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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
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  Short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon wins silver at Winter Olympics in Italy SEOUL, February 15 (AJP) - Short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon on Saturday won silver in the men's 1,500 meters at the Winter Olympics underway in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Hwang finished with a time of 2:12.30 to take silver, just behind Jens van't Wout of the Netherlands, who clocked 2:12.22. Latvia's Roberts Krūzbergs, who clocked 2:12.37, took bronze. In a chaotic final in Assago, northern Italy, nine skaters battled from the opening lap, but Hwang hung February 15, 2026
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  U.S. maritime plan allows initial ship construction in Korea SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - The White House on Friday unveiled the “America’s Maritime Action Plan” (MAP), a sweeping strategy to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry that explicitly signals cooperation with South Korea and Japan. It is widely seen as laying out the blueprint for the so-called MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative discussed during Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. The U.S. government states in the report published on the White February 14, 2026
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  Book-style foldables to dominate global market in 2026 amid memory shortages SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - The global foldable smartphone market is expected to shift from clamshell-style devices to book-type models in 2026, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research. According to Counterpoint on Saturday, book-type devices are projected to increase their share of the total foldable smartphone market from 52 percent in 2025 to around 65 percent in 2026, accounting for the majority of global foldable shipments. The shift reflects continued improvemen February 14, 2026
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  Olive Young draws crowds at Milano Olympics Korea House with K-beauty booth SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - CJ Olive Young has opened a promotional booth at the Korea House during the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics, showcasing K-beauty products and supporting South Korea’s national team. According to the company on Saturday, Olive Young has been operating a “Lip Touch-Up Bar” since Feb. 6 at the Korea House in Milan, allowing visitors to experience K-beauty products firsthand. The booth, featuring color cosmetics from Olive Young& February 14, 2026
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  President Lee to focus on policy planning during Lunar New Year holiday SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will scale back public engagements during the five-day Lunar New Year holiday beginning Saturday and remain at the presidential residence to focus on policy planning, officials said. Lee is expected to review a range of pressing domestic and external issues, including tariff negotiations with the United States, efforts to stabilize the real estate market, and administrative integration, while refining his policy direction for the se February 14, 2026
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  OPINION: Korea's economic lifeline: Why its financial system must become transparent SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - Finance is the bloodstream of an economy. When it flows cleanly—transparent, disciplined, and responsive to real demand—industry strengthens, innovation compounds, households build durable wealth, and the state gains room to maneuver without resorting to panic. When that bloodstream is clogged—by political favoritism, regulatory inconsistency, and the quiet tolerance of chronic underperformance—the economy does not merely slow. It deca February 14, 2026
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  Cha Jun-hwan narrowly misses bronze by less than a point, sets Korean record SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - On the ninth day of competition at the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday, South Korean athletes delivered notable performances in figure skating and snowboarding. South Korea maintained its tally of one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, remaining 13th in the overall medal standings. Figure skating: Cha Jun-hwan just off the podium In men’s figure skating, Cha Jun-hwan delivered a solid free skate at the Milan February 14, 2026
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  SK chair meets US big tech leaders for HMB4 pitch SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) -SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won commanding the world's most-sought memory chip unit held a string of meetings with big-tech leaders in the United States to strengthen leadership in AI chip supply chain amid tension with Samsung Electronics over HBM4 supply. His business meetings included all the big tech names Nvidia, Broadcom, Microsoft, Meta and Google engaged in AI chip accelerators, as he pushed to expand partnerships centered on high-bandwidth memor February 13, 2026