China’s military medical experts are making progress in finding cures for common injuries seen in drone warfare, drawing on lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Chen Juxiang, a senior Chinese military doctor, told CCTV on Monday that cranio-maxillofacial injuries – damage to the hard and soft tissues of the head – had become a particularly big problem in conflicts dominated by drones. Chen, director of neurosurgery at the First Affiliated...

Beijing has appointed a new party chief in Tibet as the Communist Party shuffles regional leaders ahead of its 21st national congress. Hu Changsheng, 62, will serve as the party secretary of Tibet autonomous region, leaving his post as party secretary of Gansu province to Wu Xiaojun, 60, currently the party chief of Qinghai province. Meanwhile, Luo Dongchuan, 60, Qinghai’s governor, will succeed Wu as party secretary of the province. The 21st party congress is expected to be held next year and...

Hong Kong’s workforce is forecast to shrink by around 20,000 a year until 2028 despite measures to import labour and talent, with shortages remaining most acute among skilled technical workers. A government report on manpower projections on Tuesday found that although the labour shortfall would narrow to 130,000 by 2028, down by nearly a third from the original estimate of 180,000, the city would continue to face critical manpower challenges across key sectors. “Due to economic transformation,...

Korea’s low-cost carrier (LCC) industry is heading for a major shakeup, as VIG Partners moves to acquire Air Premia, seeking synergies by combining the long-haul-focused carrier with its existing Eastar Jet, which has a stronger presence on short-haul routes. VIG is reportedly in negotiations with AP Holdings and Tire Bank to acquire about 70 percent of Air Premia, with the transaction valued at around 300 billion won ($217 million). The potential deal would mark VIG’s second major move in Korea’s LCC industry since it acquired Eastar Jet in 2023. The latest move would give the private equity firm access to two airlines with distinctly different route strategies: Eastar has focused largely on short- and medium-haul routes, while Air Premia has built its business around long-haul services, including flights particularly to the United States. The combination could therefore offer a way to build scale across a broader network, rather than simply adding another airline to VIG’s portfolio. Eastar Jet and Air Premia generated combined sales of about 1.21 trillion won last year, accordi

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a standard tool across the legal profession and beyond, clients will ultimately judge law firms not by whether or how much they use the technology, but by the quality of the results they deliver with it, said Yi Joon-ki, managing partner of Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL). “Clients do not really care what tools we use,” Yi said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office. “What they want is a compelling and useful analysis — one that addresses their needs. In the end, it is BKL’s judgment, and BKL will be responsible for it. As long as we deliver a reliable answer, that is what matters to them.” The Seoul-based law firm has emerged as one of the most active adopters of generative AI among Korean law firms, rolling out the technology across the organization this year after conducting pilot projects in litigation, legal research, due diligence, document drafting and other legal tasks. Yi said BKL’s broader ambition is not merely to automate routine work, but to redesign legal workflows so that lawyers can deliver deeper analysis, sha

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday approved the appointments of the minister nominees for finance, defense and land, his office said. Finance Minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il, Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Land Minister nominee Hong Jee-sun recently underwent confirmation hearings at the National Assembly, and their hearing reports were adopted by the respective parliamentary committees. Lee appears to have signed off on their appointments shortly after arriving in New York, where he is set to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New York on Monday to attend the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Week and deliver a speech. During a speech on Tuesday to the U.N. session, Lee plans to propose ways to reform the U.N. to tackle global issues and outline South Korea's contributions, while also presenting his administration's vision of seeking peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. On the sidelines of the U.N. session, Lee will seek to engage with other heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and hold a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for the world body's cooperation in efforts to ensure peace on the peninsula. On Wednesday, the president will attend an investment summit that will bring together economic and financial leaders from South Korea and the United States before departing for Mexico later that day for a state visit.

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday adopted a confirmation hearing report for the minister nominee for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), paving the way for her appointment. The report for SME Minister nominee Lee So-young was adopted by bipartisan consensus at a meeting of the parliamentary trade committee, though the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) noted concerns she may be unfit for the job due to unresolved suspicions surrounding her apartment purchase and apparent lack of expertise in SME policies. Still, the party said Lee had also led efforts to remove excessive business regulations and engaged in various parliamentary activities to promote sustainable growth. Lee, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was tapped by President Lee Jae Myung as part of a Cabinet reshuffle in late August and is known for her career as a climate and environmental lawyer.

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Tuesday that a police reform committee will be established under her office to ensure a responsible and fair policing system as the law enforcement agency is set to take on greater roles according to the government's sweeping prosecution reform. Starting Oct. 2, the police will assume responsibility for all investigations, while the prosecution's role will be limited to indictment without the power to conduct investigations on its own. The reform has raised concerns negative effects could arise if police conduct all investigations as the prosecution has made up for shortfalls in police investigations. Such concerns have deepened in the wake of a series of police misconduct incidents in recent months, including shocking revelations that an officer closed two missing person cases without confirming their safety. The two were ultimately found dead. "Under the new system, the roles and responsibilities of police are of paramount importance," Han said during a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in the central administrative city of Sejong. "The g

LG Group is expanding its partnerships with Big Tech companies in artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure, with Chairman Koo Kwang-mo’s engagement with leaders of Microsoft and Nvidia leading to collaboration opportunities in areas including cooling systems, batteries and robotics components. LG Electronics said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that Koo met Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the latter's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Monday (local time), and discussed strategic collaboration in AI data center infrastructure, AI transformation and physical AI. In AI data center infrastructure, the two sides will explore business opportunities for LG to supply cooling, power and infrastructure solutions in support of Microsoft’s global data center expansion. In the short term, the two sides will concentrate on supplying LG Electronics’ high-capacity cooling solutions for Microsoft’s AI data center projects at key strategic locations, while expanding their collaboration over the medium to long term to prefabricated data centers. Prefabricated data cen

The University of Seoul has signed a dual doctoral degree agreement in engineering with the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The University of Seoul said the agreement, signed Thursday, is designed to strengthen educational and research cooperation in engineering between the two universities. It also aims to foster engineering talent with global research capabilities and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Under the agreement, doctoral students who meet certain requirements will conduct research under the joint supervision of faculty members from both universities. They can earn dual doctoral degrees upon completing the academic programs and degree requirements of both institutions. The University of Seoul said its students will first complete coursework and conduct initial research in the university’s doctoral program. After meeting relevant requirements, including qualifying as doctoral candidates and passing the qualifying examination, they may be admitted to a doctoral program at Missouri S&T on a conditional basis. They will then complete the requir

In a leafy temple courtyard tucked away from the bustling avenues of Seoul, foreign travelers attempting to navigate the nuanced rituals of temple stays, meditation and traditional Eastern medicine may soon find an unlikely companion: generative artificial intelligence (AI). Under a newly announced initiative from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea is deploying cutting-edge digital technologies to modernize its oldest cultural assets. Officials said Tuesday that three tech startups have been selected to pair advanced AI, location-based audio guides and automated booking platforms with traditional Korean wellness and Buddhist heritage sites. The municipal project addresses a persistent hurdle for overseas visitors exploring Korean cultural heritage: steep language barriers and complex reservation systems. While K-pop and Korean cinema have drawn record numbers of international tourists to the capital, foreign visitors frequently report difficulty navigating off-the-beaten-path experiences like temple stays, herbal medicine consultations and monastic cuisine. To bridge this gap, city

The Public Prosecution Service, set to launch Oct. 2 under a sweeping prosecution reform, will initially have 80-85 percent of the current statutory quota of prosecutors, with plans for further reductions through a legal revision, the justice ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said the Cabinet approved legal amendments on the organization of the Public Prosecution Service and the number of prosecutors, reflecting various public opinions gathered during a legislative notice period from Sept. 4-9. The launch of the new agency is part of the government's reform stripping prosecutors of independent investigative powers. The amendments include further cuts to investigative personnel from the previously proposed staffing plan, the abolition of three additional deputy chief prosecutor-level posts and eight departments, and the renaming of departments that had drawn controversy. The number of prosecutors at the new agency, the most contentious issue, will be set at 80-85 percent of the 2,292 prosecutors currently authorized under the Prosecutor Quota Act. The ministry said it will seek an amendm

Private academies will be prohibited from conducting placement tests for preschoolers starting next month, the education ministry said Tuesday, as part of efforts to curb severe forms of early childhood private education. The ban will take effect Oct. 1 under the revised Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, which was passed during a Cabinet meeting the same day. Under the revision, all written, oral, practical and interview evaluations will be prohibited, as well as any evaluations utilizing test scores to grade specific abilities. As an exception, however, diagnostic assessments through observation or interviews after a child has already enrolled will be permitted with prior parental consent. The revision also calls for fines on violators of 1 million won ($735) for a first offense, 2 million won for a second offense, and 3 million won for third and subsequent offenses.

Kookmin University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies to promote cooperation in advanced technologies and expand industry-academia collaboration. The university said the MOU was signed at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Thursday. The agreement is designed to formalize the areas of cooperation discussed during the visit of Jamol Tilloyevich Makhsudov, Uzbekistan’s deputy minister of digital technologies, to Kookmin University on Sept. 10. Jeong Seung-ryul, president of the university, held a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov, who was visiting Korea to attend the Korea-Central Asia Summit, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The meeting was attended by Kim Byoung-joon, the university’s director of international affairs, and Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov. The two sides exchanged views on talent development and industry-academia collaboration in advanced technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and software. They agreed

Korean defense and railway systems manufacturer Hyundai Rotem said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor to bring the automaker's smart factory technology into its aerospace production facility, aiming to improve workplace safety and product quality. Under the agreement, the two Hyundai Motor Group affiliates will work together to introduce automated systems at Hyundai Rotem's aerospace plant. Hyundai Rotem has been developing technology for ducted ramjet and hypersonic engines, as well as methane engines for reusable launch vehicles, through projects with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement — Korea's state-run defense research bodies. The company plans to apply Hyundai Motor's AI-based smart factory technology to high-risk stages of its aerospace manufacturing process, aiming to create safer working conditions while strengthening quality competitiveness. Hyundai Rotem said a safety incident could disrupt development and production schedules for its advanced aerospac

Korean power equipment and industrial automation solution provider LS Electric said Tuesday it has put two of Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot robots into regular operation at its Busan plant, using them to monitor production equipment and support quality and safety management as part of a broader smart factory push. The company worked with Hyundai Autoever, a systems integration affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, for a roughly two-month trial run starting in July before formally deploying the two robots. The Busan plant is LS Electric's main production site for ultrahigh-voltage transformers, a market seeing rising global demand as investment in AI data centers and power grids accelerates. The company said Spot will help build a predictive maintenance system that flags equipment problems before they cause production delays. The robots are being used to monitor vapor phase drying, a core part of transformer manufacturing in which components are dried in a vacuum chamber. Spot's onboard thermal camera checks chamber door seals and detects heat leaks without physical contact, while sensor

TikTok held its first standalone K-beauty pop-up event on TikTok Shop in the United Kingdom, bringing together 19 Korean beauty brands at Protein Studios in London's Shoreditch neighborhood from Sept. 12-13, the company said Tuesday. The two-day event, called "Where Glow Begins," ran alongside an in-app campaign, "K-Beauty Super Brand Week," from Sept. 13-18. TikTok Shop is the platform's built-in e-commerce feature, allowing users to buy products directly through videos and livestreams without leaving the app. The venue featured brand booths, a livestream commerce zone, beauty masterclasses and photo areas, with about 400 creators taking part in product trials, content creation and livestreamed broadcasts over the campaign period. K-beauty has been one of the fastest-growing categories on TikTok Shop UK. The number of active K-beauty sellers on the platform rose 875 percent as of August compared with a year earlier, while K-beauty livestream sessions increased more than 305 percent over the same period. K-beauty product sales grew about 60 percent in the second quarter of this year com

Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion said Tuesday it has renewed European Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) certification for its Songdo campus production facilities, covering a combined 250,000 liters of capacity across drug substance and drug product manufacturing. The certification, issued by the European Medicines Agency, confirms that a facility meets European Union quality standards required to supply pharmaceutical products to the European market. The renewal applies to Celltrion's Plants 1, 2 and 3 at its Songdo campus in Incheon, west of Seoul. The company said it plans to expand total production volume at the campus by about 15 percent this year compared with last year, driven largely by output from Plant 3, which began commercial production in late 2024. Celltrion projects Plant 3 will produce 128 batches this year, up about 142 percent from a year earlier, as the newer facility stabilizes operations. The company is also preparing to bring a new drug product plant online, having received building-use approval from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority in June. The f

CJ OliveNetworks said Tuesday that its gift card transaction value rose more than 33 percent in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier, setting a record for a six-month period as corporate demand for rewards helped expand its business-to-business sales. The company said annual transaction value rose about 27 percent last year, as gift cards increasingly moved beyond personal gifting into customer rewards, marketing programs and employee benefits. In July, CJ OliveNetworks began supplying CJ Gift Cards and Olive Young gift cards as rewards for LG Uplus home services, covering internet, IPTV and telephone subscriptions and renewals. Customers signing up for or renewing eligible services can receive gift cards worth up to 400,000 won ($291), depending on their service and contract terms. CJ OliveNetworks said the partnership broadens its reach among households and gives LG Uplus customers a wider range of reward options. The company has also expanded where its integrated CJ Gift Card can be used, adding more than 5,700 Emart24 stores nationwide at the start of the year. The card can now b

CJ CheilJedang is taking Korean distilled spirits to New York, unveiling its premium jari brand as it seeks to introduce Korean drinking culture to consumers in one of the world’s most influential food cities. The company is holding a launch event Tuesday (local time) at Moono, a modern Korean restaurant in Manhattan, where it is presenting three jari products alongside a Korean food pairing dinner. The lineup includes jari Munbae Sul 24 and jari Gamuchee 24, which were released in Korea in July, and jari Munbae Sul 41, which is making its U.S. debut. The higher-proof Munbae Sul 41 is designed to offer a deeper expression of the distinctive aroma of munbae, a pear-like fragrance associated with traditional Korean distilled spirits, according to CJ CheilJedang. CJ CheilJedang’s Lifestyle Food Business division executives are among many expected to attend the event with figures from New York’s food, beverage and cultural industries. Bartender Hong Doo-ui, a mixologist with brand ambassador Pine&Co, and chef Kim Ho-young of Moono and Michelin-starred Jua are also taking part, pairing j

HD Construction Equipment is teaming up with France’s Manitou Group to expand its reach in compact construction equipment, signing a mutual sales partnership Monday (local time) at Manitou Group’s headquarters in Ancenis, France, with HD Construction Equipment President Moon Jae-young and Manitou Group President and CEO Sylvain Blaise attending. Under the agreement, HD Construction Equipment will source compact equipment from Manitou Group and sell it globally under its Hyundai and Develon brands. Manitou Group will add HD Construction Equipment’s compact equipment to its portfolio and market the products under its Manitou and Gehl brands. Manitou Group supplies construction, agricultural and industrial equipment, including telehandlers, forklifts, skid steer loaders and aerial work platforms, through operations spanning 140 countries. For HD Construction Equipment, the agreement is intended to broaden its compact equipment lineup while increasing production scale and improving product quality and price competitiveness. The company has set a goal of generating 1.3 trillion won ($884

Samsung Electronics is turning a German kitchen industry hub into a year-round showcase for its built-in appliances as it seeks to deepen partnerships and expand its presence in Europe. The company opened a roughly 480-square-meter permanent showroom on the first floor of Kitchen Center Löhne in Löhne, Germany, during Küchenmeile, a major business-to-business event for the European kitchen industry. Küchenmeile runs through Friday, drawing more than 300 brands and 25,000 industry visitors, Samsung said. The company has participated in the event since 2013, using it to introduce built-in appliances and connect with kitchen furniture companies and other industry partners. The new showroom is designed as a venue for product demonstrations, business consultations and training, giving industry visitors year-round access to Samsung’s built-in appliances and connected kitchen technologies. Its displays include Bespoke artificial intelligence(AI)-powered refrigerators, a Bespoke AI dishwasher, an induction cooktop with an integrated extractor and a Bespoke AI oven equipped with AI Pro Cooki

Korea’s internet-only banks and regional lenders are expanding their co-lending partnerships beyond consumer credit into corporate lending, as they each look for new ways to grow their businesses, industry officials said Monday. KakaoBank and Busan Bank are preparing to launch a joint lending program for small and medium-sized businesses and sole proprietors, following a memorandum of understanding signed in April. The arrangement will combine KakaoBank’s nationwide digital platform with Busan Bank’s experience in assessing and managing business loans in its regional market. Until now, most co-lending partnerships between the two parties have focused on consumer credit. Toss Bank and Kwangju Bank introduced the industry’s first joint loan in 2024, followed by similar offerings from Kbank and Busan Bank, and from KakaoBank and Jeonbuk Bank in 2025. All three programs targeted salaried workers. Their expansion into business lending marks the next step. The incentives for both sides are clear. For internet-only banks, which have relied heavily on household lending, working with regio

Seoul has begun construction on an 18.7 billion won ($12.6 million) redesign of Shin Jungang Market in Jung District in the center of the capital, aiming to turn the traditional market into a destination where shoppers and tourists can eat, rest and experience local culture. The Seoul Metropolitan Government held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday at the market, marking the first construction project under its Design Innovation Traditional Market initiative, with completion targeted for August 2027. Founded as Seongdong Market in 1962, Shin Jungang Market grew into one of Seoul's foundational commercial hubs, anchoring the central city's postwar trade along with Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets. Over the decades, it became particularly famous as the city's premier wholesale center for grain and dried fish, weaving itself into the everyday life and culinary heritage of the capital. The project will replace the market’s existing arcade with an environmentally friendly wooden roof designed to admit natural light, while adding terraced resting areas and improving connections between the ma

Seoul has surged in popularity among international students worldwide, owing to its vibrant urban culture and lower housing costs than established hubs, British daily The Financial Times (FT) reported. The number of international students enrolled at universities in Korea rose 69 percent over the past three years to 307,500, data showed. The FT noted Seoul offers students good value, providing access to globally renowned K-pop culture and vibrant city life at manageable costs. Bolstered by K-pop's global reach, the capital increasingly attracts European and American students. The outlet added that Seoul's "energy, culture, food and cityscape promise a cosmopolitan lifestyle, which comes with a cheaper price tag than many students’ home cities." A major draw for these international students is Seoul's housing costs, which remain relatively affordable compared with major Western cities. Monthly rent was reported at about 900,000 won ($660) for a one-room apartment, or studio, and 600,000 won ($440) for "hasuk," a Korean-style boarding house. Students' reasons for choosing Seoul to study

The number of deaths in Korea last year reached the second-highest level on record, while suicide was the leading cause of death among people in their teens through their 40s, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Tuesday. Although both the number of suicides and the suicide rate declined from the previous year, teenagers stood out as an exception, with their suicide rate climbing to an all-time high. Meanwhile, cancer emerged as the leading cause of death starting among people in their 50s, highlighting a sharp divide in mortality patterns across age groups. According to the data, suicide accounted for more than half of all deaths among Koreans in their teens and 20s in 2025, underscoring its disproportionate impact on younger generations. The share stood at 51.2 percent for teenagers and rose to 53.5 percent for those in their 20s. It then fell to 42.3 percent among people in their 30s and 25.4 percent among those in their 40s. The suicide death rate, meanwhile, increased progressively across these age groups. It stood at 8.6 per 100,000 among teenagers, r

The foreign student population in Korea's second-largest city has climbed to a record 24,328 this year, a 30 percent increase from 2025, as Busan expands programs aimed at helping students study, work and settle in Korea. The figure, released Aug. 27 in national basic education statistics, compares with 18,630 foreign students in the southern port city in 2025 and 14,961 in 2024, according to Busan Metropolitan City. The city has worked with local universities since 2024 to attract 30,000 foreign students by 2028, while consolidating previously fragmented recruitment and support programs. Busan opened the Study Busan Hub in February as a one-stop support center for foreign students, linking universities and government agencies to services covering daily life, health care, finance, visas, Korean-language education and employment. The hub also works with Busan Immigration and Foreigners Office on group fingerprint registration for new foreign students and connects students with three designated hospitals — Daedong Hospital, Dong-Eui Medical Center and Good Gang-An Hospital. The city also

The after school meal never varied. He laid grilled pork belly in the largest pan in the kitchen to grill. After finishing the meat, he made instant noodles, tossing in generous helpings of rice cakes, dumplings and cheese before finishing the meal by stirring cooked rice into the remaining broth. As a high school student, Chang Hyoung-woo cooked this meal alone in the kitchen whenever he could, trying to avoid comments from anyone wandering in. The meal was so heavy that he would sleep hard for an hour or two before waking up to study. Looking back, he said the routine resembled how sumo wrestlers and traditional Korean "ssirum" wrestlers gain weight. Ate like ssireum wrestler Lavish meals had been his primary indulgence since childhood. While other boys his age were outdoors playing with friends, Chang had little interest in exercise. Instead, he favored fried chicken, hamburgers, red meat, snacks, cola and ice cream. He hated meals like sukiyaki and shabu-shabu that mixed thin slices of meat with vegetables to cook in broth. Why would anyone spoil quality meat with unwanted greens? Hi

During the annual Chuseok holiday, when millions of families travel across Korea to gather and celebrate the autumn harvest, finding an open doctor’s office can turn an ordinary illness into a logistical nightmare. In response to potential medical shortages during the four-day break from Thursday to Sunday, Seoul city officials said Tuesday that more than 6,000 medical clinics and pharmacies will remain open, supported by a 24-hour emergency response system. The initiative aims to prevent overburdening hospital emergency rooms with noncritical cases while ensuring that both light ailments and life-threatening conditions are managed smoothly. On average, roughly 1,547 medical institutions — comprising 642 clinics and 905 pharmacies — will operate daily across the capital. For residents experiencing minor illnesses like cold symptoms or indigestion, the city encourages visiting neighborhood clinics rather than rushing to hospital emergency rooms. Basic over-the-counter remedies, including fever reducers and pain relievers, will also remain continuously accessible across 6,926 design