Sydney opens US$4 billion second airport with few flights

South China Morning Post - Oct 19, 2026

After more than half a century of political procrastination, environmental protests and funding shortfalls, Sydney finally has a second airport. But the new A$5.6 billion (US$4 billion) site’s commercial prospects are already in question. Western Sydney International, 50km (31 miles) inland from the city centre, will handle its first passenger flight on Sunday – a Jetstar service to the Gold Coast. But the facility has attracted only a handful of airlines and has half a dozen or fewer scheduled...

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Korea's medical AI advances, but clinical adoption remains slow

Oct 30, 2026

Korea's medical AI advances, but clinical adoption remains slow

While artificial intelligence (AI) holds great potential to transform health care, its clinical adoption in Korea remains slow due to inadequate reimbursement and limited access to medical data, experts said. The remarks came during a symposium hosted by Eulji University Medical Center to mark its 70th anniversary, under the theme "Future Healthcare with AI," in Seoul. AI has already been transforming Korea's health care system. It has significantly improved public access to medical information, while helping physicians at primary and secondary health care institutions stay up to date with the latest medical research and developments. Despite these advances, AI adoption in clinical settings remains slow. While AI-based medical devices have gained regulatory approval in Korea, few are covered by national health insurance. Based on Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data, 549 AI medical devices have received regulatory approval until the first half of this year, but only 49 are covered by national health insurance. "This is a global challenge. Regulatory approval does not necessarily mean a t

Seoul expects progress on OPCON transfer at early 2027 defense talks with US

Oct 30, 2026

Seoul expects progress on OPCON transfer at early 2027 defense talks with US

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday that Seoul expects to make progress on the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) at defense talks with Washington early next year. Speaking at a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Wi said the two countries plan to hold another defense ministers’ meeting in Washington in December, followed by the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in early 2027. “We expect to make substantive progress on the OPCON transfer,” Wi said. He said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the transfer during Wednesday’s meeting with Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul in Cebu, Philippines. A senior presidential official said Washington was not opposed to the transfer itself, although the allies still needed to meet the agreed conditions. Wi also said the allies completed an assessment for full operational capability (FOC) verification during this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, as part of the conditions-based transfer process. The SCM, traditionally held in the fall, had been expected to take place late

Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady

Oct 30, 2026

Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady

A Seoul district court on Friday acquitted a lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) of anti-graft charges over a luxury bag gifted to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court found Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon not guilty of violating the anti-graft law over the Roger Vivier clutch bag his wife gave to the then first lady, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, in March 2023. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had sought a one-year prison sentence for the lawmaker, accusing the couple of gifting the bag worth 2.67 million won ($2,000) in return for her support in his election as the PPP's leader earlier that month. The court, however, convicted the lawmaker's wife of the charges, sentencing her to a fine of 5 million won. Min's team had sought a six-month prison term for Kim's wife. The court rejected arguments by Kim's wife that the clutch bag was merely a customary gift, ruling that it constituted a violation of the anti-graft law given the former first lady's position. It also rejected the special counsel team's argument that the couple had conspired to

Lee confers certificates of appointment on presidential inspector, others

Oct 30, 2026

Lee confers certificates of appointment on presidential inspector, others

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday conferred certificates of appointment on the presidential special inspector and others. Lee presented the documents at a ceremony to 10 high-level officials and leaders of government bodies, including Choi Kil-su, who took office a week earlier as a special inspector tasked with inspecting irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential officials, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The recipients included Ha Jung-woo, a former presidential secretary to Lee for artificial intelligence (AI) policy, who was newly appointed vice chairman of the presidential committee on national AI strategy. Lee chairs the committee. Ha left his former post to run for a parliamentary seat in the June by-elections but failed to win the seat. During a subsequent meeting with the recipients, Lee told Choi that the inspector has a lot to do and stressed the importance of responding promptly at the initial stage of a problem and making preemptive efforts to prevent any problems, according to Kang.

More Korean workers rushing to paid AI classes

Oct 30, 2026

More Korean workers rushing to paid AI classes

Lim, 40, a marketer at a large corporation, recently spent her Saturday and Sunday attending a class on Claude Code taught by a well-known instructor in Seoul’s Seocho District. Claude Code is an artificial intelligence (AI) coding agent developed by U.S.-based Anthropic. She learned how to set up a Claude Code environment, connect it to email, calendars and collaboration and document management tools, and automate repetitive tasks. The class had around a dozen office workers, and the atmosphere was “reminiscent of a high school senior classroom,” Lim said. During the two-day course, which ran for nine hours each day, participants reportedly stayed in their seats even during breaks. Lim paid 1 million won ($700) for the class. Despite the hefty price tag, she said the money was well spent. As she watched her colleagues become more proficient at using AI, she felt a fear of missing out or that she was falling behind. Lim is now applying what she learned at work. She uses AI not only to research marketing cases, compare materials and draft reports, but also to retrieve records of pa

Fearing stalkers and violent exes, Korean women are hiring their own bodyguards

Oct 30, 2026

Fearing stalkers and violent exes, Korean women are hiring their own bodyguards

After a series of women in Korea were killed after experiencing stalking, assault and threats from former partners or husbands, some potential victims are turning to private bodyguards to protect themselves. They are paying substantial sums out of pocket amid concerns that public protection measures, including emergency smartwatches and restraining orders, may not be enough to keep an attacker away. The government also provides private security services to some crime victims, but funding has failed to keep pace with rapidly growing demand. A 29-year-old woman living in North Jeolla Province, identified only as A, hired a bodyguard for four days in mid-October because her former boyfriend, identified as B, was about to be released from prison. B had served six months in prison for fraud-related offenses, including taking out loans in A's name. Her fears soon became reality. On the second day of the security assignment, B showed up at A's apartment complex. The bodyguard stopped him, warned him not to return and sent him away. "When my ex-boyfriend showed up, I was so scared that I cried," A

Paradise backs campaign to combat youth gambling addiction

Oct 30, 2026

Paradise backs campaign to combat youth gambling addiction

As online gambling increasingly draws young people into its orbit, casino operator Paradise is putting its money behind a campaign urging teenagers to find a different kind of excitement — one built around their ambitions rather than bets. Paradise said Friday it had fully funded the production of a youth gambling prevention advertisement in partnership with the Korea Center on Gambling Problems, with the video set to debut on television and online platforms at the end of October. Titled “I play a different game,” the campaign carries a message encouraging teenagers to turn away from online gambling and pursue a wider world of opportunities, dreams and personal potential. The advertisement aims to communicate the risks of gambling in language and imagery tailored to younger audiences while raising public awareness of the issue. The initiative builds on a partnership established in September 2025, when Paradise and the Korea Center on Gambling Problems signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop gambling prevention content for teenagers and expand counseling services tai

Seoul converts underused section of subway station into sports lounge

Oct 30, 2026

Seoul converts underused section of subway station into sports lounge

Seoul has turned an underused underground subway concourse into a recreational hub where outdoor runners can change clothes and store gear before hitting nearby riverside trails, while park golf enthusiasts can play indoors regardless of the weather. The facility — the ninth in a municipal network curiously named "Fun Stations" — opened Friday on basement level 1 of Shinmokdong Station on Line 9, offering direct access to the adjacent Anyangcheon stream running paths. The facility, located near exits 1 and 2 on the station's basement level, features a 213-square-meter runner support area and a 228-square-meter indoor park golf center equipped with six screen-based hitting bays. The runner facilities include three changing rooms for men and women each, along with 14 lockers in each section, and are available free of charge. Lockers cost 3,000 won ($2.10) for four hours, while vending machines offer running essentials such as shower wipes and energy gels. The runner support area operates from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., covering subway service hours. The indoor park golf center operates from 8

Kookmin University researcher, student win Global Youth Award

Oct 30, 2026

Kookmin University researcher, student win Global Youth Award

A researcher and a student from Kookmin University have each received an award at the 2026 Sustainable Smart City Champions Session, the university said. The event was part of Smart Life Week 2026, co-hosted by the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Coex in southern Seoul from Oct. 6-8. Ra Min-su, a researcher at the university’s Global Development Cooperation Institute, and Ji Ye-jun, a senior at the Kookmin International Business School, won the 2026 WeGO Global Youth Award on Oct. 7. Ji is also a student supporter of the university’s HUSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) Global Symbiosis Project. WeGO is an international organization that promotes smart and sustainable urban development through cooperation among local governments, businesses and other relevant organizations around the world. Through its Sustainable Smart City Champions program, launched in 2022, the organization provides educational programs and international exchange opportunities in smart cities, digital governance and sustainable development to nurture the

Appellate sentencing in Yoon's high-stakes election law case to be broadcast live

Oct 30, 2026

Appellate sentencing in Yoon's high-stakes election law case to be broadcast live

Next week's sentencing hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over election law violation charges will be broadcast live, court officials said Friday, a high-stakes ruling that could force the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to return nearly $30 million in reimbursed election expenses. The Seoul High Court decided to allow broadcasters to air the sentencing scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Yoon was sentenced by a district court in July to a 18-month prison term, suspended for three years, for making false statements during the campaign ahead of the March 2022 presidential election that he ultimately won as the PPP's candidate. Yoon was charged with falsely claiming during a December 2021 press event that he had never introduced a lawyer to a former tax official, who is the older brother of former senior prosecutor Yoon Dae-jin, a close associate of Yoon from his time in the prosecution service. He also faces charges of lying in a January 2022 interview by claiming a party official had introduced him to shaman Jeon Seong-bae, while denying that he and his wife,

Sejong University professor to co-organize int'l workshop on AI chip technologies in Athens

Oct 30, 2026

Sejong University professor to co-organize int'l workshop on AI chip technologies in Athens

Park Gi-ho, a professor in the Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering at Sejong University, will co-organize the Eighth International Workshop on Domain Specific System Architecture in Athens, Greece, Sunday. The university said the workshop is part of the 59th IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Microarchitecture (MICRO 2026), which is scheduled to run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 in Athens. The workshop aims to share the latest research advances in artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and domain-specific system architecture and promote research collaboration among experts from academia and industry worldwide. Key topics will include systematic design methodologies for AI accelerators, programming environments for next-generation neural processing units and memory technologies for robotic foundation models. The workshop is co-organized by Park, professor Sim Jae-woong of Seoul National University and professor Kim Hye-soon of the Georgia Institute of Technology. The International Symposium on Microarchitecture is a conference with a 59-year history in computer systems and proce

Special counsel appeals Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds case

Oct 30, 2026

Special counsel appeals Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds case

A special counsel team said Friday it has appealed the acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a political funds case linked to the 2021 mayoral by-election. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said it filed the appeal with the Seoul High Court earlier in the day, a week after the appellate court overturned a lower court ruling to acquit the mayor of violating the Political Funds Act. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won ($24,700) for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. The lower court found him partially guilty of the charges and sentenced him to a 10 million-won fine, which, if finalized, would have stripped him of his mayoralty. But the appellate court reversed the conviction, ruling that the only direct evidence for the allegations was Myung's testimony, which it said could not be fully trusted. "Denying the credibility of Myung's testimony was unlawful, as it exceeded the bounds of the principle of free evaluation of evidence," t

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