Drug maker Rohto plans clinical trials in Hong Kong as OASES’ first Japan partner

South China Morning Post - Nov 2, 2026

Top university research, cross-border data exchanges and access to mainland China’s large market have attracted Japanese firm Rohto Pharmaceutical to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong, making it the first company from the country to partner with the city’s government under a flagship investment initiative. Rohto, known for its over-the-counter eye care and skincare products, is among the latest batch of 18 firms recruited by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), a...

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Relatives from family separated by Korean War meet for 1st time in 3rd country

Relatives from family separated by Korean War meet for 1st time in 3rd country

Two relatives from a family separated by the 1950-53 Korean War met for the first time in a third country in September, marking a rare reunion amid frozen inter-Korean relations. Tensions remain high on the divided Korean Peninsula as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ruled out talks with South Korea and defined inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other." The meeting came five months after South Korea's Unification Ministry received a request from a North Korean member of a separated family seeking help to find a maternal uncle in South Korea. The request was relayed to the ministry by a North Korean defector living in the South. The ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, located the uncle in its database of separated families, only to learn that he had died 30 years earlier. After trying to contact the uncle's adult children using information in the database, a ministry official made contact with a 65-year-old cousin living in Gyeonggi Province near Seoul. The South Korean cousin readily agreed to contact the North Korean relative, saying the cousin's

Overseas trips add to debate over Korea's shifting political standards

Overseas trips add to debate over Korea's shifting political standards

President Lee Jae Myung’s overseas trips have again drawn attention to Korea’s shifting political standards, adding to a familiar cycle of disputes over presidential golf and the presidential plane whenever power passes between conservative and liberal administrations. The controversies center on taxpayer money and the public's attitudes toward presidential privilege, with governing parties defending certain activities as necessary for diplomacy or official duties and the opposition calling them wasteful or excessive — arguments that often switch sides under successive administrations. In the latest controversy, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac on Friday defended the frequency of Lee’s overseas trips accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung. “Korea’s international standing requires its president to attend regular multilateral gatherings and bilateral visits,” Wi said. “Spouses also accompany leaders as an established diplomatic practice.” Wi’s defense followed an Oct. 1 analysis by Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). It counted 14 tri

Sejong University team finds link between retail investor attention, lower stock returns

Sejong University team finds link between retail investor attention, lower stock returns

A research team at Sejong University has found that stocks attracting greater attention from retail investors tend to generate lower returns in subsequent periods. The university said the findings were published last month in the prestigious Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money. The team was led by Lee Eun-mi, a professor at the university’s College of Business and Economics, and included doctoral students Yang Pujian and Yang Liu. The paper, titled “The Retreat of Arbitrage Capital: Attention Level and Nonlinear Order Flow Dynamics,” lists Yang Pujian as the first author, Lee as the corresponding author and Yang Liu as a co-author. The research team examined how retail investor attention affects institutional trading behavior and stock market returns. The researchers analyzed data from China’s A-share market spanning 2012 to 2024 and measured investor attention using the Search Volume Index (SVI) provided by Baidu, China’s leading search engine. The analysis found that stocks attracting greater investor attention tend to generate relatively lower retu

Korea's top diplomat discusses ties with German, Polish counterparts

Korea's top diplomat discusses ties with German, Polish counterparts

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met separately with his German and Polish counterparts on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Atlanta to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, his office said Saturday. Cho met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Friday (U.S. time), expressing hope for deeper ties with the European nation in a wide range of areas, including defense, the economy and cutting-edge industries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In response, Wadephul thanked Seoul's foreign ministry for successfully preparing for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent visit to Korea and expressed hope for expanded cooperation in bilateral trade and investment. Cho also met with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski, and called for continued discussions on cooperation in areas such as defense and batteries as a follow-up to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Korea in April, the ministry said. Sikorski also requested Korea's attention and support for Warsaw's efforts to join the G20, with Cho proposing continued consultations on the matter.

N. Korea tests cluster bomb mountable on tactical ballistic missiles

N. Korea tests cluster bomb mountable on tactical ballistic missiles

North Korea has tested a cluster bomb that can be mounted on tactical ballistic missiles and vowed to field various types of cluster warheads by the end of the year, its state media said Sunday. The North's Missile Administration conducted the test on Saturday to assess the combat adaptability and power of a cluster-bomb warhead to be mounted on tactical ballistic missiles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The research institutes under the Missile Administration "confirmed that Standard Type 2 cluster-bomb warhead is capable of turning into ashes a target area of 12 to 13 hectares with its highest-density power," according to the KCNA. The general director of the Missile Administration was quoted as stating that the cluster bomb warheads are classified into four categories depending on their purposes. "Within this year we will enable units to select and use all those types according to operational aims and specific features of targets," the director said. A cluster bomb releases dozens to hundreds of submunitions, allowing it to strike multiple targets over a wide area. South Ko

Trump open to talks with N. Korean leader but no meeting scheduled: Rubio

Trump open to talks with N. Korean leader but no meeting scheduled: Rubio

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump remains open to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if Pyongyang is willing to discuss issues of concern to Washington and its allies, but no meeting has been scheduled, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday. Rubio made the remarks during a press conference following a Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta. "I think the president's perspective is, if North Korea and Kim Jong-un is prepared to talk with the United States about issues that are of concern to us and of concern to our allies, like South Korea, he would be open to doing it," Rubio said. "Nothing has been scheduled. I do not have anything to announce in regards to that today," he added. His remarks came amid persistent speculations over the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Trump and Kim, who held three meetings during Trump's first presidential term. The comments also followed trilateral talks among Rubio and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Atlanta on Friday, during which the three top diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to th

Turkish, East Timorese presidents to visit S. Korea this week for talks with Lee

Turkish, East Timorese presidents to visit S. Korea this week for talks with Lee

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit South Korea this week to hold summits with President Lee Jae Myung, a presidential spokesperson said Sunday. Erdogan is set to visit to South Korea from Monday through Wednesday on a state visit that will include a summit with Lee on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yun-hung said. It marks Erdogan's first trip to South Korea since 2018, as well as the second meeting between the South Korean and Turkish leaders since Lee visited Turkey last November to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara. During Tuesday's summit, the leaders are expected to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power plants and other future industries, while sharing views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. Kang said the upcoming trip by Erdogan is expected to help further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of their 70th anniversary next year of establishing d

NK's economic growth is 'temporary' thanks to Russia-Ukraine war, study says

NK's economic growth is 'temporary' thanks to Russia-Ukraine war, study says

North Korea’s recent economic growth in the 3 percent range was a “temporary war windfall” from the Russia-Ukraine war that would potentially lead to reduced domestic consumption, according to an analysis released by a think tank run by South Korea's spy agency on Sunday. In a research paper titled “Is North Korea’s economy really booming?” released Thursday by the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), a South Korean state-run think tank affiliated with the National Intelligence Service (NIS), senior research fellow Lim Soo-ho wrote, “What North Korea is enjoying right now is not genuine growth in its domestic economy, but rather a predatory expansion — a temporary windfall in regime finances built on war profits and inflation tax.” “North Korea’s recent economic growth has been heavily driven by a unilateral surge in heavy industry and construction … Those facilities and manufactured munitions yield almost no tangible benefit for public livelihood,” he added. Citing Bank of Korea estimates, showing North Korea’s real gross domestic product grew by

[COVER STORY] North Korea has every incentive to keep stealing crypto, analysts say

[COVER STORY] North Korea has every incentive to keep stealing crypto, analysts say

The $6.36 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance has exposed a troubling reality for the digital asset industry: North Korea is increasingly exploiting security vulnerabilities to bankroll Pyongyang's military ambitions. The stolen amount is equivalent to 22 percent of North Korea's 2025 gross domestic product, making the attack the largest cryptocurrency theft on record and one of the biggest financial crimes in history. Analysts warned Sunday that it is unlikely to be the last. "We're dealing with sophisticated adversaries who may have substantial resources, years of patience and objectives that extend well beyond financial gain," said Michael O'Loughlin, managing partner of Argonautic Global and board member of Blockchain Ireland. Proceeds from cryptocurrency theft have become an increasingly important source of funding for cash-strapped North Korea, alongside an estimated $22 billion in foreign income generated since 2022 through its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The stolen funds could help finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as efforts to modern

US visa issuance delay emerges as political wrangling over alliance

US visa issuance delay emerges as political wrangling over alliance

The delay of U.S. visa issuance for a ruling party lawmaker has become a topic of debate between rival parties over whether it is a sign of growing friction in the Korea-U.S. alliance. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) called the incident a clear sign of eroded trust within the alliance. "It is a symbolic moment that clearly exposes the widening rift in the Korea-U.S. alliance and the total breakdown of trust between the two countries,” Rep. Park Sung-hoon, senior spokesperson for the PPP, said in a statement Saturday. “It is an unprecedented diplomatic embarrassment and a national disgrace that the chairman of Korea's parliamentary defense committee was required to submit an English translation of a past National Security Act conviction and a criminal record check to the U.S., our ally, before finally receiving entry permission,” Park wrote. Park's statement came after Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the chairman of the Assembly's National Defense Committee, announced that his visa was issued belatedly, a day before the committee's plan

FM Cho holds talks with EU, Britain, others at G20 meeting

FM Cho holds talks with EU, Britain, others at G20 meeting

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has held a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts from the European Union (EU), Britain, India and Mexico on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in the United States, his office said Sunday. Cho met Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, and called for strengthening their security partnership in cyber and space. The two sides also exchanged views on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. During talks with his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, the same day, Cho called for deeper bilateral defense and artificial intelligence cooperation. They also agreed to cooperate closely, considering that Britain and South Korea will chair the G20 in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Cho also met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and reviewed progress in implementing agreements reached during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to India in April. He held talks with his Mexi

FM outlines S. Korea's position on DMZ mine blast at G20, calls for inter-Korean talks

FM outlines S. Korea's position on DMZ mine blast at G20, calls for inter-Korean talks

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has explained Seoul's position on a recent land mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at a Group of 20 (G20) meeting and highlighted the need for inter-Korean dialogue, his office said Sunday. South Korea has blamed the North for the Sept. 21 mine blast inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas that injured three South Korean soldiers, and has called for military talks to ease tensions. Pyongyang, however, has denied responsibility, vowing to take military action along the border if needed. During the two-day G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Cho explained Seoul's stance on the explosion, noting that communication between the two Koreas is more important than ever to ease tensions, according to the ministry. He also noted that deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has serious implications for security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, it said, as the two sides have forged closer ties through the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Cho asked for support from G20 members for Seoul's

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