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  Court orders HYBE to pay Min Hee Jin 25.5 Billion Won in put option dispute SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - A Seoul court has ruled that HYBE must pay roughly 25.5 billion won ($19 million) to Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR and current head of OK Records, in connection with a put option dispute. The Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31, presided over by senior judge Nam In-soo, partially ruled in favor of Min in her lawsuit seeking payment under a shareholder agreement. The court ordered HYBE to pay Min roughly 25.5 billion won. It also dism February 12, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-37: Built different, the Suga equation *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 Third installment traces the BTS member SUGA's roots and growth. SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - February 12, 2026
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  HD Hyundai's 2025 profit more than doubles on shipbuilding boom SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - HD Hyundai said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that its 2025 operating profit more than doubled, driven by strong profitability in shipbuilding and offshore operations. The group reported consolidated revenue of 71.26 trillion won ($49.5 billion) for 2025, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit surged 104.5 percent to 6.1 trillion won. HD Hyundai said earnings growth was led by improved margins in shipbuilding and offshore bu February 12, 2026
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  Foreign home purchases in Seoul halve after Korea tightens property rules SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Foreign purchases of homes in Seoul fell by more than half after the government designated the capital and key parts of the greater metropolitan area as land-transaction permit zones for foreign buyers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday its review of apartment and other home transactions from September to December last year showed sales by foreign buyers declined across designated areas compared with a year earlier. February 12, 2026
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  Cheong Wa Dae expresses regret over canceled meeting with DP, PPP leaders SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday expressed "regret" over the cancellation of a planned luncheon meeting hosted by President Lee Jae Myung with the leaders of the leading parties. "It is very regrettable that the meeting was canceled," said Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs. "It was meant to improve communication and bipartisan cooperation on key state affairs, but the chance to fulfill that purpose was los February 12, 2026
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  LocknLock highlights new products, meets partners at Ambiente 2026 SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - South Korean household goods maker LocknLock said on Wednesday it has completed its participation in Ambiente 2026, the world’s largest consumer goods trade fair, held in Frankfurt from Feb. 6 to 10, where it showcased new and flagship products to global buyers. The company said the event, which drew brands and buyers from 176 countries, served as a platform to present its portfolio across food storage containers, beverageware, cookware and child-fri February 12, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-37: 600 years, 1 night, and 7 voices bring the world together  SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - Cities are defined by lines. In Joseon-era Hanyang (now Seoul), those lines were the four great gates. They marked where authority began and where daily life ended, where the state met the street. Within that geometry, one point drew all lines inward: Gwanghwamun, the royal gateway to Gyeongbokgung Palace. For centuries, this was where the king entered the city and the people first met power. Over time, it be February 12, 2026
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  South Korea forms task force to prepare for nuclear sub talks with US SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that it has formed a task force ahead of talks with the U.S. on building nuclear-powered submarines, as part of a broader tariff-related deal between the two allies. The task force is expected to prepare for a visit by a group of U.S. officials to discuss relevant issues and proceed with follow-up steps, based on a joint fact sheet released in November last year that outlines the details of the deal reached February 12, 2026
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  NPS posts early leasing success in first overseas office development SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) said on Thursday it has secured full occupancy ahead of completion in its first overseas office development investment. The NPS said two office towers at Toronto’s CIBC Square complex reached 100 percent leasing about four months before completion, with major tenants including Canadian lender CIBC and technology giant Microsoft. The pension fund invested in the project in two rounds in 2016 an February 12, 2026
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  Korean won recovery capped by capital outflows despite weaker dollar SEOUL, Feb 12 (AJP) -Despite a broad retreat in the U.S. dollar, the South Korean won has failed to stage a meaningful recovery, frustrating authorities attempting to break what officials increasingly describe as a cycle of “structural undervaluation.” According to data released Thursday by the Bank of Korea, the won-dollar exchange rate stood at 1,459.1 as of Feb. 10, marking a 1.4 percent depreciation from December’s average of 1,439. The decline came even a February 12, 2026