Seollal hangover lingers as business returns to normal SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -Business resumed across the country following the long-weekend Lunar New Year holiday, as scenes from a traditional festival in central Seoul offered a final glimpse of the season’s festive mood. The 2026 Namsangol Seollal Festival, themed “Welcoming the Year with Blessings of the Horse,” was held from Feb. 16 to 18 at Namsangol Hanok Village in Jung District, Seoul. On Feb. 17, the day of the Lunar New Year, organizers hosted a rice cak February 19, 2026

Semiconductor-themed expo underway in southern Seoul with nearly 2,500 booths SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Nearly 2,500 booths are displaying various semiconductor materials and related equipment at an expo which kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul earlier this week. Organized by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), the three-day expo, dubbed SEMICON Korea runs until Friday, providing an opportunity to share the latest technologies and market trends. This year's expo is the largest ever, bringing about 550 domestic and globa February 12, 2026

My Friend Seoul gallery opens at City Hall SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Seoul's City Hall underground space, which underwent renovation last year, has completed its full transformation and reopened as a space showcasing Seoul's charm and identity to the world. Seoul city opened the Seoul Gallery, a complex cultural space where visitors can explore the city's competitiveness, future vision, and major policies, on Feb. 5.The Seoul Gallery features a city promotion exhibition hall utilizing cutting-edge media techno February 12, 2026

Practice makes perfect ahead of Seollal SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Bowing to elders and tossing wooden sticks across a board game mat, children are rehearsing the rituals of Seollal before the holiday even begins. Across South Korea, traditional Lunar New Year experience programs are underway ahead of Seollal, offering young participants the chance to prelearn customs that once passed naturally from one generation to the next. With the nation’s biggest holiday set for next week, cultural centers and heritage ve February 12, 2026

Southern Seoul bathed under Lotte Luminarie SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The “2026 Lotte Luminarie: Wish Shines On” festival is underway at World Park Plaza of Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, bathing the surrounding area in the glow of approximately 270,000 lights. Held under the theme “Wish Shines On,” this year’s event centers on a 17-meter-high illuminated dome, accompanied by a newly installed cross-shaped tunnel measuring 63 meters wide and 25 meters long. The design expa February 12, 2026

Busy hands racing the holiday clock SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) -Busy hands race against time as South Korea’s delivery network shifts into peak mode ahead of the Lunar New Year. As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches (Feb. 14–18, including the weekend), sorting centers across the country grow increasingly crowded. The season is one of the busiest of the year, as Koreans exchange gifts and packages as tokens of good wishes. The Korea Postal Service has entered an emergency response system for the holid February 11, 2026

Cheering event for South Korean athletes at Winter Olympics in Italy Gyeonggi, February 10 (AJP) - With this year's Winter Olympics underway in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan, an event cheering on South Korean athletes competing at the quadrennial sporting event was held at a ski resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. Participants dressed in various winter sports uniforms waved the national flag and cheered for the South Korean national team, creating an energetic atmosphere on the slopes. The event, hosted by Konjiam Resort to en February 10, 2026

Sika deer at play in the snowy Mt. Halla JEJU, February 09 (AJP) -A herd of sika deer bounds across a snow-covered horse grazing field on Mount Hallasan in Jeju on Monday, after heavy overnight snowfall blanketed the region in white. As the snow eased earlier in the day, the deer emerged to roam freely across the quiet landscape, their gentle movement bringing life to the stillness of winter. February 9, 2026

2026 F/W Seoul Fashion Week underway at DDP SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - The 2026 F/W Seoul Fashion Week opened at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 3. Running through Feb. 8, the fashion week features fashion shows by 15 brands, a trade show with 92 brands, the Seoul Fashion Forum, and citizen participation programs centered at DDP. Models and the general public freely showcase their fashion around DDP during the fashion week period. Many photographers from across the country also visit DDP to captu February 6, 2026

At lowest place, Archdiocese of Seoul diaconate ordination SEOUL, February 06 (AJP) - Eleven newly ordained deacons lie prostrate during the 2026 Archdiocese of Seoul Deacon Ordination Ceremony at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Feb. 5. Deacons serve as ordained ministers assisting priests, proclaiming the Gospel and delivering homilies during Mass, administering the sacrament of baptism and presiding over marriage rites. The priestly ordination ceremony is scheduled to be held on Feb. 6. February 6, 2026