans to present new results for the first time from a post-hoc analysis of a Phase 3 study of Remsima SC (infliximab; U.S. brand name Zymfentra) in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. According to the data, most patients who had stopped infliximab intravenous (IV) treatment and then received placebo for at least 16 weeks showed a rapid recovery of clinical response after receiving 240 mg of infliximab subcutaneous (SC). Efficacy and safety remained stable through the 102-week follow-up period. The symposium will focus on “Improving patient care through infliximab SC: clinical review and discussion,” including treatment-optimization strategies based on real-world clinical data. Expert sessions at the booth will cover the clinical meaning of very long-term outcomes after switching from IV to SC, the need for combination therapy with TNF inhibitors in IBD treatment, and implications of switching to infliximab SC based on real-world data from Northern Europe. HLB Life Science signs MOU with Bellabel Bio to develop ingredients from native plants HLB Life Science said Feb. 19 it signed a memorandum of understanding with Bellabel Bio, a company specializing in functional-ingredient development, to strengthen R&D and commercialization competitiveness for functional ingredients based on native plants in South Korea. The companies said the agreement aims to build an end-to-end cooperation framework — from discovering native plant-based materials and verifying efficacy to product development and industrialization — by combining their research capabilities and technical infrastructure. They plan to cooperate on joint R&D projects, academic information sharing related to functional ingredients, technical consulting and personnel exchanges. Research into functional ingredients using native plants has drawn attention as part of efforts to foster a sustainable bio and health care industry. The companies said native plants can also support differentiation strategies in global markets because they are resources adapted to local environments.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 15:42:00

Tens of thousands of liters of jet fuel spill at US bases in Gunsan, Osan SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - More than 40,000 liters of fighter jet fuel spilled at a U.S. Air Force base in the southwestern city of Gunsan last month, while a similar spill occurred at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province earlier this month, U.S. Forces Korea said on Thursday. According to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the U.S. Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing detected a leak of about 41,600 liters of jet fuel from a fuel tank in an accident on Jan. 26 at Gunsan. There was reportedly no risk to the health or safety of nearby residents and communities, as the spill was cleaned up immediately. About 10 days later, a separate fuel spill was reported at Osan Air Base, home to the U.S. Air Force's 51st Fighter Wing. The spill occurred on Feb. 5 inside the base, and cleanup work is still ongoing, with about 870 liters recovered as of last week. Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), U.S. military bases in South Korea are provided by the South Korean government, which retains ownership of the land and facilities while granting the U.S. military the right to use them. 2026-02-19 15:26:02

SC First Bank Launches Smart Box Checking Account With Rates Up to 5% SC First Bank said Wednesday it is running a sign-up promotion for its “SC First Smart Box Account,” a demand deposit product offering rates of up to 5%. The account automatically splits the daily balance in half and applies different rates to the Smart Box portion and the Basic Box portion. On the Smart Box portion — half of the balance — customers can earn a preferential rate of 3.0% to 5.0% depending on conditions. The remaining half, the Basic Box portion, earns a base rate of 0.3%. The Smart Box portion starts with a 3.0% preferential rate, with additional boosts of 1.0 percentage point for first-time SC First Bank customers, 0.5 point for a Smart Box balance of at least 100 million won, 0.2 point for marketing consent and 0.3 point for payroll deposits. Interest on the Smart Box portion is compounded daily, with principal and accrued interest added each day and treated as the next day’s principal. To receive the Smart Box rate, the Smart Box portion must be at least 1 million won; there is no maximum limit. For example, a first-time customer who deposits 200 million won would be eligible for up to 5.0% on the Smart Box portion of 100 million won, depending on conditions, while the remaining 100 million won in the Basic Box portion would earn 0.3%. “Smart Box Account is a demand deposit product that automatically manages half of the daily balance at a higher rate,” said Jeong Jae-won, head of SC First Bank’s secured lending and deposit products division. He said it could be “a reasonable choice” for customers looking to manage spare cash in a volatile market. 2026-02-19 15:12:51