Korea, France hold joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in Saclay

The Korea Times - Nov 13, 2026

Korea and France commenced their 27th joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in France's southwestern region of Saclay this week and discussed nuclear technology cooperation, Seoul's science ministry said Friday. The two-day event ending Friday (local time) comes as the two nations mark their 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the Ministry of Science and ICT added. The event has been organized since 1982, following the signing of a bilateral agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 1981. During the meeting, Korea and France discussed 21 areas of technological cooperation in fields such as nuclear energy research, nuclear safety and the nuclear industry. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in next-generation nuclear reactors, as well as in the nuclear energy supply chain, following related memorandums of understanding signed during two bilateral summits this year, held in April and September. "We will use the joint coordinating committee as an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperative framework between the two countries ... to drive ne

Read full article

More News

Staggering daily wage turns into nightmare in 'Dead-End Job'

Staggering daily wage turns into nightmare in 'Dead-End Job'

Just as debt-ridden young man Byeon Hyeok-jun (Lee Jae-wook) is about to give up on life, he comes across a suspicious recruitment ad. The agency behind it, Spider Staffing, offers him a nightshift at a convenience store paying 50 times the usual hourly rate — a staggering 4 million won ($2,800) for a single day. A notebook on the counter lists a series of eerie operating rules, while strange beings show up throughout the night. After barely making it out alive, Hyeok-jun is offered another job by the agency's owner (Lee Hee-jun), this time paying 100 times the usual hourly rate. Released Oct. 30, Netflix's “Dead-End Job” is a horror anthology series following Hyeok-jun as he takes on nightmarish jobs at a convenience store, movie theater, construction site and amusement park, among other workplaces. Drawing on conventions of urban legends, including so-called “Napolitan horror stories” in which people must follow inexplicable rules to survive, the series gives each workplace its own bizarre regulations and supernatural visitors. “This project began with the question: What

'The old America is gone': OPCON transfer is Korea's answer to changing US, Moon Chung-in says

'The old America is gone': OPCON transfer is Korea's answer to changing US, Moon Chung-in says

Korea's push to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) of its military is not just an attempt to reclaim military sovereignty, but a necessary response to a fundamental shift in the United States' foreign and security policy, according to Moon Chung-in, a former presidential special adviser. In an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday, Moon, currently a professor emeritus at Yonsei University, argued that President Lee Jae Myung's pursuit of OPCON transfer comes in line with Washington's growing expectation that Seoul assume primary responsibility for its own defense, rather than the self-reliant defense agenda set by former President Roh Moo-hyun. "The U.S. is changing, but we are still clinging to the old America. The old America is gone," Moon said. He pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated demands that Korea shoulder a greater share of its defense burden. Under such an arrangement, Korean forces would take the lead in conventional defense against North Korea, while U.S. forces would provide complementary capabilities in areas where Seoul remains relatively weak, i

Lee calls for unity at dinner meeting with DPK leaders

Lee calls for unity at dinner meeting with DPK leaders

President Lee Jae Myung called for unity between the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as he held a dinner meeting with DPK leader Kim Min-seok and floor leader Han Byung-do on Wednesday, his office said. During the dinner at Cheong Wa Dae, Kim asked the government for bold and swift measures to overcome polarization and boost consumption, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. In response, Lee stressed the need for the party and the government to "move as one" in order for the people's lives to improve, and asked that the party and the National Assembly extend their active support to get the government's 2027 budget proposal passed, Kang said. Lee also asked his chief of staff, Lim Kwang-hyun, and senior political affairs secretary, Choi In-ho, to closely communicate with the National Assembly at all times. Lim and Choi were among the dinner participants. Though there had been speculation Lee and the party leaders could discuss controversial issues, such as real estate taxes and a special counsel bill on alleged fabricated indictments,

N. Korea's Kim inspects east coast naval base under construction, urges timely completion

N. Korea's Kim inspects east coast naval base under construction, urges timely completion

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a major naval base under construction on the east coast, calling the project "crucial" to the country's security and maritime sovereignty, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the remarks during his Wednesday visit and urged the construction work to be finished within the deadline set by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Accompanied by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, Kim was briefed on the progress of the project by commanding officers at the site. Kim called for building "as early as possible" a Korean-style naval command center, a hub of naval culture and a center of naval combat capability, along with the base's infrastructure, according to the KCNA. "As the construction of the modern naval base is a crucial core undertaking directly related to the security of our state and the defense of its maritime sovereignty from A to Z, it should be completed without fail" to the standard required by the party and within the period it has set, he was qu

Congressman-elect Koh expresses concerns over S. Korea-US alliance under Trump administration

Congressman-elect Koh expresses concerns over S. Korea-US alliance under Trump administration

WASHINGTON — Korean American Congressman-elect Dan Koh expressed concern Wednesday over the state of the South Korea-U.S. alliance under President Donald Trump, pledging to help restore bilateral ties while questioning the prospects of productive diplomacy between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Koh, a Democrat who won a House seat representing Massachusetts in last week's midterm elections, made the remarks during a press conference hosted by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in Washington. "I'm very concerned about the relationship," Koh said, stressing that the alliance should remain strong regardless of whether a Republican or Democratic president occupies the White House. In the past, Koh served as a White House official during former President Joe Biden's administration and chief of staff of former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. He criticized Trump's treatment of Korean immigrants and Korean workers in the U.S., citing an incident involving South Koreans in Georgia last year, as well as the administration's tariff policies toward U.S. allies. "So I will be doin

Korea opens final 2026 round of foreign worker permits

Korea opens final 2026 round of foreign worker permits

Korea will accept its final round of applications this year for foreign worker visas starting Nov. 23, offering 6,699 new permits to help businesses ease persistent labor shortages while introducing incentives for employers who complete human rights and labor law training, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday. The five-day application window, running through Nov. 27, covers nonprofessional employment visas, known as E-9, across five major sectors. Manufacturing accounts for the lion’s share of the quota with 4,510 slots, followed by agriculture and livestock with 954, fisheries with 897, construction with 198 and services with 140. Should employer demand exceed sector caps, officials said they will tap into a flexible reserve pool of 10,000 additional permits. The announcement underscores Korea’s growing reliance on overseas labor to sustain its export-driven factories, farms and fishing fleets amid one of the world’s fastest-aging populations and lowest birthrates. Over the past several years, the government has steadily expanded its Employment Permit System, which

Lee to attend ASEAN, APEC summits in Philippines, China next week

Lee to attend ASEAN, APEC summits in Philippines, China next week

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will attend summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) next week, his national security adviser said Thursday. The South Korean president will depart Monday first for Manila where he will attend the ASEAN summit until Tuesday, followed by a two-day trip to China's Shenzhen beginning Wednesday, where he will attend the APEC summit, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told a briefing. On Monday, Lee plans to hold discussions with ASEAN countries on ways to enhance cooperation during a South Korea-ASEAN summit, followed by a meeting with leaders of five Mekong countries — Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. During the summit with the Mekong countries, the South Korean president plans to express his commitment to strengthening strategic partnership with the countries and discuss ways to enhance cooperation in critical minerals, responses to transnational crimes and others, Wi said. The following day, Lee will attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit, which will bring together the

N. Korean Embassy in China undergoes renovation amid closer Pyongyang-Beijing ties

N. Korean Embassy in China undergoes renovation amid closer Pyongyang-Beijing ties

North Korea's Embassy in Beijing appears to have undergone expansion and renovation work recently amid strengthening ties and growing high-level exchanges between Pyongyang and Beijing, sources said Thursday. The interior expansion work involved two buildings, reportedly including dormitory facilities, with some of the work being detected around the time of leader Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to the Chinese city of Dandong last month, according to sources familiar with the matter. Construction safety netting was seen around buildings inside the embassy compound and near its main gate. The sources also said there were indications that Pyongyang had sought contributions from North Koreans staying in China to help cover the costs. The renovation work came as North Korea and China have stepped up efforts to strengthen bilateral ties through a series of high-level exchanges and concrete steps to expand cross-border cooperation. During a summit in Pyongyang in June, Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level and expand cooperation in various fiel

Kim Go-eun, Gang Dong-won to star in new Netflix series

Kim Go-eun, Gang Dong-won to star in new Netflix series

Actors Kim Go-eun and Gang Dong-won have been cast in an upcoming historical romance drama, Netflix said Thursday, in what marks their first collaboration. Titled "The Twilight Between Us," the action-packed series follows a man and a woman from two families that have been locked in a long feud, who are forced to marry by royal decree, according to the streaming platform. Gang portrays Mu-yeong, an illegitimate son of the Kang family, who lives an isolated life despite his excellent martial arts skills and noble mind. Kim plays Su-ryeon, the only daughter of the Han family, who is compelled to marry Mu-yeong after failing to become crown princess. Park Ji-eun, who penned hit dramas such as "Queen of Tears" (2024) and "Crash Landing on You" (2019-2020), wrote the upcoming drama. It is directed by hit producer Kim Won-suk, known for "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2025), "My Mister" (2018) and "Signal" (2016).

Korean researchers shrink augmented reality lenses to fit everyday eyewear

Korean researchers shrink augmented reality lenses to fit everyday eyewear

Researchers in Korea have developed an ultrathin optical lens system that keeps digital images bright and legible even in direct sunlight, overcoming one of the main engineering hurdles preventing augmented reality glasses from looking and feeling like ordinary eyewear. The joint team from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and Samsung Research built a prototype featuring a 1.5-millimeter-thick waveguide—the transparent channel that guides light from a tiny projector into the wearer’s eye—using engineered nanostructures called metasurfaces. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Nature, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. For years, technology giants from Meta and Apple to Google and Samsung have raced to build lightweight smart glasses capable of overlaying turn-by-turn directions, translations and messages onto the real world. However, engineers have struggled with a stubborn trade-off: widening the viewing zone so a user can glance around without losing the image typically causes light to scatter and leak out of the lens, leaving displ

Lee's disapproval rating again outruns approval rating: poll

Lee's disapproval rating again outruns approval rating: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's disapproval rating rose to 47 percent this week, surpassing his approval rating, a survey showed Thursday. In a survey of 1,001 adults nationwide conducted Monday through Wednesday, positive assessments of Lee's job performance fell 2 percentage points to 44 percent from two weeks earlier, according to the National Barometer Survey (NBS). Negative assessments rose 3 percentage points to 47 percent. Lee's disapproval rating had remained higher than his approval rating for several weeks before the trend reversed in the previous poll. The survey also showed that 51 percent of respondents said Lee should scale back his use of social media to directly communicate with the public on his policy direction, citing concerns that remarks made "without sufficient deliberation" could cause confusion. Another 42 percent supported his use of social media for communication. Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea fell 1 percentage point to 35 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged at 25 percent. The poll has a margin of error of p

Korea has much to gain from helping refugees, UNHCR official says

Korea has much to gain from helping refugees, UNHCR official says

Korea has much to gain from supporting refugees, including making a safer and more stable international environment, according to the United Nations' refugee agency representative in Afghanistan. During an interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Tuesday, Arafat Jamal, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan, said supporting countries such as Afghanistan is not simply an act of charity, but an investment in a more stable world. "Korea is a responsible member of the international community. And helping a country like Afghanistan is for global public good. I think that we can only gain if countries are more open and more willing to build international solidarity and to look beyond themselves," he said. Jamal expressed deep gratitude to the Korean government and people for their continued support, urging them "to continue to build solidarity with the world." Afghanistan's strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern, the U.N. official said. A

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.