Bigger than Busan? US considers China’s ‘bigger deal’ on trade as Xi summit nears

South China Morning Post - Sep 23, 2026

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that Washington is ready to sign on to China’s proposal of a “bigger deal” on trade or extend last year’s Busan trade agreement, hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to arrive for a state visit. Bessent made the remarks after an unscheduled meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng at the World Bank headquarters, following their earlier engagement on Sunday at JPMorgan’s offices in New York. “The Chinese on Sunday came up with...

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Leaders of Korea, Australia agree to boost cooperation for stable energy supply

Leaders of Korea, Australia agree to boost cooperation for stable energy supply

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday and agreed to cooperate closely to build stable regional energy supply chains. The two leaders reached the agreement during the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. The two leaders had a frank exchange of views on bilateral ties, energy supply chains, cooperation in the defense industry, as well as the international security situation, Seong said. They, in particular, reaffirmed that South Korea and Australia are key partners that rely on each other for energy resources such as liquefied natural gas and petroleum products as the countries jointly respond to the energy crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. "Additionally, they resolved to cooperate closely to build stable and resilient regional supply chains," Seong said. Albanese described South Korea as a trustworthy partner in the critical minerals and clean energy sectors, say

ONEUS sidesteps '7-year curse,' full lineup returns for 12th EP

ONEUS sidesteps '7-year curse,' full lineup returns for 12th EP

For K-pop groups, the seventh year is supposedly cursed. Standard exclusive contracts usually are set to expire around that point, and members start weighing solo careers, new agencies or leaving the industry altogether. For boy band ONEUS, members say that reckoning never really arrived, and agreeing to stay together took far less discussion than deciding where to do it. The five-member boy group — Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong and Xion — will release its 12th EP, "FIRST LIGHT: 井," at 6 p.m., Wednesday. It is the group's first release as a full lineup since Seoho was discharged from mandatory military service in August, and their first album since all five moved together to B-Wave Entertainment earlier this year. ONEUS debuted under RBW in January 2019 and parted ways with the agency when their contracts ended in February. At the members' request, B-Wave acquired the ONEUS-related intellectual property from RBW, which allowed the five to carry on under the same name. "There weren't really any difficulties," Keonhee said during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Monday.

N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend UN General Assembly

N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend UN General Assembly

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong has departed for New York to attend the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly, state media reported Wednesday. A North Korean delegation, led by Kim, left Pyongyang on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing details of his itinerary. Kim is set to take the floor Monday, the closing day of the General Debate, the annual high-level session where U.N. member states lay out their positions on major international issues. During last year's session, he used his address to reiterate Pyongyang's stance that it will never abandon its nuclear weapons. Following the failed 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang had not sent any minister-level officials for six years. North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song served as its representative instead. Previously, former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong attended the U.N. General Assembly from 2014-2015 and his successor, Ri Yong-ho, participated from 2016 to 2018.

Lee, UN chief Guterres discuss Korean Peninsula issues, S. Korea-UN cooperation

Lee, UN chief Guterres discuss Korean Peninsula issues, S. Korea-UN cooperation

NEW YORK — President Lee Jae Myung met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday and discussed cooperation between South Korea and the world body, as well as issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Lee's attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, marking their third in-person meeting since Lee took office in June last year. During the meeting, Lee highlighted his administration's efforts to build peaceful and mutually developmental coexistence between the two Koreas under the vision that building peace without the need to fight is the path toward the most secure peace, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. Lee also said he expects close communication and cooperation with the United Nations in pursuing the vision. Guterres expressed "active support" for Seoul's overall diplomatic policy, including its policy of building peace on the peninsula, pledging to play a possible role in helping bring the vision to fruition, Seong said. The U.N. chief also hailed the constructive role Ko

Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume US-N. Korea dialogue

Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume US-N. Korea dialogue

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his envisioned role as a "pacemaker" in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging efforts to help swiftly resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea. The South Korean president made the pledge in his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while inter-Korean relations remain at a standstill. "I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. can resume without delay," Lee said. "We will lay the groundwork for this (U.S.-North Korea dialogue) to develop into a dialogue between the related parties to end the war on the Korean Peninsula and transition into a peace regime." The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. "Fortunately, President Trump's resolve has recently created a hard-won opportunity for change," Lee said, referring to Trump's repeated expressions of interest in dialogue

Sungkyunkwan University, KIST researchers develop innovative anticancer platform

Sungkyunkwan University, KIST researchers develop innovative anticancer platform

A Sungkyunkwan University research team has developed an innovative cancer treatment platform in collaboration with researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Sungkyunkwan University said the platform is designed to simultaneously identify cancer cells and the surrounding cells that support them and block communication between the two at its source by suppressing the production of extracellular vesicles. The team was led by professor Yang Yoo-soo of the university’s department of integrative biotechnology. It collaborated with a KIST research team headed by Dr. Shim Man-kyu. Cancer does not grow through the efforts of cancer cells alone. Surrounding the cancer cells are cancer-associated fibroblasts and various immune cells that act like collaborators, forming a complex community known as the tumor microenvironment. These cells communicate with one another by exchanging tiny packages called extracellular vesicles, which carry signaling molecules between cells. Through this exchange, cancer cells gain advantages that promote their growth and spread to other orga

Seoul yet to decide on joint Olympic bid with North Jeolla

Seoul yet to decide on joint Olympic bid with North Jeolla

With North Jeolla Province pushing to co-host the 2036 Summer Olympics with Seoul, the capital city's government remains hesitant to respond to the proposal, following its own elimination from the domestic selection process. North Jeolla Province officials said the provincial government submitted a joint hosting proposal to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is currently awaiting a response. Insiders, however, say it would be challenging for the two governments to iron out the details of the co-hosting arrangement as both would want to hold the major events, including the opening ceremony. “They will find it hard to narrow their differences because both sides would want the key events ... Seoul had already lost the initial domestic bid to North Jeolla Province. While Seoul would readily host the event on its own, a joint bid is a completely different matter, as it involves significant taxpayer money,” a government official familiar with the matter told The Korea Times. It has been reported that the metropolitan government told the province that under a joint bid, the capital would

[COVER STORY] North Jeolla Province's 2036 Olympic bid falters as it seeks to co-host with Seoul

[COVER STORY] North Jeolla Province's 2036 Olympic bid falters as it seeks to co-host with Seoul

North Jeolla Province has approached Seoul about joining its bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics as a co-host, fueling speculation that the province's bid for the provincial city, Jeonju, to host the games is losing momentum amid concerns about a lack of necessary infrastructure. Although the provincial government says it is not giving up its bid to host the Games on its own but is adopting a strategy to increase its chances of being selected, the co-hosting offer shows it is facing a growing burden over its lack of necessary facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has since postponed its review of the province's plan for the event hosting. Provincial government officials said North Jeolla Gov. Lee Won-taeg recently met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to discuss co-hosting the upcoming Olympics. “The governor met with Seoul officials to discuss the broader framework for a joint bid, and we are currently awaiting Seoul’s official response. At the working level, we have formally requested that they submit their proposal on the co-hosting arrangement, and working-level officia

Trump reaffirms commitment to dialogue with N. Korea during summit with Lee: Seoul

Trump reaffirms commitment to dialogue with N. Korea during summit with Lee: Seoul

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held summit talks Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed a number of pending issues, a South Korean official said. The 30-minute summit included discussions on Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean troops from Washington, as well as cooperation in shipbuilding, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters. This marks the third summit between Lee and Trump and reportedly the first time the envisioned wartime OPCON transfer has been discussed at the summit level. Tuesday's summit reportedly took place while Lee was attending a reception in New York hosted by Trump. During the summit, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue with North Korea, and the two leaders welcomed progress in bilateral strategic projects, Wi said. The leaders also resolved to communicate closely to help promote the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the Unit

N. Korea's vice defense minister departs for Vietnam amid deepening ties

N. Korea's vice defense minister departs for Vietnam amid deepening ties

North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung has departed for Vietnam, state media reported Wednesday, amid deepening cooperation between the two nations. A delegation, led by Ryo, left Pyongyang the previous day, seen off by defense ministry officials, Vietnam's ambassador to North Korea and the embassy's defense attache, the Korean Central News Agency said. The report gave no details on the delegation's itinerary or the purpose of the trip. The visit comes as Pyongyang and Hanoi have stepped up efforts to deepen bilateral relations. Early this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening mutual ties in a letter to President To Lam, marking Vietnam's 81st founding anniversary. The two countries have been moving steadily closer since the October summit. Lam's visit at that time marked the first by a top Vietnamese leader to North Korea in 18 years. In May, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung visited the North for talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui. The following month, the two countries' security ministers held talks in Pyongy

HYBE takes K-pop cinema festival worldwide across 50 countries

HYBE takes K-pop cinema festival worldwide across 50 countries

K-pop’s entertainment juggernaut is redefining what it means to go to the movies. HYBE, the agency behind BTS, announced Wednesday an ambitious expansion of its cinema franchise, bringing live concert broadcasts and exclusive feature films to more than 1,100 movie theaters across roughly 50 countries next month. The weeklong event, dubbed HYBE CINE FEST 2026, represents the company’s most aggressive effort yet to transform traditional cinema screens into interactive, communal gathering spaces for a global fandom. Organized in partnership with event cinema distributor Trafalgar Releasing, the festival will run from Oct. 24-31. In Korea, the event will screen exclusively at Lotte Cinema, while Japanese distributor Avex Pictures will oversee a tailored rollout in Japan. What began in 2024 as a localized initiative in Latin America — drawing 260,000 attendees — expanded to Asia last year, attracting roughly 320,000 moviegoers. This year’s edition marks its transition into a truly worldwide affair, featuring six distinct theatrical programs. Highlights include never-before-seen conc

Seventeen's new unit of Jeonghan, Joshua to debut with 'Dreamscape'

Seventeen's new unit of Jeonghan, Joshua to debut with 'Dreamscape'

K-pop boy group Seventeen's vocalists Jeonghan and Joshua will launch the group's new unit with their first EP, "Dreamscape," next month, the group's agency said Wednesday. Pledis Entertainment said "Dreamscape," set for release Oct. 19, portrays a "dreamlike realm" in which two notions of dreaming — unconscious fantasies that surface during sleep and the ideals people pursue in waking life — endlessly intertwine and collide. "On the new release, Jeonghan and Joshua become dreamers, offering an audio-visual rapture through the unfamiliar beauty they discover at the point where the boundaries of the two dreams dissolve," Pledis said in a release.

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