Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Friday that U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had dismissed recent speculation about strains in the Korea-U.S. alliance as “fake news” during their meeting earlier this week. Kang made the remarks to reporters as he arrived at the defense ministry in Seoul after attending the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines. Asked whether the two sides had any disagreements, Kang said there were none. “Secretary Hegseth dismissed all the talk going around as ‘fake news,’” Kang said. “And I agree with him.” “I don’t believe such talk can shake the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance, nor should it,” he added. Kang and Hegseth held their first face-to-face meeting Wednesday in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes, longer than the 15 minutes initially scheduled. Their talks came amid concerns about the state of the alliance, including the postponement of the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), differences over the timeline for transferring wartime operatio

Korea offers a special route to citizenship for foreigners with exceptional achievements in fields ranging from science and technology to business, arts and sports. Since the system was introduced in 2011, a total of 458 people have acquired Korean citizenship through special naturalization or nationality restoration for outstanding talent, according to Ministry of Justice data obtained by The Korea Times. The figure includes 203 foreigners granted special naturalization and 255 former Korean nationals whose citizenship was restored as of October this year. The number of recipients reached 62 in 2023, 54 in 2024 and 51 last year. Another 30 acquired citizenship in the first 10 months of 2026. 2 pathways Special naturalization is available to foreigners whose abilities and achievements are considered likely to benefit Korea. Nationality restoration, meanwhile, allows former Korean citizens who acquired foreign nationality to regain Korean citizenship if they meet the same outstanding-talent criteria. Unlike naturalization applicants, recipients under the outstanding-talent system can retai

Recent U.S. visa problems involving two lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have drawn criticism over how Washington treats representatives of a key ally. The issue comes as relations between Seoul and Washington hit "turbulence," as described by U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel, following a series of differing opinions over matters including the timeline of wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer, joint military exercises, the projects making up Korea's $350 billion investment commitment, intelligence sharing and Korea's regulations on American firms such as Coupang. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the DPK, chair of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, said he received a visa refusal notice ahead of a planned visit to the country from Sunday to Thursday. The delegation, Jin and lawmakers from other parties, was due to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and meet its commander, Adm. Samuel Paparo. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Jin called the decision an affront to the Assembly. “It disregards the standing of Korea’s National Assembly

HONG KONG — Students were busy working on their projects when The Korea Times visited the Innovation Wing under the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in early September. The space was filled with 3D printers, equipment and displays of projects developed by students. “This place is for experiential learning activities,” said Kevin Tien-Hsuan Wu, a lecturer at HKU’s Innovation Academy, who guided reporters around the facility on Sept. 2. “Students come here not just to do their homework, but to turn their ideas into prototypes.” The Innovation Wing gives students a place to put what they learn in class into practice. They can develop their own ideas or form groups with others who share their interests, with the university providing equipment, workspace and academic advice. “We encourage students to do hands-on work here,” Wu said. “They learn the knowledge in the classroom, and they actually build things here.” Students can use 3D printers to produce parts and prototypes and small jobs are supported as part of the service. Staff are on hand to h

HONG KONG — When asked how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing higher education, Jay S. Siegel, vice president of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), began by challenging the premise of the question. “I don’t think that higher education is moving beyond content delivery and into critical thinking,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times on the university’s campus. Siegel, who also serves as pro-vice-chancellor for teaching and learning, argued that leading universities have always sought to develop independent thinkers. What concerns him more is whether universities place too much emphasis on grades and examinations rather than encouraging students to develop a lasting desire to learn. “Motivation is more important than assessment,” he said. Siegel believes examinations are valuable primarily because they encourage students to study, rather than because of the grades they produce. Preparing for a test requires students to read, think and engage with material, and that effort may matter more than the eventual score. A student who studies diligently but receives

Korea and the United States have agreed to hold their annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in early 2027, pushing back the flagship alliance gathering that had been expected in October before slipping to November and then December, a delay that is likely to set back Seoul’s push to advance the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the postponement during their first face-to-face meeting Wednesday on the sidelines of a regional defense gathering in Cebu, Philippines. The two also agreed to hold a bilateral defense meeting in Washington in December, ahead of the rescheduled SCM, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening defense cooperation and maintaining a strong combined defense posture. The meeting, initially scheduled to take 15 minutes, lasted about 40 minutes. Conducted with simultaneous interpretation, the extended talks allowed for in-depth discussion of alliance issues. Before departing for the Philippines, Kang said the SCM schedule might need to be discussed with Washington,

The annual defense chiefs’ meeting between Korea and the United States appears increasingly unlikely to take place this year, as Washington expects it to be pushed back to early 2027 while Seoul maintains that no final decision has been made. The uncertainty over the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) comes as Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul met his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth for the first time Wednesday on the sidelines of a regional defense meeting in the Philippine province of Cebu. Before departing for the Philippines, Kang said the SCM schedule might need to be discussed with Washington, noting that the U.S. side had its own circumstances to consider. “There are circumstances on their side, so I think we need to hear what they have to say,” Kang told reporters when asked whether the meeting could be pushed beyond December. Asked whether he would personally raise the SCM schedule with Hegseth, Kang said, “I think we need to discuss it if necessary. I believe it is an important issue.” The SCM, traditionally held in the fall, had initially been expected to take place in N

Seoul’s military says it will maintain its two major annual exercises with Washington while continuing joint training throughout the year, following a call by the top U.S. commander in South Korea for more consistent training. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies are “flexibly conducting and developing a balanced year-round training system while firmly maintaining their regular combined exercises in both halves of the year.” Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea event on Wednesday that he had met JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung to discuss the upcoming Freedom Shield exercise. “We can’t hinge our readiness on two exercises a year,” Brunson said. “It’s got to be training throughout the entirety of the year where we continue to shape ourselves to meet the objective set forward for us by our national command authorities.” The allies hold Freedom Shield in March and Ulchi Freedom Shield in August, both large-scale exercises centered on command-post operations. They also conduct smaller combined

Two former child factory workers who rose to become presidents exchanged warm messages following Brazil’s presidential election. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked President Lee Jae Myung on Monday (local time) for congratulating him on his election victory, saying the two leaders share goals ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection. “My dear friend President Lee Jae Myung, I sincerely thank you for your message,” Lula wrote in Portuguese on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Lee’s post a day earlier. “We will continue defending dialogue between nations, social justice, workers’ rights and environmental protection,” he wrote. “The future we want to build must offer dignity and opportunities to everyone.” He added, “I know these are goals we share. I hope we meet again soon.” Lee congratulated Lula on Monday after the Brazilian leader won a runoff election Sunday, securing an unprecedented fourth presidential term. “My dear friend and comrade President Lula, I couldn’t be happier to congratulate you on your election victory,”

Two former child factory workers who rose to become presidents exchanged warm messages following Brazil’s presidential election. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked President Lee Jae Myung on Monday (local time) for congratulating him on his election victory, saying the two leaders share goals ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection. “My dear friend President Lee Jae Myung, I sincerely thank you for your message,” Lula wrote in Portuguese on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Lee’s post a day earlier. “We will continue defending dialogue between nations, social justice, workers’ rights and environmental protection,” he wrote. “The future we want to build must offer dignity and opportunities to everyone.” He added, “I know these are goals we share. I hope we meet again soon.” Lee congratulated Lula on Monday after the Brazilian leader won a runoff election Sunday, securing an unprecedented fourth presidential term. “My dear friend and comrade President Lula, I couldn’t be happier to congratulate you on your election victory,”

Seoul’s military says it will maintain its two major annual exercises with Washington while continuing joint training throughout the year, following a call by the top U.S. commander in South Korea for more consistent training. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies are “flexibly conducting and developing a balanced year-round training system while firmly maintaining their regular combined exercises in both halves of the year.” Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea event on Wednesday that he had met JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung to discuss the upcoming Freedom Shield exercise. “We can’t hinge our readiness on two exercises a year,” Brunson said. “It’s got to be training throughout the entirety of the year where we continue to shape ourselves to meet the objective set forward for us by our national command authorities.” The allies hold Freedom Shield in March and Ulchi Freedom Shield in August, both large-scale exercises centered on command-post operations. They also conduct smaller combined