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

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

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

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

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

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

OPINION: When a Chat App starts making decisions for you Not long ago, choosing a restaurant in Seoul required some effort. You searched on Naver. You skimmed blog reviews. You checked ratings on Kakao Map. You compared prices. You asked friends on KakaoTalk. Sometimes, you still had to make a phone call. Soon, it may take one sentence. “Find me a quiet wine bar in Gangnam.” Within seconds, a list appears on the screen. Photos, location, price range and user ratings are displayed. For restaurants linked to KakaoT February 18, 2026

ASIA INSIGHTS: Robots on Chunwan stage: What China is signaling to Asia China’s Spring Festival Gala, known as Chunwan, is more than a television program. At 8 p.m. on Lunar New Year’s Eve, nearly 1.4 billion people turn their eyes to television and mobile screens at the same time. That moment functions as a national ritual and a shared narrative. It is a cultural event, a political message and an entertainment program — and also a showcase of industrial strategy. Each year, China uses this stage to declare where it is headin February 18, 2026

U.S. surges in 5G standalone adoption as South Korea holds second in download speeds, report finds SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - The United States is rapidly consolidating its lead in 5G standalone (SA) deployment, while South Korea continues to rank among the world's fastest networks by download speed, according to a report released Wednesday by global network intelligence firm Ookla. The report, which assessed the state of 5G SA and 5G Advanced worldwide, said U.S. standalone adoption surged 8.2 percentage points over the past year to reach 31.6 percent, driven by the sequenti February 18, 2026

S.Korea's curling team slip to fourth after Switzerland defeat, bobsled pairs finish outside top 10 SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - South Korea's women's curling team dropped to fourth place in the round-robin standings after falling to world No. 1 Switzerland 5-7 on Wednesday, putting their semifinal push under increased pressure at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and fifth Seol Ye-ji — the squad known as "Team 5G" — were edged out at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Corti February 18, 2026