Chances of Trump-Kim meeting at APEC grow slim

The Korea Times - Nov 12, 2026

A summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears unlikely at next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Shenzhen, China, a Cheong Wa Dae official and security analysts said Thursday, despite Trump’s earlier talk of a potential meeting. The assessment comes as the Republican Party’s sweeping losses in the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections have weakened Trump’s momentum for unconventional diplomatic initiatives such as a meeting with Kim. Pressing international issues are also expected to dominate any talks involving the U.S. on the sidelines of APEC, including a possible one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and three-way talks that would also involve Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We see little possibility of North Korea participating in multilateral events on occasions such as APEC, and little possibility of U.S.-North Korea contact taking place on that occasion,” the Cheong Wa Dae official said during a press briefing. While acknowledging uncertainties, the official said, “the chances of contact

Read full article

More News

Joint research team develops new method to produce high-efficiency perovskite LEDs

Joint research team develops new method to produce high-efficiency perovskite LEDs

A joint research team from Kookmin University, Sungkyunkwan University and Hanyang University has developed highly efficient perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) without the need for a separate post-synthetic ligand-exchange process. The findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials, an international journal in the field of materials science, under the title “Direct Integration of Conductive, Emissive Perovskite Nanocrystals into Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes Without Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange.” The team was led by Kim Young-hoon, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Kookmin University; Lee Bo-ram, a professor in the Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University; and Lee Tae-kyung, a professor in the Department of Organic and Nano Engineering at Hanyang University. The three professors served as co-corresponding authors of the collaborative study. Lee Yu-bin, who has completed her master’s coursework at Kookmin University, also participated as a co-first author alongside Kim Ji-geon, a researcher at the university,

Korean composer Lee Hanurij wins top award at Geneva Competition

Korean composer Lee Hanurij wins top award at Geneva Competition

Korean composer Lee Hanurij has won first prize in the composition category of the prestigious Geneva Competition. The 20-year-old clinched the top prize with his work "Stuff #1" at the final round of the music competition held in Geneva on Wednesday, according to the competition's website. Lee also swept all six special prizes, including the Audience Prize, the Young Audience Prize and the Student Prize. He called the win a "big honor" and thanked the jury, noting how the Geneva Competition is special as it provides a favorable environment for composers to advance their work. Currently studying at the Korea National University of Arts, Lee studied composing at an academy for music prodigies affiliated with the Seoul Arts Center at the age of 10. In 2024, he won first prize in the composition category of the Bartok World Competition, and his work has since been performed in numerous classical music festivals. The Geneva Competition is a prestigious music contest established in 1939. The composition competition is held every two years.

Women flock to Seoul's Namdaemun Market for viral 'Scarf Man'

Women flock to Seoul's Namdaemun Market for viral 'Scarf Man'

“Take a few. I can come back again.” “Oh, thank you, sis. Bless you.” At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, middle-aged women gathered outside Hanyangsa, a scarf shop at Namdaemun Market in central Seoul, were sharing scarves with one another. The shop had already closed for the day, but women who had purchased scarves earlier were handing them to those leaving empty-handed. Some visitors had traveled by train from cities such as Daegu and Daejeon. Namdaemun Market has been swept up in the craze for the “Scarf Man.” A merchant identified only as A, who sells scarves at the market, has become an online sensation for his witty banter on social media, drawing huge crowds eager to see him in person. At 1 p.m. that day, the real-time population indicator for the Namdaemun Market area stood at approximately 25,000, classified as severely crowded. When A emerged from his shop after closing, a barrage of smartphone camera flashes greeted him. He made his way through the crowd with help from privately hired security guards. His appeal lies in his down-to-earth personality and gruff, humorous way of

Seoul to spend $14 mil. to turn Mount Nam into eco-tourism hub by 2031

Seoul to spend $14 mil. to turn Mount Nam into eco-tourism hub by 2031

Seoul will spend 19.2 billion won ($14.2 million) through 2031 to restore forests on Mount Nam and build new attractions there, including a 360-degree observatory at the summit, the city government said Thursday. Located in central Seoul, Mount Nam is one of the capital city’s best-known landmarks. The city formally announced an urban regeneration plan for Mount Nam and nearby areas, including the Myeong-dong shopping district and Yejang Park, on Thursday. The plan covers about 3.11 million square meters and has 15 projects in four areas. Eight of them are early-stage projects meant to spur further development with the allotted funding. A key part of the plan is a gondola that will run about 832 meters from Yejang Park, near Myeongdong Station, to the summit. It is designed to carry more than 1,600 passengers an hour, over three times as many as the existing cable car. The city said the gondola will make the summit easier to reach for wheelchair users and others with limited mobility. Its operating profits will go toward restoring the mountain’s ecosystem. Construction of the gondola

Red Velvet member Joy embraces Crush's dog in surprise duet

Red Velvet member Joy embraces Crush's dog in surprise duet

Singer Crush has drawn attention after releasing a surprise duet video featuring his girlfriend, Red Velvet member Joy, who he has been publicly dating. On Wednesday, Crush uploaded a live performance video of the two singing his song "Creak" on his social media accounts and YouTube channel. "Creak" is a new single Crush released last month, featuring singer IU. In the newly released video, Joy, Crush's real-life girlfriend, joins him as his duet partner, drawing attention for the natural harmony between their distinctive voices. Although their faces are not shown in the video, their sweet vocals and effortless chemistry have delighted viewers. Joy, in particular, can be seen singing while cradling Crush's pet dog, Duyu, offering a glimpse of the couple's affectionate dynamic after years together. Crush and Joy reportedly first crossed paths in May 2020 through "Mayday," the lead single from the first installment of Crush's Homemade series. They confirmed their relationship in August 2021. Meanwhile, Crush released his digital single "Creak" on Oct. 21. Joy recently returned to acting aft

K-pop boy band CORTIS racks up 1.5 bil. Spotify streams

K-pop boy band CORTIS racks up 1.5 bil. Spotify streams

K-pop boy band CORTIS has accumulated 1.5 billion streams on Spotify since its debut, the group's agency said Thursday. As of Tuesday, the number of Spotify streams for the group's songs had totaled nearly 1.6 billion, with about 1.2 billion coming from this year, according to BigHit Music. Among the songs, "RedRed" released in April has accumulated some 276 million streams. BigHit said among K-pop boy bands that made their debuts in the past five years, Cortis topped 1.5 billion streams in the shortest time. "The milestone comes just 15 months after their debut and reaffirms its presence as a group that has reshaped the K-pop landscape," the company said.

Lee says Korean capital market undervalued; urges measures to boost competitiveness

Lee says Korean capital market undervalued; urges measures to boost competitiveness

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that Korea's capital market remains undervalued, calling for measures to boost its global competitiveness and attract long-term investments. The president made the remarks at a meeting with his key aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, as Korea's stock market has experienced significant volatility in recent months. After reaching an all-time closing high of 9,114.55 points in late June, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 5,342.73 points on Thursday, leaving many investors on edge. The president said the country's capital market has been significantly affected by recent external uncertainties. Given the country's economic fundamentals and corporate competitiveness, Korea's capital market "is an attractive investment destination that still remains undervalued," Lee told the meeting. He said government efforts should be focused on creating an environment in which the capital market receives its fair valuation, allowing its sound development to translate into increased household wealth and improved livelihoods for the public. The

Police seek arrest warrant for father in killing of alleged victim in son's statutory rape case

Police seek arrest warrant for father in killing of alleged victim in son's statutory rape case

Police sought an arrest warrant Thursday for a 59-year-old man, surnamed Jin, suspected of killing a 15-year-old girl who was the alleged victim in a statutory rape case involving his son, as investigators continued efforts to establish the motive. The Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul requested the warrant on suspicion of murder. Jin was taken into emergency custody at around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday after allegedly stabbing the girl to death at a shared accommodation property in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul. It remains unclear what motivated him to kill her. Police will bring in a criminal profiler to help determine his motive and seek forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service. His son, 20, has been under investigation on suspicion of statutory rape involving the victim in January. Under Korean law, sexual intercourse between a person aged 19 or older and a minor aged 13 to 15 constitutes statutory rape, regardless of whether the minor consented. According to police, Jin purchased a knife and charcoal briquettes at two separate stores in Incheon earlier Tuesday. Three empty s

Special counsel raids NEC over fabricated document on security check

Special counsel raids NEC over fabricated document on security check

Investigators raided the National Election Commission (NEC) on Thursday over suspicions the election watchdog falsified an official document to exaggerate the security of its computer servers, a special counsel team said. Twenty-five personnel, including two prosecutors, were sent to the NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, and two contractors to execute a search and seizure warrant on related charges, according to the team led by independent counsel Lee Tae-han. The allegation dates back to 2023, when a joint security check involving the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) found the NEC had exaggerated the results of its own security inspection amid concerns over the vulnerability of its computer servers to cyberattacks. The NEC had reported a perfect score of 100 the previous year, but a reassessment by the NIS and KISA produced a score of only 31.5. The search was the latest in a series of raids launched by the special counsel team in recent weeks as it seeks to get to the bottom of various suspicions surrounding the NEC, m

Ministry defends revision of military academy plan as efforts to increase public's acceptance

Ministry defends revision of military academy plan as efforts to increase public's acceptance

The defense ministry said Thursday that a proposed revision to its original plan to merge the Army, Air Force and Navy academies into a unified institution is part of a process to increase public acceptance of the plan and its "completeness." The ministry recently briefed the National Assembly on the revised plan that calls for creating a joint military academy in the central city of Daejeon while retaining the academies of the Navy and Air Force in the southern county of Jinhae and the central city of Cheongju, respectively, and relocating the Army academy to the central Chungcheong region. It initially sought to consolidate the three academies into a unified school to strengthen inter-service cooperation and improve the efficiency of cadet education — a plan that drew opposition from academy alumni, opposition lawmakers, and residents of Jinhae and Cheongju. "(The revision) is part of a process to increase public acceptance of the policy and its completeness," Chung Binna, the ministry's spokesperson, said during a press briefing. "We will explain the revised plan once it is finalize

ATEEZ enjoy newfound fame in Korea after 'BAD' success: 'People recognize us now'

ATEEZ enjoy newfound fame in Korea after 'BAD' success: 'People recognize us now'

K-pop boy group ATEEZ, already a major force on the global music scene, is enjoying a new level of recognition at home following the success of its hit song "BAD" — with members saying even everyday encounters have changed, from receiving extra freebies at shops to being recognized without having to introduce themselves. The eight-member group — Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — held a press conference Thursday at Novotel Ambassador in Gangnam, southern Seoul, ahead of the release of its 15th mini-album, "GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6." The album marks ATEEZ's first comeback since "BAD" became a sensation, helping the group expand its popularity among the general public in Korea after years of building a strong international fan base. ATEEZ has long enjoyed considerable success overseas. Since entering the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time with its eighth mini-album in 2022, the group has placed nine consecutive albums in the chart's top 10 through its 14th mini-album. Despite that success, gaining widespread recognition among t

Yeo Jin-goo surprises fans with bulked-up physique in military uniform

Yeo Jin-goo surprises fans with bulked-up physique in military uniform

Actor Yeo Jin-goo has made a rare public appearance nearly 11 months after enlisting in the military, drawing attention with his noticeably more muscular physique. On Wednesday, photos of Yeo during his military service surfaced on online communities after U.S. Judge Kirsten Brunson shared them on LinkedIn. Brunson said she attended the 26th Korean Military English Speaking Competition as a judge at Camp Humphreys, a major U.S. military installation in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. She also met Yeo, who served as the event's host, and shared her excitement as a fan of the actor. She said she really liked him in the dramas “The Crowned Clown” and “Hotel Del Luna.” The photos show Yeo wearing a military uniform and combat cap while serving as a member of KATUSA, or Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, a program in which Korean soldiers serve alongside U.S. military personnel. Yeo drew attention for his broader shoulders and noticeably bulked-up physique compared with his appearance before enlistment. He also appeared in good spirits, flashing a bright smile and making a fi

Recommended

Asia Viral News

Asia Viral News features the latest and most trending news from Asia. Get ready to immerse yourself in the daily engaging topics with share-worthy news only in Asia Viral News.

ABOUT US
Newsletter

Copyright © 2015 - 2026 Asia Viral News. All Rights Reserved.