Hong Kong records nearly 18% rise in ransomware cases amid drop in tech crime

South China Morning Post - Nov 8, 2026

Hong Kong has recorded a nearly 18 per cent rise in ransomware cases in the first three quarters of this year despite an overall drop in technology crime, with police attributing the rise to artificial intelligence-aided attacks. Chief Superintendent Raymond Lam Cheuk-ho of the cybersecurity and technology crime bureau said police had recorded cases of AI agents and other forms of artificial intelligence being used in cyberattacks as recently as last month. “We understand that the use of AI...

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Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

A Kookmin University research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts the properties of mixtures based on the proportions of their chemical components. The university said Thursday that the team was led by Joung Joon-young, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university’s Graduate School. The team included Kim Ji-hwan, a student in the university’s integrated master’s and doctoral program, and Kim Chan-joong, an undergraduate student. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal under the title “Encoding composition-dependent intermolecular interactions into learned molecular representations.” Most chemical products people encounter in everyday life are mixtures of multiple substances rather than single compounds. Common examples include industrial solvents, electrolytes in batteries, automotive fuels, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. The properties of a mixture depend not only on which substances it contains but also on the proportions in which they are combined. These changes, however, do not necessar

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District. The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981. In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground. Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season. El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially dec

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines has cleared a key domestic hurdle, but securing reactor fuel from the United States remains unresolved, with legal requirements and closer congressional scrutiny threatening to complicate the project. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the basic acquisition strategy for the Jangbogo N program Friday, setting a 2027 start date targeting deployment of the first submarine in the late 2030s. The decision establishes how the project will proceed, not how Seoul will obtain the nuclear fuel it needs. A defense acquisition official said Seoul believes it can secure submarine fuel without needing to revise its existing nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. Instead, the government is pursuing a separate arrangement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which provides for military nuclear cooperation. The official cited the AUKUS partnership, under which the U.S. and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as a precedent for a separate agreement. But negotiations have ye

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

The government is considering expanding restrictions on minors’ social media use beyond age limits for account registration to include regulations on recommendation algorithms and platform features to curb excessive use. However, questions remain over how the proposed measures can effectively protect minors from excessive social media use while safeguarding their freedom of expression and access to information. According to the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), Sunday, it is considering amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act to prohibit children under 14 from creating social media accounts and require platform operators to verify users’ ages. The commission first proposed the measures during a presidential policy briefing in July. The proposed measures also include disabling personalized recommendation algorithms that analyze users’ interests and browsing histories, as well as features such as infinite scrolling that could encourage excessive use, by default for accounts belonging to users aged 14 to 19. It aims to finalize the measures by the

Defense committee chair says OPCON agreement stands despite US midterm outcome

Defense committee chair says OPCON agreement stands despite US midterm outcome

The United States acknowledged that certain policy-related variables could affect the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul, but reaffirmed its commitment to the existing bilateral agreement that the handover will proceed based on agreed conditions, a Korean lawmaker said Sunday. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who chairs the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, briefed reporters at the National Assembly on the outcome of a parliamentary delegation’s trip to the United States from Nov. 1 to 5. He said the delegation was granted entry approval only at the last minute, but was still able to proceed with its scheduled visit to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and its subordinate component commands in Hawaii. Asked whether the Democratic sweep in the U.S. midterm elections could affect the OPCON transfer process, Jin said he did not expect any significant changes. "Korea and the U.S. have discussed and reached agreements over OPCON transfer for more than 20 years. A Democratic victory (in the U.S.) would not affect the existing bil

Rare view of N. Korean artillery draws 13,000 visitors to border park

Rare view of N. Korean artillery draws 13,000 visitors to border park

More than 13,000 people visited Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, over a 10-day period, to catch a rare glimpse of a North Korean self-propelled howitzer visible from the observatory. Despite the heightened tensions between the two Koreas, a total of 13,243 people visited the park from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, up 7.5 percent from 12,321 during the same period last year, according to Gimpo city, Sunday. The increase came after images published by local media showing a North Korean self-propelled howitzer stationed along the North Korean coast, about 1.5 kilometers from the observatory, went viral. Weekday visits rose sharply, with daily number of visitors reaching 1,000 to 1,200, up as much as 35 percent from a year earlier. Weekend attendance, however, fell nearly 10 percent to 4,200 due to entry restrictions, as the park is currently limiting the number of visitors on-site to 500 at a time for safety reasons. The artillery is close enough to be seen through binoculars and telescopes from the observatory. However, North Korean troops recently covered the weapon with camouflag

'Dune 3,' 'Avengers: Doomsday' set to shake up year-end box office

'Dune 3,' 'Avengers: Doomsday' set to shake up year-end box office

Korean theaters are bracing for a massive year-end at the box office, capped by a rare same-day clash between Hollywood blockbusters "Dune: Part Three" and "Avengers: Doomsday" on Dec. 16. With domestic distributors setting the pace in November with major releases, local theaters are building strong momentum toward one of their highest-grossing year-end finishes. According to data from the Korean Film Council, cumulative attendance reached 105.77 million as of Sunday, nearing last year’s full-year total. Powered by hit movies such as "The King's Warden" and "The Odyssey," the local box office surpassed the 100 million mark in October, reaching the milestone more than two months earlier than last year. Among the upcoming titles, Korean cinema takes the spotlight first in November. Mystery drama "White Blast," starring Kim Yoon-seok and Koo Kyo-hwan, hits screens on Nov. 18. Directed by Hong Eui-jeong, whose debut feature "Voice of Silence" earned widespread critical acclaim, the film reunites the two lead actors five years after their collaboration on the hit action film "Escape from Mo

Gov't to review $1.5 bil. funding support for firefighting efforts

Gov't to review $1.5 bil. funding support for firefighting efforts

The government has agreed to consider funding about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) for essential investments related to firefighting efforts, a ruling party official said Sunday. The move came as part of discussions to ease the fiscal burden on provincial governments, Democratic Party of Korea chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said at a press briefing following a consultation session between the government, the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae. Additional budget funds to prepare firefighting equipment and training facilities, as well as strengthening a medical system centered on firefighting efforts, will also be factored in for a review of next year's budget, Park said. Currently, provincial governments fund the bulk of the firefighting-related budget, with only about 10 percent of the total amount funded by the central government. At the meeting, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said the government will review whether it is providing full support for firefighters before asking them to devote themselves to public safety. In the meeting, held a day ahead of the 64th anniversary of the Day of Fi

US military officials visit HD Hyundai shipyard to assess shipbuilding capabilities

US military officials visit HD Hyundai shipyard to assess shipbuilding capabilities

Senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officials have visited Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard to assess its naval shipbuilding capabilities, photos showed Sunday. Their Nov. 4 visit to the shipyard in the southeastern Korean city of Ulsan came as Seoul and Washington are jointly seeking to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry under the MASGA, or "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," initiative. "The visit brought together senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders to assess naval shipbuilding capabilities, installation infrastructure and logistics support across South Korea," read a photo caption of one of the uploaded photos on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). The delegation included Brendan P. Rogers, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea. As part of the itinerary, the delegation also as

Hong Kong’s top drama school to stage entrance as university town expands campus

Hong Kong’s top drama school to stage entrance as university town expands campus

Hong Kong is set to nearly double the campus area of one of three university towns planned for the Northern Metropolis to 75 hectares, with space reserved for a second campus for the city’s only public institution specialising in performing arts. According to a paper submitted to North District Council by the Development Bureau and picked up by the media over the weekend, the campus area of Ta Kwu Ling university town – which is part of a 250-hectare zone earmarked for priority development –...

China orders statistics bureau to fight fake data with modern technology

China orders statistics bureau to fight fake data with modern technology

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been tasked with uncovering fabricated data using modern technology, according to the latest update to the agency’s responsibilities endorsed by Beijing. On Friday, the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform published a revised scheme dictating the agency’s functions, internal structure and staffing quotas. The scheme took effect on October 28, according to the notice. The office is a joint Communist Party and state body that finalises...

Is China getting faster at integrating new nuclear missiles into its forces?

Is China getting faster at integrating new nuclear missiles into its forces?

China’s newest land-based intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61, has made its way into routine military training much faster than earlier ICBMs, according to state broadcaster CCTV. That raises the question of whether the People’s Liberation Army is becoming more efficient at integrating new strategic missiles into its nuclear forces. Shao Yongling, who has worked as a researcher with the PLA Rocket Force, told CCTV on Thursday that the DF-61’s progression from its public debut at a...

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