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  Korea adds bronze, advances relay and curling amid gold drought in Milan SEOUL, February 17 (AJP) -South Korea picked up another bronze medal in short track speed skating, advanced to the men’s relay final and extended its winning streak in women’s curling as Olympic action aired Tuesday morning in Korean time at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Kim Gil-li won bronze in the women’s 1,000 meters at Milano Ice Skating Arena, earning South Korea’s sixth medal of the Games and her first career Olympic podium. The 2 February 17, 2026
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  South Korean financial stocks lead market gains in February SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - South Korean financial stocks surged this month as the benchmark KOSPI index hit a series of record highs. The securities index jumped 24.5 percent from Jan. 30 to Feb. 13, rising to 7,684.70 from 6,172.47, far outpacing the KOSPI's 5.31 percent gain over the same period, according to data from the Korea Exchange released Monday. The KOSPI 200 Financials index, composed of 22 stocks including financial holding companies, banks and in February 16, 2026
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  Global solid-state battery market projected to reach $20 billion by 2032 SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - The global solid-state battery market is projected to grow more than tenfold to nearly $20 billion by 2032, driven by expanding applications in electric vehicles and robotics, according to a market research report released Monday. South Korean battery makers are accelerating development efforts as commercialization of the next-generation technology draws closer. The worldwide solid-state battery market is expected to expand from $1.97 February 16, 2026
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  Expressways see heavy traffic ahead of Lunar New Year holiday SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - South Korea's expressways experienced heavy congestion on Monday morning as travelers headed to their hometowns ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. As of 8 a.m., travel time from Seoul to major cities reached 6 hours and 20 minutes to Busan, 6 hours to Ulsan, 5 hours and 20 minutes to Daegu, 4 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, 4 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, 3 hours and 10 minutes to Gangneung, and 2 hours and 20 minutes to Daejeon, according to the February 16, 2026
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  Samsung Electronics eyes quarterly operating profit of 30 trillion won SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to reach 30 trillion won in quarterly operating profit for the first time in the January-March period, driven by surging demand for AI-related memory chips. The South Korean tech giant posted a record 20 trillion won in operating profit in the October-December quarter, becoming the first domestic company to reach that milestone. Analysts now project it will add another 10 trillion won in just one quarter. According to b February 16, 2026
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  South Korea adds speed skating top-10 finish, falls short in skeleton mixed team debut SEOUL, February 16 (AJP) - South Korea's Lee Na-hyun placed 10th in the women's 500-meter speed skating on Sunday, marking her second top-10 finish at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, while the country's skeleton mixed team finished 11th in the inaugural Olympic event. Lee clocked 37.86 seconds at Milano Speed Skating Stadium, finishing 0.59 seconds behind bronze medalist Miho Takagi of Japan. The 20-year-old had earlier placed ninth in the women's 1,000 meters, February 16, 2026
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  Hyundai, Kia poised to surpass 1 million EVs in cumulative sales in Europe SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia are on the verge of reaching 1 million cumulative electric vehicle sales in Europe by the first half of this year, the automotive giant said on Sunday. Their combined EV sales stood at 915,996 units as of the end of last year, since the launch of Kia's compact sport-utility vehicle Soul in 2014. With monthly sales surpassing 15,000 units, they are on track to surpass 1 million units in cumulative sales soon. February 15, 2026
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  South Korea secures fifth medal, eyes more in short-track speed skating SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics now halfway through in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, South Korea added one more silver medal as short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon finished second in the men's 1,500 meters on Saturday. South Korea is currently ranked 14th in the overall tally, with one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. Norway continued to lead the standings with ten gold medals, followed by Italy with six, the U.S. with five, and bot February 15, 2026
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  OPINION: What Bangladesh's democratic transition means for Asia SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Asia is no longer on the margins of the global order. Population, production, technology, and culture are increasingly shifting east, with major trade and logistics networks centered on Asian ports. Digital innovation and cultural industries are also expanding rapidly across Asian cities. Yet political developments are still often judged through a Western lens, with democracy and market economies assessed by how closely they align with Western standards. T February 15, 2026
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  3.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Gyeonggi Province SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - A 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province early Sunday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake occurred at around 4:13 a.m. Residents in nearby areas such as Gimpo, Paju, and Pocheon in the province, as well as Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, felt weak tremors. So far, there have been no reports of damage or injuries. It was the strongest earthquake recorded on the Korean Peninsula this year. February 15, 2026