Residents near Xiangjiang River battlefields keep history alive
“Please prepare for a brief security check.” As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. The soldier looks to be in his early 20s, but the scene, reminiscent of something from a movie, is enough to make passengers slightly tense. After collecting all the IDs from the roughly 10 passengers, the soldier gets off the bus. “The IDs will be returned when we come back,” the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again. This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to. If you see a chartered bus crossing the line into the Civilian Control Zone and assume that the passengers are taking part in a security tour or academic research, you would be wrong. They are vacationers. They are heading into the forest beyond the Civilian Control Line to relax and recharge — walking on moss, picking up fresh chestnuts and meditating to the sounds of insects and birds. A new opportunity is opening for individuals to visit the Civilian Control Zone for leisure, a place that h
In western Seoul’s vibrant Hongdae neighborhood, a celebration of Filipino music and culture transformed a live music venue into a space where the community felt closer to home. Filipinos across Seoul gathered at Rabbit Hall, the basement live music venue at White Rabbit bistro and wine bar in Mapo District on Sept. 26 for its first Filipino Night. Home to frequent open mics, the stage was set for something a bit different. The show opened with a traditional Mindanaoan dance called “Pangalay,” performed by Filipino artist Nicky Juanite, the brains behind the event, accompanied by Kyle Abraham, a Filipino American dancer and choreographer. “We wanted to bless this space before we start the show,” Juanite said after the opening performance that set the tone for the evening. What followed was a quintessentially Filipino sight — and sound. Performers treated the audience to English and Tagalog karaoke favorites, as well as Korean ballad songs. The audience, as one may expect from a typical karaoke session in the Philippines, sang the lyrics right back with as much volume and soul
Had I not gotten lost in Jamsil one cold December night, I might never have discovered the soul of Seoul. It was the early 1990s, and I decided to be adventurous and find a different way back to my apartment. Somewhere in the maze of Jamsil 2-danji, I got twisted around and ended up on a street I had never taken before. Getting lost there was surprisingly easy. At night, the apartment buildings all looked alike, row after row of concrete towers rising into the darkness. I knew the subway station was somewhere behind me and my apartment somewhere ahead. Beyond that, I was guessing. The December air had a bite to it. I shoved my hands deeper into my coat pockets and kept walking. Then I saw the orange glow. On the side of the street stood a rectangular tent, glowing in the darkness. Light filtered through thick orange plastic, turning it into a giant lantern. Shadows moved behind the vinyl. Every so often, someone lifted a flap, releasing a burst of steam and noise into the cold before ducking inside. I stopped. What was this place? There was no sign or name that I could see, yet people kep
The presidential National Security Office (NSO) has held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's firing of at least one ballistic missile, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The NSO said the North's firing of a ballistic missile is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to immediately stop such provocative action. South Korea's military said the North fired at least one ballistic missile earlier in the day, a day after Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, again rejected blame for the recent mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and mocked Seoul's call to reduce tensions.
North Korea’s continued construction of minefields, fences and barriers along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) is raising questions over whether its border fortification campaign is changing the role of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has served as a military buffer between the two Koreas since the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement. The risks are becoming more apparent as North Korea builds fortifications close to the MDL in areas where Seoul, Pyongyang and the United Nations Command (UNC) do not always agree on the exact location of the line. North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed the MDL during construction work, prompting warning broadcasts and warning shots from the South Korean military. North Korea began clearing land, laying mines and building fences, barriers and tactical roads along the MDL in 2024, after leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states.” The South Korean military expects the project to be completed around 2028. As of August, land-clearing work was about 90 percent complete, while construction of fences and m
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Saturday underscored the power of culture in addressing the common challenges facing humanity, while pledging to build a society where the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) are spread evenly. "With the great power of culture, we should broaden the scope of empathy and solidarity and take the lead in joining hands to share our experiences, technologies and cultural capabilities in addressing the common challenges facing humanity," Han said in a congratulatory speech marking National Foundation Day, which falls on Oct. 3. She said doing so would be a way to realize the founding spirit of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, which calls for broadly benefiting humanity. Han also vowed to push ahead with the government's plan to create an "AI-basic society," while ensuring that the transition does not "isolate anyone." The Lee Jae Myung government has pledged to build an AI-basic society where people can access AI services regardless of their income, age or level of digital literacy, as part of its policy agenda. Meanwhile, Han said the government will al
A wave of account takeover attacks involving artificial intelligence (AI) against major banks is testing their defenses and putting personal cybersecurity in the spotlight. Shinhan Bank disclosed Thursday that the information of about 25,000 people had been leaked. A day later, KB Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank confirmed breaches affecting 119 and 89 people, respectively. Woori Bank and NH NongHyup Bank also reported suspected hacking attempts. The incidents have raised suspicions that AI was used to automate the attacks. Consumers have little control over breaches within companies. But the steps they take afterward can go a long way toward preventing exposed login details from putting their other financial and shopping accounts at risk. Security experts say two measures can substantially reduce the risk of account compromise — using a unique password for each service and enabling multifactor authentication. A key danger following a leak is credential stuffing. This involves using automated software to test usernames and passwords stolen from one platform across numerous others, from banki
For the first time in a decade, China has returned to the top 100 out of 145 economies in an annual global report assessing gender equality. China closed 69.9 per cent of its gender gap in 2025, rising to 96th place from 103rd the previous year and increasing 1.3 percentage points, according to the 2026 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), an international non-profit organisation based in Switzerland. It marks the first time China has been ranked in the top 100...
Hong Kong authorities plan to relax restrictions on indirect advertising for broadcasters amid fierce competition from online and streaming media, the commerce minister has told the South China Morning Post. In a wide-ranging exclusive interview, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah said many broadcast operators had requested to review the Generic Codes of Practice for Television to improve the business environment, and the government had responded. “They’re...
When chemical engineer Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah joined Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 22 years ago, Western institutions dominated the field, from global research infrastructure and high-impact publications to the greatest breakthroughs. Two decades later, the centre of gravity has moved eastward, says Zuhairi, now a professor with the USM school of chemical engineering in Penang. “[Not much was known] about China at that time when I joined the university. I knew that they had quite a number of...
Singapore is doing something about uncivilised behaviour on public buses. The city state has started enforcing new regulations that carry an immediate fine of up to S$500 (US$390) if you put your feet up on seats, play loud audio on your phone or make a nuisance of yourself in other ways such as eating, drinking and littering. This aligns with existing rules governing passenger conduct on Singapore’s MRT railway system. Did you know we have long had similar regulations for Hong Kong’s MTR...
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