Mobile shopping drives record online spending in South Korea SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s online shopping transactions reached a record high last year, with cross-border online trade also expanding, official data showed on Monday. According to a report from the National Data Portal, total online shopping transactions rose 4.9 percent from a year earlier to 272.4 trillion won. Mobile shopping continued to dominate spending, rising 6.5 percent to 211.14 trillion won. Food services accounted for the largest share February 2, 2026

Seoul wakes up to winter wonderland, traffic largely unaffected SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -Heavy snow blanketed Seoul overnight, turning the city into a winter wonderland, but the harsh weather caused little disruption to the Monday morning commute. Authorities lifted the heavy snow advisory at 4 a.m. While snow-covered sidewalks slowed pedestrians, many commuters left home earlier than usual and moved cautiously to avoid delays. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said overnight snow removal operations kept major roads largely clear, preventi February 2, 2026

Hanwha Aerospace signs $922mln deal to supply Chunmoo rocket systems to Norway SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - A joint effort to bolster Nordic defense reached a major milestone as Hanwha Aerospace secured a contract to supply the Chunmoo Multiple Rocket Launcher System (MRLS) to the Norwegian Armed Forces. The agreement, valued at approximately 922 million dollars, marks the first major defense contract for the South Korean company in 2026. The Chunmoo system is a multi-caliber rocket artillery platform capable of firing different munitions from two separate l February 2, 2026

Heavy snow blankets country overnight SEOUL, February 2 (AJP) - Heavy snow fell across the country overnight, disrupting commuters during the morning rush hour, with further snowfall expected in eastern and southern regions, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on Monday. Seoul and surrounding metropolitan areas saw up to 7 centimeters of snow overnight, tapering to flurries by early morning. The heaviest snow fell in mountainous Gangwon Province, with Cheorwon accumulating 17.3 centimeters, Hwacheon 16.6 cen February 2, 2026

BTS Comeback D-48: BTS' Jung Kook tops 10.3 billion stream on Spotify streams SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - BTS member Jungkook has surpassed 10.3 billion cumulative streams on Spotify, marking yet another historic milestone for K-pop and the group's anticipated comeback in March. Jungkook surpassed 10.3 billion total streams on his personal Spotify profile (all credits combined). The achievement is a new record for the fastest time an Asian artist has reached the milestone, and also makes him the first K-pop solo artist to surpass the record. The lates February 2, 2026

Hawkish Fed expectations weigh on markets, drag Korean shares lower SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) – Asian stocks fell broadly after U.S. President Donald Trump nominated former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, prompting investors to scale back expectations for further interest-rate cuts. Warsh is widely viewed as an inflation hawk, and his nomination triggered a shift in rate expectations that rippled through financial markets. South Korean equities opened lower, U.S. stock futures weakened, gold and silver prices fell February 2, 2026

Amy Yang finishes runner-up at shortened LPGA season opener SEOUL, February 2 (AJP) - Amy Yang finished runner-up at this year's LPGA Tour season opener, which was reduced to 54 holes due to bitter cold and strong gusts in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. With the fourth and final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions canceled due to freezing temperatures, Yang, who shot 10-under 206 through the first three rounds, finished second, three shots behind Nelly Korda of the U.S. Without having to hit a single shot on Sun February 2, 2026

Rising overseas demand pushes Korean seaweed prices to record levels SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - Dried seaweed prices in South Korea have climbed to a record high as rising exports tighten domestic supply and fuel broader seafood inflation. Data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. showed Monday that the average retail price of mid-grade dried seaweed reached 1,515 won per 10-sheet pack in late January, the first time the period average has exceeded 1,500 won, or more than 150 won per sheet. Prices have risen about 50 percent ov February 2, 2026

Joint research team develops wearable OLED hat to combat hair loss SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - A joint team of researchers from South Korea and Hong Kong has developed a wearable light therapy platform designed like a hat to treat hair loss. By using flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), the device suppresses the aging of hair follicle cells by approximately 92 percent. The project was led by Professor Choi Kyung-cheol from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in collaboration with Professor Yun Chi from the Hon February 2, 2026

K-pop OST "Golden" wins Grammy, marking first victory for K-pop songwriters SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -“Golden,” an original soundtrack from Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards, marking the first-ever Grammy win for K-pop songwriters and producers. The award was announced during the Premiere Ceremony of the 68th Grammys held in Los Angeles. Unlike performance-based categories, Best Song Written for Visual Media is awarded to songwriters and producers, recognizing excelle February 2, 2026