Cempaka intensifies into typhoon outside PAR

Inquirer.net - Nov 8, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Cempaka intensified into a typhoon Sunday afternoon ahead of its expected entry into the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), according to the state weather bureau.  In the tropical cyclone formation outlook issued at 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that the tropical cyclone

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Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water

Nov 8, 2026

Up to 2,500 microplastic particles found in tea bags after 3 minutes in hot water

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Drinking a cup of hot tea may expose people to microplastics, particularly when tea bags are made from plastic materials. When exposed to hot water, these tea bags can release tiny plastic particles into the beverage. Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters. They can enter the human body through food and drinking water, and some studies have suggested potential links to inflammation and cellular damage. A recent study found that nylon tea bags released up to approximately 2,500 microplastic particles when steeped in hot water. Researchers at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University in Turkey placed nylon tea bags sold in the country into 150 milliliters of water heated to approximately 95 degrees Celsius and steeped them for three minutes. An analysis of the resulting water detected between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles. The researchers said that immersing tea bags in hot water could cause tiny plastic particles and chemical substances to leach into the water. The nylon tea bags used in the study were made from plastic fibe

Busan nears 4 mil. foreign visitor mark after beating 2025 total in 9 months

Nov 8, 2026

Busan nears 4 mil. foreign visitor mark after beating 2025 total in 9 months

Long viewed as a scenic coastal secondary stop for international travelers venturing outside Seoul, Korea’s second-largest city is rapidly transforming into a standalone global destination. Driven by expanded direct flights, cruise traffic, and a surge in international visitors, Busan welcomed 3.93 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2026, the Busan Metropolitan Government said Friday. The figure easily surpassed the southeastern port city's total visitor count of 3.64 million for all of 2025 and positions it to clear its annual target of 4 million visitors well ahead of schedule. The shift marks a crucial milestone in Korea’s broader efforts to disperse tourism beyond the capital. Nationwide, international arrivals rose 21.5 percent over the same period, but Busan saw a 47 percent surge — more than double the national growth rate. Unlike past years, when foreign tourists typically entered Korea through Incheon International Airport before taking high-speed trains south, travelers are increasingly bypassing Seoul altogether. Nearly 63 percent of foreign visitors to

CJ's Miky Lee honored as 'Godmother of K-culture' at Asian Hall of Fame

Nov 8, 2026

CJ's Miky Lee honored as 'Godmother of K-culture' at Asian Hall of Fame

CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee received the Centennial Medal of Lifetime Achievement at the 2026 Asian Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles, recognizing her leadership over three decades in building the foundation of K-culture and expanding its global reach. The special honor, presented Thursday (local time), recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to advancing cultural influence, industry excellence and cross-cultural collaboration across film, music and television. During her acceptance speech, Lee shared her lifelong belief in the power of culture and emphasized the importance of empowering the next generation of storytellers. "Culture is like oxygen. We may take it for granted, but we cannot live without it," Lee said. "Our greatest legacy is not simply what we have accomplished, but the opportunities we create for those who come after us. I hope the next generation will dream bigger than we ever dared, and challenge what we thought was possible." Lee also recalled CJ’s landmark initiatives in shaping the entertainment landscape, including launching Mnet, the

Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

Nov 8, 2026

Korea Drag Pageant to select Miss Femme Supreme 2026

Eight drag queens actively performing in Seoul are gearing up to compete for the inaugural title of Miss Femme Supreme 2026 at the first-ever Korea Drag Pageant. The event was created to celebrate artistic excellence in drag performance, connect Korean performers with the international drag community and contribute to the growth and visibility of drag culture in Korea. "At the heart of it, I want someone who has dreamed of becoming a pageant queen to have a real opportunity to pursue that dream here in Korea," said Leah Taylor, the founder of Korea Drag Pageant, an independent organization dedicated to developing professional drag pageantry in Korea through competitions, educational initiatives and international collaboration. "I want the contestants to feel that their work has been taken seriously and that they have a stage worthy of their preparation and ambition. For audiences, I hope the event offers a fuller understanding of the performance, fashion, craftsmanship and dedication involved in drag." Her ambitions with the pageant are also looking further into the future. "I also hope t

University of Seoul professor emeritus explores Korean architecture at Harvard symposium

Nov 8, 2026

University of Seoul professor emeritus explores Korean architecture at Harvard symposium

Kim Sung-hong, a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Seoul, delivered a keynote address at the 2026 Korea Architecture Symposium at Harvard University last month. The University of Seoul said KoreaGSD, a Korean student organization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, hosted the symposium under the theme “+82+82: From Independence to Acceleration” on Oct. 17. The event was organized to examine how Korean society has adopted, tested and transformed architectural and urban institutions and forms over the past eight decades, using speed as a framework for exploration. The symposium brought together theorists, architects and researchers working in Korea and abroad to reassess contemporary Korean architecture and explore its potential for transformation. In his address, titled “Contextualizing Korean Architecture,” Kim examined contemporary Korean architecture in its historical and social context, focusing on how rapid social change has shaped the country’s urban and architectural landscape. The lecture drew on his book, “Seoul Urban Architecture

New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

Nov 8, 2026

New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

The number of children entering elementary schools in Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday. The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,000, just three years after dropping below the 400,000 mark, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI). The decline comes as only 272,337 babies were born in 2020, down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. A total of 301,442 students enrolled as elementary school freshmen this year, barely surpassing the 300,000 mark and marking the lowest level since 1964, when the ministry began compiling related data. The figure is expected to fall further next year to roughly one-fourth of the 1.05 million recorded in 1968. The shrinking school-age population has raised concerns over school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap bet

Korea reviewing plan to expand label-free mandate to foreign-produced bottled water

Nov 8, 2026

Korea reviewing plan to expand label-free mandate to foreign-produced bottled water

The government is reportedly reviewing plans to expand the label-free mandate for domestically produced drinking water to include bottled water brands imported from overseas, officials said Sunday. The plan was discussed in a recent meeting with importers of foreign-produced bottled water, according to the officials from the environment ministry. The meeting was a routine consultation with industry officials, and the ministry is still undecided on whether to apply the mandate to offshore brands, they added. Korea has required all bottled water produced and sold domestically to be label-free starting early this year, replacing physical labels with QR codes on bottle caps and external packaging. The mandate is expected to reduce the country's annual plastic usage by 2,270 metric tons, according to the ministry of climate, energy and environment. Bottled water produced overseas, however, is excluded from the mandate and is sold with traditional labels. Domestic producers have raised equity concerns, arguing that competing products in the same market should be subject to the same standards. As

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Nov 8, 2026

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked No. 1 among regional flagship national universities in Korea in both the U.S. News and QS global university rankings released this year. The university said Friday that the rankings reflect the department's international research competitiveness. The department ranked 137th globally (tied) and fifth nationally in environmental engineering in the 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, climbing 29 places from the previous year. It also maintained its fifth-place national ranking and No. 1 position among regional flagship national universities for the third consecutive year. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for environmental sciences, the department placed in the 251-300 band globally and tied for eighth nationally, earning the highest ranking among Korea’s regional flagship national universities. U.S. News places emphasis on research indicators, including publication volume, citation impact, the proportion of highly cited papers and international research collaboration. QS, me

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

Nov 8, 2026

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

A Kookmin University research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts the properties of mixtures based on the proportions of their chemical components. The university said Thursday that the team was led by Joung Joon-young, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university’s Graduate School. The team included Kim Ji-hwan, a student in the university’s integrated master’s and doctoral program, and Kim Chan-joong, an undergraduate student. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal under the title “Encoding composition-dependent intermolecular interactions into learned molecular representations.” Most chemical products people encounter in everyday life are mixtures of multiple substances rather than single compounds. Common examples include industrial solvents, electrolytes in batteries, automotive fuels, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. The properties of a mixture depend not only on which substances it contains but also on the proportions in which they are combined. These changes, however, do not necessar

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Nov 8, 2026

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District. The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981. In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground. Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season. El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially dec

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

Nov 8, 2026

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines has cleared a key domestic hurdle, but securing reactor fuel from the United States remains unresolved, with legal requirements and closer congressional scrutiny threatening to complicate the project. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the basic acquisition strategy for the Jangbogo N program Friday, setting a 2027 start date targeting deployment of the first submarine in the late 2030s. The decision establishes how the project will proceed, not how Seoul will obtain the nuclear fuel it needs. A defense acquisition official said Seoul believes it can secure submarine fuel without needing to revise its existing nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. Instead, the government is pursuing a separate arrangement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which provides for military nuclear cooperation. The official cited the AUKUS partnership, under which the U.S. and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as a precedent for a separate agreement. But negotiations have ye

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

Nov 8, 2026

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

The government is considering expanding restrictions on minors’ social media use beyond age limits for account registration to include regulations on recommendation algorithms and platform features to curb excessive use. However, questions remain over how the proposed measures can effectively protect minors from excessive social media use while safeguarding their freedom of expression and access to information. According to the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), Sunday, it is considering amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act to prohibit children under 14 from creating social media accounts and require platform operators to verify users’ ages. The commission first proposed the measures during a presidential policy briefing in July. The proposed measures also include disabling personalized recommendation algorithms that analyze users’ interests and browsing histories, as well as features such as infinite scrolling that could encourage excessive use, by default for accounts belonging to users aged 14 to 19. It aims to finalize the measures by the

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