‘Balanced and acceptable’: labour chief defends helper wage rise amid criticism

South China Morning Post - Oct 3, 2026

Hong Kong’s stronger economic performance over the past year was the reason for raising the monthly minimum wage for foreign domestic helpers by 2.35 per cent, the labour minister has said, amid disappointment from both unions and employers’ groups. Defending the government’s decision to raise the monthly minimum wage to HK$5,220 (US$665), Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the government sought to keep the annual adjustment mechanism “balanced and acceptable”. Speaking...

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‘Better than expected’: 73,800 subdivided flats apply for 3-year grace period

‘Better than expected’: 73,800 subdivided flats apply for 3-year grace period

More than 73,000 owners of subdivided flats in Hong Kong have applied for a three-year grace period to meet the government’s minimum standards, a figure the housing chief has described as “better than expected”. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday that authorities received around 73,800 applications during the “early bird” registration phase under the Basic Housing Units Ordinance, which closed on August 31. The tally represented nearly 70 per cent of the city’s estimated...

Restaurant business grows 10% on first 2 days of break as arrivals top 2018 peak

Restaurant business grows 10% on first 2 days of break as arrivals top 2018 peak

Mainland Chinese visitor arrivals in Hong Kong during the first two days of the National Day “golden week” surpassed the pre-pandemic total for the same period in 2018, as a catering sector representative reported a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in restaurant receipts. The tourism chief expressed confidence on Saturday that the city would reach its annual target of 53.8 million visitors earlier than expected. The city recorded 511,311 arrivals from the mainland on Thursday and Friday,...

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

“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

Filipinos turn Hongdae venue into home away from home

Filipinos turn Hongdae venue into home away from home

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

[MORNING CALM TALES] The irresistible appeal of Korea's 'pojangmacha' food tents

[MORNING CALM TALES] The irresistible appeal of Korea's 'pojangmacha' food tents

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

Cheong Wa Dae holds emergency security meeting on N. Korea's missile launch

Cheong Wa Dae holds emergency security meeting on N. Korea's missile launch

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.

[COVER STORY] North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

[COVER STORY] North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

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

PM Han underscores power of culture on National Foundation Day

PM Han underscores power of culture on National Foundation Day

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

8 in 10 draft dodgers violating travel rules go unpunished

8 in 10 draft dodgers violating travel rules go unpunished

More than 8 in 10 South Koreans who remained overseas to dodge military service have gone unpunished over the past five years, data showed Saturday. Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military to help counter threats from North Korea. Draft evasion carries up to five years in prison, but men who remain abroad effectively freeze their criminal cases because the statute of limitations stops while they are overseas, allowing them to dodge prosecution until they age out of mandatory service at 38. The data, obtained by Rep. Min Hong-chul of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) from the Military Manpower Administration, comes as South Korea struggles with a military manpower shortage amid its shrinking population. It showed that 794 of the 929 individuals who violated overseas travel rules related to military service between 2021 and 2025 had their investigations or prosecutions suspended. The number accounted for 85.5 percent of the total over the five-year period. The finding takes on added significance as the country’s armed f

Dispute intensifies over police search of pediatric emergency room

Dispute intensifies over police search of pediatric emergency room

A recent police search of Ajou University Hospital’s pediatric emergency center as part of an investigation into an infant’s death has sparked an uproar among medical groups, warning that police sweeps of emergency rooms obstruct vital treatment when seconds count. Regional medical associations, including one in Daegu, condemned the search Friday, a day after the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine (KSPEM) voiced their objections. Police maintain that they conducted the search under a court-issued warrant. Doctors counter that searching an emergency facility providing round-the-clock care for critically ill patients disrupts treatment and puts further pressure on essential medical services already under strain. The investigation stems from the death of a 4-month-old infant at the hospital in Gyeonggi Province on July 15. The child’s parents lodged a complaint alleging medical negligence about a month later. The infant reportedly developed breathing difficulties and other symptoms during a first outpatient visit to the hospital. The chil

Shark returns to canal a day after 2nd rescue attempt

Shark returns to canal a day after 2nd rescue attempt

A shark trapped in a canal in the southeastern city of Busan has returned to the waterway a day after authorities managed to guide it to near the canal's outlet to the open sea, officials said Saturday. The shark, named "Bukang-i," crossed the 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net installed by a joint rescue team the previous day and returned to the inside of the canal at around noon, according to officials. The rescue team, comprising city and Coast Guard officials, had installed the net as part of a rescue operation to escort the shark out of the canal at Busan's North Port on Friday. However, the net became stuck to the bottom of the canal and the shark showed no intention of moving out, leading the authorities to halt the rescue operation and fixed the net some 100 meters from the canal exit. It marked the second attempt to rescue the shark, after the initial attempt on Tuesday involving only water streams, without the net, failed as the animal repeatedly escaped by swimming behind the boats. Bukang-i — a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" — had attracted

Park Geun-hye releases letter written by her late father amid film controversy

Park Geun-hye releases letter written by her late father amid film controversy

As conservatives criticize the film “The Assassin(s),” which deals with the fatal shooting of first lady Yuk Young-soo, as a distortion of history, Rep. Yoo Young-ha of the People Power Party on Friday released a handwritten letter that former President Park Chung-hee sent to his daughter, former President Park Geun-hye. Yoo held a press conference at the National Assembly and released a copy of the letter, which had been kept by Park Geun-hye. The letter was written on Aug. 17, 1974, two days after Yuk's death. At the time, Park Geun-hye was studying in France. After learning of her mother's death, she returned to Korea via Tokyo, and received the letter from her younger sister, Park Geun-ryeong, while en route. In the letter, Park Chung-hee wrote to his daughter: “The bullet that should have struck your father instead struck your mother and took her away. I think again and again how wonderful it would have been if I had been shot and your mother had survived.” He continued, “Your mother took the bullet meant for me and left me with all the responsibility for you children and

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