Rare earths friction threatens to stall trade truce extension ahead of Xi-Trump summit

Girl group Rescene to drop new EP in Nov.

Rising girl group Rescene will return on Nov. 3 with its new EP, "Pulse," the group's agency, The Muze Entertainment, said Tuesday. This will be the K-pop quintet's first release in four months since "Pretty Girl," a remake single released in July, and its first physical album since "Lip Bomb," its third EP released in November last year. Debuting in March 2024, Rescene rose to fame as "Love Attack," now its signature song, gained traction on major domestic music charts in July, nearly two years after its release. The hit has since ranked high on the charts alongside its new single, "Pretty Girl."

University of Seoul, Missouri S&T to offer dual doctoral degree program in engineering

The University of Seoul has signed a dual doctoral degree agreement in engineering with the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The University of Seoul said the agreement, signed Thursday, is designed to strengthen educational and research cooperation in engineering between the two universities. It also aims to foster engineering talent with global research capabilities and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Under the agreement, doctoral students who meet certain requirements will conduct research under the joint supervision of faculty members from both universities. They can earn dual doctoral degrees upon completing the academic programs and degree requirements of both institutions. The University of Seoul said its students will first complete coursework and conduct initial research in the university’s doctoral program. After meeting relevant requirements, including qualifying as doctoral candidates and passing the qualifying examination, they may be admitted to a doctoral program at Missouri S&T on a conditional basis. They will then complete the requir

AI meets heritage to transform tourism experience in Seoul

In a leafy temple courtyard tucked away from the bustling avenues of Seoul, foreign travelers attempting to navigate the nuanced rituals of temple stays, meditation and traditional Eastern medicine may soon find an unlikely companion: generative artificial intelligence (AI). Under a newly announced initiative from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea is deploying cutting-edge digital technologies to modernize its oldest cultural assets. Officials said Tuesday that three tech startups have been selected to pair advanced AI, location-based audio guides and automated booking platforms with traditional Korean wellness and Buddhist heritage sites. The municipal project addresses a persistent hurdle for overseas visitors exploring Korean cultural heritage: steep language barriers and complex reservation systems. While K-pop and Korean cinema have drawn record numbers of international tourists to the capital, foreign visitors frequently report difficulty navigating off-the-beaten-path experiences like temple stays, herbal medicine consultations and monastic cuisine. To bridge this gap, city

Korea bets big on sodium and solid-state tech to reclaim battery dominance

Facing a sharp slowdown in global electric vehicle demand and fierce price competition from Chinese rivals, Korea is overhauling its battery strategy to recapture its edge in the global market. At a high-level industry summit held Tuesday at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy met with executives from top battery giants, including LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On. Together, they unveiled the nation’s official Battery Technology Roadmap, outlining a massive public-private push focused on next-generation chemistries and dramatic cost reductions. The strategic shift marks a clear departure from Korea’s long-standing reliance on high-nickel NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cells. While premium NCM batteries established Korean manufacturers as global leaders in high-performance electric vehicles, Chinese rivals have rapidly gained market share by flooding global supply chains with low-cost lithium iron phosphate alternatives. To counter this squeeze, Korea is pivoting toward a "select and concentrate" strate

Gov't to cut prosecutor numbers under reform plan

The Public Prosecution Service, set to launch Oct. 2 under a sweeping prosecution reform, will initially have 80-85 percent of the current statutory quota of prosecutors, with plans for further reductions through a legal revision, the justice ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said the Cabinet approved legal amendments on the organization of the Public Prosecution Service and the number of prosecutors, reflecting various public opinions gathered during a legislative notice period from Sept. 4-9. The launch of the new agency is part of the government's reform stripping prosecutors of independent investigative powers. The amendments include further cuts to investigative personnel from the previously proposed staffing plan, the abolition of three additional deputy chief prosecutor-level posts and eight departments, and the renaming of departments that had drawn controversy. The number of prosecutors at the new agency, the most contentious issue, will be set at 80-85 percent of the 2,292 prosecutors currently authorized under the Prosecutor Quota Act. The ministry said it will seek an amendm

Gov't bans private academies' placement tests for young children

Private academies will be prohibited from conducting placement tests for preschoolers starting next month, the education ministry said Tuesday, as part of efforts to curb severe forms of early childhood private education. The ban will take effect Oct. 1 under the revised Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, which was passed during a Cabinet meeting the same day. Under the revision, all written, oral, practical and interview evaluations will be prohibited, as well as any evaluations utilizing test scores to grade specific abilities. As an exception, however, diagnostic assessments through observation or interviews after a child has already enrolled will be permitted with prior parental consent. The revision also calls for fines on violators of 1 million won ($735) for a first offense, 2 million won for a second offense, and 3 million won for third and subsequent offenses.

Kookmin University to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies

Kookmin University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies to promote cooperation in advanced technologies and expand industry-academia collaboration. The university said the MOU was signed at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Thursday. The agreement is designed to formalize the areas of cooperation discussed during the visit of Jamol Tilloyevich Makhsudov, Uzbekistan’s deputy minister of digital technologies, to Kookmin University on Sept. 10. Jeong Seung-ryul, president of the university, held a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov, who was visiting Korea to attend the Korea-Central Asia Summit, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The meeting was attended by Kim Byoung-joon, the university’s director of international affairs, and Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov. The two sides exchanged views on talent development and industry-academia collaboration in advanced technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and software. They agreed

Actor Shin Hyun-joon sparks viral buzz at Peru's Wong Supermarket

Actor Shin Hyun-joon’s latest television appearance in Korea has brought an unexpected bit of Peru into the spotlight, as a familiar supermarket bag and local soft drink appeared alongside him during a taping of tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block.” Shin, who recently returned from a fan event in Peru, appeared on the program to share stories from his trip, including his experiences with local fans. During the taping, Shin carried a shopping bag from Wong, one of Peru’s major supermarket brands, creating an unplanned moment of exposure for the retailer. Shin also showed host Yoo Jae-suk a bottle of Inca Kola, a Peruvian soft drink, and encouraged him to try it. Neither Wong nor Inca Kola was presented as part of an advertising or sponsorship arrangement, according to information provided by Shin’s camp. Wong later responded to a promotional post about Shin’s television appearance through its official social media account, tagging the actor and adding a Peruvian flag and heart emojis. The retailer also created an artificial intelligence-generated image depicting Shin visiting a Wong

Won the lottery, still clocking in: Why this K-drama is striking a nerve

Played by actor Lee Jun-hyuk, Gong Eun-tae is the youngest team leader at major corporation Hongseong International, yet he has risen through the ranks at lightning speed thanks to his characteristic diligence. He has endured a series of unreasonable situations without ever losing his temper. He is looked down on by team members who joined the company before him, while office politics above him leave him saddled with difficult assignments. Now on the verge of burnout, his mundane life takes an unexpected turn when he wins the lottery. The 1.3 billion won ($950,000) jackpot is not enough for him to spend the rest of his life doing nothing, but it is more than enough to serve as a financial safety net. With the windfall in hand, Gong decides to turn his suffocating corporate life upside down. There is no absolute villain to take revenge on, nor is there a Cinderella-style romance. Instead, a new wave of hyperrealistic dramas depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people is making its way onto television screens. Far removed from the cathartic storylines currently in vogue, these dramas

How are China’s Type 052D destroyers shifting the balance in the western Pacific?

When state television aired footage in July of a Type 052D destroyer launching a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile it signalled a significant expansion of the Chinese navy’s long-range strike power. The missile had previously been associated with China’s larger Type 055 destroyers. Showing it fired from a Type 052D – a class the People’s Liberation Army has built in far greater numbers – suggests Beijing may be able to spread the weapon well beyond its much smaller force of Type 055s. That...

Xi-Trump path to ‘constructive strategic stability’