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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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  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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  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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  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
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  FM meets USFK commander at Camp Humphreys SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Hyun visited Camp Humphreys, a U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on Friday. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho met with Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) earlier in the day. The visit was arranged after Brunson invited Cho during a luncheon last month that also included Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Defense Department's undersecretary of defense for policy, who was visiting February 13, 2026
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  South Korea vows swift action to prevent drone incursions into North Korea SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - South Korea on Friday vowed to take "immediate action" to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into North Korea. "We will immediately implement measures to prevent similar cases from happening again," Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho said in a regular press briefing. The remarks came several hours later in response to a request earlier in the day by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The February 13, 2026
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  Teen skater comes from behind to win bronze in men's short-track speed skating SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics now halfway through in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, short-track speed skater Rim Jong-un won bronze in the men's 1,000 meters on Thursday. Lim, the only South Korean skater to reach the final, came from behind to finish third with a time of 1:24.61. With top contenders like Jens van't Wout of the Netherlands, Sun Long of China and William Dandjinou of Canada leading early, Lim slipped to last among the February 13, 2026
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  Korea's science ministry drops titles to loosen bureaucratic culture SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - What’s in a title? In South Korea, quite a lot — enough to make headlines. Last month, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) replaced nameplates for more than 900 employees, removing official titles and leaving only first names followed by the universal honorific suffix “-nim.” The change cost about 10 million won ($6,900). The move was ordered by Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, an AI engineer-turned policymaker who also serves as a de February 13, 2026