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

The Korea Times - Nov 12, 2026

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

Read full article

More News

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Korea added 139,000 jobs in October from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, with job growth exceeding the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month. The number of employed people came to 29.17 million in October, compared with 29.04 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Job growth turned positive in June after declining by 40,000 in May, the first drop in 17 months. The country's jobless rate came to 2 percent last month, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. The number of unemployed people totaled 602,000 in October, down 56,000 from the same month in 2025. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 came to 70.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. The figure for those aged 15 to 29, on the other hand, fell 1.7 percentage points to 42.9 percent.

HRW urges UN to address N. Korean human rights situation alongside security issues

HRW urges UN to address N. Korean human rights situation alongside security issues

WASHINGTON — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the United Nations to address North Korea's human rights situation alongside security issues in future diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang. In a commentary published Monday, the New York-based rights group, citing a recent U.N. report highlighting deepening repression in the country, said the U.N. General Assembly should recommend that future dialogue with North Korea address human rights and security concerns together, rather than treating them as separate issues. "Security and rights issues need to be addressed together. The U.N. General Assembly has the power to forge these connections, even as the Security Council remains deadlocked," Audrey Gregg, HRW's senior coordinator for Asia, wrote in a commentary published Monday. "Security and rights issues need to be addressed together. Gregg added that North Korean rights issues should not be displaced by the focus on security issues, as the United States and South Korea pursue diplomatic dialogues with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The commentary came after U.N. Special Rapporteur Eliz

'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart

'Dead-End Job' tops Netflix's non-English TV chart

The Korean original series "Dead-End Job" has topped Netflix's non-English TV series chart, the streaming platform said Wednesday. The Netflix series, released Oct. 30, accumulated 8.7 million views during the latest tracking week ending Sunday, according to Netflix. The series, starring Lee Jae-wook and Kim Min-ha, blends horror and black comedy and satirizes South Korea's grind culture. It landed in the top 10 in 76 countries and topped the chart in 22 of them, including South Korea, Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Korean medical drama series "Doctor X: Mafia in White" ranked No. 4 with 3.7 million views. Based on the Japanese series "Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon," it follows genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won), who challenges corruption in her hospital. In the English film category, "KPop Demon Hunters" ranked No. 10, marking its 69th week in the top 10. It accumulated 2.8 million views and reached the top 10 in four countries.

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol on Wednesday reiterated that a special counsel probe into allegedly fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung should focus on uncovering the truth, declining to offer a clear stance on whether he would seek to drop the indictments. His remarks come after the National Assembly passed the special counsel bill last week, which the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has criticized as being aimed at ultimately canceling all indictments against the president. "As I said earlier, now is the time to focus on uncovering the truth, while there is no change to my stance that the rest should follow the law and principles," the nominee told reporters outside his office. He earlier emphasized the role of the special counsel probe Monday following his nomination Friday. When asked about whether he would order an investigation based on the special counsel probe results, the nominee declined to comment, noting that the special counsel has yet to even launch. "I will watch the special counsel's fact-finding activities without any presumptions or pr

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Korea came in 10th place among 70 countries in a global digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness ranking, the science ministry said Wednesday. The country moved up eight spots from the previous year, according to the report published by the International Institute for Management Development, a Swiss-based business school, according to the ministry. Taking the top spot this year was the United States, rising from its fourth spot a year ago. Canada, however, lost its top-spot position to be ranked at fifth place this year. Among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore was ranked second place, China came in at seventh place, and Japan ranked 19th place. By category, Korea ranked third in the technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics. The country ranked first place in the research and development expenditure per gross domestic product category and ranked eighth in the AI adaptation index, the ministry said. The science ministry added that Korea's rise in overall rankings was a result of the government's policy efforts and the country's strong resilience, and vowe

Revised regional currency swap arrangement takes effect

Revised regional currency swap arrangement takes effect

A revision of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), a multilateral currency swap arrangement among Korea, China, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), took effect Wednesday, the Bank of Korea said. All 13 members of the ASEAN+3 group have completed their internal procedures for signing the revised agreement, which was endorsed at the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting in May 2025, according to the BOK. The revised CMIM includes the Rapid Financing Facility, which provides prompt financial assistance to members facing urgent balance of payments needs. It took effect Wednesday, seven days after the completion of the signing procedures, the central bank said. Launched in 2010, the CMIM is a multilateral currency swap arrangement among ASEAN+3 members aimed at providing liquidity to member economies in times of financial crisis. The facility has a total pool of $240 billion, with Korea contributing $38.4 billion.

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust following meeting with Ukraine counterpart

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust following meeting with Ukraine counterpart

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stressed mutual respect and trust as the foundation for bilateral relations during his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, the Korean foreign ministry said. It was their first meeting since a deepening rift emerged between the two countries over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. The two ministers met Tuesday (local time) on the sidelines of the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in France. "Cho stressed that mutual respect, trust and the faithful implementation of agreements between countries are fundamental prerequisites for developing bilateral relations, expressing hope that all pending issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably," the ministry said in a press release. The remarks are widely seen as a reiteration of Seoul’s demand that Ukraine apologize for the disclosure, which South Korea says the two sides had agreed to keep confidential. The ministry did not say whether the two ministers directly discussed the POW

Yoon Ga-eun's 'The World of Love' expands global release to UK, Japan, North America

Yoon Ga-eun's 'The World of Love' expands global release to UK, Japan, North America

Director Yoon Ga-eun’s “The World of Love” is preparing for another wave of international releases, with theatrical debuts in Britain, Japan and North America scheduled for the second half of 2026, extending the film’s growing presence across Asia and Europe. The film, which opened in Korea on Oct. 22, 2025, has already reached audiences in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and France, where its sustained theatrical runs have drawn attention to its international appeal. In Hong Kong, the film played for 15 weeks after opening Jan. 29, while its French release on May 6 resulted in an 11-week run, according to distributor Barunson E&A. The film follows Ju-in, an 18-year-old high school student whose refusal to join a schoolwide petition campaign triggers a series of mysterious notes, setting off a story about social pressure and the complexities of adolescence. Starring Seo Soo-bin, Jang Hye-jin, Kim Jung-sik, Kang Chae-yoon, Lee Jae-hee and Kim Ye-chang, the film attracted 210,000 moviegoers in Korea. Its festival record has helped fuel overseas interest, including an invitation to the

'Dracula' featuring Jennie climbs to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100

'Dracula' featuring Jennie climbs to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100

"Dracula," a collaborative single between Australian act Tame Impala and Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has risen to a new peak of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to the chart released Tuesday (U.S. time), the track climbed two spots from No. 5 the previous week, extending its run on the chart to the 58th consecutive week. With the advance, Jennie ties her bandmate Rose as the highest-charting female K-pop artist, behind only the trio who sang "Golden" from the soundtrack of the hit animation "KPop Demon Hunters," which topped the chart. Originally released as a solo track by Tame Impala in October last year, "Dracula" gained renewed traction after a remix featuring Jennie was released in February, going viral on short-form video platforms and climbing up the rankings. Attention is now focused on whether Jennie will secure a Grammy Award nomination next week for the song, propelled by its sustained run on the Billboard chart. Elsewhere on the Hot 100, U.S.-based K-pop girl group Katseye saw its single "Animal" slip five spots to No. 32, spending its 15th week on the chart

BTS to light up Singapore ahead of December concerts

BTS to light up Singapore ahead of December concerts

Singapore is gearing up to paint the city purple this December, morphing into an immersive, island-wide BTS playground. In the lead-up to the group’s four sold-out concerts, iconic landmarks will light up alongside synchronized drone spectacles, fireworks and nonstop music events across the city's top attractions. HYBE and the Singapore Tourism Board unveiled the full program for BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SINGAPORE on Tuesday, announcing events across 10 venue partners from Dec. 1–31. At Jewel Changi Airport, the Rain Vortex, recognized as the world's tallest indoor waterfall, will host BTS-themed light and music shows twice daily at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. from Dec. 1–26. Sentosa Island will offer several major attractions, including an inflatable installation inspired by the album's lead single, "SWIM," a drone party from Dec. 18–20 and the ARIRANG RUN on Dec. 12. The program will also feature BTS-themed cable cars, a decorated Sentosa Express and installations along Sensoryscape, creating opportunities for fans to encounter the group's music throughout the island. At Resorts World Sentosa

Korea warns of rare vision-loss risk linked to obesity drugs

Korea warns of rare vision-loss risk linked to obesity drugs

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued a safety alert Wednesday to medical professionals and patients over a potential risk of a rare eye condition associated with GLP-1 obesity drugs, including popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Mounjaro. The move follows safety measures by overseas regulators concerning nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve that can lead to sudden, potentially permanent vision loss. In June last year, the European Medicines Agency classified it as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, estimating it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 users. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked drugmakers Monday to add a possible increased risk of NAION to the warnings and precautions on GLP-1 drug labels. The letter advises medical professionals to stop treatment and have patients examined immediately if NAION is suspected in those taking GLP-1 drugs, which aid weight loss by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. Patients with related symptom

Police chief nominee's confirmation hearing set for Nov. 18

Police chief nominee's confirmation hearing set for Nov. 18

The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing for Kim Jong-chul, nominee for commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), next week, officials said Wednesday. The parliamentary public administration and security committee adopted a plan to hold the hearing next Wednesday during a plenary meeting earlier in the day. The KNPA commissioner general nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing. If appointed, Kim would fill a post that has remained vacant for nearly two years since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in late 2024.

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.