Quad confirmed, Manila envoy signals likely ‘Squad’ talks before Trump-Xi summit

South China Morning Post - Oct 22, 2026

The Philippine ambassador to the United States signalled possible meetings of the “Squad” bloc ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Manila, as Washington confirmed that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue would hold its first leaders’ summit in more than two years on the sidelines of the regional talks. An informal defence grouping, the “Squad” forms part of a US-led regional strategy to counter China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. It comprises the US...

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New Netflix series starring Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo to premiere in December

New Netflix series starring Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo to premiere in December

"Tantara," a new Netflix original Korean series starring actors Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo, will be released on Dec. 11, the streaming platform said Thursday. Set in the 1960s-80s, the period drama follows Min-ja (Song), who overcomes poverty and ventures into the recording industry, and her childhood friend Dong-gu (Gong), who supports her dream. The show's cast also includes Kim Seol-hyun, Cha Seung-won, Lee Hanee and Na Moon-hee. The upcoming series marks star screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung's return after more than four years. Noh has penned popular works such as "Worlds Within" (2008) and "That Winter, the Wind Blows" (2013) — both starring Song — as well as "Our Blues" (2022).

Presidential office denies investigation chief's Cabinet meeting attendance compromises impartiality

Presidential office denies investigation chief's Cabinet meeting attendance compromises impartiality

The presidential office on Thursday refuted media criticism that the chief of the new investigative body attending Cabinet meetings could compromise impartiality and independence in investigations. The response came amid growing media criticism after Kim Ji-yong, chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), attended Tuesday's Cabinet meeting for the first time since taking office, despite the long-held practice of investigation chiefs not attending such meetings. In a social media post the previous day, President Lee Jae Myung said chiefs of all government institutions under his command could attend Cabinet meetings, but many media outlets pointed out that such a move could compromise the investigation chief's independence and impartiality in conducting investigations. "The government is strenuously working toward maintaining fairness and political neutrality in investigations and independence in indictments. This principle will remain unwavering going forward," Lee's senior secretary for the press, Seong Ghi-hong, told reporters. The official also made clear that no individua

Soongsil University, Chung-Ang University team develops technology to disrupt lip-sync deepfakes

Soongsil University, Chung-Ang University team develops technology to disrupt lip-sync deepfakes

A joint research team from Soongsil University and Chung-Ang University has developed a technology to disrupt lip synchronization in deepfake videos that use artificial intelligence (AI) to make a person's lip movements match an audio track. Soongsil University said Tuesday that the team, led by professor Choi Dae-sun of its AI Security Center and professor Kwon Jun-seok of Chung-Ang University, developed the technology, dubbed MUTE. According to the team, MUTE is the first technology to disrupt lip synchronization in deepfake videos using audio protection alone. The paper, titled “MUTE: Multi-Level Alignment Uncoupling Against Talking-Head Exploitation for Voice Protection,” was accepted for presentation at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) 2026, one of the world’s leading AI conferences. The study was conducted as part of a research and development project supported by the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). The research team included doctoral student Kim Dong-hyun, master’s student Kim Seung

Seoul claims top spot in global AI adoption, 3rd overall in 2026 AI Cities Index

Seoul claims top spot in global AI adoption, 3rd overall in 2026 AI Cities Index

Seoul has secured third place overall — and claimed the top spot worldwide in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and implementation — in the newly released 2026 AI Cities Index compiled by Britain’s The Observer, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday. The benchmark evaluation, built on Tortoise Media’s established Global AI Index, assessed 57 major metropolitan centers across 36 countries using 50 indicators split into three core pillars: investment, innovation and implementation. San Francisco and New York claimed the top two global spots, while Seoul finished third, outranking major international hubs including Beijing, Paris and London, which filled out the fourth through sixth positions. The Observer, founded in 1791 as the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, introduced city-level rankings for the first time this year, capturing a fundamental shift as AI power increasingly concentrates in urban centers. Seoul’s standout performance came in the implementation category, where it ranked first globally ahead of Tokyo (third) and Singapore (fifth). This metric measu

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies offers training for new hires at semiconductor companies

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies offers training for new hires at semiconductor companies

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) held a two-day training program Oct. 19-20 to help newly hired employees at local semiconductor materials, parts and equipment companies develop practical skills. The university said Wednesday that its G-Anchor Project Group organized the program in cooperation with Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. The G-Anchor Project is a provincial initiative designed to support universities in promoting regional innovation. Twenty-five newly hired employees from six semiconductor-related companies in Yongin — including Rorze Systems, BMI Tech, GnG InTech, SurplusGlobal, Justem and Appletree — participated in the training. They worked in a range of fields, including manufacturing, design, sales, research and development, and quality control. The training program aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of the semiconductor industry and develop the practical skills and workplace adaptability needed to perform their jobs effectively. Lim Ju-won, a professor in HUFS’ Division of Semiconductor and Electronics Engineering, oversaw the program. Faculty me

Incheon stabbing suspect tests negative for psychopathy

Incheon stabbing suspect tests negative for psychopathy

INCHEON — The suspect behind last week's stabbing spree in Incheon has tested negative for psychopathy, police and legal sources said Thursday. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a psychopathy test on the 59-year-old suspect, Choi Choong-rak, but his score fell below the 25 out of 40 points needed to classify him as a psychopath. Choi is accused of attempting to kill 10 people at a commercial complex in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 13, by wielding knives in both hands. The rampage left eight people injured, including one who remains unconscious after suffering cardiac arrest. The two others escaped without harm. During police questioning, Choi said he carried out the attack out of anger over medical treatment he received at a local hospital. He also told police that he did not target specific people but chose those who looked weaker than him. Choi has 10 prior convictions, including two for attempted murder. Police said they are analyzing evidence and conducting further investigations to determine his motive and whether the attack was premeditated.

S. Korea urges NK to stop border escalation acts amid Pyongyang's loudspeaker threat

S. Korea urges NK to stop border escalation acts amid Pyongyang's loudspeaker threat

The unification ministry on Thursday called on North Korea to immediately stop acts that could increase the risk of clashes with South Korea along the border after the North warned of resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul. The ministry issued the statement after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts targeting South Korea within days, and warned of a "horrible and distressing situation" amid tensions over Pyongyang's ongoing border fortification work. "Actions that violate the Armistice Agreement, and heighten tensions and the risk of clashes along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) must be stopped immediately," the ministry said, referring to the agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. It also warned against repeating past mistakes, noting that the two Koreas had operated loudspeakers targeting each other until June 2025, causing "unbearable suffering" for people on both sides of the border. "The fundamental solution to preventing tensions and the risk of clashes between the two Koreas is

[COVER STORY] Kids on stage: How young is too young to debut in K-pop?

[COVER STORY] Kids on stage: How young is too young to debut in K-pop?

A2O LITE, a K-pop act that debuted last week, gained attention not only because its debut single "Neon" topped Melon's Top 100 chart about 29 hours after its release, but also due to the fact that three of the nine members — Ayune, Oa and Aijing — are 13 years old. The group, launched by former SM Entertainment chief producer Lee Soo-man through A2O Entertainment, held its debut showcase on Oct. 12 and released its first single the following day. All nine members are minors. The lineup, which notably consisted of members born in 2013, has revived a question K-pop has long left unresolved — whether Korea's protections for child performers, built largely around weekly hour caps and contract clauses, are adequate for children who reach the stage before finishing middle school. Early debuts are nothing new, least of all for Lee. Solo singer BoA debuted under him at the age of 13 in 2000, while SHINee's Taemin and f(x)'s Krystal were 14 when they debuted in 2008 and 2009, respectively. NCT DREAM debuted in 2016 with its youngest members at 14. Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said Lee's app

Ex-officials defend 2019 repatriation of NK fishermen as criminal deportation

Ex-officials defend 2019 repatriation of NK fishermen as criminal deportation

Three former officials convicted of forcibly repatriating North Korean fishermen in 2019 defended the move Thursday, describing it as a deportation of criminals. Chung Eui-yong, former national security adviser, Suh Hoon, former National Intelligence Service director, and Kim Yeon-chul, former unification minister, made the assertion in a statement issued a day after the Seoul High Court sentenced them to suspended prison terms for their involvement in the case. "The reality of this case is not a simple forced repatriation of North Korean defectors," the statement said. "It was a deportation measure against criminals who fled to the South after committing serious inhumane crimes." The three served in former President Moon Jae-in's administration in November 2019, when Seoul deported two North Korean fishermen back to North Korea after they were captured near the eastern maritime border. The fishermen had been accused of killing 16 crew members. The move sparked outcry from critics as the fishermen had expressed their intent to defect to South Korea, which maintains a policy of accepting

Coupang, affiliates found to have committed 205 workplace safety violations

Coupang, affiliates found to have committed 205 workplace safety violations

The government said Thursday it will take criminal enforcement action over safety violations at Coupang and its affiliates, after inspections uncovered suspected cover-ups of workplace accidents and inadequate safeguards at logistics facilities. The Ministry of Employment and Labor found 205 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act across 105 logistics centers and delivery camps. It said 61 violations would be subject to criminal enforcement action, while the remaining 144 would draw administrative fines totaling about 1.96 billion won ($1.48 million). Separate labor inspections also found that Coupang had failed to include key provisions of its performance improvement program (PIP) in its employment rules, in violation of the Labor Standards Act. The ministry said it will issue a corrective order and impose a fine. “Covering up workplace accidents or failing to report them not only prevents workers from receiving proper treatment and compensation, but also hinders efforts to determine their causes and identify and address hazards, making further accidents more likely,”

Lee Soo-man's boy band A2O SOUL to release debut album Nov. 9

Lee Soo-man's boy band A2O SOUL to release debut album Nov. 9

A2O SOUL, the 15-member boy group launched by K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man, will release its debut album "SUPERSTAR" on Nov. 9, less than a month after unveiling a prerelease single of the same name at its global debut showcase. The new album will be available at 6 p.m. on music platforms in Korea and abroad, according to the group's agency A2O Entertainment, Thursday. The five-track EP is led by "SUPERSTAR," which also serves as the prerelease single, and a second lead track, "Dancing in the Dark." The agency describes all five songs as "new synthwave," a genre label the group coined to define its musical identity. Lee, the founder of SM Entertainment, set the album's musical direction and personally picked songwriters he had never worked with before, the agency said. "SUPERSTAR," released Oct. 13, was co-written by longtime SM producer Yoo Young-jin, along with HAAN, who worked on The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber's hit "Stay," and GENT!, whose credits include songs for Drake and Doja Cat. The single climbed to No. 18 on YouTube's trending music chart and made a strong showing on China's QQ Mu

Lee says rebound in potential growth rates should lead to balanced growth

Lee says rebound in potential growth rates should lead to balanced growth

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the recent rebound in the country's potential growth rates signals a recovery in the national economy's fundamentals and that the trend should help promote balanced growth of both large and small firms. The president made the remarks at a meeting with his senior aides, citing a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report projecting the country's potential growth rate at 2.14 percent this year and 2.2 percent in 2027. The figures mark the first consecutive annual increases in about 40 years. "The rebound in potential growth rates, which can be viewed as basic physical strength for an economy, is welcome news that indicates the foundation for the growth of our economy is getting stronger," Lee said. The president stressed that this trend should serve as a steppingstone to promote sustainable, balanced growth by further solidifying the competitiveness of artificial intelligence and other advanced industries while focusing financial and policy resources on sectors that are slower to recover. "In order for the rare rebound in potential growth rat

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