German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a global political alliance to defend rules-based trade, urging Germany and Indo-Pacific economies to strengthen economic partnerships and diversify supply chains as geopolitical tensions and intensifying U.S.-China competition reshape the global economy. Speaking at the opening of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) in Seoul on Friday, Merz proposed establishing a "global political alliance for rules-based trade" to defend and strengthen the international trading system and coordinate joint action when it comes under threat. “When supply chains become political pawns, when access to key technologies is imperiled or when efforts to secure raw materials become a projection of power rather than of fair partnership, this jeopardizes growth, prosperity and, ultimately, the security,” he said. “Countries that decouple lose security, innovative strength, prosperity and scope for action. We do not wish to withdraw but rather to expand our freedom of action.” Turning to bilateral ties, the chancellor said Germany and Korea

Prosecutors on Friday indicted Rep. Jang Kyung-tae without physical detention over allegations that he sexually harassed a female aide of another lawmaker. Jang, an independent who left the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in March over the scandal, is accused of sexually harassing the aide at a restaurant in western Seoul in October 2024, according to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office. The lawmaker also faces charges of partially exposing the aide's identity in violation of the sexual violence punishment law. The indictment comes after the aide filed a complaint with the police last year. A police committee, convened at the lawmaker's request, recommended in March that he be referred to prosecutors over the allegations. The prosecution said it decided to indict Jang, who has denied the sexual harassment allegations, after questioning those involved in the case and reviewing evidence, including video footage of the incident.

Goldman Sachs is seeking to acquire a controlling stake in Tmap Mobility, operator of Korea’s leading navigation app, from SK Square by the end of this year, seeing an investment opportunity in its lower valuation and vast trove of mobility data as autonomous driving advances, industry sources said Friday. For SK Square, SK Group’s investment arm and the largest shareholder of SK hynix, the sale is part of a broader strategy to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors. The global investment bank is looking to invest between 600 billion won ($450 million) and 800 billion won to secure a 60 to 70 percent stake in Tmap Mobility. It is in talks to buy shares from SK Square, the largest shareholder with a 63.23 percent stake, as well as other financial investors, including Affirma Capital and EastBridge Partners, which each hold 9.83 percent, and KB Kookmin Bank, which owns 6.39 percent. Tmap Mobility traces its roots to a navigation service launched by SK Telecom in 2002. The telecom operator spun off its mobility business into a separate company in December 2020, and Tm

North Korea on Friday denounced the ongoing combined air drills between South Korea and the United States, vowing to "thoroughly" deter the allies' exercise with force, Pyongyang's state media reported. A spokesperson at North Korea's defense ministry issued the statement as Seoul and Washington launched the biannual Freedom Flag exercise on Monday for a two-week run. "The U.S. and the ROK military warmongers launched the provocative large-scale joint air drill Freedom Flag against our state on Oct. 26 by mobilizing huge air forces," read the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. North Korea said the drills involved the Army, Navy and Marines from allied forces and mobilized air refueling tanker and attack drones, citing them as evidence for their "military purpose" contrary to the defensive character as proclaimed by the allies. "Our armed forces will thoroughly deter threats with force and only act in such manner that the enemy states can understand," it said. North Korea has long

Police will deploy around 7,800 personnel across the nation to manage crowds celebrating Halloween over the weekend, officials said Friday, as the country prepares for its fourth Halloween since the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. The National Police Agency (NPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Sunday. During the period, riot police, regional patrol teams and detectives will be dispatched mainly to 28 key areas, including 14 locations in Seoul. The government is seeking to prevent any recurrence of the Oct. 29, 2022, tragedy in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, where 159 people died in a surge through a narrow alleyway. Police will split pedestrian traffic in narrow bottleneck areas and guide crowds to walk in a single direction, officials said. If crowd density rises dangerously, police will restrict incoming traffic from the perimeter to secure open space for people to disperse. Police said they will share real-time data with relevant agencies and dispatch officers immediately to scenes in case of crowd-related reports. Officers will

"Is it really true that meat tastes better if you flip it exactly twice? That might work for very thinly sliced pork belly. But with meat of ordinary thickness, juices move in the direction the heat is applied. If you want to keep the juices toward the center and make the meat moist, it's better to flip it frequently." Cha Ho-myung, a former chef with 26 years of experience who now leads the Meat&Food Food Solution Team at Sunjin Technology Research Institute, challenged a widely held belief about grilling meat as he taught the science behind cooking pork at Yaksan Dwaeji, a restaurant in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, on Oct. 14. The lesson was part of the practical training for "Grilling Meister," a private certification program introduced in 2021 by Sunjin, the agricultural and food company behind Sunjin Pork, Korea's first branded pork product. Candidates first take an online written test covering pork production, processing and nutrition. Then comes the centerpiece of the certification process: a practical exam for participants to demonstrate their skill in grilling "samgyeopsal", o

A check-in system malfunction occurred at Incheon International Airport on Friday, causing major delays in passenger processing, the airport operator said. The malfunction began at 4:30 a.m. in an airline network connecting ticketing systems at the country's main gateway, leading to intermittent connectivity issues at eight airlines at Terminal 1 and five airlines at Terminal 2, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. By afternoon, ticketing was effectively halted at three airlines — China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China. Long lines of passengers formed at check-in counters, with some protesting that their airlines were not informing them of expected recovery times despite their approaching departures. The airport operator said the disruption appeared to have been caused by a glitch in the global network of American aviation service provider ARINC and that it was looking for solutions.

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

Hanwha Systems has won a contract to develop synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites for Korea's microsatellite constellation aimed at enhancing national security and disaster response capabilities, data showed Friday. The defense solutions arm of Hanwha Group was selected for the SAR satellite development project commissioned by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD), according to the Public Procurement Service. The microsatellite development project is a joint initiative involving the defense ministry, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Coast Guard to strengthen surveillance of security threats and natural disasters on the Korean Peninsula and in surrounding waters. SAR satellites can capture images of land and sea regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Operating a constellation of small satellites allows for more frequent monitoring of specific areas and faster intelligence gathering. Hanwha Systems has previously supplied SAR sensors and data links for Korea's military reconnaissance satellites.

LOS ANGELES — Patrick Stewart, the classically trained actor who added Shakespearean gravitas to the “Star Trek” and “X-Men” franchises, has died. He was 86. Stewart died Wednesday in Los Angeles , following “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy Body Dementia, spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak said. Stewart’s diagnoses had not been previously disclosed. “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today,” Hugh Jackman, a frequent Stewart co-star in the “X-Men” universe, said on social media. “And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.” While best known as Professor Charles Xavier and Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the “X-Men” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series and films, respectively, Stewart spent more of his career onstage than in the X-Mansion or on the USS Enterprise. Besides playing everyone from Claudius to Macbeth, he often performed a one-man rendition of “A Christmas Carol” and did West End and Broadway runs of Harold Pinter's

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG — Hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, in what analysts say is the biggest crypto hack ever, an attack that could prompt investors to rethink the risks of owning digital assets. The hackers behind the raid were from North Korea, according to U.S. blockchain analysis firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis. The attackers targeted Binance wallets on 10 blockchains and shifted most of the funds in about 20 minutes, TRM Labs said in a statement. Binance said it worked with partners to freeze the affected assets with about $3 billion located so far. It did not mention the status of the remaining $3.3 billion, and its co-founder Yi He said the exchange would cover "all hacking losses." Binance said its deposits were unaffected and it expects to resume withdrawal services in the next 48 hours. TRM said several features of the attack matched earlier heists linked to North Korea, including a 2025 hack of crypto exchange Bybit that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation had attributed to Pyongyang. "We make this judgment with high conf

KOSPI fell more than 3 percent Friday as losses in U.S. technology stocks and concerns over returns on artificial intelligence (AI) investments triggered selling in heavyweight chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The benchmark index ended at 5,730.74, down 206.92 points, or 3.48 percent. It opened 2.99 percent lower at 5,760.35 and extended its losses during the session. The sharp sell-off in KOSPI 200 futures triggered a sell-side sidecar at around 10:05 a.m., temporarily halting program sell orders. It was the first such activation in 11 trading sessions, following KOSPI’s 7.57 percent plunge on Oct. 15. Samsung Electronics lost 3.02 percent, while SK hynix dropped 7.08 percent. The declines followed earnings releases from U.S. technology giants that raised fresh doubts about the returns on their massive AI investments. Google parent Alphabet reported weaker-than-expected results and a wider free cash flow deficit. Amazon’s earnings and guidance also fell short of forecasts, drawing attention to the costs of expanding AI infrastructure. Wall Street’s three major indexes cl

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

Director Hong Eui-jeong describes her latest mystery drama "White Blast" as a tense survival story where two characters engage in an unpredictable psychological game within a completely isolated space. "It is a story about people struggling to survive," Hong said during a press conference in Seoul, Friday. "Set in an isolated space, viewers will be able to watch a mystery survival game driven by two deeply human yet distinctive characters." "White Blast" centers around a remote rural train station trapped by a severe snowstorm. The story unfolds after Gap-soo (Kim Yoon-seok), the chief of the station, and Hyeon-taek (Koo Kyo-hwan), a newly assigned staff member, discover a mysterious corpse. The director expressed her hope that the movie will encourage viewers to question their own perceptions and moral judgments as the plot twists and turns. "I hope viewers will ask themselves questions like 'How could my judgment be so wrong?' or 'Is it right to root for this person?' as they watch the movie," Hong said. "Depending on their perspective, the story may look completely different.” Kim pl

LIG Defense & Aerospace's (LIG D&A) overseas expansion plans could be in jeopardy, as an ongoing bribery scandal threatens to disrupt its defense development and production pipeline through a potential two-year government bidding ban. The Seoul Administrative Court will hold a hearing on Thursday to review the company's request to suspend the enforcement of a two-year restriction imposed by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Last week, the defense authority imposed the penalty on allegations that the firm’s executives offered bribes worth hundreds of millions of won to a DAPA employee during the bidding process for a weapons development project. LIG D&A denied the allegations and has taken legal steps for a temporary suspension of the penalty, which was originally scheduled to take effect on Thursday. The suspension will remain in place until Nov. 20. The potential disruption carries significant implications for the company's business structure. Its government and public institution clients accounted for 64.5 percent, or 2.78 trillion won ($2.07 billion), of LIG D&A

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

Volkswagen’s Atlas is positioning itself as a family-oriented large SUV, combining child seat-friendly design, spacious seating and advanced safety features. The model has earned recognition in the United States for its child seat installation convenience and crash protection, reinforcing its appeal to families with young children. Produced more than 1 million times in North America over the past nine years, the Atlas has established itself as one of Volkswagen’s flagship models in the U.S. market. It was also introduced in Korea last year, offering a spacious six- or seven-seat configuration. One of its key strengths is its ability to accommodate multiple child seats. The seven-seat version can fit three child seats in the second row, while the third row can accommodate two additional seats using seat belts and anchor points. The Atlas was named a Top Finisher in Cars.com's 2026 Best Cars for Car Seats evaluation. It received an A grade in nearly all installation categories, with the second-row booster seat installation receiving a B. Its second-row seats can also tilt forward witho

Under President Donald Trump's administration, stricter immigration policies have led to an increase in the U.S. rejecting visa applications for visitors from around the globe. It is one thing for a government to reject potentially dangerous travelers, but it is another matter when the applicants are lawmakers from allied countries whose travel is halted by a visa denial. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and chairman of South Korea's National Assembly Defense Committee saw his visa application, submitted on Oct. 12, rejected. He planned to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii from Sunday to Thursday with a delegation of members from the defense committee. "It disregards the standing of Korea’s National Assembly and undermines the mutual respect and trust that form the foundation of the U.S.-Korea alliance," Jin wrote in a Facebook post after the rejection. Former DPK chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae also had his U.S. visa application denied ahead of his planned visit to the United States for a parliamentary audit of Seoul's diplomatic mission. Refus

Kia has achieved solid earnings growth in the third quarter, supported by rising sales of hybrids, electric vehicles (EVs) and popular SUV models across major markets, the carmaker said Friday in a regulatory filing. The carmaker said its operating profit between July and September jumped 24.3 percent to 1.82 trillion won ($1.36 billion). Sales also increased 10.2 percent to 31.6 percent during the same period. The automaker's earnings growth was driven by its diversified electrification strategy, as it helped sustain growth despite weakening global auto demand, Kia said. Global vehicle sales rose 7.9 percent to 847,355 vehicles in the third quarter on balanced sales growth of its hybrids, EVs and SUV models. Kia's SUV lineup, including the Sportage, Carnival and newly introduced Telluride Hybrid, helped drive sales in the United States, where retail sales rose 7.8 percent to approximately 234,000 units. The automaker's U.S. market share reached a quarterly record of 5.8 percent. Hybrid sales in the U.S. surged 118 percent to 69,000 vehicles, significantly outpacing the market's 27 percen

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.