One Year On, China’s K Visa Remains an Opaque Promise

The Diplomat - Oct 8, 2026

China’s flagship talent visa can be found in the official application system, but most of the specifics on who can apply, and how to do so, are still missing.

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BOK chief to attend G20, IMF-WBG meetings in Bangkok

Oct 12, 2026

BOK chief to attend G20, IMF-WBG meetings in Bangkok

Korea's top central banker will attend a meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers and central bank chiefs to be held in Thailand this week, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday. BOK Gov. Shin Hyun-song will join the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, set to take place in Bangkok, where participants will discuss global economic conditions, growth and global imbalances, according to the central bank. He will also attend the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group (IMF-WBG) meetings, where discussions will focus on the global economic outlook and financial stability. While in Bangkok, the BOK governor is scheduled to hold separate talks with high-ranking officials from the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and other major central banks to exchange views on recent international developments. He will also participate in CNN's Global Perspectives, a live event series convening leaders, CEOs and innovators for conversations on issues covering culture, technology and business, along with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, director-general of the World T

Foreign suspects in violent crimes up 12% in 5 years

Oct 12, 2026

Foreign suspects in violent crimes up 12% in 5 years

The number of foreign nationals suspected of committing violent crimes in Korea has risen by nearly 12 percent over the past five years, increasing from 689 in 2021 to 771 last year. A total of 645 foreign suspects had been apprehended for violent crimes between January and September this year, according to the Korean National Police Agency. By nationality, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest number of violent crime suspects last year, at 250, followed by Uzbekistan nationals at 62, U.S. nationals at 60 and Vietnamese at 53. The number of foreign nationals suspected of crimes overall increased as well. The figure rose more than 7 percent, from 32,470 in 2021 to 34,760 last year. By nationality, Mongolian suspects recorded the largest increase, rising around 38 percent from 1,007 to 1,397. Meanwhile, the number of Thai suspects fell over 20 percent, from 2,482 to 1,979. Police mainly attribute the rise to the growing number of foreign nationals living in Korea, not necessarily to a higher rate of offending. The number of foreign nationals residing in Korea increased 42.2 percent,

From sharks to otters: How Busan's Gen Z is turning urban wildlife into viral sensations

Oct 12, 2026

From sharks to otters: How Busan's Gen Z is turning urban wildlife into viral sensations

BUSAN — A woman in her 20s sits quietly with her dog along the safety fences of North Port Waterfront Park in Busan, patiently scanning the artificial waterway for any sign of "Bukangi." Kim Yeon-ji, a local middle school student who also visited the site the day before, chatted animatedly with a friend while waiting nearby. "Sometimes you only have to wait 20 to 30 minutes, or at most an hour, before Bukangi appears," Kim said. "This isn't a shark trapped in an artificial facility like an aquarium. When else would we get the chance to see a wild shark up close like this? I come here with my friend almost every day after school just to see Bukangi." When a distinct dorsal fin finally broke the surface, several onlookers gasped in excitement, shouting, "It's here!" Some began running along the perimeter of the channel, keeping pace with the shark's movements. The long queues of spectators waiting for a glimpse of the creature evoked the dedicated fans waiting outside a K-pop idol concert. "I had no idea there would be this many people," said Choi Ho-yoon, an office worker visiting from

Overseas piracy of K-content nears 500 mil. cases in 2025: lawmaker

Oct 12, 2026

Overseas piracy of K-content nears 500 mil. cases in 2025: lawmaker

The number of Korean content that was illegally distributed overseas reached nearly 500 million cases last year, the highest number since 2022, a lawmaker said Monday. The number of reported cases hit 493.6 million in 2025, up 19.2 percent from the previous year, according to the data submitted to Rep. Jeong Jun-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea by the Korea Copyright Protection Agency. The figure is the highest since 477.1 million in 2022, when the agency began compiling relevant data. Of the total, piracy cases involving webtoons accounted for the majority at 66.5 percent, followed by films and broadcasts at 33.5 percent. By language, 46.6 percent of the reported cases involved content distributed in English, followed by Chinese at 20.4 percent and languages of Southeast Asian nations at 15.7 percent. While the number of content illegally distributed in English fell 17 percentage points on-year, the portion of those distributed in languages of Southeast Asian and European nations, such as Vietnamese, Thai, Spanish and French, rose. Despite a surge in digital piracy cases, the nu

Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report

Oct 12, 2026

Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report

New forms of school violence, including one that forces those bullied into physical fights, are on the rise but many of those responsible for such violence go nearly unpunished, a lawmaker said Monday, citing relevant data from the education ministry. According to the data submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the ruling Democratic Party, 490 cases of such violence have been subject to a review by school disciplinary committees between 2024 and August this year. A total of 1,961 disciplinary measures were taken against 1,232 students involved, but 77.7 percent, or 1,523, of those measures taken are those considered "light" as they leave no official records of the incidents or their punishment, according to the lawmaker. Such measures include requiring a written apology and orders to keep a distance from victims. Less than 10 percent, or 193, of the measures involved a suspension or school transfers. The report comes amid an apparent spread of the so-called yacha rule, where victims are pushed into unwanted physical fights under the guise of mutual agreement. "There needs to a detailed guideli

Military manpower agency chief voices regret over Asian Games footballers' gloating about military exemption

Oct 12, 2026

Military manpower agency chief voices regret over Asian Games footballers' gloating about military exemption

The head of South Korea's military manpower agency voiced regret Monday over South Korean footballers glorying in their exemption from mandatory military service following their win at the recent Asian Games. Military Manpower Administration (MMA) Commissioner Hong So-young made the remarks during a parliamentary audit, after some of the gold medalists gloated about their exemptions in media interviews and on social media, sparking strong public backlash and reigniting calls for policy overhaul. "I deeply regret this unfortunate situation," Hong said. "I take heavily to heart the sense of loss felt by young men serving their military duties, as well as the public's calls for reform." After clinching the gold medal in men's football at the Asian Games on Oct. 3, Yang Min-hyeok, one of the players on the national team, told media he played the match to earn the exemption rather than winning a medal or trophy. Park Seung-soo, another member on the team, uploaded a photo of himself wearing a cap typically worn by men who have completed their military service. Their actions have sparked widesp

Nature-inspired 'vine robot' reaches where firefighters cannot after battery facility blaze

Oct 12, 2026

Nature-inspired 'vine robot' reaches where firefighters cannot after battery facility blaze

When a fire broke out at a military battery storage facility in South Chungcheon Province in August, the building’s advanced fireproofing worked as designed. The reinforced concrete walls and automated sprinklers contained the blaze before the structure was lost. Yet that success created a perilous new crisis. Inside the facility sat roughly 210,000 unexploded lithium batteries. Scorched and baked by extreme heat, the remaining stockpiles lingered on the brink of secondary thermal runaway — a violent chain reaction capable of triggering massive explosions. Heavy treads or four-legged rescue robots, standard tools in modern disaster response, were far too heavy. A single misstep pressing against a delicate cell could detonate the entire room. For nearly two weeks, firefighters could only watch from the exterior perimeter. They were completely barred from entering the hazard zone. Battery safety has become an urgent national focus in Korea following a series of severe industrial fires. The risk was starkly highlighted in June 2024, when a thermal runaway explosion at a lithium battery

LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

Oct 12, 2026

LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

Bookmark this page for Rappler's comprehensive coverage of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial at the Senate

Panelo: ‘Dark horse’ could replace Sara Duterte in 2028

Oct 12, 2026

Panelo: ‘Dark horse’ could replace Sara Duterte in 2028

PAGADIAN CITY — Former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said there would be no shortage of potential candidates to carry Vice President Sara Duterte’s banner in the 2028 presidential race should she be convicted by the impeachment court and barred from holding public office. Panelo told reporters here on Saturday night that one viable substitute for

Lawmaker flags P180-B pork in 2027 budget

Oct 12, 2026

Lawmaker flags P180-B pork in 2027 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives inserted 6,212 new infrastructure projects worth about P180 billion into its version of the proposed 2027 national budget, raising fresh concerns that public works funds are being used to reward political allies and punish districts outside the leadership’s circle. ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said on Sunday that

FACT CHECK: No special barangay, SK elections on November 28, 2026

Oct 12, 2026

FACT CHECK: No special barangay, SK elections on November 28, 2026

Comelec debunked the circulating graphic as false and a manipulated version of the Batanes Lone Legislative District Special Election calendar of activities

US can choose to deport Hongkongers under Deferred Enforced Departure scheme

Oct 12, 2026

US can choose to deport Hongkongers under Deferred Enforced Departure scheme

United States authorities could deport Hong Kong residents granted extended stay under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programme and have not ruled out the option of doing so after a dozen were reportedly detained at local airports. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not precluded from placing aliens with such temporary administrative designation into removal proceedings, nor is it currently removing them,” a department spokesman said in a reply to the South China Morning Post...

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