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  SK Innovation selected to develop $2.3 bln LNG power project in Vietnam SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - SK Innovation has been selected as the developer of a $2.3 billion liquefied natural gas power project in northern Vietnam, marking a significant step in the South Korean energy company's push to expand its global LNG footprint. The project, located in the Quynh Lap area of Nghe An province, about 220 kilometers south of Hanoi, calls for the construction of a 1,500-megawatt combined-cycle gas power plant, a 250,000-cubic-meter LNG terminal, and a dedic February 19, 2026
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  South Korean citizens proposed for Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - South Korean citizens have been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy by stopping former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in 2024. A group of professors led by Kim Eui-young at Seoul National University submitted a recommendation to the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month, proposing the citizens collectively as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The group includes Pablo Oñate, a professor at February 19, 2026
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  Seollal hangover lingers as business returns to normal SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -Business resumed across the country following the long-weekend Lunar New Year holiday, as scenes from a traditional festival in central Seoul offered a final glimpse of the season’s festive mood. The 2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival, themed “Welcoming the Year with Blessings of the Horse,” was held from Feb. 16 to 18 at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul. On Feb. 17, the day of the Lunar New Year, organizers hosted a rice cak February 19, 2026
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  Seoul indices turbocharged after three-day break, hit another milestone SEOUL, Feb. 19 (AJP) – Seoul bourses returned from a three-day Lunar New Year break on Thursday with strong gains, fueled by robust demand for technology and chip shares amid signs of easing U.S. inflation. U.S. January consumer prices rose 2.4 percent year on year, the slowest pace in eight months. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 2.5 percent, marking its lowest rise since March 2021. Nvidia climbed 1.63 percent overnight after reports that Met February 19, 2026
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  Kim Yo-jong strikes conciliatory tone again over Seoul's regret on drone incursions SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, once again struck a positive note toward South Korea. In a statement carried on Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said she "highly appreciates" South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's expression of regret the previous day over drones allegedly sent by civilians to the North, as well as his pledge to prevent a recurrence. It was Ki February 19, 2026
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  OPINION: Japan's Takaichi and the test of glass cliff The soaring popularity and landslide election victory of Sanae Takaichi stand out in Asia, especially in a political culture where women have long been sidelined. Her rise has been hailed as a breakthrough moment for Japan — proof that even one of the world’s most male-dominated political systems can change. Yet her ascent also invites a quieter, more uneasy question: Is she standing on what Western scholars call a “glass cliff”? With the L February 19, 2026
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  Korea women salvage short track pride with relay gold amid short-track medal drought SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -South Korea staged a dramatic late comeback to reclaim the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay title at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Wednesday, restoring pride in one of the nation’s signature events. Anchored by Kim Gil-li, the Korean quartet surged past Italy in the final two laps to win gold in 4 minutes, 4.014 seconds at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. The team, also featuring Choi Min-jeong, Shim Suk-hee and Noh Do-hee, edged February 19, 2026
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  S.Korea's top policy aide says AI race hinges on electricity, not code SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea's presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom urged the nation to elevate its power grid to the status of strategic national infrastructure, warning that the global artificial intelligence contest is no longer a battle of algorithms but of physical resources. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Kim wrote that AI had evolved into a capital-intensive hardware industry, making scarce commodities such as graphics processing units (GPUs), memory chips, t February 18, 2026
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  South Korea, Czech Republic forge ministerial framework to fast-track Dukovany nuclear project SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to establish a ministerial-level consultative body to oversee the construction of two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany site, as both nations deepen an energy partnership worth about 26 trillion won ($18 billion). South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan met newly inaugurated Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his counterpart Karel Havlicek in Prague on Monday (local time) at the Czech gover February 18, 2026
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  Big tech giants ramp up hiring of Korean semiconductor engineers as AI chip race intensifies SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - Major U.S. technology firms including Nvidia, Google, and Tesla are aggressively recruiting South Korean semiconductor engineers, zeroing in on the country's deep pool of expertise in high-bandwidth memory as the global race for artificial intelligence hardware accelerates. The hiring push marks a significant escalation from earlier years, when recruitment of Korean chip talent was largely confined to memory makers such as Micron Technology and mobile February 18, 2026