At lowest place, Archdiocese of Seoul diaconate ordination SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - Eleven newly ordained deacons lie prostrate during the 2026 Archdiocese of Seoul Deacon Ordination Ceremony at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Feb. 5. Deacons serve as ordained ministers assisting priests, proclaiming the Gospel and delivering homilies during Mass, administering the sacrament of baptism and presiding over marriage rites. The priestly ordination ceremony is scheduled to be held on Feb. 6. 2026-02-06 15:12:29

PHOTOS: Little Europe in northeastern Seoul, Nowon Train Village SEOUL, February 04 (AJP) - “Wow, the train is moving!” Children visiting the exhibition during winter break gasp as they watch a miniature train pass through an exotic landscape. Visitors of all ages, from families to adult attendees, pause in front of the meticulously crafted cityscape and lifelike moving models, momentarily immersed in a pocket-sized version of Europe. Opened in 2022, the Nowon Train Village is a railway-themed exhibition space that recreates European natural scenery and urban landscapes through detailed dioramas. The venue consists of two sections — the Switzerland Hall and the Italy Hall — offering visitors a chance to experience railway culture alongside the history and character of European cities through miniature train operations. The Switzerland Hall presents alpine landscapes and railway villages scaled down to 1/87 of their actual size. Trains run through settings inspired by Zurich and Jungfrau, Bern and the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Geneva. Cars, bicycles and pedestrians move throughout the diorama, while lighting changes every 10 minutes to alternate between daytime and nighttime scenes, giving visitors different impressions of the same landscape. The Italy Hall, which opened on Feb. 1 as a follow-up to the Switzerland Hall, occupies more than twice the exhibition space. It showcases Italy’s historical heritage and urban scenery, featuring landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome, cruise ships along the coast of Naples, Florence Cathedral and gondolas in Venice, all recreated at a 1/87 scale. Miniature trains run continuously through the exhibition. Dynamic elements add movement to the displays, including an erupting Mount Vesuvius, moving cruise ships and chariot races. Playful scenes, such as Superman straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa, add imaginative touches that draw visitors’ attention. More than 10 trains operate simultaneously across 10 rail lines inside the Italy Hall. Centered on trains as a shared theme, the Nowon Train Village allows visitors to compare landscapes and cultures across different European countries, attracting a steady flow of family visitors during the winter vacation season. 2026-02-05 22:26:36

Snow-themed festival underway in Taebaek SEOUL, February 05 (AJP) - A snow-themed festival is currently underway in Taebaek in the mountainous region of Gangwon Province. The annual festival, now in its 33rd year, kicked off on Jan. 31 and will run through this weekend. Against the stunning backdrop of snow-blanketed Mt. Taebaeksan, visitors can marvel at large-scale snow sculptures and engage in a variety of interactive winter programs. It would the perfect destination for anyone not quite ready to say goodbye to winter or for those who want to enjoy the winter chill while it's still here to stay. 2026-02-05 16:42:26

Knock, knock, spring is here SEOUL, February 04 (AJP) -“May every household be filled with joy and good fortune throughout the year.” On a quiet Tuesday morning, as winter loosened its final grip, the words of blessing were once again pinned to wooden gates at Namsangol Hanok Village in central Seoul. To mark Ipchun — the first seasonal division of spring — a demonstration of the traditional posting of ipchuncheop unfolded at the village’s main gate. A family born in 1990, the Year of the Horse, carefully attached the calligraphy strips, reviving a custom passed down through generations. Ipchun, one of the 24 solar terms of the traditional East Asian calendar, usually falls around Feb. 4. It signals not only the start of spring, but the quiet return of warmth, light and renewal. On this day, Koreans have long displayed calligraphy bearing the phrase: “Ipchun Daegil, Geonyang Dagyeong” — With spring’s arrival comes great fortune, and as positive energy rises, countless blessings follow. The words are often placed diagonally on doors or gates, as if inviting luck to step inside before anyone else. More than decoration, the strips serve as gentle wishes for health, prosperity and protection from misfortune in the year ahead. The family taking part in the ceremony shared a special connection to the site. A decade ago, they had held their traditional wedding and photo shoot at the same village. Now, they returned not as newlyweds, but as a family, linking past and present through ritual. Each year, Namsangol Hanok Village hosts the Ipchuncheop demonstration to help citizens rediscover seasonal traditions that once guided everyday life. In an age of digital calendars and hurried routines, the ceremony offers a pause — a reminder that time, too, has its own rhythm. As ink met paper and paper met wood, winter quietly stepped aside. And spring, once again, found its way to the doorstep. 2026-02-04 17:32:32

Winter Olympics to kick off in Milan this week SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - This year's Winter Olympics will kick off in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan later this week, bringing together around 3,500 athletes from over 90 countries to compete for 116 medals across 16 disciplines. The opening ceremony of the quadrennial sporting event is slated for Friday in Milan, marking a return to the European country for the first time in about two decades since the 2006 Turin Games. Italy has opted to use existing venues rather than build new ones, aiming to reduce both environmental impact and construction costs. However athletes may face some inconvenience as they will need to travel between multiple sites during the two-week-long Olympics, which run until Feb. 22. South Korea will field 71 athletes in snowboarding, bobsleigh, speed skating, short-track skating, and figure skating. 2026-02-03 17:01:34

Winter's last stand, caught on a wave SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -With just two days left until Ipchun, the traditional marker of spring, winter is refusing a quiet exit. Along the coast, biting winds rake the shoreline and whip the sea into whitecaps, turning the water steel-blue and restless. The cold sharpens everything — the air, the waves, the resolve of those who come to watch and those who come to dive in. Some stand bundled at the water’s edge, hands in pockets, eyes fixed on the surf as it crashes and retreats. Others choose immersion over observation, paddling out into the frigid sea to catch winter’s final, defiant waves. Black wetsuits cut through the foam; boards rise and fall against the swell. It is a familiar seasonal ritual: winter showing its teeth just before loosening its grip. In the roar of the surf and the sting of cold spray, spring feels close — but not close enough to stop the sea from having the last word. 입춘을 이틀 앞두고 겨울 추위가 이어지는 가운데, 강한 바람에 해안의 파도가 높게 일었다. 시민들은 해변에 머물며 파도를 지켜보거나 바다에 뛰어들어 서핑을 즐기는 등 겨울 바다를 즐기고 있다. 2026-02-02 17:20:25

Seoul wakes up to winter wonderland, traffic largely unaffected SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -Heavy snow blanketed Seoul overnight, turning the city into a winter wonderland, but the harsh weather caused little disruption to the Monday morning commute. Authorities lifted the heavy snow advisory at 4 a.m. While snow-covered sidewalks slowed pedestrians, many commuters left home earlier than usual and moved cautiously to avoid delays. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said overnight snow removal operations kept major roads largely clear, preventing significant traffic congestion during peak commuting hours. In central Seoul, workers were seen clearing snow at Gyeongbokgung Palace early Monday, following the overnight snowfall. 2026-02-02 11:21:31

EU envoy to Seoul speaks out SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Ugo Astuto, head of the Delegation of the European Union to South Korea, addresses press on issues from Greenland to Russia at the Maehwa Hall of the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Jan. 30. 2026. 2026-01-30 17:37:18

A number ticks down at the family table SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) -In "Number One", Ha-min (Choi Woo-shik) notices something unsettling: each time he eats his mother’s cooking, an invisible number drops. When he understands that zero would mean the end of his mother, Eun-sil (Jang Hye-jin), the meals become acts of love—and resistance—against time itself. Set for release on Feb. 11, the film draws from a tender premise by Japanese writer Uwano Sora. Adapted from the short novel There Are 328 Times Left to Eat My Mother’s Home‑Cooked Meals, the story weaves a gentle fantasy into the most familiar of rituals. At the mother’s table, minutes are measured in bites, and distance inside a family is felt in what goes unsaid. At the event, director Kim Tae-yong appeared with the cast, including Gong Seung-yeon. For Choi, the film is a homecoming twice over: a reunion with Kim 12 years after Giant, and a return to a mother-son bond with Jang following Parasite (2019). Here, that bond is quieter—and heavier—counted not in years, but in the meals they still have left. 2026-01-30 14:05:09

Age is just numbers - especially in learning SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) -Laughter, careful steps and handwritten diplomas filled the annex building of Yeongdeungpo District Office on Jan. 28, as graduates of Neulpureum School gathered for a ceremony years — sometimes decades — in the making. Neulpureum School is an adult literacy institution that grants officially recognized elementary and middle school diplomas. Its classrooms are filled with senior citizens who missed the chance for formal schooling earlier in life, often due to poverty, war or family obligations. For them, education arrived late — but not too late. At the ceremony, graduates from both the elementary and middle school programs walked across the stage one by one, many gripping their certificates with quiet pride. Some wore formal suits or hanbok; others leaned on canes or the arms of classmates who had become friends through shared homework and long afternoons of practice. 2026-01-29 17:25:55