Contrary to long-held belief, kimchi and traditional Korean diets may not be as healthy as assumed SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Kimchi, South Korea's fermented staple, has been included in U.S. government dietary guidelines for its potential benefits to gut health. Yet a new Korean study suggests that high salt intake from kimchi and other traditional foods may contribute to cancer risk — challenging the widely held view that the Korean diet is inherently healthy. The study, led by researchers from Seoul National University and published in the government-funded journal Epidemiology and Health, estimates that 6.08 percent of cancer cases and 5.70 percent of cancer deaths in Korea are attributable to dietary factors. The findings, indexed in PubMed at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, raise fresh questions about the long-term health impact of salt-heavy eating patterns. Using national health and nutrition survey data and large Korean cohort studies, the research team calculated population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for diet-related cancers between 2015 and 2030. Korea's diet-attributable cancer incidence exceeds that of the United States (5.2 percent) and France (5.4 percent), though it remains lower than that of the United Kingdom (9.2 percent) and Germany (7.8 percent). Among dietary factors, salted vegetables — including kimchi, salted cabbage, radish and cucumber — emerged as the single largest contributor to cancer burden. In 2020, salted vegetables accounted for an estimated 2.12 percent of all cancer cases and 1.78 percent of cancer deaths, with a particularly strong association with stomach cancer. More than 44 percent of diet-related cancer cases were stomach cancers, which also made up over 37 percent of diet-related cancer deaths. The PAFs for diet-related stomach cancer reached 24.61 percent for incidence and 24.27 percent for mortality, suggesting that roughly one in four stomach cancer cases in Korea may be linked to dietary factors. "The findings quantify how a salt-heavy diet structurally drives the burden of stomach cancer in Korea," the authors wrote. The dietary impact was notably higher among men than women. For men, 8.43 percent of cancer cases and 7.93 percent of cancer deaths were linked to diet, compared with 3.45 percent and 2.08 percent, respectively, for women. The researchers attributed the gap to higher consumption of salted vegetables, red and processed meat, and lower intake of vegetables and fruit among men. Salted vegetable consumption has been gradually declining, driven by sodium-reduction policies and changing eating habits. Even so, the study projects that salted vegetables will remain Korea's largest dietary cancer risk factor through 2030, underscoring the need to reduce both portion size and salt content. The researchers also warned that cutting back on salty foods alone will have limited impact unless accompanied by broader dietary changes. Low intake of non-starchy vegetables and fruit was identified as another major driver of cancer risk. Koreans consume an average of 340.5 grams of vegetables and fruit per day — well below the internationally recommended range of 490 to 730 grams. The shortfall increases the risk of stomach and colorectal cancers, as well as certain respiratory and digestive cancers. The cancer burden linked to insufficient produce intake is expected to remain largely unchanged through 2030. Red and processed meat showed relatively low PAFs in Korea — accounting in 2020 for just 0.10 percent and 0.02 percent of cancer cases, respectively — largely because consumption remains lower than in many Western countries. However, the study warned that steadily rising intake since the mid-2000s could raise the PAF for processed meat to 0.08 percent by 2030, amplifying its impact over time. "Diet-based cancer prevention in Korea must go beyond reducing salted vegetables," the authors wrote. "It is essential to increase the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruit and dietary fiber at the same time." For Koreans, kimchi is more than a side dish. It anchors daily meals and symbolizes warmth and hospitality at the table. Sharing kimchi is often a way of sharing affection — whether passed to a neighbor or sent to family living far away. Each winter, families and communities gather for gimjang, the traditional kimchi-making season, salting and seasoning cabbage in large batches to last through the cold months. Even as Korean kimchi gains global popularity, domestic consumption has been gradually declining, reflecting rising incomes and the steady westernization of diets. 2026-01-14 16:08:56

EXO, BTS, BIGBANG and BLACKPINK set to reclaim the real K-pop stage in 2026 SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) -After a year when a Netflix-born fictional idol group soaked up global buzz, K-pop’s original hitmakers are ready to retake the spotlight in 2026 — not through novelty, but through craft, catalog and command. EXO, BTS, BIGBANG and BLACKPINK — each more than a decade into their careers — are lining up comebacks or group activities that point back to what made K-pop a global force in the first place: precision rhythm, unmistakable stage presence and intellectual property built to endure. EXO: the blueprint for performance-driven K-pop EXO opens the 2026 calendar with its eighth full-length album REVERXE, set for release on Jan. 19 — the group’s first full comeback in over two years. All nine tracks will drop simultaneously, followed by a showcase at Kyung Hee University’s Peace Hall in Seoul. The return leans into EXO’s defining strength: scale. The pre-release track “Back It Up,” first unveiled at the MMA 2025 awards in December, arrived with a 40-dancer stage setup — a reminder of the group’s reputation for turning studio tracks into arena-ready spectacles. Their MMA setlist — spanning “Monster,” “Growl,” “Love Shot” and “The Eve” — didn’t just energize longtime EXO-Ls. It sparked fresh interest among younger artists and new listeners, with clips circulating widely across social platforms. A decade on, EXO’s stage-first identity is still recruiting new fans. BTS: a full-team return, nearly four years in the making BTS returns as a complete seven-member group on March 20 with its fifth studio album, nearly four years after its last group release. The 14-track record is expected to reflect the musical evolution forged during an extended solo era. The group’s staying power is already measurable. According to Melon, BTS’ 2017 track “Spring Day” has appeared on the platform’s annual chart for nine consecutive years — the longest run in its history and a rare marker of sustained listening demand. Rather than diluting the brand, the hiatus expanded it. Solo albums and global tours pushed each member’s reach further, transforming BTS from a release-cycle-driven act into something closer to a long-term cultural franchise. BIGBANG and BLACKPINK: scarcity, scale and global pull BIGBANG remains one of K-pop’s rarest forces — a group whose limited activity only amplifies its impact. While concrete release plans remain unconfirmed, the group is set to mark its 20th anniversary with a group activity in April, an appearance alone enough to reset expectations across the industry. Following the release of “Still Life,” T.O.P formally stepped away, leaving G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung as the current lineup. With reports pointing to T.O.P’s solo return in 2026, fan speculation about future collaborations among the original members has resurfaced. G-Dragon’s standing as a cross-generational icon remains unshaken. His third full-length solo album Übermensch capped a dominant awards season across South Korea and China, reaffirming both his artistic authority and commercial pull more than a decade into his career. BLACKPINK continues to operate on a different plane entirely. Through blockbuster world tours and parallel solo careers, the group has shown that female acts can function as enduring global IPs with diversified revenue streams. A full-member comeback is confirmed for 2026, with album and tour details still under wraps — and anticipation already building. Jennie reinforced her solo stature at the 40th Golden Disc Awards in 2026, taking both the Digital Song Main Prize and the Grand Prize (Record of the Year). In 2025, she also became the first K-pop soloist to receive the Global Force Award at Billboard Women in Music in the United States. Rosé has posted her own run of milestones. Her collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.,” won Song of the Year at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first K-pop artist to claim a top-tier VMA category. Her solo album Rosie reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — the highest placement ever achieved by a female K-pop solo artist. "APT" is shortlisted for both the Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the upcoming Grammy Awards. A reset moment for K-pop’s live economy What unites these four acts is not nostalgia, but durability. Their catalogs, stagecraft and global fan bases arrive at a moment when K-pop faces criticism for creative stagnation and a shortage of true blockbuster hits. The timing also carries financial weight. HYBE’s profitability dipped in 2025 amid heavy investment in new IPs and overseas restructuring, but analysts see a sharp rebound ahead. “With BTS returning, HYBE’s earnings trajectory is expected to turn decisively upward in 2026,” said Jang Ji-hye, an analyst at DS Investment & Securities. Add growing speculation about a reopening of China’s concert market, and veteran acts with proven touring power may be uniquely positioned to benefit. In 2026, K-pop’s legacy names aren’t chasing trends — they’re reminding the industry where the standard was set. 2026-01-14 16:06:37

Boot camp becomes winter break SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) -What was once synonymous with hardship is increasingly being reimagined as a winter challenge experience. The 1st Marine Division on Jan. 12 opened the “2026 Winter Marine Corps Camp” at its training center in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, drawing participants eager to sample life inside Korea’s elite fighting force. About 230 people — including middle and high school students, university students and adults from across the country — signed up for the multi-day program. The division structured the camp around three themes: “Beginning,” “Challenge” and “Leap.” Day one: induction Participants began with an induction ceremony, followed by introductions to Marine Corps history, basic drill movements and traditional military songs — a first taste of discipline and esprit de corps. Training, winter edition From days two through four, the schedule shifted from classrooms to the field. Activities included mountain training, basic airborne exercises, inflatable boat (IBS) drills, hill training at Cheonja Peak and rides aboard the Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicle (KAAV). This year’s camp also introduced a new program on military drones, offering participants a demonstration of how unmanned systems are increasingly integrated into modern operations. Safety first The division said the training is being operated flexibly in response to severe winter weather, with enhanced safety protocols in place. Measures include advance risk assessments and the constant deployment of medical personnel throughout the program. For many participants, the camp offers not just a break from routine, but a hands-on glimpse into military life — turning winter vacation into a test of endurance, teamwork and resolve. 2026-01-14 15:44:58

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

Ice rink in Seoul attracts over 100,000 visitors in less than a month SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Over 100,000 people have visited an ice rink in front of Seoul Plaza since its opening for this winter in mid-December, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Wednesday. The ice rink, which runs until Feb. 8 after opening on Dec. 13 last year, has proven popular among citizens looking to enjoy winter activities at affordable prices, drawing an average of about 4,000 visitors a day, up from last winter's daily average of 3,269. Visitors can skate from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, with extended hours on Saturdays and public holidays, for just 1,000 Korean won or less than a buck, a price unchanged since the rink's first seasonal opening in 2004. Free rentals of safety gear including helmets and knee pads are available, along with amenities and other facilities for users' convenience. The rink's opening coincided with the city's winter festivities including a lantern festival along the Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, allowing visitors to enjoy urban winter charms throughout the day. An open-air market with makeshift booths selling agricultural produce and other specialty products is adding to the fun, drawing not only rink visitors but also nearby office workers. In particular, farmers from Gunsan in North Jeolla Province are tempting passersby with same-day-harvested strawberries and winter snacks such as roasted sweet potatoes and cuttlefish, selling like hotcakes. "The city government will continue to ensure the safety of all visitors, helping them make good winter memories," said Kim Myeong-ju, a Seoul city official. 2026-01-14 15:05:52

KEPCO eyes US market with Columbia grid project SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) said Wednesday it has signed a technology cooperation agreement with the city of Columbia, S.C., as it looks to expand its business in the U.S., the world’s largest electricity market. KEPCO said it signed a memorandum of understanding on power distribution grid technology cooperation on Jan. 13, local time, at Columbia City Hall. The agreement was signed by Jung Chi-kyo, KEPCO’s executive vice president, and Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. The partnership is aimed at adapting KEPCO’s distribution grid operating technologies to U.S. market conditions. The company plans to pursue demonstration projects and commercialization in the U.S. for its in-house systems, including an advanced distribution management system, or ADMS, and an energy management platform known as K-BEMS. Under the agreement, KEPCO and the city of Columbia will form a joint working group involving KEPCO’s research arm, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, the Electric Power Research Institute and the University of South Carolina. The group will develop a U.S.-tailored distribution grid operations solution and carry out a demonstration project using Columbia’s power grid. KEPCO said Columbia’s plan to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2036 has heightened the need to improve efficiency in aging distribution networks and to manage the growing use of distributed energy resources. Applying KEPCO’s operating technology is expected to enhance grid safety and help lower energy costs, the company said. KEPCO described the project as its first step into the U.S. power distribution market, saying it will use the Columbia project as a reference case for expanding South Korean grid technologies more broadly across the U.S. power sector. “KEPCO’s distribution operations know-how and proven technology can contribute to improving service quality and supporting local economic development,” Jung said. 2026-01-14 14:42:25

Korean payroll growth stagnates in 2025 amid weak domestic demand, youth job scarcity SEOUL, Jan. 14 (AJP) — South Korea’s labor market held up on the surface in 2025, with employment and participation rates reaching record highs, but stagnant payroll growth, manufacturing job losses and the highest youth unemployment in three years underscored lingering fragility, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of employed people aged 15 and older reached 28.769 million in 2025, up 193,000, or 0.7 percent, from the previous year. Payroll gains have remained below 200,000 for a second consecutive year, reflecting sluggish economic growth of around 1 percent or less. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 rose to 69.8 percent, the highest on record under OECD standards. The overall employment rate stood at 61.5 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier and the best level since data collection began in 1963. Despite the strong headline figures, conditions worsened for younger workers. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 29 fell to 45.0 percent in 2025 from 46.1 percent a year earlier, while the youth unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent from 5.9 percent, the highest in three years. Job losses were concentrated in key industries. Employment in construction fell 6.1 percent year on year, reflecting a prolonged sectoral downturn, while manufacturing employment declined 1.6 percent. The number of “idled” people — those neither working nor actively seeking employment — continued to rise, increasing from 2.351 million in 2023 to 2.467 million in 2024 and further to 2.555 million in 2025. By age group, the idled population increased by 19,000 among those in their 20s and by 67,000 among those aged 60 and older, highlighting growing difficulties for young people entering the labor market. The share of discouraged job seekers — those who have given up looking for work — within the economically inactive population also climbed steadily, from 14.5 percent in 2023 to 15.3 percent in 2024 and 15.8 percent in 2025. December data were largely in line with the full-year trend. Employment rose by 168,000 from a year earlier to 28.2 million, slowing from a gain of 225,000 in November. The youth employment rate was unchanged from the previous month, extending a period of weakness. Construction and manufacturing — sectors that account for a large share of regular jobs — each shed about 63,300 positions in December, reinforcing concerns over the durability of job creation amid weak domestic demand. 2026-01-14 14:32:57

Korea's indigenous AI model project faces debate over use of open-source components SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - South Korea's government-backed initiative to develop an indigenous artificial intelligence foundation model is facing scrutiny over whether the use of open-source components from Chinese firms aligns with the project's definition of "sovereign AI." The Ministry of Science and ICT is set to announce Thursday the results of the first evaluation round for bidders in the national AI foundation model project. Of the five contenders — Naver Cloud, NC AI, Upstage, SK Telecom and LG AI Research — one will be eliminated in the initial cut. The project was launched under the banner of "Leaping into the world's top three AI powers," with the government positioning it as a sovereign AI development effort. Eligible models were defined as those developed domestically from design through pre-training, excluding derivative models fine-tuned from foreign systems. The government is funding GPU resources, data and engineering costs, aiming to produce a model capable of reaching 95 percent of global AI benchmark performance. However, questions have emerged over whether some contenders' development approaches meet the project's sovereignty criteria. The debate began after Upstage was accused of using inference code from Chinese AI firm Zhipu AI, based on similarities identified by industry observers. Scrutiny later extended to Naver Cloud, which acknowledged incorporating Alibaba's Qwen 2.5-VL 32B vision encoder and weights, and to SK Telecom, which has faced claims that it used inference code linked to Chinese firm DeepSeek. Upstage and SK Telecom have stated that inference code is separate from the AI model itself. They said such code functions as a deployment or distribution layer that improves compatibility and usability, without affecting core model training or capabilities. The inference code used by Upstage is released under the MIT license, while SK Telecom's code falls under the Apache 2.0 license. Both licenses allow free use, modification and commercial distribution with attribution. The Apache 2.0 license additionally includes explicit patent grants and disclosure requirements for major modifications. Naver Cloud's case has drawn closer scrutiny because it involved model weights. The company used Alibaba's Qwen 2.5-VL 32B vision encoder and weights, with analysis showing that its vision encoder weights share a cosine similarity of 99.5 percent with the Qwen series. The 32B model is released under the Apache 2.0 license and can be freely used, while the larger 72B version requires a license request to Alibaba if monthly active users exceed 100 million. Naver Cloud has said it possesses comparable in-house technology and selected Qwen for ecosystem compatibility and system optimization, adding that it could switch to proprietary technology if licensing thresholds become applicable. Some industry participants note that the ministry's project guidelines, announced in July, specify domestic model design and pre-training but do not explicitly require "from-scratch" development without any external components. An industry expert said that while the use of open-source technology is common and generally uncontroversial in private-sector development, questions arise when government funding is involved, particularly in projects framed around technological independence. Meanwhile, NC AI and LG AI Research have not been subject to similar scrutiny. NC AI said its VARCO model was developed independently, covering data collection, pre-training and tuning. LG AI Research's EXAONE was also developed without incorporating Chinese modules. According to evaluation results from the first round, EXAONE ranked first in 10 of 13 benchmark categories, recording the highest average score at 72 points. The model ranked seventh globally and first domestically in the Intelligence Index compiled by Artificial Analysis. The ministry has so far declined to clarify whether the project requires models to be developed entirely from scratch. Industry observers say the criteria may become clearer once the first elimination is announced. Some AI developers argue that debates over the origins of specific code components are less important than governance and control over data and deployment, noting that many countries developing AI systems rely on open-source technologies. 2026-01-14 14:17:07

PPP's internal ethics committee decides to expel former leader Han Dong-hoon SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - The main opposition People Power Party's ethics committee on Wednesday decided to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon from the party. The belated move came after the PPP's internal investigation into hundreds of defamatory comments about disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on the party-run online bulletin board, allegedly posted by Han and his family members in November 2024. Han's expulsion immediately prompted backlash from PPP lawmakers aligned with him, who called it "retaliation for Han's open opposition to Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024 and his later support for Yoon's impeachment, which went against the conservative party's dubious stance at the time. Some close to Han even described it as the "death of democracy within the party." But the committee accused Han of attempting to manipulate public opinion through those online posts in violation of party rules, making him subject to the harshest disciplinary measure. In response, Han wrote on Facebook, "I will defend democracy with the people." 2026-01-14 14:15:21

OPINION: The weight of a death sentence, the lightness of martial law The prosecution’s request for the death penalty against former President Yoon Suk Yeol is not merely about the punishment of one individual. It is a question the Republic of Korea is asking of itself: What kind of country are we? How far have we come? And what lines must never be crossed? That a state of martial law could even be contemplated for political reasons in a mature democratic republic with per-capita income exceeding $30,000 already signals a breach of basic principles and common sense. The significance of the death penalty request lies less in its severity than in its attempt to redraw a boundary that should never have been blurred. For responsible journalism, the first and most fundamental standard is adherence to basic principles and common sense. Martial law is an extraordinary measure, permissible only in times of war, national emergency, or threats equivalent to the survival of the state. Routine political conflict, power struggles, or declining approval ratings can never justify it. The Constitution grants authority, but it also clearly defines its limits. Once those limits are crossed, power ceases to be governance and becomes recklessness. Allegations that military and police forces were to be mobilized for political ends are, regardless of their ultimate legal determination, already difficult to accept in the language of common sense. Common sense asks a simple question: Why emergency powers instead of dialogue and due process? From the perspective of journalism committed to truth, justice and freedom, this prosecution is a test of democracy’s capacity for self-defense. Freedom is not absolute, and justice must stand on procedure. Emergency powers exist to protect liberty temporarily, not to extend political authority by shortcut. The symbolic weight of the death penalty request lies in how democracy confronts threats from within. Punishment should not be revenge; it must be a warning — a warning to all public officials that the constitutional order is not private property. International precedents sharpen this point. Chile’s Augusto Pinochet, who seized power through a military coup, ultimately faced accountability under domestic and international law. In Spain, the 1981 coup attempt was neutralized when the king publicly declared loyalty to the Constitution, drawing a firm line against military intervention in politics. In the United States, responsibility for the January 6 Capitol riot extended even to former President Donald Trump. Institutional maturity reveals itself in moments of crisis. Democratic states, without exception, have defended the political neutrality of the military and the supremacy of constitutional order. From a perspective that values human dignity, culture and the natural foundations of society, the shadow of martial law stretches far beyond politics. Military neutrality erodes, citizens’ daily lives are shaken by fear, and trust in the economy and culture collapses almost overnight. Investment and exchange recoil from uncertainty. The soil for free debate and creative expression withers, and its recovery, like nature’s, takes time. Such damage cannot be fully measured in numbers — which is precisely why the standard of common sense must be uncompromising. What must not be lost in the debate surrounding this prosecution is the question of morality and conscience. Legal reasoning must be cool-headed, but those who wield the law must do so with a heated sense of responsibility. When a single decision by those in power can place an entire community at risk, democracy becomes most vulnerable. Power without reflection and authority without accountability invite repetition of the same error. To be sure, society must continue a separate and serious discussion about the death penalty itself. But the core issue here is not execution — it is standards. Where is the line between what is permissible and what is not? How should the judiciary respond when politics betrays procedure? In the court of common sense and constitutional principle, this prosecution seeks to make that line unmistakably clear. South Korea is now judged not by the speed of its growth but by the depth of its maturity. The moment martial law becomes imaginable as a political tool, the republic regresses from democracy to a system governed by convenience of power. Truth, justice and freedom are not preserved by declarations alone. The conditions of human life, culture and even nature are the first to be damaged when constitutional restraint collapses. That is why emergency power must always be placed first before the court of common sense — not left to the discretion of those who wield authority. The message of this prosecution is clear: No office, no justification, grants immunity when constitutional order is shaken. Democracy survives through tolerance, but when fundamental principles are breached, it must defend itself with firmness. This is the minimum level of maturity the Republic of Korea must now demand of itself. *The author is the President of Global Economic and Financial Research Institute (GEFRI) and an AJP columnist. 2026-01-14 14:08:53