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Many Russian-Born Athletes Compete at Milan-Cortina Olympics After Switching Nationalities Although Russia, stripped of eligibility by the International Olympic Committee, sent 13 athletes to the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), the number of Russian-born competitors at the Games appears to be far higher. The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 6 that many Russian-born athletes competing in Milan-Cortina changed nationality after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, concerned that nationality issues could block their Olympic medal hopes. Olympic historian Bill Mallon estimated about 40 Russian-born athletes are competing at these Olympics, more than triple the number entered under AIN status. Most are representing countries near Russia, including Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia, the report said. All three members of Moldova's biathlon team were born in Russia, making up more than half of Moldova's five-athlete delegation. Moldova is a small Eastern European country between Romania and Ukraine. About two-thirds of Georgia's delegation is also Russian-born, the WSJ said. It includes ice dancers Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin, who competed for the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The newspaper said they had tried to skate for the United States but ultimately chose Georgia. In figure skating, long seen as a Russian strength, many Russian-born athletes have also switched nationalities. They are now spread across the teams of Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. In pairs, 28% of competitors are Russian-born. Some have criticized the nationality switches. Dmitry Vasiliev, a Russian biathlete, said, "You have only one homeland — the place you were born," adding, "Russians feel comfortable only in Russia," according to the report. IOC President Kirsty Coventry has also suggested Russia's ban could be lifted. In a speech to the IOC session on Feb. 3, Coventry did not mention Russia directly but said, "We are a sports organization," and stressed that sport should remain a neutral arena. The New York Times noted her remarks came as the IOC recently allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2026 Dakar Summer Youth Olympics, and as FIFA President Gianni Infantino argued Russia should return to international competitions. The NYT described the comments as a sign of a possible return for Russia, a sports power that has been sidelined for more than a decade, saying Russia's isolation in international sports may soon end.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 19:21:00 -
Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan named top 'most handsome' male athlete for 2026 Milan Olympics list South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan (Seoul City Hall) has been picked as the No. 1 “most handsome” male athlete among competitors set to appear at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Vogue Hong Kong published a roundup on Thursday (local time) titled “2026 Milan Winter Olympics: 13 most handsome male athletes,” saying it was looking at standout male athletes representing countries around the world and releasing its ranking. The magazine placed Cha, a leading name in South Korea’s men’s singles program, at the top. It described him as having “sharp lines” and a “restrained” presence with a “clean, cool” look, adding that he “transforms into a completely different person” the moment he steps onto the ice. Vogue Hong Kong also noted Cha’s background as a child actor and model, saying his experience in front of the camera helps him deliver a polished performance. It said it expects “clean quad jumps” and “bolder step sequences” from him at the Games. Cha made his Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, finishing 15th in men’s singles. He climbed to fifth at the 2022 Beijing Games and is preparing for this Olympics with a medal as his goal. Others named on Vogue Hong Kong’s list included Norway cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Japan snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, Hungary-born short-track skater Shaoang Liu, who competes for China, France ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, Italy men’s singles skater Daniel Grassl and U.S. men’s singles skater Ilia Malinin. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 18:27:00 -
Naver CEO apologizes after glitch exposes anonymous Q&A histories of 15,000 public figures SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon issued a formal apology after a software update inadvertently exposed the anonymous question-and-answer histories of about 15,000 celebrities, athletes and politicians registered on the platform's people search database. The breach, which occurred between Feb. 3 and 4 during a routine update to Naver's "Knowledge iN" Q&A service, caused links to users' past anonymous activity to surface in public search results, triggering widespread privacy concerns across South Korea. Personal queries and responses that prominent figures had posted under the assumption of anonymity were laid bare to the public, fueling a backlash over what critics called a serious violation of user privacy on the country's dominant search engine. "We sincerely apologize for the distress caused to our users," Choi said in a public notice posted on Friday, adding that the company had fully rolled back the update by 10 p.m. on Feb. 4 and that the same error would not recur. Naver said it had preemptively reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission, South Korea's data privacy watchdog, and pledged to cooperate fully with any ensuing investigation. The company has also sent individual apology emails to all affected users. The tech giant vowed to conduct a sweeping review of its service protocols to prevent a repeat of the breach, with Choi emphasizing the company would take "a responsible stance" in containing further fallout for those affected. 2026-02-07 16:56:53 -
Norovirus spreads at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Swiss women’s hockey player tests positive Norovirus infections are spreading at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, following a cluster in Finland’s women’s ice hockey team and a new case in Switzerland’s women’s team. The AP reported that one Swiss women’s player tested positive for norovirus and that the entire team was placed in isolation, causing them to miss the Olympic opening ceremony. The player returned a positive test after Switzerland’s game against the Czech Republic on Feb. 6. Finland’s women’s team was hit ahead of the opening. As a result, its game against Canada that had been scheduled for Feb. 5 was postponed to Feb. 12. At the time, 13 Finnish players were isolated, leaving only eight skaters and two goalies able to take part in training. With the number in isolation later dropping to nine, Finland trained with 11 skaters and three goalies. Finland is expected to play the United States as scheduled on Feb. 8. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 16:36:00 -
BTS comeback D-42: Band sets Tottenham stadium attendance record with 120,000-seat sellout SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - BTS has achieved the highest occupancy rate for a single concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, concert promoter Live Nation UK said on Saturday. The seven-member band will perform before about 120,000 fans over two nights on July 6 to 7 in London, with tickets for both shows sold out. The performances will feature a 360-degree stage configuration at the 62,000-capacity venue. The stadium, home to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, has hosted concerts by artists including Stray Kids, Beyonce and Travis Scott since opening. The world tour begins April 9 at Goyang Stadium in South Korea, where all ticketed shows have sold out, according to reports. BTS will hold a comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, which will be livestreamed to about 190 countries on Netflix. The group's pre-release single has topped Spotify's "Countdown Chart Global" for three consecutive weeks ahead of their fifth studio album "Arirang." 2026-02-07 14:33:43 -
BTS comeback D-42: Seoul tells fans to travel light or risk missing the show SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - With BTS's historic comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square just six weeks away, Seoul authorities and transit operators are urging the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to descend on the capital to ditch their suitcases before heading to the venue. Organizers are expecting about 15,000 for the square, with an additional 13,000 to watch on large screens at Seoul Plaza. Industry observers, however, estimate that as many as 200,000 people could flood the surrounding area on March 21, when the septet takes the stage for the first time in nearly four years to celebrate the release of their fifth studio album, "Arirang." The Seoul Metropolitan Government is directing concertgoers — particularly those arriving from regional cities and abroad — to store bulky luggage at transit hubs such as Seoul Station, Suseo Station and Yongsan Station before making their way to the venue. Smart lockers at subway stations across the city can be reserved through the T Locker app, which covers more than 5,500 units at 269 stations on Lines 1 through 9, allowing users to check real-time availability, book and pay via mobile. Officials recommend that fans spread their belongings across nearby stations, including Jonggak, Seodaemun, Gyeongbokgung and Seoul City Hall, to avoid a rush on lockers closest to the square. Authorities warned that storage units at stations adjacent to the venue are likely to fill up early in the day. Reservations left unclaimed within two hours are automatically canceled without a refund, making last-minute booking essential. Staffed luggage counters operated by T Luggage at major rail terminals offer an alternative, though most close by 10 p.m. The concert, titled " THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG," will be livestreamed globally on Netflix to more than 190 countries starting at 8 p.m. Directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has helmed multiple Super Bowl halftime shows, the production will feature 50 dancers and 13 traditional musicians performing against the backdrop of the illuminated Gwanghwamun. Seoul's transit authority has not ruled out bypassing Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 without stopping if passenger congestion reaches critical levels, a measure previously deployed during large-scale rallies in the capital. Fans are advised to consider alighting one stop early — at Jonggak, Seodaemun or Gyeongbokgung — and walking to the square to avoid bottlenecks underground. 2026-02-07 13:24:18 -
OPINION: Seoul bourse in precarious rally South Korea’s stock market, for now, remains an impressive outlier. While major U.S. and European indices have struggled to sustain momentum, the KOSPI closed at 5,089.1 on Feb. 6, up more than 20 percent from the end of last year. The technology-heavy KOSDAQ has risen nearly 17 percent over the same period. Few advanced markets can match that performance. Yet strong numbers can obscure weak structures. This week, the KOSPI fell to around 4,949, surged to 5,371, and retreated again toward the low 5,000s within days. A swing of more than 420 points — roughly 8.5 percent — in such a short period is not the hallmark of a confident, institutionally anchored bull market. It is the signature of a market increasingly driven by sentiment, momentum, and leverage. Foreign investors appear to have drawn similar conclusions. Since the start of the year, overseas investors have sold a net 17.6 trillion won of Korean equities while continuing to accumulate bonds. This is not capital flight. It is portfolio triage — a calculated reduction in equity risk in favor of safer instruments. Hedging activity reinforces the message. Stock lending balances have climbed to a record 140.8 trillion won, reflecting rising demand for protection against a downturn. In effect, investors are buying into the rally with one hand and insuring against its collapse with the other. More revealing, however, is what Korean investors themselves are doing. In 2025, residents invested roughly $140 billion in overseas securities. Foreign investment in Korean securities amounted to barely $53 billion. Outflows were nearly three times larger than inflows. In equities alone, Korean investors sent about $118 billion abroad, while foreigners invested just over $40 billion at home. This is not a cyclical fluctuation. It is a structural reallocation of capital. Korean investors, from pension funds to private individuals, are steadily diversifying away from domestic assets. They are voting, with their money, for deeper and more liquid foreign markets. Global investors, meanwhile, are becoming more selective about Korea. The consequence is that the burden of sustaining domestic share prices has shifted decisively toward retail investors — and toward leverage. Margin debt remains near 25 trillion won, with unsettled credit balances around 1 trillion won. Borrowed money has become a central driver of trading activity. Much of the market’s recent strength rests on “debt-financed optimism,” a notoriously unstable foundation. History suggests that such structures tend to magnify both euphoria and panic. They perform well in rising markets and unravel quickly when confidence falters. Pressure is also building in the currency market. Despite posting a record current account surplus in 2025, Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell by more than $4 billion over the year and declined further in December and January as authorities intervened to support the won. The exchange rate approached 1,470 per dollar in early February. The government’s $3 billion issuance of foreign exchange stabilization bonds — its largest since the global financial crisis — was a reminder that currency management has become a permanent policy concern rather than an occasional emergency. In plain terms, Korea is earning dollars but failing to retain them. Rising interest rates compound the problem. Three-year government bond yields have moved above 3.2 percent, while AA-rated corporate bonds approach 3.8 percent. Higher funding costs are squeezing companies already coping with weak currency and rising import prices. Without sustained earnings growth, current valuations will become increasingly difficult to defend. Taken together, these trends paint a sobering picture. Foreign investors are reducing equity exposure. Domestic capital is flowing abroad. Retail participation is heavily leveraged. Public authorities are devoting growing resources to currency stabilization. Volatility is rising. None of this implies imminent collapse. Korea remains a technologically advanced, export-competitive economy with strong industrial foundations. Semiconductors are recovering. Investment in artificial intelligence is expanding. Corporate governance has improved. But financial markets do not thrive on growth alone. They require confidence, capital retention, and institutional depth. Those conditions are eroding. When overseas investment outflows consistently exceed inflows by wide margins, and when equity gains depend heavily on borrowed money, sustainability becomes questionable. Markets can ignore such imbalances for long periods — until they cannot. The recent 8.5 percent weekly swing should therefore be interpreted less as a routine correction than as an early warning. Korea’s rally continues. For now. But it rests on increasingly narrow and fragile foundations. *The author is the managing editor of AJP 2026-02-07 11:31:23 -
Coupang data breach victims file class action suit in New York seeking punitive damages SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - Victims of a massive Coupang data breach filed a class action lawsuit in a New York federal court seeking punitive damages from the e-commerce giant and its founder Kim Bom-suk. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges Coupang breached its duty to protect personal data and failed to implement adequate security measures. The data leak affected about 33.7 million customer accounts. Two Korean Americans surnamed Lee and Park serve as lead plaintiffs, represented by SJKP Law Firm LLP, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korea's Daeryun Law Firm. More than 7,000 data breach victims have contacted the law firm regarding the class action suit, an SJKP lawyer said. The lawsuit proceeds separately from litigation filed against Coupang in South Korean and California courts. In their complaint, the plaintiffs claim Coupang violated personal data protection obligations and breached implied contracts with customers. They argue the company profited unfairly by failing to implement proper security safeguards. The U.S. punitive damages system allows for substantial compensation awards against companies found to have committed gross negligence. T-Mobile paid $350 million in 2021 to settle a class action after personal data from more than 76.6 million users was exposed, setting a precedent for such cases. 2026-02-07 10:46:20 -
Bithumb accidentally sends 620,000 bitcoin to users in reward glitch SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb mistakenly distributed 620,000 bitcoin — worth about 244 trillion won ($170 billion) — to 249 users after an employee entered "bitcoin" instead of "won" while processing a promotional reward event. The exchange had intended to give out a total of 620,000 won ($423.5) through its "random box" event on Friday evening, with individual prizes ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 won. Instead, each recipient received an average of 2,490 bitcoin, valued at about 244 billion won per person based on the prevailing price of 98 million won per coin. Bithumb said it detected the error within 20 minutes and moved swiftly to freeze trading and withdrawals, completing the lockdown by 7:40 p.m. The exchange said it recovered 99.7 percent of the misallocated bitcoin, or 618,212 coins, almost immediately. Some recipients rushed to sell their windfall before the freeze took effect, briefly crashing bitcoin's price on the platform to 81.11 million won — a sharp drop from its market price. The exchange said the price recovered to normal levels within five minutes and that its automated safeguards prevented cascading liquidations. Bithumb said about 125 bitcoin worth of assets, totaling roughly 13.3 billion won, remained unrecovered as of Saturday morning, though it noted that no funds had been transferred to external wallets. "The mispayment incident is entirely unrelated to any external hacking or security breach, and there are no issues whatsoever with system security or customer asset management," the company said in a public apology. The mishap fueled speculation among market watchers, who questioned how Bithumb could distribute 620,000 bitcoin when it held only 42,619 coins in custody as of the end of the third quarter last year. The company pushed back, saying wallet balances are maintained in strict alignment with customer account records through rigorous accounting controls. South Korea's Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service immediately launched an on-site inspection into the incident to examine its cause and assess whether any regulatory violations occurred. 2026-02-07 10:09:21 -
First Gold at Milan-Cortina Olympics to Be Decided in Men’s Downhill or Women’s Skiathlon 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will move quickly from opening ceremonies to the first race for gold. The first gold medal is expected to come from a snow event on Feb. 7 (Korea time). It will be awarded to the winner of whichever finishes first between the men’s alpine downhill, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the women’s cross-country 10-kilometer plus 10-kilometer skiathlon, which starts at 9 p.m. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Norway’s Therese Johaug won the first gold in the women’s skiathlon. The men’s downhill will be held at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, Italy, in the Valtellina cluster. The women’s skiathlon will take place at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in the Val di Fiemme cluster. Both venues are more than 200 kilometers from Milan. No South Korean athletes will compete in the men’s downhill. South Korea will be represented in the women’s skiathlon by Lee Eui Jin of the Busan Metropolitan City Sports Council and Han Da Som of Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Han is making her second Olympic appearance after Beijing, while Lee is competing at her first Olympics. The skiathlon combines classic and freestyle techniques, with athletes racing half the distance in each style. European teams such as Norway and Sweden have traditionally been strong in the event. In Beijing, Lee Chae Won finished 61st, and Han did not finish.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 08:00:00