Reporter’s notebook: shooting brings home grim reality in the US capital

South China Morning Post - Nov 13, 2026

We were weeks into a three-month assignment reporting from the SCMP bureau in Washington when we heard a shooting just around the corner from our apartment building. From our flat, we often hear trucks going past and loud noise from the ventilation system several storeys below. But as we got ready for work at 8am on Thursday we heard something unusual – “bang, bang, bang”. It was gunfire, and it sounded like it was right outside our apartment. Soon after, we heard fire alarms, police sirens and...

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Defense ministry conducting poll on military cadets over proposed academy integration

Defense ministry conducting poll on military cadets over proposed academy integration

The defense ministry said Friday it is surveying military cadets on the proposal to integrate the Army, Air Force and Navy academies as the government seeks to revise the plan amid pushback from alumni groups and key stakeholders. The online survey, running from Friday through Tuesday, will poll 2,350 cadets across all four class years, excluding about 143 naval cadets set to be deployed for rotational training, a ministry official told reporters. The ministry is pushing to merge the three institutions into a unified military academy, but the plan has drawn fierce opposition from cadets and alumni who say it could erode the distinct identity and specialized capabilities of each armed service. The ministry is now reportedly weighing the option of relocating the military academy of the Army out of Seoul as planned while retaining the two others, a move seen as backtracking from its original merger plan. "The survey aims to evaluate the current military academies and collect cadets' opinions as part of broader efforts to gather input from various sectors to refine the plan for establishing

Former presidential security official named new KOICA chief

Former presidential security official named new KOICA chief

Oh Hyun-joo, former third deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, has been named to head the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the foreign ministry said Friday. Oh will formally take office on Monday to lead the agency, which is affiliated with the foreign ministry and responsible for the government's official development assistance (ODA) programs. After entering the foreign service in 1994, Oh held various posts in development cooperation and multilateral diplomacy, including deputy chief of mission at South Korea's U.N. mission. She became South Korea's first female ambassador to the Holy See in January 2023 and was appointed third deputy director of the National Security Office in June last year. "Oh is expected to actively realize KOICA's vision of becoming a leading global development cooperation agency that pursues universal values and shared national interests, while strengthening its role as an integrated platform for South Korea's grant aid programs," the ministry said in a statement. The KOICA president serves a three-year term and is selected

Lee pledges capital market reform to address stock undervaluation

Lee pledges capital market reform to address stock undervaluation

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday reiterated his commitment to capital market reform, pledging to address what he has called "undervaluation" of Korean stocks by boosting market confidence and cracking down on market irregularities. Lee made the pledge during a policy discussion on the capital market held at the Korea Exchange, which brought together experts, corporate representatives and government officials. "Normalizing the capital market is our government's unwavering policy direction and commitment," the president said. The president described the undervaluation of Korean stocks as an "unreasonable abnormality," reaffirming his administration's commitment to reforming the capital market and the broader financial market to boost investor confidence. Lee's remarks came amid significant volatility in Korea's stock market in recent months, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) trading in the mid-5,000-point range on Friday, after reaching an all-time closing high of 9,114.55 points in late June. The president cited investor confidence as the most important value in

Gov't vows zero tolerance against cheating with AI glasses

Gov't vows zero tolerance against cheating with AI glasses

The government promised Friday to exercise zero tolerance against cheating using artificial intelligence (AI) glasses in next week's nationwide college entrance exam after suspicions of such cheating arose over an unrealistic score in this year's certified tax accountant exam. The suspicions emerged following revelations that the highest scorer in the tax accountant exam received a near-perfect score, missing only one question out of the 160 on the first-round test, earning 397.5 points out of a possible 400, a score many test-takers view as unrealistic. That has raised concerns that AI cheating can be used in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), set for Thursday. "The government views cheating using AI smart glasses as a serious issue that infringes upon fair opportunities for students who have worked diligently, and takes people's concerns regarding this matter very seriously," the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a statement. "The government will take a zero-tolerance approach toward any cheating that compromises the fairness of examinations and will make sure

Korea, France hold joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in Saclay

Korea, France hold joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in Saclay

Korea and France commenced their 27th joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in France's southwestern region of Saclay this week and discussed nuclear technology cooperation, Seoul's science ministry said Friday. The two-day event ending Friday (local time) comes as the two nations mark their 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the Ministry of Science and ICT added. The event has been organized since 1982, following the signing of a bilateral agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 1981. During the meeting, Korea and France discussed 21 areas of technological cooperation in fields such as nuclear energy research, nuclear safety and the nuclear industry. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in next-generation nuclear reactors, as well as in the nuclear energy supply chain, following related memorandums of understanding signed during two bilateral summits this year, held in April and September. "We will use the joint coordinating committee as an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperative framework between the two countries ... to drive ne

Binance says all asset losses from N. Korea-linked cyberattack covered

Binance says all asset losses from N. Korea-linked cyberattack covered

WASHINGTON — Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance said Thursday it has completed covering assets affected by a massive cyberattack blamed on North Korea, after committing more than $6.34 billion in company funds to make up for the losses. "Binance has completed coverage of assets impacted in the security incident," the company said in a statement posted on its website. The company said it used funds from its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), futures insurance fund and corporate treasury to cover the losses, while acquiring affected cryptocurrencies through market and over-the-counter transactions. "Binance has committed to replenishing SAFU to return the fund to approximately $1 billion, ensuring it remains fully resourced as an emergency user-protection reserve," it said. The announcement follows an Oct. 29 cyberattack in which hackers allegedly linked to North Korea stole more than $6 billion in digital assets from Binance. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation attributed the theft to a North Korean hacking group known as TraderTraitor, warning that the stolen assets could be l

US House passes bill to protect small businesses from foreign adversaries, including N. Korea

US House passes bill to protect small businesses from foreign adversaries, including N. Korea

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at protecting American small businesses from economic and cybersecurity threats posed by foreign adversaries, including North Korea. The House passed the Combating Foreign Threats to Main Street Act of 2026 on Wednesday, The bill would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide small businesses with information and guidance on identifying and responding to threats from foreign adversaries. "China, Russia and North Korea are working to undermine our economic and national security, and American businesses are increasingly caught in the crosshairs," Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) said during a House floor debate on Wednesday. The legislation seeks to help businesses address risks such as intellectual property theft, cyberattacks, counterfeit goods and predatory investment practices. It now subject to deliberation by the Senate. "While these threats affect businesses of every size, small businesses are often the most vulnerable, and they simply do not have the resources or expertise to identify these threats

FM Cho heads to China for talks with Wang Yi on bilateral ties, prospects for NK-US dialogue

FM Cho heads to China for talks with Wang Yi on bilateral ties, prospects for NK-US dialogue

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for China on Friday for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on bilateral relations and issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, including the possibility of renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. Cho was scheduled to hold talks with Wang later in the day, followed by a dinner hosted by the Chinese foreign minister, according to the foreign ministry. "We plan to discuss the overall state of bilateral relations, particularly issues that need to be coordinated between the two countries ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit," Cho told reporters at Gimpo International Airport before departing for China. His visit comes ahead of President Lee Jae Myung's planned trip to China for the APEC summit in Shenzhen from Wednesday to Thursday, and the ministerial meeting was expected to help lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We plan to hold comprehensive discussions with China on these issues, particularly North Korea-related matters, including the possibility of U.S.-No

N. Korea changes national flag's aspect ratio for 1st time since 1948

N. Korea changes national flag's aspect ratio for 1st time since 1948

North Korea has revised its constitution to change its national flag's aspect ratio for the first time since its regime was established in 1948, according to the amended basic law posted on the website of Pyongyang's propaganda outlet. Article 166 of the revised constitution posted on Naenara's website stipulates that the ratio of the flag's height to its width is 1 to 1.65, replacing the previous ratio of 1 to 2. The change came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sought to build his own governing style and national identity while retaining some legacies of his predecessors. The flag's 1-to-2 ratio rule had remained unchanged in the law until the North's constitutional revision in September 2023. Despite the ratio change, the overall design of the North's flag remains intact, consisting of a broad red stripe in the center, narrow white stripes above and below it, blue stripes above and below the white stripes, and a red five-pointed star in a white circle. The constitution says the red stripe stands for the blood shed by anti-Japan fighters who dedicated their lives to defending the c

Lee to hold bilateral talks with Thai, Philippine leaders at ASEAN summit

Lee to hold bilateral talks with Thai, Philippine leaders at ASEAN summit

Korean President Lee Jae Myung will hold bilateral meetings with his Thai and Philippine counterparts next week on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), his spokesperson said Friday. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced Lee's planned meetings as the Korean president is scheduled to attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in China. Lee will attend the ASEAN summit in Manila on Monday and Tuesday before traveling to China's Shenzhen on Wednesday for a two-day trip to attend the APEC summit. Lee will separately meet with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Monday afternoon on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Kang said in a press release. On the sidelines of the APEC summit Wednesday, Lee will hold a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in southern China, home to some 24,000 Korean nationals, she said.

Par for the cause: Hong Kong Golf Club raises funds, builds community through sports

Par for the cause: Hong Kong Golf Club raises funds, builds community through sports

Members of the Hong Kong Golf Club gathered on the putting green this autumn to take part in two sporting events, both aimed at supporting charitable causes and strengthening community ties. Beyond world-class competition, the club has used the Link Hong Kong Open as a platform to promote charitable giving and community engagement, working alongside the annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus (OSC). The 65th edition of the Link Hong Kong Open was held at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s...

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