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  Analysis: Why Greenland became the Arctic's most dangerous geopolitical flashpoint SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - As Arctic ice retreats, Greenland has emerged as one of the world's most consequential — and misunderstood — geopolitical battlegrounds. The world's largest island, sparsely populated yet strategically irreplaceable, now sits at the intersection of U.S. missile defense, Russian militarization, Chinese resource ambition and Europe's evolving security posture. U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed push to assert U.S. control ove January 23, 2026
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  OPINION: How data, engineers and state power drive China's tech rise Views of China tend to split neatly into two camps. One dismisses it as a country of imitators. The other fears it as an unstoppable technological juggernaut powered by a vast market and a disciplined state. Both views miss the same point. China’s defining advantage is scale. In a country of 1.4 billion people, even meaningful technological progress can appear underwhelming when measured per capita. But scale has a way of turning incremental gains into structural power January 23, 2026
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  Roaring stock market lifts Korean consumer confidence despite weak real economy SEOUL, January 23 (AJP)-South Koreans grew more optimistic about the economy and their spending plans in January, buoyed by a surging stock market despite continued weakness in real economic conditions from a weak won and strong prices. According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the Consumer Sentiment Index rose 1.0 point from the previous month to 110.8 in January, supported by the strongest spending bias in five months. A reading above 100 indicates sentiment more opt January 23, 2026
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  BTS stages comeback at Gwanghwamun on March 21 SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -The date is set for an open invite for BTS's long-awaited full-group comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 after Seoul on Thursday granted conditional approval for the large-scale outdoor concert and began preparations for an influx of tens of thousands of fans into the city center. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it approved conditional use of Gwanghwamun Square for the “BTS 2026 Comeback Show @ Seoul,” proposed by January 23, 2026
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  K-Pop Demon Hunters" lands two Oscar nods as Park Chan-wook misses final cut SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” directed by Korean American filmmaker Maggie Kang, earned two Academy Award nominations, while Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” fell short of the final lineup for best international feature. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominees for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday local time. “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was nominated for best animate January 23, 2026
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  U.S. investors asks Washington to probe Seoul's treatment of Coupang SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) -Two major U.S. investors in Coupang Inc. have asked the U.S. government to investigate its Korean counterpart over what they describe as discriminatory treatment of the U.S.-based e-commerce platform commanding dominant market in Korea, raising the prospect that a corporate dispute could spill into a bilateral trade issue. Technology investment firms Greenoaks and Altimeter said Thursday that they have petitioned the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to e January 22, 2026
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  BTS countdown begins as album drop, Gwanghwamun street show take shape SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) — The countdown has begun. Global K-pop phenomenon BTS is preparing a long-awaited return — not on a closed stadium stage, but potentially on the streets of central Seoul — as the group plans to unveil new music for the first time in nearly four years ahead of its upcoming ARIRANG world tour. The focal point of the comeback calendar is March 20, when BTS is set to release a new album and make its first public appearance as a full seven- January 22, 2026
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  PHOTOS:The story of fishing village in Sokcho Gangwon, January 22 (AJP) — The sea off Sokcho was calm. Walking along Cheongcho Lake toward the gaetbae landing, the ferry began to move slowly as people pulled hard on the iron rings attached to the cable. For visitors, the gaetbae is a novel experience. For locals, it was once the only way to get across. Riding the pulley-operated ferry leads to Abai Village, a neighborhood shaped by displacement and time. Abai Village was formed by disp January 22, 2026
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  Blunt FX language fuels speculation, but steadies the won — for now SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Alongside South Korea’s blistering equity rally, the foreign-exchange market has emerged as the economy’s most sensitive fault line, dominating monetary policy briefings and even the president’s New Year’s press conference. From U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remark that the won’s level is “not in line with Korea’s strong economic fundamentals,” to Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong’ January 22, 2026
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  Stocks at record highs, growth at 1%: Korea's market–economy divide widens SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) -Korean stock market pushed deeper into uncharted territory Thursday, with the KOSPI briefly climbing over the 5,000 mark before closing just below the milestone, a historic high unfolding even as economic growth remains stuck near 1 percent, highlighting a widening gap between buoyant asset prices and a fragile real economy. The growth outlook marks the weakest performance since the economy contracted 0.7 percent in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 p January 22, 2026