Lithuania asked Taipei to change name of office before Beijing’s National Day: reports

South China Morning Post - Nov 9, 2026

The government of Lithuania asked Taipei to change the name of a controversial representative office in Vilnius before Beijing’s National Day last month, according to explosive media reports in the tiny Baltic state. The twist comes as Vilnius seeks to restore diplomatic ties with Beijing, which have been frozen since the opening of the office in 2021. Reports in Delfi, a Lithuanian news portal, on Monday said a deputy foreign minister delivered a letter to Taipei’s representatives – including...

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Lee vows to hire more firefighters, expand investment to ensure public safety

Lee vows to hire more firefighters, expand investment to ensure public safety

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday vowed to hire more firefighters and increase investment in strengthening their capabilities to ensure public safety amid diverse disaster risks. Lee made the pledge during a ceremony marking the 64th Day of Firefighting in the central city of Sejong, attended by government officials, firefighters, those who died while on duty and their bereaved families. The president stressed the ongoing climate crisis is increasing the diversity and scale of disasters, likely making them more complicated and difficult for firefighters to combat. "Preparing for and responding to changes a step ahead of time would be the way to protect the people's lives and ensure their safety," Lee said. He pledged to hire more firefighters, strengthen their command system and expand investment to enable them to respond more promptly and systematically to disasters and ensure public safety. Through the investment, the government plans to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and drones to identify risk factors, and undertake dangerous rescue operations while deploying cutting-edge defense

PPP leaders gather outside Cheong Wa Dae to protest special counsel bill

PPP leaders gather outside Cheong Wa Dae to protest special counsel bill

Leaders of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) gathered outside Cheong Wa Dae on Monday to protest the recent passage of a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into alleged fabricated indictments targeting President Lee Jae Myung and others. The PPP leadership held a Supreme Council meeting outside the presidential office, after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea railroaded the bill through a plenary session of the National Assembly on Friday. The legislation calls for appointing an independent counsel to investigate suspicions the prosecution under former President Yoon Suk Yeol fabricated evidence or induced false testimonies to build cases against then opposition leader Lee and others. The PPP has denounced the effort as a pretext to cancel all of Lee's indictments, as his trials have been suspended under an article of the Constitution that exempts a sitting president from criminal prosecution except in cases of insurrection or treason. Lee faces charges of involvement in corrupt development schemes, illegal remittances to North Korea, and the misuse of a govern

Justice minister nominee cautious on withdrawal of indictments against Lee

Justice minister nominee cautious on withdrawal of indictments against Lee

Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol on Monday expressed reservations about nullifying indictments against President Lee Jae Myung following last week's passage of a special counsel bill to investigate allegations of fabricated indictments, including those that currently involve the president. The nominee, who currently serves as head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said the special counsel should focus exclusively on uncovering the truth. He was tapped Friday to become the justice minister, a post that has remained vacant for more than two months since Lee's first justice minister, Jung Sung-ho, resigned in late August. The National Assembly passed the special counsel bill on the same day amid protests from the main opposition People Power Party, which suspects the legislation is aimed at canceling all indictments against the president. "I believe it is appropriate for the special counsel to focus solely on uncovering the truth from now on, while all other matters should be handled in accordance with the law and established principles," the justice minister

Second vice minister of foreign affairs discusses role of diplomacy at HUFS lecture

Second vice minister of foreign affairs discusses role of diplomacy at HUFS lecture

Kim Jin-a, second vice minister of foreign affairs, delivered a lecture on the changing international order and the challenges facing Korean diplomacy at the Seoul campus of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) on Nov. 4. The university said the lecture was part of the 2026 HUFS Special Lecture program, which provides students, alumni and young people in the local community with opportunities to gain insights into the humanities and develop skills for their future careers. The program combines the university’s traditional strengths in diplomacy, international trade and the humanities with emerging issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. In her lecture, titled “Changes in the International Order and Korea’s Diplomatic Choices,” Kim discussed the role and importance of diplomacy in the evolving international environment. She also introduced various programs and initiatives pursued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and shared information to help students broaden their interest in international affairs and explore career opportunities in diplomacy. Kim earned

Germany's Henkel to open chip packaging materials R&D center in Seoul

Germany's Henkel to open chip packaging materials R&D center in Seoul

German adhesives and materials maker Henkel will set up a research center in Seoul to develop packaging materials for artificial intelligence (AI) chips and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday. The city signed a memorandum of understanding with the company at Seoul City Hall on Monday. Under the agreement, Henkel will make 12.1 billion won ($8.9 million) in foreign direct investment in Seoul by 2031 and hire 15 new researchers, including holders of master’s and doctoral degrees. The center, called Henkel Technology Center Korea, will be located in the Gasan Digital Complex, a tech business district in Seoul’s Geumcheon District. It will cover about 5,112 square meters, of which 1,205 square meters will be dedicated to chip packaging materials. The center will bring together Henkel’s existing research operations in Korea and add new research and development on materials for AI chips and HBM, a type of stacked memory chip used in AI servers. Chip packaging is the process of protecting semiconductor chips and connecting them to other components.

Questions arise over constitutionality, conflict of interest in special counsel probe design

Questions arise over constitutionality, conflict of interest in special counsel probe design

A special counsel law passed by the National Assembly on Friday is drawing questions over conflicts of interest and whether its investigative powers are consistent with the government’s prosecution reforms. The legislation calls for an investigation into allegations that prosecutors and other state agencies fabricated evidence or brought politically motivated charges under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Its 12 areas of investigation include cases involving President Lee Jae Myung, including alleged election law violations, involvement in development scandals and illicit money transfers to North Korea. An earlier version of the bill, introduced by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in April, would have allowed the special counsel to take over pending prosecutions and decide whether to maintain them, prompting opposition accusations that it was designed to clear Lee of criminal charges. The DPK came up with a revised version after Lee asked lawmakers in September to remove the provision. But the appointment process remains contentious. Three parties — the DPK, the main oppositi

Seoul adds downtown crosswalks to free pedestrians from underground tunnels

Seoul adds downtown crosswalks to free pedestrians from underground tunnels

Navigating central Seoul on foot is getting easier as the city rolls out street-level crosswalks at major intersections, phasing out the labyrinth of underground passages and lengthy detours long forced upon pedestrians. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it has completed new crosswalk installations at Cheonggye 6-ga and Mugyo-dong intersection, while another is being built near Seoul Station, with opening targeted for the end of November. At Cheonggye 6-ga, the installation ends a nearly 20-year wait for a street-level crossing. Requests for the crosswalk date to 2006 but faced delays over concerns about the impact on underground shopping areas and nearby cultural heritage sites. The city reached an agreement in December 2023 following mediation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, involving the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Seoul Facilities Corp. and three merchants' associations. Construction was completed in October, allowing pedestrians to cross the eight- to 10-lane Jangchungdan-ro without relying exclusively on under

Police chief nominee defends attendance at Cabinet meetings

Police chief nominee defends attendance at Cabinet meetings

Kim Jong-chul, nominee for commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), said Monday that the police chief's attendance at Cabinet meetings is necessary and would not compromise the independence of police investigations and their political neutrality. The KNPA chief, who is not a member of the State Council, had not traditionally attended Cabinet meetings, but Kim has attended the meetings in his capacity as acting KNPA chief under President Lee Jae Myung's administration. Kim Ji-yong, the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, and acting Prosecutor General Lee Jeong-hyun have also attended Cabinet meetings, presided over by Lee, despite opposition criticism that their presence could undermine the political neutrality and independence of their respective agencies. "While I have attended Cabinet meetings on several occasions, not once has any specific case been discussed," the police chief nominee said in written responses to reporters' questions. He said attending Cabinet meetings is necessary to share the direction of state affairs and to facilita

Busan to host world port cities summit next year following Dunkirk

Busan to host world port cities summit next year following Dunkirk

Busan will become the meeting point for port cities around the world next year, taking over from the French city of Dunkirk as host of a major international conference focused on the future of urban waterfronts and maritime industries. Busan Metropolitan City announced Monday that it had officially secured the hosting role for the 22nd World Conference Cities & Ports during the closing ceremony of the 21st conference in Dunkirk on Friday (local time). The 2027 gathering will take place Nov. 2-5 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), bringing together about 1,000 participants from 50 countries, including local government officials, port authorities, industry representatives and experts. At the closing ceremony, Busan Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs Oh Seok-geun introduced the city's development and the growth of Busan Port, which marks its 150th anniversary this year and ranks as the world's second-largest transshipment port. He also outlined major projects, including the redevelopment of North Port and efforts to establish infrastructure for supplying environmentally frie

Korea inspects coastal farms to protect migrant fishing workers

Korea inspects coastal farms to protect migrant fishing workers

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Seoul Station Plaza designated as no-drinking zone

Seoul Station Plaza designated as no-drinking zone

Seoul Station Plaza has been designated as a no-drinking zone starting Monday, officials said, amid concerns and complaints over homeless people drinking and causing discomfort to passersby. Seoul's Jung and Yongsan ward offices, which jointly oversee the area, announced that a total outdoor space of about 20,000 square meters around Seoul Station has been designated as an alcohol-free zone. Violators will be fined 50,000 won ($37) after a grace period ends on Feb. 28, officials said. The plaza has long been considered one of Seoul's main areas where homeless people gather and free meals are offered. Passersby have frequently complained about rowdy behavior by drinkers even during the daytime. During the grace period, local authorities plan to install directional signs and banners around the plaza while conducting on-site promotional campaigns to encourage voluntary public participation. Later Monday, officials from the ward offices, police and the national train operator Korea Railroad Corp. will jointly host a campaign and distribute leaflets to inform citizens of the new policy.

PPP boycotts judiciary committee proceedings over special counsel bill

PPP boycotts judiciary committee proceedings over special counsel bill

People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers on the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Monday announced a boycott of all committee proceedings, including budget reviews, in protest of the recent passage of a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into allegations of fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung and others. Park Hyeung-soo, the committee's vice chair, and other PPP lawmakers made the announcement at a news conference, saying that, as conscientious members of the National Assembly, they could not sit down and conduct budget reviews alongside Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers who had undermined the rule of law by pushing through the special counsel bill. "The DPK pushed through the special counsel bill aimed at dropping charges against the president in just three days after forcibly ending the opposition party's filibuster through a vote. It would violate the constitutional principle of equality before the law if a special counsel were to manufacture grounds for nullifying indictments against the president, enabling him to evade lega

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