Beijing says US, China to pursue military crisis-communication pact

South China Morning Post - Sep 26, 2026

China and the United States have agreed to pursue a new military crisis-communication pact following the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to Beijing, potentially giving commanders another mechanism for managing dangerous encounters across the Indo-Pacific. China’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that the two militaries had agreed to conclude a memorandum of understanding on “crisis communication and prevention” as soon as possible. The South China Morning Post exclusively...

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Chipotle's Seoul store uses long-grain rice developed by Sejong University professor

Chipotle's Seoul store uses long-grain rice developed by Sejong University professor

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Undercover investigations by police into digital sex crimes more than triple this year

Undercover investigations by police into digital sex crimes more than triple this year

The number of undercover investigations conducted by the police has more than tripled this year from a year earlier, data showed Sunday, as Korea continues to grapple with digital sex crimes, often involving deepfake technology. The National Office of Investigation under the Korean National Police Agency said it carried out 598 undercover investigations from January to August this year, compared with 179 cases during the same period last year. The police first introduced such undercover investigations in 2021 following the "Nth room" case, in which underage girls were coerced into obscene acts in front of cameras and the footage was shared in paid online chatrooms. Since adopting the measure, the police have conducted 1,503 undercover investigations through the end of August, apprehended 2,873 suspects and formally arrested 164 of them. In the first eight months of this year, police apprehended 338 suspects through undercover investigations for engaging in conversations with children and adolescents for the purpose of sexual exploitation, six of whom were formally arrested. Police said th

'The Ordinary Jackpot' turns lottery windfall into workplace catharsis, not escape

'The Ordinary Jackpot' turns lottery windfall into workplace catharsis, not escape

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Korea-Japan Festival turns 20 in Tokyo with K-pop makeovers, hanbok

Korea-Japan Festival turns 20 in Tokyo with K-pop makeovers, hanbok

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POW transfer, DMZ blast complicate Lee's peace initiative

POW transfer, DMZ blast complicate Lee's peace initiative

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The Chuseok holiday box office has found its clear winner. Director Hur Jin-ho's historical thriller "The Assassin(s)" held the top spot for four consecutive days since its Sept. 23 release, drawing 432,341 admissions on Saturday alone to garner a total of over 1.3 million, according to data from the Korean Film Council. “The Assassin(s)” has also topped advance ticket sales for eight straight days as of Sunday morning. That streak began well before its theatrical premiere and has not been challenged by any other Chuseok title, including the casino crime sequel "Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub." Opening on the same day, the "Tazza" sequel attracted 663,140 viewers through Saturday to take a distant second place. Starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, "The Assassin(s)" reimagines the investigation into the 1974 shooting that killed first lady Yuk Young-soo. The story follows courageous journalists and detectives who risk their careers and safety to expose the truth behind the attack. Crossing the 1 million admissions milestone just four days after release, the film is on track

S. Korean military, UNC conduct joint probe on DMZ blast site: JCS

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South Korea's military has conducted a joint on-site investigation with the U.N. Command (UNC) into the cause of a suspected mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) last week, with further probes planned, officials said Sunday. A survey team comprising some 40 personnel reached the vicinity of the suspected explosion site inside the DMZ but failed to reach the actual site of the incident, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a text message sent to reporters. The joint probe comes just six days after the explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas, leaving two officers seriously injured. The survey team — comprising South Korean troops, the UNC's Military Armistice Commission and relevant investigative agencies — inspected the area using mine detectors and conducted route-clearance operations in the DMZ from around 9 a.m. until sundown, according to the JCS. However, the team decided to resume the operation at a later date, citing the high risk posed by the possibility of unidentified land mines in the area and the extreme fatigu

Marine Corps commandant leaves for Philippines for talks on military, defense industry cooperation

Marine Corps commandant leaves for Philippines for talks on military, defense industry cooperation

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Hong Kong police hunt for man who stole HK$10,000 from claw machines using key

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Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang touch down in the US under new loan deal

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How Beijing is neutralising Washington’s sanctions machine

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Last week, the president of the United States stood at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly and asked aloud whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly”. Donald Trump then turned to Venezuela’s oil and declared: “To the victor belong the spoils, you’ve all heard that …” He spoke as the Iran war neared its eighth month, a week after the UN Human Rights Council found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the US had committed war crimes. In the same speech,...

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