1. Top honors go to Stray Kids, G-Dragon, and Jennie at the 40th Golden Disc Awards

2. Why big-money legal defenses can backfire for Korean celebrities

1. The man who gave Korea sweet-and-spicy fried chicken and pickled radish leaves a lasting legacy
2. When a missed deadline turns an entire class into F students

1. Why Gwangju’s Uchi(우치) Zoo is suddenly in the spotlight

2. From ramyeon to sunbae: Korean culture enters the Oxford Dictionary

3. A bundled chocolate order that arrived in 15 separate boxes

1. Arctic cold wave paralyzes travel across Europe

2. YouTuber who exposed seafood scams says he faced threats from vendors

3. Pizza outlets witness unusual late-night spike in orders near Pentagon again

1. South Korea mourns Ahn Sung-ki, a beloved Icon of Korean film

2. A music legend mourns a lifelong friend

3. Lee takes Xiaomi phone selfies with Xi, gifts painting of mythical beast at Korea-China state banquet

1. Should Korea bring back older men as guard forces? A controversial idea gains quiet support

2. BTS builds momentum ahead of March comeback as fans push “Run BTS” back to No. 1

3. Kenya mourns Craig, one of Africa’s last “super tusker” elephants

1. Deadly New Year’s fire rips through Swiss ski resort bar, killing dozens

2. Warren Buffett steps aside after six decades at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway

3. Pope Leo the 14th sends a blessing to a beloved Korean bakery

1. Korea’s next social shift moves from recovery to adaptation, with people at the center

2. South Korea moves to designate the original handwritten manuscript of Yeolha Ilgi as a national treasure

3. OpenAI sets new record for highest employee pay in tech startup history

1. East coast of Gangwon-do braces for New Year rush as sunrise crowds and traffic surge

2. New AI platform aims to support emergency care from ambulance to ER

1. Seoul’s Jongno-gu district plans New Year countdown at Gwanghwamun Square and sunrise festival on Inwangsan Mountain

2. Scientists are arguing over whether Van Gogh’s Starry Night Shows real turbulence

3. ADOR escalates legal battle with NewJeans’ Danielle as group moves forward without her