New HK$122 million lifeguard outsourcing contract sparks public spending concerns

South China Morning Post - Oct 11, 2026

A controversial decision by Hong Kong authorities to award a lifeguard and first aid services contract worth more than HK$122 million (US$15.6 million) to a company previously found to have failed to provide the required staffing at swimming pools has sparked concerns over whether public funds are being used prudently. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department on Saturday defended the decision, saying it was satisfied with Spotlight Enterprises’ performance over the past two years and that it...

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Parliamentary speaker Cho discusses energy, defense cooperation with Croatian president

Parliamentary speaker Cho discusses energy, defense cooperation with Croatian president

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik has held a series of meetings with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to seek energy and defense cooperation between the two nations, his office said Saturday. In a meeting with the Croatian president in Zagreb on Friday (local time), Cho said the two countries have been maintaining friendly, cooperative relations since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, which were upgraded to a comprehensive, future-oriented partnership in 2023. Cho has been on a four-nation trip to Italy, Vatican City, Croatia and Greece over nine days. In a separate meeting with the Croatian prime minister, Cho also said the two countries should solidify their ties in the economy, culture, defense and energy sectors, highlighting a recent arms supply deal. Last month, South Korean defense firm Hanwha Aerospace signed a deal to export 18 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Croatia in an arms contract worth some 640 billion won ($477 million), marking the first major arms deal between the tw

Actress breastfeeds in public, cheers on fellow mothers

Actress breastfeeds in public, cheers on fellow mothers

Actress Choi Yu-hwa has shared an update on breastfeeding her baby for six months after giving birth, expressing pride in reaching her goal and offering words of encouragement to mothers everywhere. On Monday, Choi posted photos on social media, writing, "The day my baby turned six months old was also the day I successfully reached my goal of breastfeeding for six months." The photos offer a glimpse into Choi's daily life as a mother. In particular, they show her breastfeeding her baby in public places, including restaurants and cafes. "I worked really hard," Choi said. "Taking care of a baby through the night is difficult, but traveling without having to carry extra things is convenient, so I've decided to keep breastfeeding a little longer." She added, "To all the mothers in the world, keep going!" Choi made her acting debut in 2010 in the KBS2 one-act drama "The Great Gye Choon-bin." She later appeared in TV series including "Suits," "Life," "Class of Lies" and "River Where the Moon Rises," as well as films such as "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" and "The Truth Beneath." In December last year, C

Korean, Japanese dramas target each other's home screens

Korean, Japanese dramas target each other's home screens

“My name is Minamida Minami. Whether you read it forward or backward, it’s Minamida Minami. Kitsusuki (woodpecker), tomato, Swiss, koneko (kitten), Minamida Minami.” The line comes from “Extraordinary Attorney Minami,” the Japanese adaptation of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” In the original series, protagonist Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) introduces herself using words that read the same forward and backward, such as “gireogi (wild goose), tomato, Swiss and Indo-in (Indian).” The Japanese remake recreates the wordplay in Japanese. Around the same time, a genius surgeon who swept Japan is moving the setting to a Korean hospital. Two representative legal and medical dramas from Korea and Japan are switching home turfs as they seek viewers across the sea. Kansai TV and Fuji TV will premiere “Extraordinary Attorney Minami” on Oct. 19. Like the original “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” which aired on ENA in 2022, the series follows the growth of a rookie lawyer on the autism spectrum. “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” made history by remaining in Netflix’s global Top

Dad who wept over daughter's book brings 'Long, Long Night' to Busan

Dad who wept over daughter's book brings 'Long, Long Night' to Busan

An animated film made by a father who burst into tears while reading his elementary school-aged daughter's book has been invited to the competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. “Long Long Night” is the only animated film among the 13 competition titles. Based on author Ru Ri's 2021 children's book of the same name, the film follows the journey of Norden, the last white rock rhinoceros on Earth, and a young penguin born from an abandoned egg. The original book has sold more than 800,000 copies, becoming a megahit in children's literature and a rare children's story that has also won enthusiastic support from adults. Director Youm Kyu-bock and producer Jung Kyoung-hee discussed the film's four-year journey to the screen at a press conference held Friday at the Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae District. The project began with a book Youm's daughter brought home. Youm said he cried uncontrollably while reading "Long Long Night" to his daughter and became captivated by the friendship between the aging rhinoceros and the young penguin. "I felt I had to ma

'Doctor X' delivers satisfying dose of justice with Kim Ji-won at center

'Doctor X' delivers satisfying dose of justice with Kim Ji-won at center

“Doctor X” took aim at doctors chasing power and personal interests within the hospital, delivering a satisfying blow against corruption from its very first episode. At the center is Gye Su-jeong, a brilliant surgeon played by Kim Ji-won, in a rare female lead role for a medical drama. SBS' "Doctor X: Mafia in White," which premiered Friday, is a medical drama centered on Gye, also known as Doctor X, who takes on deeply rooted corruption with exceptional surgical skills and a refusal to accept failure or compromise. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode recorded nationwide viewership of 11.4 percent and 11.2 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area, peaking at 12.9 percent. It was the highest-rated premiere among miniseries that debuted in 2026, giving "Doctor X" a double-digit start. The premiere introduced Gye, a temporary doctor dispatched to Guseo University Hospital, as she confronted the institution's hierarchy and corruption while demonstrating her surgical prowess. Gye and Jang Hee-sook, played by Lee Jung-eun, encountered a customer who suddenly collapsed in pain at a b

SEVENTEEN's Hoshi drops love song 'Boyfriend' during military service

SEVENTEEN's Hoshi drops love song 'Boyfriend' during military service

Hoshi of K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN is dropping a new digital single, "Boyfriend," at 6 p.m. on Saturday, the latest in a string of solo releases since his military enlistment last year. "Boyfriend," according to the singer's label Pledis Entertainment, is an R&B-based pop track about carefully approaching a loved one. Hoshi co-wrote the lyrics, and the song is built on breezy shuffle rhythms and synthesizer sounds. Hoshi enlisted in the Army as an active-duty soldier on Sept. 16 last year, becoming the fourth SEVENTEEN member to begin mandatory military service. He is scheduled to be discharged on March 15, 2027. On the day he enlisted, he released "Take a Shot," a hip-hop track for which he co-wrote the lyrics. Pledis has since continued to put out his music during his service, releasing "Fallen Superstar" in November and "Baby, Honey" in March this year. "Snapback," which Hoshi co-wrote and co-composed, followed in June. Other SEVENTEEN members are also pursuing individual projects as the group works through its members’ military service schedules. Jun released his first Chinese-langu

PPP lawmaker, ruling party clash over planned letter thanking Zelenskyy

PPP lawmaker, ruling party clash over planned letter thanking Zelenskyy

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition People Power Party clashed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Saturday after the latter criticized her plan to send a letter thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. On Friday, Na said she would send Zelenskyy a letter expressing her deep gratitude for his “magnanimous decision” to allow the two POWs, identified by their surnames Ri and Paek, to be transferred to South Korea in accordance with their wishes. The plan drew strong criticism from the ruling party. Na hit back on Saturday, describing the ruling party's response as “absurd” and accusing DPK lawmakers of attacking her for wanting to express gratitude to the Ukrainian president. "After I announced that I would send a letter of thanks to the Ukrainian president for transferring the North Korean prisoners of war, DPK lawmakers rushed to attack me one after another, like a suicide squad," she wrote on Facebook. "Are they lawmakers of the Republic of Korea? Or are they members of the N

Are Chinese military aircraft already using a new joint air facility in Laos?

Are Chinese military aircraft already using a new joint air facility in Laos?

Chinese military aircraft may already be using a new joint aviation facility in Laos, with satellite imagery showing twice as many K-8/JL-8-family trainer aircraft there as the Laotian air force is assessed to possess. Eight of the two-seat trainer and light-attack aircraft were visible at Ban Keun Airport in commercial satellite imagery taken on September 30, according to Reuters, which first reported the images. More than two dozen military and support vehicles were also visible. The image was...

Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community

Comedy takes root in Korea's Russian-speaking community

Lyazzat Khan, a proud resident of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, has quietly been building an empire of laughter. Originally from Kazakhstan, she is the mastermind behind Event Max, a business that brings Russian-speaking comedians to Korea. For Korea’s Russian-speaking population of nearly 200,000, there is a growing market for entertainment services. Most of these residents are Koryo-saram, or ethnic Koreans from former Soviet Union countries. Many are employed in the country’s light and heavy industry factories, working grueling hours. Leisure services for this group of workers remain underdeveloped, mostly because of the language barrier to accessing Korean entertainment. Over half of Korea’s Russian-speaking population lives in Ansan and Incheon, where in some neighborhoods, it is common to hear Russian spoken on the street. Restaurants and lounges catering specifically to Russian-speakers have sprung up in these neighborhoods since the early 2000s. However, a demand for more community-centered entertainment is on the rise as many businesses were shuttered during the pandemic. Ent

She studies lonely deaths — and shared her door code with a neighbor

She studies lonely deaths — and shared her door code with a neighbor

Researcher Song In-joo's father had been adamant that he did not want to die in a hospital, so she stayed by his side at home through his final days. "I realized that death isn't a momentary event, but a long, painful process. You have to work hard to die," Song said. "Everything is going as it should," her father said two days before he died. "I believe my father died peacefully, thanks to the care and human touch he received," Song said. "Death inevitably requires the help of others." That was in 2016. Song, then a senior research fellow at the Seoul Welfare Foundation and now head of Ssro Lab, began researching lonely deaths that year in hopes of preventing people from dying without care or human contact. To do so, she first had to determine who dies in isolation, why they become isolated and how they spend their final days. Since she could not ask the dead themselves, she analyzed police records on 20,000 unattended deaths and interviewed family members and neighbors to examine the circumstances surrounding lonely deaths — a process known as a "social autopsy." Song recently publishe

US prison term counts toward Korean military exemption, court rules

US prison term counts toward Korean military exemption, court rules

A Korean-born man who spent 14 years in a U.S. prison for armed robbery does not have to serve in the Korean military, a Seoul court has ruled, extending an exemption for convicted inmates to those who have served their jail sentences overseas. The ruling rejects the Military Manpower Administration's position that only inmates transferred to Korea to complete their sentences qualify for exemption. The court did, however, attach a condition meant to keep the exemption from becoming a loophole for draft evasion. Under the Military Service Act, anyone sentenced to 18 months or more in prison is placed in wartime labor service, a category that exempts a person from peacetime duty and calls him up only for labor support in the event of war. The man, whose name was withheld, moved to the U.S. with his family and later became a permanent resident there. He was convicted of robbery and aggravated assault in 2010 and was deported to Korea after completing his sentence last year. A physical examination classified him as eligible for alternative service as a social service agent, but he sought ass

In Korea, towns compete to host prisons as population declines

In Korea, towns compete to host prisons as population declines

Local governments across Korea are competing to host prisons, once widely regarded as undesirable facilities, as shrinking populations and struggling local economies prompt communities to seek new sources of jobs, residents and spending. Cheongsong and Yeongdeok counties in North Gyeongsang Province, Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province and Boeun County in the same province are among the municipalities that have entered the competition. According to the Ministry of Justice, Thursday, the government is seeking sites for four correctional facilities to address prison overcrowding and aging infrastructure. Each facility would accommodate 1,000 inmates and employ 250 permanent staff members, requiring at least 192,000 square meters of land. The four projects have a combined construction cost of 967.6 billion won ($680 million). They will be carried out as build-transfer-lease projects, under which private companies construct the facilities and transfer ownership to the government, which then pays rent for their use. Cheongsong is touting its experience as host to four correctional facilitie

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