Residents were left helpless as departments ‘passed the ball’ on safety complaints

South China Morning Post - Oct 29, 2026

No government department took effective ownership of fire safety risks ahead of the deadly Tai Po fire, leaving complaints made by residents to fall into a vacuum, an independent committee found, singling out four departments as partly responsible for the disaster. At the release of the 1,154-page full report on Thursday, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he would lead a steering committee to review and implement the more than 100 recommendations of the independent...

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Yongsan opens English library for kids combining AI tech, interactive exhibits

Yongsan opens English library for kids combining AI tech, interactive exhibits

A new children’s library in central Seoul is pairing English books with artificial intelligence (AI), interactive exhibits and cultural activities in an effort to make language learning feel less like a lesson and more like an adventure. Yongsan District said Thursday that Dongbinggo English Library for Children opened Wednesday on the first floor of Onnuri Youth Center in Dongbinggo Neighborhood Park, offering children a dedicated space for reading, language development and hands-on learning. The 389.74-square-meter facility includes a children’s reading room, program rooms and a waiting area for parents, along with a digital aquarium and interactive content designed to extend children’s experiences beyond the pages of books. About 80 people, including Yongsan District Mayor Kim Gyeong-dae and local residents, attended the opening ceremony, which featured a project briefing, congratulatory remarks, unveiling of the library sign and a tour of the facility. The library offers English-language books, along with programs tailored to different reading levels and activities intended to

Gachon University president hosts 120 international students at traditional hanok

Gachon University president hosts 120 international students at traditional hanok

Gachon University President Lee Gil-ya invited about 120 international students from countries including China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and Uzbekistan to Gachonjae, a traditional Korean house in Incheon, on Wednesday, the university said. The event, part of the university’s Gachon Global Leadership Program for international students, was organized to encourage the students and strengthen their sense of belonging to the school. The students first toured Gachon University Gil Medical Center, a memorial hall for Lee’s former obstetrics clinic and the Gachon Museum. Gachonjae is a “hanok,” or traditional Korean house, that Lee, founder of the Gachon Cultural Foundation, built with master carpenter Choi Ki-young for traditional etiquette education, tea culture programs and exhibitions on traditional medicine. Sharing her experience of studying abroad and Korea’s development, Lee told the students to have confidence in their countries’ futures. “Just as Korea, once poor, achieved its current development, your countries can create a better future if you believe and work hard,

S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

South Korea and the United States conducted a key tabletop military exercise to integrate conventional and nuclear capabilities in a bid to deter North Korean threats, officials said Thursday. The allies conducted the Iron Mace exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, according to military officials. During the drills, the allies were believed to have discussed ways to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and joint planning for Seoul's conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency. Launched in August 2024, the Iron Mace exercise has been conducted behind closed doors under the liberal administration of President Lee Jae Myung in an apparent effort not to provoke North Korea. The allies have staged the tabletop exercise under the Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines adopted following summit talks between former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023. The drills came despite Seoul and Washington scaling down their co

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch

The Office of National Security at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting Thursday and urged North Korea to cease provocations after Pyongyang fired a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea. The meeting was attended by officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to analyze and assess the North's latest missile launch, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The office stressed the need to take all necessary measures in response to the latest launch, saying the latest provocation came only about two weeks after the North's previous launch on Oct. 12. The national security office also said the North's firing of the ballistic missiles is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to immediately halt such actions. The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area at around 12:30 p.m., according to the JCS.

Kookmin University wins grand prize in industry category at Korea Character Awards 2026

Kookmin University wins grand prize in industry category at Korea Character Awards 2026

Kookmin University’s character mascot, “Mr. Doctor,” won the grand prize in the industry category at the Korea Character Awards 2026, held Tuesday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, the university said. The Korea Character Awards program recognizes outstanding characters developed by local governments, public institutions and companies nationwide, evaluating them on creativity, public appeal, commercial potential and practical application. The university said it has consistently communicated its educational philosophy and brand values through Mr. Doctor while expanding the character’s use with diverse content and community engagement programs. Mr. Doctor embodies the journey of an ordinary person who becomes a leading expert in their field through learning and perseverance. It also symbolizes the university community’s entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to take on new challenges. The character originated from a gold-colored sculpture approximately 3 meters tall installed at the university’s main gate in February 2019. It was designed by Stefano Giovannoni, a world-renown

PM says to foster 200 'frontier' bio, pharmaceutical firms by 2030

PM says to foster 200 'frontier' bio, pharmaceutical firms by 2030

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Thursday that the government will select 200 bio and pharmaceutical companies by 2030 and help them grow enough to compete on the global stage. Han made the remark at a national policy coordination meeting held at a Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. factory in the central city of Cheonan, stressing that Korea should identify and foster innovative firms armed with new technologies and ideas. She said 50 "frontier" companies will be selected every year by 2030 and the government will provide them with "support for research, development and investment at each stage of growth from the development of candidate substances to clinical trials and commercialization." The government plans to assign a dedicated director to each selected company to provide customized support for up to five years. It will also inject 150 billion won ($112 million) in policy financing over three years, comprising 60 billion won in investments through banks specializing in research and development (R&D) and 90 billion won in guarantees from the Korea Technology Finance Corporation.

Incheon Global Campus aims to become engine of regional innovation

Incheon Global Campus aims to become engine of regional innovation

Students seeking degrees from prestigious universities overseas could head straight to their main campuses overseas. But Incheon Global Campus (IGC) is making a case for choosing Korea instead, offering access to the country's thriving high-tech industries alongside a world-class education. Located in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), IGC is seeking to turn its proximity to major biotechnology, semiconductor and other advanced technology companies into a competitive advantage, connecting international education with hands-on industry experience and career opportunities. "Simply having prestigious foreign universities in Incheon is no longer enough to prove our value," said Byun Ju-young, CEO of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, during an interview with The Korea Times. "What matters now is whether their education and research capabilities can translate into technological innovation and job creation in the region." Established in 2012, IGC was designed to serve as a global education hub within the IFEZ, attracting foreign universities while nurturing talent for the region's strat

Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with US for breakthrough in OPCON transfer

Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with US for breakthrough in OPCON transfer

Korea will seek a "top-down" approach with the United States for a breakthrough in the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, the defense ministry said Thursday, dismissing the view that a delay of the allies' annual security talks signals a setback in the transfer timeline. The allies announced Wednesday the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key dialogue between their defense chiefs, has been pushed back to early next year, following bilateral talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Philippines earlier in the day. The ministry said Kang and Hegseth plan to meet again for another round of talks in Washington in December, viewed to be a rare move given that the SCM typically works "bottom-up" — bringing the defense chiefs together to finalize agreements reached during prior working-level consultations between their top military officers. "We intend to produce a successful outcome through a 'top-down' approach, whereby the defense chiefs present a policy direction based on evaluations of military authorities of the two s

Lee vows to leave no suspicions unresolved on 4th anniv. of Itaewon crowd crush

Lee vows to leave no suspicions unresolved on 4th anniv. of Itaewon crowd crush

President Lee Jae Myung vowed Thursday to leave no suspicions unresolved regarding the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush as he marked its fourth anniversary. Lee made the promise during a memorial event at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, which brought together some 1,000 people, including victims, bereaved family members and lawmakers. "I will make sure the people are never again sacrificed unjustly due to the state's absence and negligence," he said, alluding to the preceding administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, which was in office at the time of the tragedy. "My administration is focusing the nation's capabilities on creating a country where everyone is safe," he added, citing new legislation aimed at better protecting people from disasters and accidents. Lee noted that under his administration the mandate of a special commission investigating the disaster has been extended until September 2027. "This is a promise to uncover the truth until not a single suspicion remains and ensure the truth leads to preventing a recurrence," he said. The tragedy happened on Oct. 29, 2022, during Hallowe

Overseas Koreans can now renew military discharge cards at embassies

Overseas Koreans can now renew military discharge cards at embassies

Overseas Koreans living abroad can now easily apply for the reissuance of their military discharge certificates at Korean diplomatic missions, including embassies and consulates, without appointing a proxy in Korea. The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) and the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA) announced Thursday that the expanded consular service takes effect immediately. Previously, diplomatic missions provided military service certificates, but lacked a system to issue replacement discharge certificates. Consequently, Koreans residing overseas who lost or damaged their certificates had to designate a representative back home to handle the application process, causing significant inconvenience. To honor veterans and streamline administrative support, the MMA issues wallet-sized, card-style discharge certificates in both Korean and English. Under the new arrangement, the MMA updated the relevant legal framework and established an integrated network with the OKA’s Consular Services 24 system. Overseas Koreans can now submit reissuance requests directly at local diplomatic missions, wh

Cheong Wa Dae seeks fairer priority system for postpartum care centers

Cheong Wa Dae seeks fairer priority system for postpartum care centers

Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday it will consider revising the law to ensure greater fairness and rationality in prioritizing access to postpartum care centers. Postpartum care centers, where new mothers stay and recover after childbirth, are popular in South Korea. Those subsidized by local governments, in particular, face intense competition for reservations because they charge relatively low fees. The issue drew media attention after President Lee Jae Myung shared an online community post on his X account Wednesday, which questioned whether mothers from multicultural families and mothers recognized as persons of national merit should be placed in the same second-priority category for reservations at Seoul-style postpartum care centers. Lee said the government would conduct an in-depth review, including consultations with local governments and possible legal amendments, to determine whether there is a compelling need to provide multicultural families with preferential treatment. In response, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday it would consider revising the enforcement decree of the Mother and Chil

K-water signs MOU with Austin to share AI water management technology

K-water signs MOU with Austin to share AI water management technology

Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with Austin, Texas, to cooperate on artificial intelligence (AI) water management, meeting with a delegation led by Michael Rogers, the city’s assistant city manager. The pact aims to share data-based smart water management solutions in response to the climate crisis and the growth of advanced industries, while strengthening a sustainable global water cooperation network. Key areas include sharing best practices and technologies, holding joint seminars to build smart water management capabilities, and identifying and implementing joint proof-of-concept projects for local application. Discussions began in January at CES 2026, when the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce expressed interest in K-water’s technologies. Following exchanges that included K-water’s August attendance at the Central Texas-Korea Summit, the Austin delegation’s Korea visit and the signing of the agreement have laid the groundwork for substantive cooperation. Austin Water, the city’s water utility, has recently shown

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