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  Lee withdraws nomination of budget minister as controversy mounts SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday withdrew the nomination of Lee Hye-hoon, a nominee to head the newly established Ministry of Planning and Budget amid mounting criticism over a series of allegations. Senior presidential secretary for political affairs Hong Ik-pyo said at a briefing that Lee made the decision after carefully considering a wide range of views and public assessments. Hong said she "regrettably" did not meet public expectations fo January 25, 2026
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  Mom-and-pop businesses suffer brunt of economic slowdown SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - The number of self-employed businesses stood at 5.62 million last year, down 38,000 from a year earlier, the National Data Agency said on Sunday. The figure fell for a second straight year and was also the largest decline since 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. Mom-and-pop businesses declined by 75,000 in 2020 and 18,000 in 2021, then saw a gradual post-pandemic recovery of 119,000 in 2022 and 57,000 in 2023, only to fall again by 32, January 25, 2026
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  Enhypen's Sunghoon to serve as torchbearer for Winter Olympics next month SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - Sunghoon, a member of boy band Enhypen, will participate in a torch relay for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan, scheduled to kick off early next month. The relay began its journey of carrying the flame across over 100 Italian provinces early last month, but details about which stretch Sunghoon will cover have not been disclosed. The former figure skater-turned-singer is expected to deliver a "message of peace and f January 25, 2026
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  Coupang reasserts itself as US tech company amid claims of unfair treatment SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - E-commerce giant Coupang stressed once again that it is a U.S. company. The top of its browser tab briefly displayed "Coupang: US Tech Company Redefining Global Commerce" on Saturday before returning to the previous version, though some web browsers were still displaying it. The tab now again displays its previous promotional message in Korean, highlighting its fast "rocket" delivery service as well as membership benefits and January 25, 2026
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  Korean airlines cancel 18 U.S. flights as powerful winter storm batters America SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - Korean airlines have grounded 18 flights to the United States as a powerful winter storm sweeps across the central and eastern regions of the country, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers ahead of the weekend. Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Air Premia announced the cancellations as of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with disruptions expected to continue through Jan. 27 as the storm system intensifies. Korean Air bore the brunt of the disruptions, scr January 24, 2026
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  Washington wants South Korea to take primary responsibility in defense vs North Korea -NDS SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) -The Trump administration has formally signaled a shift in security responsibilities on the Korean Peninsula, stating that South Korea is capable of taking “primary responsibility” for deterring North Korea with more limited U.S. military support. The assessment appears in the unclassified version of the U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) released Saturday by the Pentagon, a foundational policy document outlining Washington’s global defens January 24, 2026
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  OPINION: Gold, silver and the quiet stress test of the FX system The scenery of global financial markets is changing. More striking than the daily swings of stock indices is the sight of gold and silver repeatedly hitting record highs. This is not a fleeting investment fad. It is a signal — one that reveals where global capital feels unease. Markets often exaggerate, but they rarely lie about direction. The current surge in precious metals reflects a collective instinct for risk aversion, rooted in subtle but growing cracks in confidence i January 24, 2026
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  South Korea PM tells US there was no discrimination against Coupang SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok assured U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday (local time) that Seoul has not discriminated against e-commerce giant Coupang, pushing back against allegations from American investors that the company faced unfair treatment. The two officials met at the White House for about 50 minutes, exceeding the originally scheduled 40 minutes, as the Coupang dispute emerged as a thorny issue in bilateral relations. Kim's January 24, 2026
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  Editorial: Sovereignty isn't a slogan. It's a legal record When two U.S.-based investors in Coupang, widely reported as Greenoaks and Altimeter, initiated the first procedural step toward investor–state arbitration under the Korea–U.S. Free Trade Agreement, they did more than submit a Notice of Intent. They sought to elevate a domestic accountability dispute into the most combustible arena available — treaty law, geopolitics and the global politics of data. Although a Notice of Intent is not yet a formal arbitration fil January 24, 2026
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  South Korea finish fourth at AFC U-23 Asian Cup after shock penalty loss to Vietnam SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - South Korea's under-23 football team finished fourth at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup on Saturday after suffering a stunning penalty shootout defeat to Vietnam in the third-place playoff, capping a deeply disappointing campaign for the former champions. The match at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium ended 2-2 after 120 minutes before Vietnam prevailed 7-6 in the shootout, handing South Korea their first-ever loss to Vietnam in the January 24, 2026