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

South China Morning Post - Oct 29, 2026

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,...

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PM says to foster 200 'frontier' bio, pharmaceutical firms by 2030

PM says to foster 200 'frontier' bio, pharmaceutical firms by 2030

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Thursday that the government will select 200 bio and pharmaceutical companies by 2030 and help them grow enough to compete on the global stage. Han made the remark at a national policy coordination meeting held at a Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. factory in the central city of Cheonan, stressing that Korea should identify and foster innovative firms armed with new technologies and ideas. She said 50 "frontier" companies will be selected every year by 2030 and the government will provide them with "support for research, development and investment at each stage of growth from the development of candidate substances to clinical trials and commercialization." The government plans to assign a dedicated director to each selected company to provide customized support for up to five years. It will also inject 150 billion won ($112 million) in policy financing over three years, comprising 60 billion won in investments through banks specializing in research and development (R&D) and 90 billion won in guarantees from the Korea Technology Finance Corporation.

Incheon Global Campus aims to become engine of regional innovation

Incheon Global Campus aims to become engine of regional innovation

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Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with US for breakthrough in OPCON transfer

Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with US for breakthrough in OPCON transfer

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Lee vows to leave no suspicions unresolved on 4th anniv. of Itaewon crowd crush

Lee vows to leave no suspicions unresolved on 4th anniv. of Itaewon crowd crush

President Lee Jae Myung vowed Thursday to leave no suspicions unresolved regarding the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush as he marked its fourth anniversary. Lee made the promise during a memorial event at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, which brought together some 1,000 people, including victims, bereaved family members and lawmakers. "I will make sure the people are never again sacrificed unjustly due to the state's absence and negligence," he said, alluding to the preceding administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, which was in office at the time of the tragedy. "My administration is focusing the nation's capabilities on creating a country where everyone is safe," he added, citing new legislation aimed at better protecting people from disasters and accidents. Lee noted that under his administration the mandate of a special commission investigating the disaster has been extended until September 2027. "This is a promise to uncover the truth until not a single suspicion remains and ensure the truth leads to preventing a recurrence," he said. The tragedy happened on Oct. 29, 2022, during Hallowe

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Overseas Koreans can now renew military discharge cards at embassies

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K-water signs MOU with Austin to share AI water management technology

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Special counsel again seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration

A special counsel team on Thursday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol during his appeal trial on insurrection charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the sentence during proceedings at the Seoul High Court, eight months after a lower court sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for staging a riot through his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The team had recommended capital punishment during the first-instance trial as well. "There is no reason to hesitate to hand down the death penalty," a member of the team said. "The strongest argument for objection to the death penalty is the possibility of a misjudgment just in case, but in this case, there is no room for that." Yoon declared martial law with the stated aim of eradicating anti-state forces, though the order was lifted six hours later by a vote by the National Assembly. During those six hours, troops were deployed to the National Assembly compound, which the lower court ruled in February was an attempt to paralyze parliament and arrest

Lee's approval rating rises to 46%: poll

Lee's approval rating rises to 46%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose to 46 percent this week, surpassing his disapproval rating for the first time in nearly two months, a biweekly poll showed Thursday. In a survey of 1,000 adults nationwide conducted Monday through Wednesday, positive assessments of Lee's job performance rose 2 percentage points from two weeks earlier, according to the National Barometer Survey (NBS). Negative assessments fell 5 percentage points to 44 percent. Lee's approval rating last exceeded his disapproval rating in late August, when positive assessments stood at 50 percent. It then fell to a record low of 43 percent for two consecutive surveys in mid-September and the first week of October, before rising to 44 percent in the previous poll. Support for the ruling Democratic Party rose 3 percentage points to 36 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party fell 3 percentage points to 25 percent. When asked whether Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae should be impeached, 34 percent of respondents supported his impeachment, while 45 percent opposed it. In recent weeks, so

Seoul arson suspect referred to prosecution for attempted murder

Seoul arson suspect referred to prosecution for attempted murder

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Special counsel team moves local election ballots to storage from handball arena

Special counsel team moves local election ballots to storage from handball arena

A special counsel team on Thursday moved boxes of ballot papers out of a handball arena where they had been kept since June's local elections as part of its investigation into ballot shortages on election day. Special counsel Lee Tae-han's team removed the ballot boxes from the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul after conducting an on-site inspection of the 2.47 million ballots for more than 12 hours until past midnight, according to the National Election Commission (NEC), the state election watchdog. Lee's team has been investigating an unprecedented shortage of ballots that occurred on the day of the June 3 local elections, which forced some people to turn back without casting their votes. All 2.47 million ballots, which had been cast in the southeastern Songpa Ward, were inspected by the special counsel team and placed in some 420 boxes, of which all but 13 were taken to a storage facility managed by the NEC in the capital area, a commission official said. In accordance with the election law, those ballots will be stored for the duration of the elected officials' te

Innovation Wing provides equipment, workspace, guidance for hands-on projects

Innovation Wing provides equipment, workspace, guidance for hands-on projects

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