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

The Korea Times - Nov 11, 2026

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.

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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 Tuesday. 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. Their discussion took place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in France on Tuesday (local time). "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 being interpreted as a repetition of the South Korean government’s demand for Ukraine to apologize for the disclosure, which Seoul claims the two sides had agreed to keep confidential. The ministry’s statement, however,

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

Korean 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

'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

Connecting legal expertise with global opportunities at Hong Kong Legal Week 2026

Connecting legal expertise with global opportunities at Hong Kong Legal Week 2026

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong became the first overseas base for the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in its 100-year history, advancing efforts to harmonise private law across the Asia Pacific region. The historic debut was a highlight of Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, the Department of Justice's (DoJ) five-day flagship event. Under the theme "Collaboration & Innovation: Legal Synergy for a Shared Future",...

China, Russia and US try to nail down AI nuclear agenda in time for Apec talks

China, Russia and US try to nail down AI nuclear agenda in time for Apec talks

Talks between China, the US and Russia could yield a commitment to control AI in nuclear arsenals as part of a broader agenda on global governance, sources told the South China Morning Post. The three nations have engaged in weeks of back-and-forth discussion to nail down the agenda and protocol for talks between the countries’ leaders on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Shenzhen next week. The sources said that the war in Ukraine and denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula had largely...

From local courts to the world stage

From local courts to the world stage

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] A table tennis rally can turn in an instant. A change of spin, a sharply angled return or a moment’s hesitation can decide the point. At the highest level, players must read their opponents and make decisions almost before the ball leaves the bat. Those skills will be on show at Kai Tak Arena from 9 to 13 December, when some of the world’s leading players compete at the WTT Finals Hong Kong 2026. For the city’s aspiring...

A fare fight? What Hong Kong’s ride-hailing shake-up means for passengers

A fare fight? What Hong Kong’s ride-hailing shake-up means for passengers

With eight companies vying for licences to provide ride-hailing services in Hong Kong under the new regulatory regime, industry observers expect a price war that will initially benefit passengers through lower fares. But some warned that competition could eventually force weaker operators out of the market, leaving dominant players free to raise prices. “The ride-hailing firms will fight to reduce fares in the beginning to grab their loyal customers,” said Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong...

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust as he discusses NK POW issue with Ukraine counterpart

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust as he discusses NK POW issue with Ukraine counterpart

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stressed mutual respect and trust as basis for bilateral relations during his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, the Korean foreign ministry said, Tuesday. It was their first meeting since a rift has deepened 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. Their discussion took place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in France on Monday (local time). "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 interpreted as repetition of South Korean government’s demand for Ukraine to apologize for the disclosure, which Seoul claims the two sides had agreed to keep confidential. The ministry’s statement, however, did not show whether

What the future holds for M+ as the Hong Kong museum celebrates fifth anniversary

What the future holds for M+ as the Hong Kong museum celebrates fifth anniversary

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How Asian-American campaigners helped turn the US deep-red South blue

How Asian-American campaigners helped turn the US deep-red South blue

On tote bags distributed by Asian-owned businesses in the US state of Georgia, three Asian-American women appeared in a design inspired by the Three Ladies rice brand. The bags were part of a campaign that put a voting twist on the online “Asian baby girl” meme. “We had an ‘Asian Ballot Girls’ campaign,” said Chany Chea, programme director of the Asian-American Advocacy Fund. “We had merch which went viral.” As Democrats won races in Republican strongholds across the southern United States in...

PLA cybersecurity scientist Guo Shize removed from Chinese Academy of Sciences website

PLA cybersecurity scientist Guo Shize removed from Chinese Academy of Sciences website

A leading cybersecurity scientist in the Chinese military, Guo Shize, has been removed from the website of the country’s top national research institute. Guo, 57, a researcher at the Information Technology Security Research Centre of the People’s Liberation Army, was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2023. It is not known when his page was removed from the academy’s website, but Chinese media reports noted the change on Monday. Neither the academy nor Beijing’s defence ministry...

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