Hong Kong’s John Lee apologises for Tai Po fire, unveils reforms as housing chief resigns

South China Morning Post - Oct 29, 2026

Hong Kong’s leader has apologised for last year’s deadly Tai Po fire, vowing extensive civil service and legislative reforms and an overhaul of government departments as his housing chief Winnie Ho Wing-yin resigned to offer political accountability. A grim-faced Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and seven other top officials bowed their heads in apology on Thursday at the start of a press briefing, the first time his administration had directly expressed regret since the blaze on November 26 at...

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Hong Kong scraps lighting attraction at The Peak after public outcry

Hong Kong scraps lighting attraction at The Peak after public outcry

Hong Kong authorities have scrapped a controversial plan to install decorative lights along a scenic trail on The Peak to increase the city’s nighttime tourism appeal following a public outcry, promising to restore the natural landscape as soon as possible. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Tourism Board concluded there was no urgent need to roll out the project after assessing the effectiveness of a watered-down version of the attraction, according to a document they submitted to the...

Lit cigarette, combustibles and ‘human fault’ led to deadly Hong Kong fire: report

Lit cigarette, combustibles and ‘human fault’ led to deadly Hong Kong fire: report

A combination of a lit cigarette and an “abundant fuel” of combustible materials caused Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, according to a long-awaited report which found the blaze would not have killed so many people, or happened at all, without “human fault”. Eleven months after the deadly fire tore through Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 and displacing thousands, an independent committee’s report released on Thursday assigned blame to the main contractor for renovations at the housing estate,...

Later hours unlikely to boost bottle sales at Hong Kong wine festival: exhibitors

Later hours unlikely to boost bottle sales at Hong Kong wine festival: exhibitors

Later opening times are unlikely to boost wine sales by the bottle, exhibitors returning to Hong Kong’s annual Wine and Dine Festival have said, with new overseas participants believing that the city serves as an indicator for broader trends in Asian markets. The festival returned to the Central Harbourfront on Thursday with over 340 booths, an increase of more than 10 per cent from last year, with over 30 countries and regions represented. Operating hours are from 1pm to 1am on Friday and...

Pokémon card craze draws even seniors to store 'open runs'

Pokémon card craze draws even seniors to store 'open runs'

“I waited five hours from 8 a.m. just to get inside. They said the wait had gotten shorter, so I didn’t have to stay up all night…” At a Pokémon card shop in Seoul’s Yongsan District on the afternoon of Oct. 23, college student Park, 19, smiled awkwardly as he showed off a newly purchased box of cards. On the screen of a waiting-list registration machine beside him, a notice read, “151 groups waiting, estimated wait time: 181 minutes.” Some customers appeared startled by the long wait and turned away. The popularity of Pokémon cards, featuring characters from the Japanese manga and animation franchise “Pokémon,” shows little sign of waning. At the Yongsan store in I’Park Mall, the outdoor garden on the seventh floor, where customers wait to enter, is packed every morning with people hoping to buy cards. Although there are no exact figures, more than 100 buyers routinely lay out mats and cover themselves with blankets as they wait for the store to open. A security guard said some people even arrive at 9 p.m. the previous night to secure a spot. Most endure the cold

Ex-UN chief urges green transition to drive growth, boost competitiveness

Ex-UN chief urges green transition to drive growth, boost competitiveness

Ban Ki-moon, president and chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), urged countries on Thursday to accelerate the shift toward a greener economy to secure long-term growth and strengthen their global competitiveness. Speaking at the Global Green Growth Week (GGGW) Summit, the former U.N. secretary-general identified technological innovation, large scale capital mobilization and stronger international cooperation as three priorities for turning green transition commitments into tangible, measurable results. “The green transition is an economic imperative, a strategic investment and an opportunity to create green jobs, strengthen energy security, improve public health and build more resilient societies,” Ban said in his welcoming remarks at the summit’s opening ceremony. “The countries that move decisively today will be better positioned to compete tomorrow.” Ban called for a substantial increase in funding for the green transition, saying developing countries often struggle to turn viable projects into reality because they lack affordable financing and the expertise t

Gov't to pursue criminal punishment, 3-year exam ban for CSAT cheaters using AI glasses

Gov't to pursue criminal punishment, 3-year exam ban for CSAT cheaters using AI glasses

The education ministry said Thursday it will seek criminal prosecution of anyone caught cheating on the annual college entrance exam using artificial intelligence (AI) glasses, while disqualifying cheaters from the exam for three years, up from the current one year. The ministry announced these measures, pledging to deal sternly with cheating using AI glasses during the annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) as an act aimed at "intentionally and systematically obstructing the normal operation of national examinations." Cheaters using AI glasses will face criminal punishment on charges of obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means, the ministry said, adding it is also pushing to lengthen the exam ban for CSAT cheaters from one to three years. The ministry said it will actively recommend universities apply the same rules to their own entrance exams, where cases of cheating using AI glasses were recently caught. Starting with this year's CSAT scheduled for Nov. 19, one designated inspector will be assigned to each test site to check for AI glasses, according to the plan. The

Husband who poured boiling water on Thai wife gets sentence reduction on appeal

Husband who poured boiling water on Thai wife gets sentence reduction on appeal

A Korean man who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for pouring boiling water on his sleeping Thai wife and causing severe burns has had his sentence reduced by six months on appeal. According to legal sources on Wednesday, the Uijeongbu District Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Jeong Do-young, overturned the lower court's ruling and sentenced the man in his 40s to three years in prison at an appeal hearing on Oct. 22. The man had been indicted and detained on charges of aggravated injury. "The defendant reached a settlement with the victim under conditions including paying her 15 million won ($11,000), and the victim wishes the court to show leniency toward him," the appellate court said. "Considering all the sentencing factors presented during the proceedings, we find that the original sentence was too harsh and therefore unjust." The man was indicted on charges of pouring water boiled in an electric kettle over the face and neck of his Thai wife, identified as B, while she was sleeping at their home in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 3, 202

Seongdong District opens one-stop service counter for foreign residents

Seongdong District opens one-stop service counter for foreign residents

In response to a growing international population, Seongdong District in eastern Seoul said Thursday that it has established a dedicated "Foreign Resident Service Desk" at the Yongdap-dong Community Service Center to streamline administrative procedures and eliminate language barriers for non-Korean residents. According to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, foreign residents in Korea reached a record high of 2.58 million in 2025, accounting for 5 percent of the total population. In Seongdong District, registered foreign residents have jumped 41 percent over the past five years. Yongdap-dong has experienced an even sharper surge of 70.8 percent, with its foreign population rising from 480 to 820 to comprise 7.1 percent of the neighborhood's residents. This rapid demographic shift, driven by an influx of foreign workers and international students attending nearby Hanyang University, has created a surging demand for accessible public administration. To address these needs, the district created a one-stop service counter staffed by experienced public servants proficient in fore

Yongsan opens English library for kids combining AI tech, interactive exhibits

Yongsan opens English library for kids combining AI tech, interactive exhibits

A new children’s library in central Seoul is pairing English books with artificial intelligence (AI), interactive exhibits and cultural activities in an effort to make language learning feel less like a lesson and more like an adventure. Yongsan District said Thursday that Dongbinggo English Library for Children opened Wednesday on the first floor of Onnuri Youth Center in Dongbinggo Neighborhood Park, offering children a dedicated space for reading, language development and hands-on learning. The 389.74-square-meter facility includes a children’s reading room, program rooms and a waiting area for parents, along with a digital aquarium and interactive content designed to extend children’s experiences beyond the pages of books. About 80 people, including Yongsan District Mayor Kim Gyeong-dae and local residents, attended the opening ceremony, which featured a project briefing, congratulatory remarks, unveiling of the library sign and a tour of the facility. The library offers English-language books, along with programs tailored to different reading levels and activities intended to

Gachon University president hosts 120 international students at traditional hanok

Gachon University president hosts 120 international students at traditional hanok

Gachon University President Lee Gil-ya invited about 120 international students from countries including China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and Uzbekistan to Gachonjae, a traditional Korean house in Incheon, on Wednesday, the university said. The event, part of the university’s Gachon Global Leadership Program for international students, was organized to encourage the students and strengthen their sense of belonging to the school. The students first toured Gachon University Gil Medical Center, a memorial hall for Lee’s former obstetrics clinic and the Gachon Museum. Gachonjae is a “hanok,” or traditional Korean house, that Lee, founder of the Gachon Cultural Foundation, built with master carpenter Choi Ki-young for traditional etiquette education, tea culture programs and exhibitions on traditional medicine. Sharing her experience of studying abroad and Korea’s development, Lee told the students to have confidence in their countries’ futures. “Just as Korea, once poor, achieved its current development, your countries can create a better future if you believe and work hard,

S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

South Korea and the United States conducted a key tabletop military exercise to integrate conventional and nuclear capabilities in a bid to deter North Korean threats, officials said Thursday. The allies conducted the Iron Mace exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, according to military officials. During the drills, the allies were believed to have discussed ways to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and joint planning for Seoul's conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency. Launched in August 2024, the Iron Mace exercise has been conducted behind closed doors under the liberal administration of President Lee Jae Myung in an apparent effort not to provoke North Korea. The allies have staged the tabletop exercise under the Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines adopted following summit talks between former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023. The drills came despite Seoul and Washington scaling down their co

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch

The Office of National Security at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting Thursday and urged North Korea to cease provocations after Pyongyang fired a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea. The meeting was attended by officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to analyze and assess the North's latest missile launch, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The office stressed the need to take all necessary measures in response to the latest launch, saying the latest provocation came only about two weeks after the North's previous launch on Oct. 12. The national security office also said the North's firing of the ballistic missiles is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to immediately halt such actions. The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area at around 12:30 p.m., according to the JCS.

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