Protests in Indonesia Demand Action to Stop Rainforest Fires

New York Times - Oct 23, 2026

Smoke from the blazes, blamed on destructive agricultural practices, has sickened hundreds of thousands and blanketed neighboring countries.

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Main opposition welcomes Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds trial

Oct 23, 2026

Main opposition welcomes Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds trial

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday welcomed an appeals court's decision to acquit Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a high-stakes political funds case linked to opinion polls ahead of the 2021 mayoral by-election. Oh, who had been fined 10 million won ($7,500) by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act and was at risk of losing his mayoral post, was acquitted on appeal. He is affiliated with the PPP. "It is a great relief and at the same time only the right thing that the city administration, entrusted to Mayor Oh Se-hoon by ten million residents of Seoul, can continue without disruption," PPP chief spokesperson Park Choong-kwon said in a commentary. "The ruling shows that the truth always prevails in the end, even if it takes time," he said. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. Under the Political Funds Act, elected officials are stripped of their seats if they receive

Seoul police step up crowd safety measures for Halloween

Oct 23, 2026

Seoul police step up crowd safety measures for Halloween

Police will step up crowd safety measures in major nightlife districts across Seoul for Halloween festivities next week, officials said Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Nov. 1. During this period, 4,594 police personnel — including 30 riot police units, 120 regional patrol teams, 120 special task force members, 99 detectives and 765 traffic police — will be deployed to Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu, Myeongdong and Ikseon-dong, where large crowds are expected to gather. The heightened safety measures come as Seoul prepares for its fourth Halloween since the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, a tragic incident that claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in the popular nightlife neighborhood. From Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, police will closely manage traffic control in collaboration with local district governments, restricting vehicle access in phases based on crowd density. In major crowd gathering areas like Itaewon and Hongdae, police will also carry out preventive patrols to ease public anxiety caused by a recent s

Culture ministry to audit ex-museum chief over misattributed calligraphy

Oct 23, 2026

Culture ministry to audit ex-museum chief over misattributed calligraphy

The culture minister said Friday his ministry will conduct a thorough audit of the former National Museum of Korea chief who resigned over the museum's controversial display of a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection. You Hong-june stepped down earlier this week after the museum wrongly displayed the calligraphy in an exhibition as the work of a Korean independence activist. The piece was later identified as the work of a prominent pro-Japanese collaborator during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea and turned out to be from You's own private collection. "I think the incident has damaged the reputation and public trust the museum has built over the years," Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young told a lawmaker during a parliamentary audit of the ministry. "The ministry will seek to restore public confidence through a rigorous investigation." The audit will not be limited to the alleged abuse of authority by the former director but will also look into "every procedure involved in the management and authentication of the exhibit at issue," Chae added.

Suspected N. Korean IT worker found at S. Korean firm under false identity for 1st time

Oct 23, 2026

Suspected N. Korean IT worker found at S. Korean firm under false identity for 1st time

Police are investigating North Korean information technology (IT) workers suspected of taking jobs at a South Korean company under false identities, the first time authorities have disclosed such a case. The case raises concern that wages earned through such employment are funding Pyongyang’s weapons development, amid a recent large-scale U.S. crackdown on similar remote employment fraud. Police said Thursday that they independently detected one suspected case last year in which a North Korean IT worker fraudulently took a job. The worker was reportedly hired by a private South Korean company and carried out development work. Police are tracing the amount and method of payments while also probing possible organized links. North Korean IT workers are increasingly landing remote jobs at global companies under forged identities and with fast-evolving artificial intelligence (AI) tools, funneling their earnings to Pyongyang. In July, 11 countries, including South Korea, the United States and Japan, issued an alert warning that North Korea relies on a network of skilled IT workers to fund i

Lee appoints special inspector to probe corruption involving first family, aides

Oct 23, 2026

Lee appoints special inspector to probe corruption involving first family, aides

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed a former senior prosecutor as special inspector tasked with investigating irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential officials. Lee approved the appointment of Choi Kil-su, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, a day after the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee adopted a confirmation hearing report on him with bipartisan support. The appointment made Choi, a former senior prosecutor, the first presidential watchdog appointed since 2016. Lee earlier nominated him for the post from among three candidates recommended by the ruling and opposition parties, and the bar association. The special inspector is tasked with investigating corruption allegations involving the president's family and relatives, as well as senior presidential aides. The special inspector post was established in 2014 but had remained vacant since its first inspector stepped down in September 2016.

S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea over border conflict issue

Oct 23, 2026

S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea over border conflict issue

South Korea on Friday proposed to hold military talks with North Korea to prevent accidental clashes stemming from unclear border lines in the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). The proposal comes as tensions along the border continue to escalate after three South Korean soldiers clearing a patrol route were injured in a North Korean mine explosion south of the MDL within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) amid Pyongyang's so-called border fortifications. “South Korea's defense ministry is formally proposing official military talks with North Korea. Seoul aims to verify the precise location of the land border, restore military hotlines and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes in border areas,” Kim Hong-chul, director general for defense policy at the Ministry of National Defense, said in a statement. “The United Nations Command (UNC) can also join the discussion if necessary, with specific dates and venues to be arranged through Panmunjeom." The ministry said it has closely watched North Korean troops construct roads and fences and plant mines and cross the MDL over the course of

Jeonbuk National University, KAIST researchers develop soft robot

Oct 23, 2026

Jeonbuk National University, KAIST researchers develop soft robot

A joint research team from Jeonbuk National University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed an ionic soft robot called the Ionograsper that can detect nearby objects and grasp them in response to light. The findings were published in the international journal Advanced Materials, and the paper was selected as a cover article. The study is titled “A Multifunctional Ionograsper Enabling Ion-Redistribution Proximity Sensing and Structural-Reconfiguration-Driven Bidirectional Actuation.” Jeonbuk National University said Thursday that the research was led by Kim Yong-min, a professor at its School of Chemical Engineering, and Moon Hong-chul, a professor in KAIST’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The university noted that the key innovation lies in a single soft material that serves as both a sensor and an artificial muscle. The robot can be activated by brief exposure to low-intensity ultraviolet light and retains its deformed shape for more than 10 minutes after the light is switched off, without requiring further energy i

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon acquitted in political funds case

Oct 23, 2026

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon acquitted in political funds case

An appeals court on Friday acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of political funding charges linked to opinion polls conducted ahead of his 2021 election, overturning a local court conviction that threatened his tenure and political future. The Seoul High Court panel, led by Judge Ku Hoi-geun, reversed a July ruling that fined Oh 10 million won ($7,500) and ordered him to forfeit 21 million won — a sentence that would have cost him his mayoral post had it become final. The case centered on allegations that Oh commissioned opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and had his supporter, a businessman named Kim Han-jung, pay for them. The charges involved 10 polls and payments totaling 33 million won. The central dispute was whether Oh had requested the polls and knew that Kim was paying for them. “Myung’s testimony is the only direct evidence on the central issue in this case, but it is inconsistent overall and conflicts with objective circumstances on numerous points, making it difficult to believe,” the judge said. “It is diffic

Arrest warrant sought for woman accused of killing own mother

Oct 23, 2026

Arrest warrant sought for woman accused of killing own mother

Police said Friday they have sought an arrest warrant for a woman on suspicion of killing her mother at their home in western Seoul the previous day. The suspect in her 40s allegedly killed her mother in her 60s at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at their home in Seoul's Gangseo Ward and voluntarily called the police. Police arrived at the scene and put her under emergency arrest at around 8:40 a.m., according to the Gangseo Police Station. Police filed for a warrant to formally arrest her Thursday night, officials said. Reasons for the suspect's alleged killing of her own mother were not immediately available. When calling the police, the suspect described the victim as her "stepmother" but the victim was confirmed to be her biological mother. The suspect's daughter told police that she heard the suspect saying the victim had attempted to feed her poisoned food, although police have found no relevant evidence. Investigators have also obtained statements that the suspect had previously expressed negative feelings toward her mother, including using abusive language against her. The suspect is denying the

Korean pop artist Rydia trades verses with Dutch rapper on bilingual single 'Saranghaeyo'

Oct 23, 2026

Korean pop artist Rydia trades verses with Dutch rapper on bilingual single 'Saranghaeyo'

In Korea, a pop career is supposed to start in a trainee dormitory when one is a teenager. Rydia’s started in Rotterdam at 39. The Seoul-born singer-songwriter, now 41 and six years into life in the Netherlands, put a music career off for most of her adult life before deciding it was never too late to reinvent herself. She officially launched as an independent artist on June 19. Four months and seven releases later, and she’s about to drop her most openly cross-cultural track yet. “Saranghaeyo” (I Love You), out Oct. 23, pairs her with Dutch rapper Jermaine Kool in a back-and-forth where nobody meets anyone halfway on language. He raps in Dutch. She raps in Korean. The two converge on the chorus, an English-Korean hook that professes love for all the pretty girls, and then, to be fair, all the pretty boys. The collaboration came together almost by accident. Rydia signed up for a K-pop and European crossover songwriting camp run by a Dutch studio, where the producer on her team learned she was Korean and mentioned a friend who loved Korea. “It’s actually funny. I only met him

Military academy merger plan delayed amid ongoing deliberations: official

Oct 23, 2026

Military academy merger plan delayed amid ongoing deliberations: official

A detailed road map for the planned integration of military academies will likely be announced later than originally planned to ensure the ongoing deliberations reflect the positions of all stakeholders, a Seoul official said Friday. The Lee Jae Myung administration is pushing to establish a single military academy by merging those of the Army, Air Force and Navy to enhance joint capabilities amid a declining birth rate and changing warfare environment driven by drones and artificial intelligence technologies. However, the plan has faced strong pushback from active-duty service members and alumni groups, who regard the move as a politically motivated effort to weaken the Army and argue it will erode the capabilities of the individual service branches. "We think that it will be physically difficult to announce (the detailed plans) before the end of this month," a defense ministry official told reporters on background. "We are still in the process of gathering opinions." The delay appears to reflect Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's earlier indication the ministry may rethink the plan cons

USFK has no access policy change yet amid reported BYD car ban at US base in Japan

Oct 23, 2026

USFK has no access policy change yet amid reported BYD car ban at US base in Japan

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said on Friday there are no changes to policies regarding entry restrictions on Chinese vehicles, following U.S. Forces Japan’s (USFJ) reported decision to ban vehicles made by Chinese electric car giant BYD from entering one of its bases amid security concerns. According to Yonhap News Agency, Friday, USFJ decided to ban electric vehicles made by BYD from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa starting Oct. 26. The air base is the U.S.' largest overseas installation and serves as a key strategic hub for regional defense against security threats from China, Russia and North Korea. The ban is widely seen as an effort to prevent intelligence leaks of sensitive military operations, according to the report. The Japanese air base is home to the 18th Wing of the U.S. Fifth Air Force, hosting tactical fighter aircrafts, radar systems and ammunition stockpiles. Speculations were mounting that the BYD ban may expand to other major bases in the country and potentially extend to USFK, the report added. However, there is no sign so far that the USFK has adopted such measures. “U.

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