China pushes back as US lawmaker seeks blacklist of universities and tech labs

South China Morning Post - Oct 16, 2026

A Republican lawmaker is requesting the Pentagon blacklist 58 Chinese universities and 62 technology labs as national security threats, a move Beijing calls Cold War-style overreach and critics warn could freeze US-China scientific collaboration and ultimately undermine American innovation itself. In a letter to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar urged the Pentagon to add several prestigious Chinese institutions – some linked to Nvidia,...

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Main opposition slams gov't over S. Korea-US gap on OPCON transfer

Main opposition slams gov't over S. Korea-US gap on OPCON transfer

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday criticized the government over what it called apparent differences between South Korea and the United States on the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), calling it a "serious diplomatic blunder." The criticism came after U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said earlier this week that "conditions have changed" and that calls for new standards in the OPCON transfer, citing North Korea's recent missile launches. During a parliamentary audit of military courts on Thursday, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said that the requirements for the OPCON transfer remained unchanged and that Seoul has conveyed its concerns to Washington. "Instead of reviewing the warning, the Lee Jae Myung administration and the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) made a series of intimidating remarks directed at the USFK commander," Rep. Kim Tae-kyu, the PPP's chief floor spokesperson, said in a commentary. Rep. Kim also criticized the defense ministry's spokesperson for saying at an official press briefing that the transfer would never

Ex-lawmaker referred to prosecution over daughter's hiring at university

Ex-lawmaker referred to prosecution over daughter's hiring at university

Former opposition lawmaker Yoo Seong-min and three university officials have been referred to the prosecution for possible indictment over allegations of preferential treatment in the hiring of Yoo's daughter as a professor by Incheon National University (INU), police said Friday. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said Yoo, INU President Lee In-jae and two INU professors were sent to the prosecution without detention on charges of obstruction of business. Lee and the two professors were also charged with violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. The four are suspected of obstructing the university's recruitment process when Yoo's daughter, Yoo Dam, 32, was hired as a faculty member in its trade department in the second semester of last year. Lee and the two professors are also suspected of receiving improper solicitations concerning the hiring of Yoo's daughter, although investigators found no evidence that they had accepted money or valuables, the police said. The police announcement came after an investigation that began in November last year. They also questioned Yoo's d

Korean startup targets 'legal AI music' via copyright tracking

Korean startup targets 'legal AI music' via copyright tracking

More than half of the new tracks uploaded to French streaming service Deezer each day are now made by artificial intelligence (AI). The company said such uploads peaked in June at about 90,000 a day, up from roughly 10,000 in January 2025. The record industry's response is shifting from the courtroom to the negotiating table. Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, which sued AI music generators Suno and Udio in 2024 alongside Sony Music, have since settled with Udio. Warner has also settled with Suno. What the industry still lacks is a way to pay the people whose music feeds these systems. Streaming runs on a simple formula, in which a song is played, counted and paid for, but nothing comparable exists for AI-generated songs that draw on existing ones. For now, platforms are simply keeping fully AI-generated tracks out of royalty payments. These are not distant problems for Korea. K-pop reaches much of its global audience through the same streaming services, and at home, AI-assisted tracks have recently climbed the charts on Melon and YouTube, even though major streaming platforms

Uzbek man in 2009 taxi murder case granted retrial after 16 years

Uzbek man in 2009 taxi murder case granted retrial after 16 years

An Uzbek man who spent more than 16 years behind bars serving a life sentence for robbery-murder and other charges was released Thursday after a court granted him a retrial, citing serious problems with the police investigation that led to his conviction. Bozorov Akmal, 37, walked out of Changwon Prison Thursday evening, after the Changwon District Court suspended the enforcement of his sentence pending a final ruling in the retrial. He tearfully reunited with his father, who was waiting outside the prison. “I have suffered greatly, feeling that I was wrongfully imprisoned. But at the same time, I am truly sorry for the great pain this could cause the victim’s family,” said Akmal. “I will speak truthfully throughout the remaining court proceedings.” The case dates back to March 24, 2009, when a taxi driver in his 50s was found murdered inside a taxi parked in an alley in Myeongseo-dong, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. On July 6 that year, police arrested three people, including Akmal, then 19, in connection with a separate taxi robbery. Police subsequently identified Akma

AI glasses raise cheating fears ahead of CSAT, putting teachers under pressure

AI glasses raise cheating fears ahead of CSAT, putting teachers under pressure

A crackdown on cheating using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses is raising concerns over mounting pressure on teachers tasked with detecting the devices, with the college entrance exam just a month away. The Ministry of Education plans to require exam supervisors to inspect all test takers wearing glasses before each session of this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), or Suneung, as part of efforts to prevent AI-assisted cheating. Under the rules, even possessing smart glasses without using them will be considered cheating. Violators will have their exam results invalidated and be barred from taking Suneung the following year. The tougher measures come amid a series of cheating cases involving AI glasses during recent university entrance exams. On Oct. 10, a student was caught wearing smart glasses during an entrance exam at Yonsei University. Although exam supervisors had checked students before the test began, the student reportedly switched glasses afterward, evading detection until later in the test. A similar case was reported at the University of Seoul on

Koreans wash hands for just 14 seconds after using restroom, only half use soap: survey

Koreans wash hands for just 14 seconds after using restroom, only half use soap: survey

Only about half of Korean adults wash their hands with soap after using the restroom, a survey showed, while the average time spent washing hands fell far short of the recommended 30 seconds. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday announced the findings of its survey on infection prevention practices for the first half of 2026, conducted jointly with the National Medical Center. The survey observed the hand-washing behavior of 4,560 adults at 120 public restrooms nationwide from May 28 to June 30. Exit interviews were also conducted with 1,800 of the participants. The survey found that 86 percent of people washed their hands after using the restroom, up 1.9 percentage points from 84.1 percent last year. The proportion who washed their hands with soap rose 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier to 46.7 percent. Another 39.3 percent washed their hands with water only, while the remaining 14 percent did not wash their hands at all after using the restroom. The amount of time people spent washing their hands was also notably short. The average total hand-washing

Gender minister urges scrapping non-punishment clause for domestic violence

Gender minister urges scrapping non-punishment clause for domestic violence

Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong on Friday called for abolishing a legal provision that bars punishing perpetrators of domestic violence if the victims do not wish punishment. Under the current law, authorities cannot punish domestic violence offenders if victims express opposition to punishment. Critics have said the provision has led offenders to pressure victims to settle cases. "Since the policy briefing in December last year, I have consistently called for abolishing the clause on domestic violence as a crime not punishable against the victim's will," Won said in a YouTube interview. She added that President Lee Jae Myung shares her view. Stalking crimes had previously not been punishable against the victim's will but a legal revision abolished the provision in June 2023.

Lee appoints new vice industry minister, deputy chief of financial watchdog

Lee appoints new vice industry minister, deputy chief of financial watchdog

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed a new vice industry minister and a new deputy chief of the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Park Dong-il, a senior official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, was named vice minister, while Shin Ji-chang, a senior FSC official, was appointed the commission's vice chairman, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. Kang described Park as an industry policy expert with extensive experience in planning and coordinating industrial policies, expressing hope that he would play a role in spearheading the country's push to achieve unrivaled leadership in future strategic industries. The presidential spokesperson portrayed Shin as a career official well versed in the financial and industrial sectors, with expertise in financial programs for low-income people and small merchants, as well as the housing market.

BTS becomes 1st group to top 10 bil. Spotify streams in single year

BTS becomes 1st group to top 10 bil. Spotify streams in single year

K-pop superband BTS has become the first group in the world to accumulate 10 billion streams on Spotify in a single year, the group's label said Friday. While solo acts such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny have achieved the milestone, it marks the first time for a group to top 10 billion streams on Spotify, according to BigHit Music. BTS saw Spotify streams for its songs more than double from 4.5 billion last year, driven by its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," released in March. The album alone has racked up more than 5 billion streams since its release, becoming the most-streamed album on Spotify among albums released this year. "ARIRANG" has attracted major attention for being the first full-group project from the global K-pop sensation in nearly four years, released after all its members completed their mandatory military service and reunited. It surpassed 110 million streams on its release day on March 20. It also became the first album from a group to top the Billboard 200, the main U.S. albums chart, for three consecutive weeks since Mumford & Sons' "Babel" in 2012.

18 Kwangwoon University professors included in World's Top 2% Scientists list

18 Kwangwoon University professors included in World's Top 2% Scientists list

Eighteen professors at Kwangwoon University have been named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists, highlighting the research excellence and international academic influence of the university’s faculty. The World’s Top 2% Scientists list for 2026 was recently released by Stanford University and Elsevier, a global provider of academic information. It evaluates researchers’ scientific impact using data from Elsevier’s Scopus database. The list comprises two categories: Career-long citation impact, which measures a researcher’s cumulative impact throughout their career, and single-year scientific impact, which reflects citation impact in 2025. The 2026 edition uses citation data through the end of last year. Ten Kwangwoon University professors were named in the career-long category. They include Kim Young-hun (chemical engineering), Kim Tae-kyun (mathematics), Park Myun-joo (electronics convergence engineering), Park Jae-yeong (electronic engineering), Park Chul-hwan (chemical engineering), Lee Sang-shin (electronic engineering) and Jang Min (environmental engineering). Fourteen pro

Suspect in Incheon knife attack attends arrest warrant hearing

Suspect in Incheon knife attack attends arrest warrant hearing

A man accused of injuring eight people in a knife attack at a commercial complex in Incheon earlier this week attended an arrest warrant hearing on Friday. The hearing began at 2 p.m. at the Incheon District Court after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for the suspect on charges of attempted murder and carrying weapons in public spaces. The 59-year-old man is suspected of attempting to kill 10 people with knives attached to both of his hands at the shopping complex in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on Tuesday. The attack left eight people injured, including one who remains unconscious after suffering cardiac arrest. The two others escaped unharmed. The suspect reportedly has 10 prior convictions, two of them attempted murder. "I am sorry," the suspect said while walking toward the court for his hearing, noting he has made a serious mistake. According to police, the man has cited his frustration over his medical treatment at a local hospital as the motive for the attack. He had staged a one-man protest in front of the hospital for 2 1/2 months since August. During those protests, the

Sungkyunkwan University brings world-leading scholars into research partnerships

Sungkyunkwan University brings world-leading scholars into research partnerships

Sungkyunkwan University said it has recruited world-renowned scholars in key fields, including medicine, biotechnology, energy and semiconductors, as distinguished professors to lead international collaborative research with its faculty. The scholars include Peter J. Park of Harvard Medical School, Gerbrand Ceder of the University of California, Berkeley, and Konstantin Novoselov, who shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. Harvard University physicist Philip Kim will also participate in the initiative as an international research collaborator. The initiative goes beyond nominal affiliations, enabling researchers and students to work directly with leading scholars on joint research projects. Sungkyunkwan University plans to establish a framework that integrates research collaboration with talent development through joint projects, researcher exchanges, campus visits by the scholars and joint supervision and mentoring of students. “Close collaboration with world-renowned scholars will help Sungkyunkwan University establish itself as a global research hub in cutting-edge fields of science

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