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  Injury-stricken Hwang Hee-chan adds to South Korea's woes ahead of World Cup SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Striker Hwang Hee-chan has been sidelined for several weeks due to a calf injury, according to his club Wolverhampton Wanderers. "Channy is out and it'll be a few weeks. It's his calf. We'll rescan again a couple of weeks and see where he's at," manager Rob Edwards told reporters on Tuesday, days ahead of their away match against Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League. Hwang started the club's home match ag February 11, 2026
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  Impeached president to face verdict in main martial law case next week SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's verdict on charges related to his botched martial law debacle will be delivered next week during a nationally televised trial. The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday allowed live media coverage of Yoon's trial, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 19. Yoon, who was already sentenced to five years in prison last month on one of several charges related to the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024, will have an February 11, 2026
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  Lunar New Year exodus expected to peak next Tuesday SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Holiday traffic is expected to peak on Lunar New Year's Day, which falls next Tuesday, according to SK Telecom's navigation app TMAP. With the country's biggest holiday of the year coming in the latter part of the weeklong break, the annual mass exodus of people heading to their ancestral hometowns is expected to spread out, while their return trips will be concentrated early next week, making Feb. 17 the most likely day for heavy congestion. February 11, 2026
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  Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan finishes 6th in short program, eyes Olympic medal SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan finished sixth after a flawless performance in the men's short program on Tuesday at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Cha scored 92.72 points with 50.08 technical elements and 42.64 in program components, below his personal best of 101.33 but above his previous season best of 91.60 set at last November's NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan. With his sixth-place finish among 29 skaters, he advanced to the February 11, 2026
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  South Korea's WBC hopes fade as injuries sideline more key players SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - Hanwha Eagles' catcher Choi Jae-hoon has been dropped from South Korea's roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said on Tuesday. The KBO said Choi will be unable to participate in the international tournament, which opens next month, after injuring his finger during the Eagles' winter training. Choi will be replaced by NC Dinos' Kim Hyung-jun. Kim was initially excluded from the roster February 10, 2026
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  Trade chiefs from South Korea, US to meet in Seoul amid Trump's renewed tariff pressure SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - With the U.S. renewing tariff pressure, attention is turning to an upcoming working-level meeting between trade officials in Seoul this week. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced Tuesday that its minister Yeo Han-koo is set to hold talks with visiting deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rick Switzer on Wednesday. The meeting was initially intended to address non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which are measures other than tariffs that re February 10, 2026
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  Trump responds to letter urging protection for North Korean POWs in Ukraine SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has responded to a letter calling for protection of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine, a civic group that assists North Korean defectors said on Tuesday. According to the Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers, led by defector-turned-lawmaker Thae Yong-ho, its U.S.-based affiliated group, Free Joseon, sent a letter to Trump last month urging that the POWs' free will be respected February 10, 2026
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  Japanese PM says she hopes to visit South Korea again in reply to Lee SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi thanked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for his congratulatory message following her party's landslide victory in a snap election over the weekend. In a reply to Lee's message on X, formerly Twitter, late Monday night, Takaichi wrote, "I sincerely thank for his warm congratulations." She said Japan and South Korea as neighboring countries must cooperate as partners on various challenges February 10, 2026
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  Black Eagles paint Riyadh sky with dazzling aerobatics in debut performance SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - South Korea's aerobatics team wowed spectators with impressive maneuvers at an air show in Saudi Arabia on Monday. It was the Black Eagles' first appearance at the show, which was part of the International Defense Industry Exhibition in the Middle Eastern country. After the Saudi Falcons’ performance, the Black Eagles took off with eight aircraft, forming star- and diamond-shaped patterns before moving into their other signature maneuvers, February 10, 2026
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  Explosion ignites fire at oil storage facility in Gyeongsan SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - An explosion at an oil storage facility in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, sparked a fire in the southeastern city on Tuesday. According to police authorities, the fire started around 8 a.m. when an explosion occurred at the outdoor facility of Daehan Oil Pipeline Corp. With only smoke currently visible, the flames have subsided. No casualties were immediately reported. February 10, 2026