Stronger-than-expected global demand for artificial intelligence-related products has prompted the Trade Development Council to sharply raise its full-year forecast for Hong Kong export growth in 2026 to as much as 47 per cent. The latest revision follows the council in June raising its midyear forecast to 20 per cent growth, from an earlier estimate of 8 to 9 per cent. Its latest survey of the city’s major exporters also found that their business confidence and market expectations had remained...

Hong Kong’s checkpoints are expected to handle about 7.44 million passenger trips over mainland China’s National Day “golden week” break, while people movements are anticipated to peak this weekend. The Immigration Department said on Monday that the figure would include inbound and outbound trips by Hongkongers and visitors travelling via the city’s sea, land and air control points between October 1 and 7. The department also said it anticipated that the most popular control points would be...

Average wages including allowances in Hong Kong rose by 3.4 per cent year on year in June, with the government forecasting further pay rises ahead on the back of sustained economic expansion and labour demand. Figures released on Monday by the Census and Statistics Department showed that the 3.4 per cent nominal wage rate rise was broad based across all surveyed industries. After adjusting for inflation using the consumer price index (A), the overall real wage rate grew by 1.6 per cent in June...

At least 21 flights connecting Hong Kong and Bangkok were disrupted on Sunday and Monday, with passengers on one service leaving the Thai capital facing a nearly 24-hour delay after the Southeast Asian city was hit by its worst flood in 15 years. Heavy rainfall lashed Bangkok – a top travel destination for Hongkongers – between Thursday and Monday, prompting Thai officials to declare the city a disaster zone. Despite the flight disruptions, Hongkongers in the Thai capital said the central...

In a first, a Chinese company has achieved high-parameter hydrogen-boron plasma control, marking a “significant and valuable” advance in research into neutron-free magnetic confinement fusion. ENN Group, based in Langfang, Hebei province, announced on Monday that its EXL-50U spherical device – a compact tokamak that uses a magnetic field to confine charged gas, or plasma, for nuclear fusion research – had successfully achieved hydrogen-boron fusion reactions. “This marks the first time a...

Hong Kong authorities have launched a one-month consultation on proposed reforms of arbitration laws, as part of efforts to enhance the city’s competitiveness as an international dispute resolution hub and advance an objective laid out in its first local five-year plan. The Department of Justice said on Monday that the one-month stakeholder consultation on amendments to the Arbitration Ordinance, which governs the use of the alternative dispute resolution mechanism, would cover four key areas to...

The global electronics industry is entering a structural transition. For over two decades, China served as the dominant manufacturing centre, with an unmatched concentration of suppliers, skilled labour, infrastructure, logistics and engineering capabilities. That concentration is being diluted. But interpreting this as the decline of Chinese manufacturing would be a mistake. China is exporting parts of its manufacturing process while retaining the industrial capabilities that matter...

Excessive personal questions and interference from relatives have been named the most unwanted aspect of the Chuseok holiday this year. Comparisons with siblings and other people were also cited as the most uncomfortable topic of conversation. According to a 2026 Chuseok holiday survey conducted by research firm PMI, 48.5 percent of 1,000 adults aged 20 to 69 nationwide said “excessive interference and personal questions from relatives” was the holiday tradition they most wanted to see changed. The survey was conducted from Sept. 11 to 14, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. The next most frequently cited practices were “excessive preparation for ancestral ritual tables” at 40.8 percent, “unequal distribution of holiday chores” at 29.8 percent, “holiday cash gifts” at 25.5 percent and “excessive holiday gift giving” at 23.7 percent. Intrusive questions from relatives also topped the list of holiday customs considered most urgently in need of change, cited by 30.6 percent of respondents. When asked which topics they would rather avoid discussing with family members and relat

A proposal to upgrade meals for foreigners awaiting deportation at Incheon International Airport has divided immigration officials, with front-line officers raising safety concerns and some questioning whether better food is appropriate for those ordered to leave Korea for violating the law. According to immigration authorities, Sunday, the Incheon Airport Immigration Office under the Ministry of Justice is considering providing in-flight meal boxes to foreign nationals awaiting deportation through the airport. Foreign nationals ordered to leave the country are generally transferred to Incheon International Airport after local immigration offices confirm their illegal stay and complete the necessary procedures. After that, they remain in a designated departure waiting area until their flights. Those awaiting deportation are currently provided with bread and drinks supplied by local immigration offices. The Incheon Airport Immigration Office is now seeking to provide meals directly, replacing the basic food with airline-style meals, considering them the most practical option. The office v

Korean Air faces a growing maintenance capacity challenge, as its acquisition of Asiana Airlines creates a fleet of more than 230 aircraft at a time when heavy-maintenance slots remain increasingly difficult to secure across Asia. The integrated carrier, scheduled to launch in December, will operate the larger fleet and employ more than 4,000 maintenance workers. It will require more airframe, engine and component maintenance that must be handled internally or secured through outside maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) providers. However, constrained global MRO capacity and a shortage of international heavy-maintenance slots have become a material operational risk to Korean Air. Securing wide-body base-maintenance slots has become particularly difficult across Southeast Asia. Korean Air is responding by expanding its own capabilities. In November last year, the airline and Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) agreed to invest 176 billion won ($130 million) to build a next-generation maintenance hangar at the airport's High-Tech Aviation Complex. The facility will be able to ac

The South Korean presidential office on Sunday voiced "strong regret" over what it called Ukraine's denial of an agreement with Seoul not to disclose the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. The presidential office "expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure (of the transfer) and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a nondisclosure agreement," Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a released statement. The Cheong Wa Dae official added the country is considering taking additional measures regarding the issue, if necessary. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during a United Nations address last week that Ukraine has sent the two North Korean soldiers captured last year to South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his office have since said Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement aimed at keeping the transfer a secret to safeguard the soldiers from dangers they could face if their transfer were to be disclosed, citing international law and humanitarian p

The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) agreed Monday to pursue legal amendments to strengthen sanctions against companies that repeatedly engage in collusive practices. The ruling party and the government will introduce a system to revoke business registrations or suspend operations of companies found guilty of price fixing or bid rigging in 17 industrial sectors, Min Byoung-dug, deputy chair of the party's policy committee, told reporters after a DPK-government policy consultation meeting. The 17 sectors include safety, energy and transportation, and the party and the government plan to amend the Fair Trade Act, as well as 17 relevant sector-specific laws, to implement the new system, Min said. They will extend the statute of limitations for sanctions against collusive practices, while linking information on large-scale public tenders commissioned by offices of education with the Fair Trade Commission's Bid-Rigging Indicator Analysis System. In addition, they will strictly enforce previously revised laws that allow punitive fines to be imposed for repeated collusi

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae said Monday he plans to clear up his position over his refusal to newly recommend a candidate to the top court during the upcoming annual parliamentary audit. The chief justice has been embroiled in a dispute with the presidential office over the recommendation after the presidential office last month asked Cho to recommend a new justice candidate to President Lee Jae Myung. Cho refused to comply with the request last week, citing a lack of specific reasons or constitutional grounds to do so. When asked about the issue Monday, Cho told reporters he would state his position through the parliamentary audit of the court, scheduled to begin Oct. 6. Cho's refusal last week sparked swift rebuke from Cheong Wa Dae, which accused him of harboring a view in violation of the Constitution. Under the Constitution, Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chief justice and with the consent of the National Assembly.

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose for the second consecutive week last week to 37.9 percent, a pollster said Monday. In a poll conducted on 1,508 adults nationwide from last Monday to Wednesday, positive assessments of Lee's job performance rose by 3.1 percentage points from the previous week, while negative assessments fell 3.3 percentage points to 60.1 percent, Realmeter said. Lee's approval rating fell for 10 weeks before turning upward in the previous poll, helped by his clarification of key political issues during a press conference Sept. 18. "His communication through the press conference and his overseas diplomacy at the U.N. General Assembly and the Korea-U.S. summit worked in his favor," the pollster said, noting the withdrawal of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and resignation offer of presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik were also seen as a demonstration of his commitment to personnel reform. In a separate poll conducted on 1,005 adults last Tuesday and Wednesday, support for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) surpassed that for the ruling De

Korea was ranked 12th place in the global artificial intelligence (AI) diffusion scale, with more than 40 percent of the population using the technology in the second quarter, a report from Microsoft Corp. showed Monday. Generative AI usage rate among Koreans aged 15 to 64 rose 3.5 percentage points from the previous quarter, bringing the country up by four ranks as of end-June, according to the global AI diffusion report published by the U.S. software developer. Global usage rate of generative AI was up 1 percentage point from 17.8 percent in the January-March period to 18.8 percent in the April-June period, the report showed. United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the highest in AI adoption, with a usage rate of 73.3 percent. Followed by Singapore at 64.3 percent, Ireland at 49.9 percent and France estimated at 49.6 percent. The AI usage rate was 28.8 percent in the Global North and 16.2 percent in the Global South, widening the adoption gap to 12.6 percentage points. Global North is a term referring to wealthy, industrialized countries, such as the United States, Korea, Japan, Israel and New Z

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) said Monday it will work with POSCO International Corp. and a Mexican aerospace industry group to strengthen aerospace cooperation in Mexico and explore opportunities in the broader Latin American market. KAI, POSCO International and the Mexican Federation of Aerospace Industry (FEMIA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on aerospace industry cooperation on the occasion of President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Mexico last week. Under the agreement, KAI plans to develop business models involving supply chain cooperation and explore new business opportunities in Latin America. POSCO International will support efforts to integrate selected Mexican companies into KAI's aerospace manufacturing supply chain. FEMIA, which represents more than 100 member companies, will facilitate exchanges with Mexico's aerospace ecosystem, help identify potential local partners and provide information on relevant government policies. "Building on our cooperation with Mexico, we will accelerate efforts to expand the FA-50 light combat aircraft into Central America

Sejong University will host the 8th International Student Future (ISF) Higher Education Forum at its Seoul campus on Oct. 1 to discuss ways to support international students in their academic and career development. With the number of international students in Korea surpassing 300,000, the forum will bring together representatives from universities, companies and educational organizations to explore ways to better support international students, the university said. The event will be held in collaboration with global study-abroad platform Stuvisor and international student employment and startup platform Careertus. The forum will consist of two programs: the Career Fair for international students and the International Higher Education Forum for universities, educational organizations and businesses. The Career Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the International Higher Education Forum will be held from 2 to 5:40 p.m. ISF is held twice a year, in the first and second halves of the year, to connect international student recruitment and education with career opportunities, entrepren

The University of Seoul has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) to establish a dual-degree program in engineering. The University of Seoul said the MOU was signed on Sept. 14 to expand academic and educational exchanges between the engineering colleges of the two universities and foster globally capable engineering talent. Under the program, engineering students at the University of Seoul who meet certain requirements will be able to take engineering-related courses at UWM and earn degrees from both universities. University of Seoul President Won Yong-kul met with UWM Chancellor Thomas Gibson to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in engineering education and research between the two universities and expand student exchanges. Both universities plan to gradually expand cooperation between their engineering colleges, including the smooth operation of the dual-degree program, faculty and student exchanges, joint seminars and collaborative research. “This agreement is significant in that it will combine the strengths of the two univ

Korea will not reverse its demographic decline simply by spending more on policy measures, according to Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation. The deeper problem, he argues, is a transformation in how Koreans view marriage, parenthood and their obligations to one another. "The family unit is the primary and the most important cultural expression of Korea," Moon said in a recent interview with The Korea Times in Seoul. "The very civilization itself is now under threat because Korea had abandoned the institution that was most important to this nation." For Moon, framing the fertility crisis primarily as an economic problem misses what he sees as a more fundamental shift in values. He believes the answer lies in reviving elements of Korea's traditional family culture. The traditional Korean extended family has been characterized by strong intergenerational ties, norms of filial responsibility, respect for older family members and a high degree of mutual support across generations. Moon argues that the weakening of these structures has contributed to pro

Korea's traditional extended-family culture could help address the country's low birthrate and deepening population crisis, according to experts and civil society leaders at the 2026 Global Family Forum in Seoul. The forum, hosted by the Federation for Korean Families, was held at the Textile Center in Seoul, Sept. 19. Held under the theme, "The Population and Family Crisis and the Value of Korean Family Culture: Transitioning toward a Family-Friendly Society and Ensuring Sustainability for Future Generations," the forum drew some 600 participants, including representatives from 180 member and partner organizations, academics, experts, civil society groups and policymakers. Participants said financial support alone would not be enough to tackle Korea's low birthrate. Alongside expanded housing and child care support, the country needs a social and cultural environment in which marriage, childbirth and family formation are viewed more positively, they added. Korea's total fertility rate rose for the second consecutive year to 0.80 in 2025, though it remains among the lowest in the OECD. F

An undetonated land mine was spotted at the site of last week's explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), according to military sources Monday, citing initial statements from soldiers involved in the blast. The statement was obtained as the military is working to determine the exact cause of last Monday's blast that occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas. Two South Korean soldiers were severely wounded, with a third sustaining minor injuries. The incident, which involved two separate explosions, is suspected of having been triggered by North Korean land mines. It is too early to verify the statements regarding the additional land mine, including whether it belongs to North Korean forces, as the military investigation team was unable to reach the blast site during an operation Sunday, sources familiar with the probe said. As the on-site investigation continues, retrieving the unexploded mine will be crucial to gathering evidence and making progress in the probe. On Monday, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said it received t

LG Chem signed an agreement with Volkswagen Group to jointly develop next-generation and eco-friendly materials for vehicles, the Korean chemical maker said Monday. The memorandum of understanding (MOU), a nonbinding agreement, was signed recently at the LG Twin Towers in Seoul's Yeouido financial district. Stefan Gramse, a Volkswagen Group executive vice president in charge of exterior parts procurement, and LG Chem executives from its petrochemicals business attended the signing. Under the deal, the two companies will use LG Chem's acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and engineering plastics to make vehicles lighter, improve performance and develop new plastics and composite materials. Both are high-performance plastics known for impact strength, durability and ease of processing, and are widely used in home appliance casings and car interiors and exteriors. Volkswagen will also consider wider use of LG Chem's post-consumer recycled plastics, made from products discarded by consumers, as well as lower-cost materials for the interiors and exteriors of its major car brands. The companies agr

Samsung Biologics showcased manufacturing technologies designed to accelerate biopharmaceutical development and improve product quality at BioProcess International (BPI) 2026 in Boston, highlighting efforts to streamline complex drug production. The company said Monday it participated in BPI from Sept. 22-25, drawing more than 3,000 biopharmaceutical professionals from around the world. Samsung Biologics, which has attended BPI for nine consecutive years, operated its own booth featuring capabilities spanning contract research, development and manufacturing, along with Samsung Organoids, differentiated contract development and manufacturing services and production for multiple modalities. During a presentation Wednesday, the company's antibody purification process development team outlined an integrated chemistry, manufacturing and controls strategy for bispecific and multispecific antibodies. The team said molecule-specific process development reduced a development timeline from 13 months to 9.5 months while maintaining high quality. Scientific posters presented during the conference als

Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. (AKTC) has produced its first bulk bag of salable tungsten concentrate produced at its Sangdong mine in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, ready for shipment, marking a key step toward commercial production. The Korean subsidiary of New York-based Almonty Industries said Monday that the production of 1 ton of minerals came after the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. issued a mining facility inspection certificate for the mine’s processing plant and crushing facilities on Sept. 17. The state-run company under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources inspected the facilities on Sept. 14 and found the plant and facilities compliant. The certification has formally opened doors for AKTC to operate the facilities and process ores mined at Sangdong into tungsten concentrate for domestic supply and export. Production involves crushing, grinding and flotation to separate tungsten-bearing material from the ores. AKTC said it will gradually increase output and begin supplying customers in Korea and overseas after the production process stabili

Mobile platform giant Kakao Group named Kakao Investment CEO Kim Do-young as co-chair of the group’s control tower, ahead of the planned spin-off of its flagship unit Kakao Corp. Kakao Group said Monday that its CEOs agreed to appoint Kim as co-chair of the Corporate Alignment (CA) Council. Kim will lead the council alongside existing CA Council Chair Chung Shin-a, who is also CEO of Kakao Corp. The group said the appointment is intended to ensure continuity in key decision-making and enhance organizational stability ahead of the spin-off. Kim and Chung will jointly oversee major decisions until the split, while strengthening group-wide coordination and execution. Kim is an investment specialist who built his career as an investment banking director at Samsung Securities. Before joining Kakao Group, he served as chief financial officer of Kolon Mobility Group from 2022 to 2025. The appointment is in line with the proposed spin-off of Kakao Corp. Under the plan, the company will be split into Kakao AI, which will oversee flagship messenger KakaoTalk, artificial intelligence (AI), advert

Samsung Electronics said Monday it will expand its artificial intelligence (AI) subscription services by offering more personalized options tailored to individual customers. The service, launched two years ago, has generated nearly 1 trillion won ($734 million) in cumulative sales, excluding mobile products, the Korean tech giant said. "Samsung AI subscription with Blue Pass is approaching 1 trillion won in sales just one year after its launch, thanks to the love and support of our customers," Im Sung-taek, executive vice president who heads Korea's sales team, told reporters. The latest revamp focuses on strengthening personalized customer care. Samsung has added two new options to its "Blue Pass" service, which provides expert support ranging from product installation to after-sales service. Based on the service's growth, Samsung said it plans to expand subscription options based on customers' life stages, product-management needs and budgets. The company cited the rapid growth of the domestic subscription market as a key factor behind the expansion. According to Samsung, 94.8 percent of

Hanwha Solutions is strengthening its business foothold in China’s extra-high-voltage transmission and offshore wind markets, as part of efforts to accelerate the expansion of its global high-value-added cable materials business. Hanwha Solutions’ Wire & Cable Division participated in Wire China 2026, an international wire and cable exhibition held in Shanghai from Sept. 21-24, and showcased next-generation technologies including extra-high-voltage cable materials and circular solutions. Under the theme of “Best Quality, Better Planet,” Hanwha Solutions presented its high-performance cable materials technologies and sustainable circular solutions. In particular, Hanwha Solutions exhibited a cable model incorporating next-generation 500-kilovolt class super extra-high voltage cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and semi-conductive materials, demonstrating its insulation reliability and materials technology for extra-high-voltage power transmission environments. Hanwha Solutions also unveiled its Closed Loop solution for circular XLPE, powered by its proprietary decrosslinking technol

South Korea will take corresponding measures if last week’s explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is confirmed to originate from a land mine placed recently by North Korea, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Monday. “Appropriate and corresponding measures will be necessary and we will take them,” Kang told reporters after meeting main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok at the National Assembly. His remarks came as the accounts given by troops raised the possibility that a North Korean anti-personnel mine was present near the blast site, although the military said neither the type of mine involved nor who planted it had been established. Brig. Gen. Hwang Ju-bong, director of Operations Division 1 at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said at a regular defense ministry briefing on Monday that some soldiers reported seeing a wooden box that could have housed an explosive device near the blast site, although others described it differently. “There was testimony that its shape resembled a wooden box mine but that the material appeared to be plastic,” Hwan

A senior police officer on Monday downplayed concerns that the police would be given excessive authority due to the planned prosecution reform, citing the establishment of a new investigative body. Hong Seok-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation, addressed the concerns stemming from the recent revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which will strip the prosecution of its investigative powers. "With the creation of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, the scope of investigations solely conducted by the police will in fact become smaller," Hong told reporters in a regular briefing. Under the planned reform set to take effect Friday, the new agency will handle investigations in seven categories of major crimes, including corruption and those against state security. The broader reform, however, has still raised concerns over reduced oversight of police investigations as the prosecution will lose its power to carry out supplementary investigations. Hong acknowledged the increased police responsibility, pledging to cooperate with requests for supplementary investigations. "Police

Violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act fell to the lowest level last year since the law went into effect 10 years ago, officials said Monday. The act stipulates the price caps on gifts and meals that public servants can be treated, among other things. Since the law took effect, violations steadily increased and peaked at 4,386 cases in 2018 before declining through 2021. Since then, annual totals had fluctuated before reaching a record low of 1,280 cases last year, according to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. A cumulative total of 17,455 cases of violations have been reported and 2,983 people have been punished. The commission said it conducted a survey in June about the act and 87.1 percent responded positively about its effectiveness. But 61.4 percent of the respondents also said that the law should be enforced more strictly, officials said. "It is encouraging that the number of violations and penalized individuals are on a downward trend as it shows that the system is operating stably across public institutions," said Jung Il-yeon, chairman of the commis