US proposes US$70,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation

South China Morning Post - Oct 7, 2026

The United States has proposed requiring universities and other certified schools to pay US$70,000 for each foreign student entering a post-graduation work programme, a measure that could sharply raise the cost for thousands of Chinese graduates seeking employment experience in the country. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that the proposed fee would apply to initial participation in Optional Practical Training, or OPT, with a further US$30,000 charge for subsequent...

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Emmy Award-winning documentarian explores hidden stories of Korean adoptees

Emmy Award-winning documentarian explores hidden stories of Korean adoptees

Deann Borshay Liem spent much of her childhood believing she was an orphan. Adopted from Korea to the United States in 1966, Liem discovered in the early 1980s that her birth mother and siblings were alive. She also learned that her identity had been switched with another child during the adoption process and that her adoption documents had been falsified. That discovery found its way into Liem's work as a documentary filmmaker, through which she explored her own past and the broader history of Korea's overseas adoptions. "Trying to understand the truth about my adoption was part of the motivation for making my first film 'First Person Plural'," Liem said in a recent email interview with The Korea Times. Released in 2000, the documentary followed her search for and reunion with her Korean family. In 2010, she made "In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee," which traced the identity of the girl whose name had been substituted for hers. "These two films were intimate first-person explorations of my adoption and a means to recuperate my personal history and identity," she said. Her work also extended b

3 municipalities added to list of 'depopulation' areas, total at 92

3 municipalities added to list of 'depopulation' areas, total at 92

South Korea has added three more municipalities to its list of "depopulation" areas, raising the number of cities, counties and wards facing risk of regional extinction to 92, officials said Thursday. The interior ministry newly designated Geumjeong Ward of the southeastern city of Busan, Dongducheon, just north of Seoul, and the southeastern city of Tongyeong in addition to the country's existing 89 depopulation areas. The ministry first announced the list of depopulation areas in 2021 as part of efforts to provide intensive support and help the areas combat shrinking populations. South Korea has been struggling with chronically low childbirths and an overcrowded capital region, which have left many areas struggling to overcome declining populations. The updated list includes 16 areas from the southwestern province of South Jeolla, 15 from the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, and 12 each from southeastern South Gyeongsang Province and northeastern Gangwon Province. It also includes 10 from southwestern North Jeolla Province, nine from central South Chungcheong Province and six

Korea targets 170 ticket scalpers in 1st mass police referral

Korea targets 170 ticket scalpers in 1st mass police referral

Under newly tightened anti-scalping laws, Korean authorities referred 170 high-volume ticket resellers to police on Wednesday, targeting an illegal trade estimated at more than 1 billion won ($770,000). The sweep marks the first major enforcement action under amended legislation that bans reselling tickets above face value, regardless of whether automated buying software was used. The move follows an unprecedented wave of public tips: Between Aug. 28, when the law took effect, and Oct. 1, authorities received over 68,000 complaints — averaging roughly 2,000 a day, a seventeenfold surge compared to last year. Cooperating with online secondary ticket platforms, regulators blocked around 30,000 suspicious posts and obtained transaction data to identify the most severe offenders. The suspects, comprising 121 sellers in sports and 49 in entertainment, allegedly offered 11,032 tickets. In one extreme instance, a single individual offered more than 1,000 tickets with a combined listing price exceeding 100 million won. “Ticket scalping is a clear criminal act that deprives creators and athl

Teen drug offenders caught in Jan.-July near 80% of 2025 total

Teen drug offenders caught in Jan.-July near 80% of 2025 total

The number of teenagers apprehended by police for drug-related offenses in the first seven months of this year reached nearly 80 percent of last year's annual total, a lawmaker said Wednesday, citing data from the Korean National Police Agency. According to the police data released by Rep. Kim Jun-hyuk of the ruling Democratic Party, 370 teenagers were apprehended for drug offenses between January and July, equivalent to 78.7 percent of the 470 teenagers apprehended for such offenses throughout last year. The number of teenage drug offenders stood at 309 in 2021 and 294 in 2022, but surged to 1,066 in 2023. It subsequently decreased to 442 in 2024 before rising again to 470 last year. The total number of drug offenders rose from 10,626 in 2021 to 12,387 in 2022 and 17,817 in 2023. The number then fell to 13,512 in 2024 and 13,353 last year, while 8,426 offenders were apprehended in the first seven months of this year. Students accounted for a significant share of those apprehended. As of July this year, 295 students had been apprehended for drug offenses, or 63 percent of the 468 students

Sejong University ranks 8th in Korea, 281st globally in THE World University Rankings 2027

Sejong University ranks 8th in Korea, 281st globally in THE World University Rankings 2027

Sejong University ranked eighth in Korea and 281st globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027. With an overall score of 55.8 points, the university placed among the top 10 of the 44 Korean universities evaluated by the U.K.-based rankings agency. The university, which was listed in the 251-300 band last year, ranked 281st globally this year among the 2,297 universities evaluated worldwide. Sejong University said the results reflected its strong performance in the research quality category. It received 90.5 points in the category, the highest among Korean universities. The university became the only Korean university to score above 90 in the category, highlighting its strength in research quality. The category assesses factors including citation impact, which reflects the number of citations per publication; research strength measured by Field-Weighted Citation Impact; research excellence, which evaluates the proportion of a university’s publications among the top 10 percent of the most cited papers; and research influence. The university also performed st

Former 'Produce X 101' contestant Kang Hyun-soo starts new career as civil servant

Former 'Produce X 101' contestant Kang Hyun-soo starts new career as civil servant

Kang Hyun-soo, a former contestant on Mnet’s "Produce X 101", has embarked on a new career as a civil servant. A recent TJB News report featured newly appointed civil servants in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, drawing attention to Kang, who previously pursued a career as an idol singer. While looking for a stable career, Kang studied electrical engineering under the influence of his family and decided to pursue a position in public service. He currently works in the Waterworks Division at Boryeong City Hall, where he is learning the ropes of his new job. In an interview, Kang expressed satisfaction with his new workplace. “Everyone kindly explains everything to me, and I feel like I have reliable colleagues by my side. It feels like I’ve found a place where I belong," he said. “I really like having a clear sense of belonging." Born in 1996, Kang has made three debut attempts throughout his career. He first debuted in 2013 as a member of boy band LC9, then redebuted with BLK in 2017. The group disbanded in 2018. In 2019, he appeared on Mnet’s survival audition show "Produce

BTS to kick off first-ever Peru concerts as Lima rolls out 'BTS Avenue'

BTS to kick off first-ever Peru concerts as Lima rolls out 'BTS Avenue'

Global K-pop sensation BTS will launch its first-ever concerts in Peru on Wednesday (local time), as the capital Lima rolled out a weeklong "BTS Avenue" and purple-lit landmarks to honor the group's historic visit. BigHit Music said the septet will perform at Estadio San Marcos in Lima on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as part of its "Arirang" world tour. It marks the band's first shows in the South American country since its 2013 debut. To mark the occasion, the city's Santiago de Surco district temporarily renamed Sacramento Street as "BTS Avenue" from Oct. 5-11, installing signs along the route. Arco Morisco, a landmark structure in the district's Friendship Park, was illuminated in the group's signature color of purple on Monday and will host daily light shows through Sunday, while the Fountain of Fantasy at Lima's Fountain Park will run a BTS-themed show with music, lights and water screens during the same period. BTS opened the South American leg of the tour with two-day shows at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin in Bogota last weekend, attracting around 100,000 fans.

Appeals court acquits ex-President Yoon in 'free opinion polls' case

Appeals court acquits ex-President Yoon in 'free opinion polls' case

An appellate court overturned a lower court ruling Wednesday, acquitting former President Yoon Suk Yeol of charges related to receiving free opinion polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election in violation of the political funds law. The Seoul High Court found Yoon not guilty of violating the Political Funds Act, which bans improper political donations, reversing the Seoul Central District Court's conviction in July that had sentenced him to two years in prison. Following the appellate ruling, special counsel Min Joong-ki's team indicated it would file an appeal to the Supreme Court, while Yoon's legal team welcomed the acquittal. Yoon had been indicted on charges of colluding with his wife and receiving 58 opinion polls worth about 270 million won ($202,000) in total for free from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun between April 2021 and March 2022. The appellate court ruled that Myung's provision of opinion polls could not be seen as political donations under the political funds law as they could not be categorized as having a benefit in terms of property. "While the politica

S. Korea plans shipment of medical equipment to NK hospital next month

S. Korea plans shipment of medical equipment to NK hospital next month

The South Korean government plans to send medical equipment to Pyongyang by late November under a sanctions exemption granted by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee on North Korea, a government report showed Wednesday. The government received approval from the UNSC 1718 Committee on May 22 for the plan to ship medical equipment to Kangdong County Hospital in Pyongyang, according to the report submitted by the unification ministry to Rep. Kim Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party. Under the plan, the government seeks to send 1,431 items in 166 categories estimated to be worth around $6.75 million to the hospital through the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare. The items include diagnostic equipment, such as X-ray machines, stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors, along with operating tables, and other surgical and treatment equipment. The government plans to ship the equipment by Nov. 22, within six months of the May 22 approval, while the sanctions exemption itself is valid for nine months from the approval date, according to the ministry report. Un

Top diplomats of Korea, Canada vow to boost energy, defense, AI cooperation

Top diplomats of Korea, Canada vow to boost energy, defense, AI cooperation

The Korean and Canadian foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to expand cooperation in defense, energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and other major fields, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During telephone talks, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand agreed to expand "practical cooperation" in defense and the arms industry based on the countries' bilateral Security and Defense Cooperation Partnership, according to the ministry. The partnership was established in October 2025 following a summit between the countries' leaders in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, marking Canada's first such partnership with an Indo-Pacific country. The ministers also agreed to discuss cooperation in advanced technologies, including AI, on the occasion of a joint committee on science and technology scheduled to be held in Seoul next month. The two sides vowed to enhance cooperation to ensure stable energy supplies and continue bilateral and multilateral discussions on building critical mineral supply chains, as Korea's imports of Canadian crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) h

Senior S. Korean, IAEA officials discuss cooperation on N. Korean nuclear issues

Senior S. Korean, IAEA officials discuss cooperation on N. Korean nuclear issues

South Korea's deputy nuclear envoy met with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) deputy director general in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to cooperate on North Korean nuclear issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Jeong Yeon-doo, vice foreign minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, briefed Massimo Aparo, IAEA deputy director general and head of IAEA's safeguards department, on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and Seoul's efforts for peaceful coexistence with North Korea, according to the ministry. Jeong noted that the IAEA has been drawing international attention to the North Korean nuclear issue, including through reports issued by the IAEA director general, the ministry said. Aparo expressed support for South Korea's diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and stressed that the North Korean nuclear issue is an important agenda item for the IAEA. He also explained the IAEA's efforts to maintain enhanced readiness for verification of North Korea's nuclear program, according to the ministry. "The two sides agreed to

BIFF jury advocates creative freedom amid 'The Assassin(s)' controversy

BIFF jury advocates creative freedom amid 'The Assassin(s)' controversy

BUSAN — Renowned film director Zhang Yimou and fellow jury members of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) called for the protection of artistic freedom on Wednesday, addressing the fierce controversy surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)." Zhang, known for such movies as "Red Sorghum" (1988), "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991) and "Not One Less" (1999), serves as jury president of BIFF’s competition section. He weighed in on the boundary between historical fact and artistic interpretation. "Creation is creation," Zhang said during a press conference, stressing that creative works should not be bound strictly to historical facts. "Even historical truth itself can often be a subject of debate. Movies serve as an artistic medium that conveys stories from the past to people living today. Viewers may interpret a film differently, and some may disagree with other opinions, but that diversity of perspective is precisely where the charm of cinema lies." Although Zhang acknowledged that he has not yet watched "The Assassin(s)," he said he was aware of the public debate surrounding t

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