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  On a bread ride in Daejeon SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - At exactly 1 p.m., a gray sedan rolled up in front of Exit 4 of Tanbang Station, Daejeon city of South Korea. Out stepped driver An Seong-woo — with two bread-shaped plushies tucked under his arms and a smile warm enough to melt butter. That’s how our “Bread Vatican pilgrimage,” officially known as the Daejeon Bread Taxi Tour, began. He had arrived early that morning to scout parking spots for customers who drove in. A small de February 9, 2026
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  Bithumb scandal sparks deep skepticism over Korea's crypto exchange systems SEOUL, Feb 09 (AJP) - A “fat finger” blunder at Bithumb, South Korea’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, has become a windfall for a few and a nightmare for many, involving more than $40 billion in erroneous transactions and raising fresh concerns over the safety of crypto trading in Korea. At around 7 p.m. KST last Friday, a staff member attempted to distribute 620,000 won in prize money but mistakenly transferred 620,000 won worth of Bitcoin instead&mdash February 9, 2026
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  Seoul weighs heavier fines for antitrust offenses SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - South Korea is reviewing a major overhaul of its antitrust penalty system, moving toward fines linked to overall corporate revenue as part of a broader effort to curb repeated violations by large conglomerates. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Monday it has commissioned an external study to redesign its sanctions framework for unfair trade practices, laying the groundwork for tougher legislation later this year. At the center of the reform is February 9, 2026
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  Assured leadership in Japan and AI bet refuel Asian markets SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Reinforced political leadership in Japan and renewed optimism over artificial intelligence helped refuel Asian equities on Monday, reversing much of last week’s sharp selloff. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide election victory, strengthening support for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her “strong Japan” agenda. The Nikkei closed up 2.9 percent at 56,363.9, after briefly br February 9, 2026
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  South Korea inks fighter jet maintenance deal with Philippines SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - South Korea has signed a deal with the Philippines to provide support and maintenance services for fighter jets, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said on Monday. Under the performance-based logistics (PBL) deal, worth about 101.4 billion Korean won (about US$70 million), which runs through 2028, KAI will provide maintenance and logistics support for its FA-50 fighter jets supplied to the Philippines. The three-year deal comes as an initial one-year pil February 9, 2026
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  CJ CheilJedang Q4 profit drops 15 pct on weak domestic sales SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang said fourth-quarter operating profit fell about 15 percent from a year earlier as weak domestic consumption offset gains from its overseas food business. Operating profit for the three months ended December reached 181.3 billion won ($124 million), down from 219.9 billion won a year earlier, according to regulatory filings on Monday. Revenue rose about 1 percent to 4.54 trillion won. For the full year, CJ CheilJedang posted revenue of 17. February 9, 2026
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  Korea targets $109B Middle East arms market amid aggressive budgeting SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - With hundreds of billions of dollars pouring into Middle Eastern rearmament, South Korea’s defense industry is moving aggressively to claim its share—using a major arms fair in Riyadh as the gateway to a $109 billion market. The coordinated push is centered on the World Defense Show (WDS), running from Feb. 8 to 12 in the Saudi capital. The event is the region’s largest integrated defense exhibition and a key platform for securing long-te February 9, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-40: More than a pretty face — Jin *Editor’s Note — As BTS prepares to return as a full seven-member act with a new album set for March 20 and an open-stage performance at Gwanghwamun on March 21, following a near four-year hiatus for rotational military service, AJP revisits the group’s 13-year trajectory. This series reexamines BTS’s history, music, performance identity and enduring appeal. The second installment traces the BTS member Jin's roots and growth. SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - February 9, 2026
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  Agriculture minister dismisses further tariff-related pressure from US SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - South Korea is unlikely to be pressed to open its agricultural market further beyond the scope of last fall's broader tariff-related deal with the U.S. Dismissing doubts, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong made the remarks during a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong on Monday, when reporters asked whether South Korea's move to expand imports of American potatoes was made at Washington's request. She clarified that the impor February 9, 2026
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  Korea joins global AI bet, tripling spending in 2026 SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - The bill for artificial intelligence is stretching at a staggering pace, and South Korea is joining the race by tripling government spending on AI to 10.1 trillion won ($6.9 billion) this year. Even so, Seoul's commitment is a small splash in a rapidly deepening global pool. Big Tech alone is poised to pour roughly $650 billion into AI-related capital expenditure in 2026. Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft plan between $635 billion and $665 billio February 9, 2026