South Korean citizens proposed for Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - South Korean citizens have been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy by stopping former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in 2024. A group of professors led by Kim Eui-young at Seoul National University submitted a recommendation to the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month, proposing the citizens collectively as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The group includes Pablo Oñate, a professor at February 19, 2026

A long ride back to Seoul as holiday winds down SEOUL, February 17 (AJP) -Heavy traffic clogged major highways across South Korea on Tuesday as millions of holiday travelers began returning to Seoul as the long Lunar New Year holiday ends on Wednesday. According to the Korea Expressway Corp., travel times to Seoul as of noon had lengthened sharply, with trips from Busan taking up to 10 hours, Ulsan 9 hours and 40 minutes, Daegu 9 hours, Mokpo 9 hours and 20 minutes, Gwangju 8 hours and 50 minutes, and Daejeon 4 hours and 40 minu February 17, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Popular bakery chain slapped with over 800 million won in fines for labor violations SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - LBM, the operator of popular bakery chain London Bagel Museum, was slapped with a fine of 810 million Korean won (about US$580,000) over widespread labor law violations, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said on Friday. The bakery was found to have committed multiple violations of labor laws and relevant regulations, including 564 million won in unpaid wages for overtime and night-time and holiday shifts, and was ordered to take corrective action. Re February 13, 2026