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  Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 1 Year, 8 Months; First Case of Ex-President Couple Jailed Together Kim Keon Hee, who was indicted in custody on charges including receiving valuables tied to the Unification Church, was sentenced to prison in a first-trial ruling. The decision came after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of obstructing an arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, marking the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that a former president and spouse have both received prison terms at t January 28, 2026
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  South Korea Probes Firm Sanctioned by U.S. Over Nonproliferation Law Allegations South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that relevant authorities are investigating a South Korean company after the United States added it to a sanctions list over alleged violations of laws aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and missile technology. The ministry said South Korea and the United States have been in ongoing communication and that Seoul was aware of the move in advance. It added that the government has joined international efforts to prevent January 28, 2026
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  Kwon Seong-dong Sentenced to 2 Years in First Trial Over Alleged 100 Million Won Unification Church Payment Breaking: Kwon Seong-dong, accused of taking 100 million won from the Unification Church, was sentenced to two years in prison in a first trial.* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026
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  Korea Sports Council Vows Zero Tolerance in Ski National Team Selection Probe The Korea Sports Council said it will take strict action under a zero-tolerance policy over allegations of match-fixing and unfairness in selecting national team athletes in skiing. The council said Tuesday that it is “actively cooperating” with an ongoing police investigation. It said that if authorities confirm match-fixing, improper interference in selections or conflicts of interest that undermined fairness, it will act “regardless of position, relationships or past practices,” applyin January 28, 2026
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  Kia's Q4, 2025 profit slides nearly 30% as U.S. tariffs bite despite record sales SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest automaker, saw its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 operating profit fall by around 30 percent as higher U.S. tariffs dented the bottom line despite record-high sales volumes and revenue. In its earnings filing Tuesday, Kia disclosed consolidated operating profit for the October–December period at 1.84 trillion won ($1.3 billion), up 26 percent from the previous quarter but down 32.2 percent from a year January 28, 2026
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  Special Prosecutor Says Kim Keon Hee Ruling Is Hard to Accept, Will Appeal Breaking: Special prosecutor says Kim Keon Hee first-trial ruling is hard to accept; will appeal* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026
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  South Korea Secures Record 54,000 New-Build Rental Homes, Plans 44,000 Starts in Capital Area 정부가 지난해 역대 최대 규모의 신축매입약정을 체결하고 도심 주택공급에 속도를 낸다. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) said Tuesday they secured 54,000 homes through new-build purchase agreements last year, the largest total on record. The figure was up 128% from the previous year’s 41,955 homes and about six times the 9,253 recorded in 2023, the ministry said. About 48,000 of the homes were in the Seoul metropolitan area, includi January 28, 2026
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  Factory Fire in Siheung’s Geumi-dong Sends Up Thick Black Smoke A fire broke out in Geumi-dong in Siheung, Gyeonggi province. On Tuesday, the Siheung city government said in a disaster safety text alert, "A factory fire has occurred at 554-4, Geumi-dong, and a large amount of black smoke is being generated." It urged nearby drivers to detour and asked residents in the area to close their windows and take other safety precautions. * This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026
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  Samsung C&T Posts 29.6% Jump in Q4 Operating Profit to 822.2 Billion Won Samsung C&T said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that its fourth-quarter operating profit rose 29.6% from a year earlier to 822.2 billion won on a consolidated basis. Revenue increased 8.4% to 10.8324 trillion won. Net profit surged 137.6% to 1.5582 trillion won. For the full year, revenue totaled 40.7422 trillion won and operating profit was 3.2927 trillion won. Compared with the previous year, revenue fell 3.2% while operating profit rose 10.4%. Samsung C&T said it maintain January 28, 2026
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  Hong Kong Signs Precious Metals Cooperation Deal With Shanghai Gold Exchange Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said Jan. 26 that it signed a cooperation agreement on precious metals trading with mainland China’s Shanghai Gold Exchange at the Asian Financial Forum being held in Hong Kong. The agreement includes setting up a new company, the Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing System, fully funded by the Hong Kong government. The Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing System will be chaired by Financial Services and the Treasury Se January 28, 2026