[Milano 2026] Short track’s Kim Gil-li takes bronze in women’s 1,000 meters, South Korea’s sixth medal
Kim Gil-li won bronze in the women’s 1,000-meter short track final at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, finishing in 1:28.614. She placed third behind Sandra Felzebur and Courtney Saro, delivering South Korea’s sixth medal of the Games.Kim advanced from the quarterfinals with steady racing. In the semifinals, she fell after contact with Hanne Desmott but moved on to the final on an advance following a penalty call. In the final, she started in last, passed Arianna Fontana and briefly moved into the lead, then held on for bronze after being overtaken late.
Choi Min-jeong, a leading member of the national team, finished fourth in her semifinal and did not reach the final. She placed third in the B final and ended the event in eighth overall.
Some congestion on Lunar New Year travel routes; Seoul-to-Busan 4 hours 40 minutes
Traffic slowed on parts of South Korea’s expressways on the afternoon of the 16th as travelers headed to and from hometowns a day before Lunar New Year. Travel times on major routes were longer than usual in some sections.The Korea Expressway Corp. said that as of 5 p.m., longer-than-normal travel times were expected in both directions between Seoul and major regional cities. Congestion was reported on parts of key arteries including the Gyeongbu, Yeongdong and Seohaean expressways.
The agency forecast that outbound congestion would ease gradually around 5-6 p.m., while return traffic would begin clearing around 10-11 p.m. Nationwide traffic volume was projected at about 5.05 million vehicles.
[Milano 2026] JTBC issues official apology for airing Japanese flag graphic
JTBC, which is exclusively broadcasting the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, issued an official apology after a Japanese flag graphic appeared during a South Korea-Japan women’s curling match.In a statement posted on its website on the 16th, JTBC said that at about 11:23 p.m. on the 15th, a Japanese national flag graphic was briefly shown on an advertising screen during the process of airing a mid-broadcast commercial break in the live curling telecast.
The network said it was sorry for the inconvenience caused by a production error and pledged stricter checks and management to prevent a repeat.
The incident occurred during live coverage of the women’s curling round-robin fifth match between South Korea and Japan at the Cortina curling stadium in Italy. After the fifth end ended, an unrelated Japanese flag graphic aired for about 10 seconds during the commercial break.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits air defense unit ahead of Lunar New Year
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited an air defense position of the 1st Air Defense Brigade on the 16th, a day before Lunar New Year, to encourage service members defending the capital’s airspace. He received a briefing on the unit and had lunch with troops.“With you here, Seoul residents can go about their daily lives with peace of mind,” Oh said. “Because Seoul has many key national infrastructure facilities, maintain a constant state of readiness and serve with pride in the mission of protecting the capital.”
Oh later boarded and inspected the surface-to-air guided weapon system known as the “Chunma,” then took commemorative photos with service members.
Kyiv mayor warns Ukraine’s survival as an independent state is not guaranteed
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned in an interview with the Financial Times that he cannot guarantee Ukraine will remain an independent state as Russia continues attacks on infrastructure. He said the capital is facing a near-collapse crisis and residents are under severe pressure to survive during a harsh winter.According to AFP, heating has been cut to about 1,600 buildings in the capital, and disruptions to electricity and heat are spreading amid cold below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Even when damaged energy facilities are repaired, additional airstrikes soon knock them out again, he said, adding that Europe’s support alone is not enough to respond.
Klitschko said he has had disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over crisis response, but stressed unity is needed against attacks aimed at fueling internal instability. Meanwhile, the U.S. administration led by Donald Trump is pressing for talks to end the war, including territorial compromise and early elections, as the conflict moves into a phase combining military operations and negotiations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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