Country
South Korea
- SK Hynix posts record Q3 operating profit of 83.3 trillion won and unveils about 100 trillion won in shareholder returns
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix reported third-quarter revenue of 104.62 trillion won on Wednesday, Oct 28, up 327.9% year on year and above 100 trillion won for the first time, and operating profit of 83.33 trillion won, up 632.1%, an operating margin of 79.7% and a record for the sixth quarter in a row. The company announced total shareholder returns of about 100 trillion won (about US$75 billion) this year, including at least 30 trillion won in cash dividends and 60 trillion won of share buybacks and cancellations. It said its HBM and DRAM chips are sold out through 2029, HBM demand is twice its supply capacity and the chip shortage could last until 2030. Its shares rose as much as 9.4% in early trading on Wednesday.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's Daishin Securities says data of 38,000 customers leaked; Bithumb and Mirae Asset also report intrusions
South Korea's Daishin Securities said on Wednesday, Oct 28, that personal and financial data of 38,490 customers had leaked, including names, email addresses, home addresses, bank account numbers and mobile numbers, after it detected signs of a hacking intrusion on Oct 17. Cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb found on Tuesday that its internal mobile office system had been breached, exposing data on 646 employees, and is investigating whether customers were affected; Mirae Asset Global Investments also confirmed outside access to some of its online systems. The presidential office held an emergency response meeting on Wednesday afternoon chaired by the third deputy director of national security, and the head of the Financial Supervisory Service warned the financial sector about the risk of AI-driven hacking attacks.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's August births jump 13%, the biggest rise in 19 years and a 26th straight monthly increase
South Korea's national statistics agency reported on Wednesday, Oct 28, that 23,703 babies were born in August, 2,720 more than a year earlier, an increase of 13%. For the month of August, both the increase in number and the growth rate were the largest in 19 years, since 2007, when births rose by 6,584, or 17.6%. Births have now risen year on year for a record 26 consecutive months. The Hankyoreh reported that the number of marriages, which had grown for 28 straight months, stopped rising in August.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Annual US-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting postponed to early next year, first such delay since 1998
Yonhap News TV reported that the annual defence-minister-level US-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), originally scheduled for December, will be postponed to early next year. A US defence department official told South Korean media on Oct 27 local time that the two sides decided this after consultations because of scheduling conflicts between the two countries' leadership. It is the third time the SCM has slipped into the following year, and the first in 28 years, since 1998. On the transfer of wartime operational control, the US side had earlier said only that the two countries remain committed to meeting the conditions required for the handover.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - 13-hour fire at Guryong Village, Seoul's last shanty town in Gangnam, leaves 107 people homeless
A fire broke out at about 3:50pm local time on Tuesday, Oct 27, in a temporary building in Section 2 of Guryong Village in Seoul's Gangnam district, spreading on strong winds to parts of Sections 1, 3 and 7; firefighters declared it fully extinguished at 4:40am on Wednesday, about 13 hours later. The fire left 77 households and 107 residents without homes, and a woman in her 30s suffered a minor leg injury. Authorities briefly issued a national fire mobilisation order and deployed more than 940 firefighters, police and district staff and six firefighting helicopters; President Lee Jae Myung ordered an all-out rescue effort and Seoul's mayor cancelled his schedule to go to the scene. The village also had a major fire in January, and the cause of this one is under investigation.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - City tour bus crashes into roadside structure while descending a hill in Gyeongju, South Korea; 24 injured
A city tour bus in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, hit a pillar of a roadside structure at about 3:14pm local time on Tuesday, Oct 27, while travelling downhill between two of the city's Buddhist heritage sites. Of the 39 passengers on board, 2 were seriously injured and 22 slightly injured. Firefighters activated their mass-casualty response, set up a temporary medical station at the scene and took all the injured to hospital, while police and firefighters are questioning the driver and others about how the crash happened.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - Itaewon crush investigators find police failed to respond to 11 emergency calls warning of crush risk
The special investigation committee looking into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul released interim findings on Tuesday, Oct 27, ahead of the fourth anniversary, saying police received 11 calls before the disaster warning that people were at risk of being crushed but responded to none of them, contradicting the police's earlier claim that officers were dispatched for four of the calls. The committee found that dispatch records were altered twice and will investigate whether senior officials ordered the changes. Of the 120 officers at the scene at 10pm that night, 49 were narcotics detectives, while riot police units responsible for crowd control were not deployed because they had been sent to a rally near the presidential office in Yongsan. The interior ministry's minister received the first report 43 minutes after the ministry learned of the situation.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - South Korea's Supreme Court extends former first lady Kim Keon-hee's detention by two months to year-end
South Korea's Supreme Court on Tuesday, Oct 27, issued an additional arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon-hee, citing risks of flight and destruction of evidence, extending her detention, which was due to expire on Saturday, by two months to the end of the year. Kim has two cases pending at the Supreme Court involving corruption and bribery. She was indicted and detained in August last year in the corruption case, and an appeals court sentenced her to four years in the corruption case and five years in the bribery case. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team requested the additional warrant in the bribery case on Oct 15.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - South Korea's Q3 GDP grows 1.0% quarter-on-quarter, far above forecasts, with chips driving about half the growth
The Bank of Korea said on Tuesday, Oct 27, that third-quarter GDP grew 1.0% from the previous quarter, up from 0.6% in the second quarter and well above the 0.7% expected by economists polled by Reuters and the bank's own August estimate of 0.3%. If fourth-quarter GDP holds at the third-quarter level, full-year growth would reach 3.7%, against the bank's August forecast of 3.3%. A bank official estimated that about half the growth came from semiconductors; government spending rose 1.9%, facility investment 4.1% and exports 2.3%, while domestic demand remained weak.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Bank of Korea warns chip exports could fall US$50-100 billion short if US tech giants slow AI spending
In a written reply to a South Korean lawmaker, the Bank of Korea modelled a pessimistic scenario in which US tech giants slow AI capital spending next year and Korean chip unit prices fall 10%. In that case, semiconductor exports could come in US$50 billion to US$100 billion below forecasts, next year's GDP growth would be cut by about 0.4 percentage points, and the current account surplus would fall well short of the bank's US$430 billion forecast for 2027. Chips account for about half of South Korea's exports.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's Supreme Court upholds 3-year prison term for ex-Marine division commander over corporal's death in 2023 flood search
South Korea's Supreme Court on Oct 27 rejected the appeal of the former commander of the Marine Corps 1st Division and upheld his three-year prison sentence for professional negligence causing death and injury and for violating military criminal law. He was found to have ordered an unreasonable in-water search at a flood site in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, on July 19, 2023, where a marine corporal was swept away and killed and other marines were hurt. Two other former officers in the case each received 18 months' imprisonment, and the bereaved family said through a military human rights group that the ruling fell far short of expectations.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea fines Samsung 20.1 billion won for hiding Galaxy game performance throttling
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission ruled that Samsung Electronics engaged in deceptive advertising by promoting the gaming performance of Galaxy smartphones without disclosing key limits, and fined it 20.1 billion won. Its Game Optimizing Service (GOS) locked performance at preset levels when certain high-end games ran, capping CPU speed at as little as 31% and GPU at 27% in some games, affecting 82 games on the Galaxy S21 series and 47 on the S22. Samsung let users disable the limits via a software update after the controversy erupted in March 2022.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - JYP Entertainment shares jump 10% on reports Nexroc plans tender offer for up to half of the K-pop agency
Shares of K-pop agency JYP Entertainment rose as much as 10% on Tuesday, Oct 27, after local media reported that Nexroc Group and affiliate SVCV plan a tender offer for 25% to 50% of JYP's shares at a 30% premium; half the company is worth about 700 billion won (about US$528 million) at current market value. JYP said it had not received an offer, and Nexroc did not immediately respond. JYP's groups include TWICE, Stray Kids, ITZY and DAY6.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's KOSPI falls 1.46% to 5,469, a seven-month low; October consumer sentiment slips
South Korea's benchmark KOSPI fell 80.83 points, or 1.46%, on Monday, Oct 26, to close at 5,469.47, its lowest since April 6, after opening 0.92% lower, briefly turning positive and then dropping sharply near the close. Market watchers said investors were waiting for US tech earnings and the US midterm elections. The Bank of Korea said on Oct 27 that the October consumer sentiment index fell 1.2 points to 105.4, citing the stock market correction and continuing Middle East conflict, while one-year-ahead inflation expectations held at 2.7%.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - South Korea weighs fourth delay of its crypto gains tax to 2029 over difficulty tracking trades on US platforms
CoinDesk, citing South Korea's Newsis, reported that the presidential office is inclined to delay the cryptocurrency gains tax, due to start next January, to 2029. Officials worry that because the US will only start sharing crypto transaction data in 2029, authorities cannot track Korean users' trades on US platforms, so the burden would fall mainly on investors using domestic exchanges. A delay requires the National Assembly to amend the law, a final decision is expected in early December, and it would be the fourth postponement.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - South Korean Go legend Lee Chang-ho wins his 2,000th professional game, a world record
KBS, citing Yonhap and the Korea Baduk Association, reported that Lee Chang-ho won the 2,000th game of his professional career, a world record, playing black and winning in 207 moves in round 11 of the 2026 Legends League held in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. He turned professional in 1986 at age 11 and reached 1,000 wins in 2000, 1,500 in 2010, 1,800 in 2021 and 1,900 in 2024. Last December his 1,969th win made him the player with the most victories, overtaking his former teacher.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - North and South Korea trade accusations in letters to UN over DMZ landmine blast; Pyongyang says Seoul 'fabricated' it
South Korea and North Korea exchanged accusations at the UN Security Council over a landmine explosion near the Military Demarcation Line that injured South Korean soldiers. Seoul linked the blast to mines laid by the North, while the Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea's ambassador to the UN wrote to the Security Council saying the South had 'fabricated' the border landmine blast. There is no timetable for whether the Security Council will formally discuss the matter.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: South Korea's Supreme Court upholds 4-year sentence for former Aricell CEO over fire that killed 23
South Korea's Supreme Court upheld a reduced four-year prison sentence for the former chief executive of Aricell over the fire at its lithium battery plant in Hwaseong. The 2024 fire killed 23 workers, including 17 Chinese nationals and one other foreign worker. Victims' families criticised the sentence as too lenient and questioned whether Korean law deters major industrial accidents.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - South Korean police book gang accused of using generative AI to hack about 90 organisations and steal over 8.2 million records
The cyber investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it has booked seven people, led by a 32-year-old man, on suspicion of violating the Information and Communications Network Act and of intimidation. Police said that from September last year to this month the group used generative AI and other methods to break into about 90 companies and institutions, including affiliates of large conglomerates, private academies and hospitals, stealing more than 8.2 million pieces of personal data. Police are still tracing whether the data was resold or used for fraud or extortion.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Ahn Se-young wins third straight French Open for 10th title of the season, extending winning streak to 50
South Korean badminton player Ahn Se-young won the French Open again, completing a hat-trick at the event and her fourth title there, and taking her 10th trophy of the season while extending her winning streak to 50 matches. Her record this season is about 66 wins and 1 loss, one title short of her own record of 11 titles in a season. After the final she said she had 'poured everything' into it.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Hackers breach Lotte-affiliated mobile voucher platform Giftil, leaking names, phone numbers and bank accounts of over 18,000 users
Spoon, the company that runs mobile gift voucher platform Giftil, said it confirmed unauthorised outside access on Oct 22 that leaked personal data of 18,359 users, including names, mobile numbers, email addresses and refund bank account numbers. Spoon is a subsidiary of an advertising agency of the Lotte Group, and Giftil issues and sells mobile vouchers for brands including Lotte. The company said it blocked the attacking IP on Oct 22, reported the leak to regulators and police after confirming it on Oct 23, and that no financial losses such as misused vouchers have been found.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - 47 years after Park Chung-hee's assassination, verdict in Kim Jae-gyu retrial due within two months
Oct 26 marks the 47th anniversary of the assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee. The Hankyoreh reported that a court will rule in less than two months in the retrial of former Korean Central Intelligence Agency director Kim Jae-gyu, who killed Park and was convicted of murder for the purpose of insurrection. Since the retrial formally began in July last year, the key question has been whether his act can be deemed a riot aimed at insurrection; prosecutors asked for the retrial claim to be dismissed at closing arguments on Sept 30, while the defence argued he had no such aim.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - Man in his 40s arrested in Gangneung 18 hours after alleged murder of ex-girlfriend in Daejeon who had reported stalking a year earlier
South Korean media reported on Sunday, Oct 25, that a man in his 40s from Daejeon was arrested in Gangneung, Gangwon province, 18 hours after fleeing the scene of the alleged murder of his former girlfriend. Police found that the woman had reported stalking and harassment by the man a year earlier, and that emergency protective measures had been taken against him at the time. The case has again drawn attention to protection for stalking victims after they report to police.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's Q2 current-account surplus of $116.3 billion tops Germany and Japan combined for the first time, second only to China
IMF data in the Bank of Korea's economic statistics system show South Korea's second-quarter current-account surplus was $116.3 billion, second among 36 major economies with available data after China's $193.72 billion. Germany ranked third at $52.28 billion and Japan fourth at $50.62 billion; their combined $102.89 billion was $13.74 billion less than South Korea's. It is the first time since comparable quarterly data began in the first quarter of 1996 that South Korea's single-quarter surplus has exceeded the sum of Germany's and Japan's, driven mainly by higher semiconductor prices and strong exports.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - Gyeonggi bus union votes 97.7% for strike; 4,130 buses on 854 routes may stop from first service on Oct 30 if mediation fails
The Gyeonggi regional automobile union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said on Oct 25 that of 9,420 members at 29 bus companies in the province, 9,001 voted (95.6% turnout) and 8,792 backed a strike (97.7%). Final mediation is set for 3pm on Oct 29 at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission; if no deal is reached, 4,130 buses on 854 routes at the 29 companies would stop from the first service on Oct 30. The union wants the tripartite pledge of Seoul-level bus pay from Jan 1, 2026, fulfilled, seeking 21.56% rises on quasi-public routes and 30% on private routes, plus a 4.5-day week on quasi-public routes; employers cite Gyeonggi's fiscal strain and want a pay freeze on private routes.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea's FSS uses AI on 380,000 illegal-lending tips; 'Manager Lee' 6,800% interest case found more than twice as large
South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service said on Oct 25 it has built an AI analysis system to mine about 380,000 accumulated tips on illegal private lending for links between cases that once looked unrelated, to help investigate organised crime. Using the system, the FSS said the 'Manager Lee' case — loans at 6,800% annual interest to people in urgent need of cash, followed by illegal collection from their families — was more than twice as large as when a consumer alert was issued in March; the system also found signs that registered lenders were involved in illegal lending. In the past, victims reported through different channels at different times and cases from the same network were often treated as separate incidents. The FSS said it would share leads with relevant agencies.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - Seoul closes Jamsu Bridge to cars from Monday for conversion into city's first pedestrian-only Han River crossing
Seoul city government said on Sunday, Oct 25, that Jamsu Bridge would be closed to all vehicles from midnight Monday, Oct 26, for conversion works, while pedestrians and cyclists could still cross. The 795-metre bridge linking Yongsan-gu and Seocho-gu previously restricted cars only for special events; after completion planned for August next year it is to become Seoul's first pedestrian-only bridge across the Han River, with 22 riverside rest spots and transparent decking overlooking the water at two points. Bus routes 740 and 405 will be diverted both ways via nearby Banpo Bridge.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - FC Seoul win first K League title in 10 years, clinching with five rounds to spare after 1:1 draw with Gangwon
FC Seoul drew 1:1 with Gangwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct 24 to reach 67 points from 20 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses, locking up the K League 1 title with five rounds left — the club's first league championship in 10 years and its seventh including the Anyang LG era. The head coach, who took over in 2024 (fourth in the first season, sixth last year amid home fans chanting for his dismissal), said he had promised a title within three years and had now delivered. Seoul led the league with 61 goals scored and fewest conceded at 29.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung vows to push life in prison without parole for violent offenders
After chairing an inter-ministerial meeting on rising violent crime on Oct 23, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged on social media to speed up the introduction of life imprisonment without parole for violent offenders and to set up special police units to patrol around victims' homes. The presidential office said the National Police Agency had briefed the president on the patrol units, and the Justice Ministry said it would actively push the sentence to permanently separate the most serious offenders from society.
Oct 25, 2026 Morning - US diplomat in Seoul refuses breathalyser after crash near Namsan Tunnel 3; police release him citing diplomatic immunity
The Hankyoreh reported that Seoul's Namdaemun police station said an SUV leaving Namsan Tunnel 3 collided with a car going straight at about 3:47pm on Oct 22. The SUV driver, a diplomat at the US embassy in Seoul, refused a breathalyser test citing diplomatic status, and under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations police could not compel the test; police said they would guide the parties to file a formal case if no settlement is reached.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - South Korean government-commissioned study finds paper straws have larger life-cycle environmental impact than plastic ones
The South China Morning Post, citing the Korea Herald, reported that a study on disposable straws commissioned by South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment found that paper and bio-based straws have higher life-cycle emissions than plastic ones, and that paper straws' carcinogenic impact is 6.33 times that of plastic straws. The indicator measures potential cancer risk across the whole process from raw material production to disposal, not the risk from direct use. The report was disclosed on Oct 21 by a People Power Party lawmaker.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon acquitted on appeal in political funds case after court finds broker Myung Tae-kyun's testimony unreliable
The Seoul High Court on Friday, Oct 23, overturned a lower court ruling and acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of violating the Political Funds Act, saying the first trial relied on testimony from political broker Myung Tae-kyun that it found not credible. Oh was accused of receiving 10 opinion polls from Myung before the April 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, paid for by longtime supporter Kim Han-jung at a total of 33 million won (about $25,000). In July the first trial found Kim had paid 21 million won and fined Oh 10 million won plus a 21-million-won forfeiture; under the law a fine of 1 million won or more bars a person from public office for five years, and KBS said the special counsel will appeal.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - South Korea proposes military talks with North Korea on the demarcation line; Seoul estimates the North has laid about 960,000 mines in the DMZ since 2024
Kim Hong-cheol, South Korea's deputy defence minister for policy, said on Friday, Oct 23, that Seoul proposed military talks with Pyongyang to confirm the location of the Military Demarcation Line, restore military communication lines and discuss preventing accidental border clashes, with the UN Command able to join three-way talks if needed. Three South Korean soldiers were injured in a DMZ landmine blast last month. South Korean military officials told the National Assembly that North Korea is estimated to have laid about 960,000 mines in and around the DMZ since starting its 'border fortification' project in 2024, without giving locations or the basis for the estimate; since April 2024 the North has also cleared vegetation, built walls and barbed-wire fences, and cut the Gyeongui and Donghae road and rail links.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - Korean Air and Asiana Airlines customer booking data leaked after unauthorised access to Amadeus reservation system
Korean Air said on Oct 23 that global airline IT provider Amadeus notified it on the evening of Oct 20 of signs of a personal data leak in its system, and Asiana Airlines confirmed the same day that booking information including reservation numbers had leaked; both said their own databases were not breached. Hankyoreh said someone used login credentials for an Amadeus system account to gain unauthorised access, estimated to have occurred between August 2023 and September 2026. Asiana said payment data was not included; about 200 airlines worldwide use Amadeus passenger service systems.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - SK Hynix halts Solidigm US IPO review; shares rebound about 3.2% after early drop
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix said on Oct 23 that its subsidiary Solidigm would stop evaluating potential pre-IPO funding and an initial public offering, citing recent capital market conditions and share price moves, and was looking at other funding options for a new US fab to meet AI memory demand. SK Hynix shares fell about 3% in early trading before turning to a gain of about 3.2%, CNBC reported.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - South Korean study says fuel price ceiling held petrol about 239 won per litre below where it would have been
Hankyoreh reported that a Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade study released on Oct 23 estimated that the seventh maximum price for regular petrol, cut by 150 won to 1,784 won per litre from June 27 and held until Oct 16, kept pump prices about 239.48 won per litre lower than they would otherwise have been. Without the policy average retail prices would have been about 2,017.43 won, against an actual 1,867.95 won. The ceiling on refinery supply prices for petrol, diesel and kerosene was revived on March 13 this year for the first time in nearly 30 years, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia pushed up oil prices.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - HD Hyundai and Kiewit to start building advanced US shipyard next year, aiming for 2029 opening and about 3,000 jobs
HD Hyundai said on Oct 23 it had signed an agreement with US contractor Kiewit to begin building an advanced shipyard in the United States next year, expected to start operating in 2029 and create about 3,000 jobs; the two will form a joint venture to explore commercial ships and naval support vessels. South Korea has pledged $150 billion for US shipbuilding as part of about $350 billion of investment in the US in exchange for tariff relief.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Busan's celebrity shark Bukangi guided out of canal but keeps circling the river mouth; authorities end rescue
BBC reported that Bukangi, a dusky shark about 3 metres long that had been seen in a canal in Busan since last month, was guided towards the sea with nets on Wednesday in a livestreamed operation lasting more than eight hours, watched by hundreds of fans. On Thursday it broke back through a net and was freed after being trapped between two nets; authorities reinforced the barrier and ended the operation, with the shark still lingering near the river mouth. It has reportedly drawn more than 1.6 million visitors over the past month.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Apple's first foldable iPhone Duo goes on sale in South Korea; carriers' first pre-order allocations sell out in about a minute
Hankyoreh reported that Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale in South Korea on Oct 23, with SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ shipping pre-orders and opening general sales. SK Telecom's first batch of pre-orders guaranteeing launch-day delivery sold out in about a minute, KT's first and second batches of 256GB and 512GB models also went within about a minute, and LG U+ said its first allocation was exhausted and it was negotiating more supply. White was the most popular colour at all three carriers.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Critical PHP flaws trigger global patching; South Korea raises civilian cyber crisis alert to 'caution'
PHP developers disclosed two long-hidden critical vulnerabilities found by AI and released patches on Oct 21. KBS reported that South Korea's science ministry and the Korea Internet & Security Agency raised the civilian cyber crisis alert from 'interest' to 'caution', the second of four levels, at noon on Oct 22, expanding response staff and sending protective measures to about 5,900 organisations and about 30,000 companies required to report information security officers. KBS said about 70% of websites worldwide use PHP; Asahi Shimbun said millions of attacks were recorded within half a day of disclosure, with exploitation attempts even before it.
Oct 23, 2026 Morning - South Korean police uncover first case of North Korean IT workers hiding their identity to work for South Korean private firms
Hankyoreh reported that the National Office of Investigation's security investigation bureau of the Korean National Police Agency confirmed on Oct 22 that it began investigating last year after detecting signs that North Korean IT workers had concealed their identity to be employed by South Korean private companies, the first such case made public. Police are tracing how much was paid and how, and investigating links to North Korean organisations. On July 31 South Korea's foreign ministry and police joined agencies from 11 countries including the US, Japan, the UK and Australia in warning that North Korea relies on IT workers using false identities to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Oct 23, 2026 Morning - South Korea's first domestic GLP-1 obesity drug Efpe available on prescription from Oct 29 at about half Mounjaro's price
Hankyoreh reported that Hanmi Pharmaceutical's Efpe auto-injector pen (efpeglenatide), South Korea's first home-grown GLP-1 obesity drug, can be prescribed at some medical institutions from as early as Oct 29, after approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Oct 7. In a phase 3 trial of 448 Korean patients with obesity, body weight fell by about 9% on average after 40 weeks. The first month's supply price is about 130,000 won, roughly half Mounjaro's lowest-dose four-week supply price of about 270,000 won; it is for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 30 with related conditions.
Oct 23, 2026 Morning - Bank of Korea holds base rate at 3% after two hikes; governor warns government spending must stay sustainable
CNBC and Hankyoreh reported that the Bank of Korea's monetary policy board voted 7–0 on Oct 22 to keep the base rate at 3%, after quarter-point hikes in July and August that ended eight meetings at 2.5%. The statement said exports and investment were driving high growth with inflation around 3%, but uncertainty over the Middle East and major economies' policies had risen, and the bank would decide 'the timing and pace of further rate hikes'; September inflation was 2.9%, the 13th straight month at or above the 2% target. Chosun Ilbo reported the governor said next year's budget contains many transfer programmes and fiscal sustainability must be considered; the year's last rate meeting is on Nov 26.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Busan's stranded shark swims back into artificial waterway hours after being guided out to sea
On Oct 21 Korean authorities used nets, divers and a floating platform to guide the shark that had been stuck for over a month in the artificial waterway of Busan's North Port waterfront park out beyond Pier 1, the third such attempt. Yonhap News TV reported it was back within hours, surfacing about once a minute between the first and second footbridges on the morning of Oct 22, apparently slipping through a gap between the waterway floor and the net; it has not been seen feeding in a month and has shown abnormal behaviour such as hitting walls. The fisheries ministry and Busan city said they would guide it out again the same day.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Bukang-i the shark swims back to sea after a month stuck in a Busan canal
Bukang-i, a roughly 3-metre grey shark named after a waterside park in Busan's North Port, swam into the park's artificial canal in September and could not get out. KBS reported that after two failed attempts, South Korea's oceans ministry and Busan city tried a third time on Wednesday, Oct 21: eight divers and other crew used a large net fixed to floating work platforms to guide it towards the exit and stop it swimming back. When the net reached the end the shark was just 50 metres from the exit but did not leave at once; it finally swam out to sea at about 6:10 pm.
Oct 22, 2026 Morning - Hepatitis C cluster at Changwon dialysis unit: 14 confirmed, including one health worker
Hankyoreh reported that South Korea's Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Oct 21 that 14 people — 13 patients and one health worker — had been confirmed with hepatitis C at a haemodialysis unit of a medical facility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and a detailed epidemiological investigation was under way. The province had earlier found three hepatitis C patients who used the same dialysis room and then tested all patients and staff who used it since June. A KDCA infectious-disease official said hepatitis C spreads through blood, is almost never transmitted by everyday contact, and that further spread is unlikely because users during the infection period are believed to have all been tested.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - South Korea Oct 1–20 exports double year on year to $61.6 billion; chip exports up 222.5%
Preliminary Korea Customs Service data on Oct 21 showed South Korean exports from Oct 1 to 20 rose 105.4% year on year to $61.6 billion, a record for the period; on a working-day average, exports rose 65.9% to $47.4 billion. Semiconductor exports jumped 222.5% to $27.5 billion, also a record, making up 44.7% of total exports. Imports over the same period rose 42.8% to $47.1 billion, with energy imports (crude, LNG and coal) up 53.5%. Year-to-date exports reached $876.3 billion; September exports rose 83.7%, the largest monthly gain since February 1974, and monthly exports topped $120 billion for the first time.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - TWICE leader Jihyo leaves JYP Entertainment after 21 years, forms own agency Emithaus
CNA reported that TWICE leader Jihyo (Park Ji-hyo) announced on Instagram on Oct 21 that she is leaving JYP Entertainment after 21 years and has formed her own agency, Emithaus. The 29-year-old wrote that she was ending a 'JYP journey that has been with me since childhood for 21 years' and thanked all JYP staff. She is the latest TWICE member to leave JYP.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - Near-simultaneous fires at two patent law offices in Seoul's Gangnam District injure 19; man in his 70s arrested for arson
KBS reported that at about 11:55 am on Oct 20 a fire broke out on the third floor of a building in Gangnam District, Seoul, and at about noon another fire started on the fourth floor of a neighbouring building; both offices were patent attorney firms. Five people were seriously injured and 14 slightly; one person had no vital signs on the way to hospital but was revived, and 291 firefighters were deployed. Police arrested a man in his 70s near a subway Line 1 station at 4:15 pm; he told reporters a patent he registered in 2000 had been taken from him by a patent firm and that he began planning the arson three days earlier.
Oct 21, 2026 Morning - South Korea withdraws some embassy staff from Kyiv in row over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer
South Korea's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it is withdrawing some diplomats from its embassy in Ukraine, citing no 'constructive steps' from Kyiv since Seoul recalled its ambassador and the continuing threat of air strikes across Ukraine. The row began when President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed last month that Ukraine had handed North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul says broke a confidentiality agreement and endangers the prisoners' families in the North; South Korea's president has demanded a formal apology. Seoul will keep communication through a chargé d'affaires and retain consular staff, while Ukraine said 'diplomacy must prevail over emotions' and that the matter is 'resolved'.
Oct 21, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: Seoul vows 'resolute punishment' if North Korea acts on border threats
South Korea's Defense Ministry said on Oct 20 it was gravely concerned by North Korea's threats to deploy more tactical strike forces on the border and resume loudspeaker broadcasts into the South, warning it would 'punish resolutely' further provocations and urging Pyongyang to stop 'groundless claims' and Military Demarcation Line crossings. It called ROK loudspeaker warnings and warning shots near the MDL 'legitimate defensive measures'. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung inspected the front line and ordered operations to strengthen initiative. The threats echoed recent remarks by Kim Yo-jong and risk undoing diplomatic easing after President Lee Jae Myung took office.
Oct 20, 2026 Afternoon - USFK commander Xavier Brunson's remark that South Korea 'begins at the DMZ's southern fence' sparks sovereignty row
US Forces Korea and UN Command commander Xavier Brunson told a seminar in Washington last Wednesday that from the UN Command's perspective South Korea begins at the southern fence of the DMZ, because he manages that area to maintain the armistice. The DMZ, set up under the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, is about 250 km long, with its southern boundary 2 km from the Military Demarcation Line and South Korean villages inside. South Korea's ruling party said the remark denied Korean sovereignty over the DMZ's southern half and the army chief of staff disagreed; UN Command then issued a statement saying South Korea's sovereignty is not in question.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - South Korea's JMS cult leader Jeong Myeong-seok sentenced to 33 years for sexually assaulting 16 more followers
The Daejeon District Court on Oct 19 sentenced Jeong Myeong-seok, 81, leader of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), to 33 years in prison on charges including quasi-rape for sexually assaulting 16 female followers between 2018 and 2022 at sites including the Wolmyeong-dong retreat in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province. The court found he used his status to brainwash followers into believing he was the messiah so they could not resist, and ordered disclosure of his personal information, a 10-year ban from working at institutions for children, adolescents and people with disabilities, and 15 years of electronic tagging. The case is separate from his earlier 17-year sentence for assaulting three followers, including a Hong Kong woman and an Australian woman.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - KEPCO personal data of about 24,000 employees leaked; president apologises in National Assembly
Personal data of about 24,000 Korea Electric Power Corporation employees was leaked. President Kim Dong-cheol apologised on Oct 19 at a National Assembly Climate, Energy, Environment and Labour Committee audit, saying partner-company management and information security would be improved. He said the National Intelligence Service Gwangju branch notified the company around 3:59 pm on Oct 1 that employee data was exposed on a private cloud webpage; internal systems were blocked, an emergency team stood up, and the cloud provider was told to delete the data and page. The NIS, Personal Information Protection Commission and Jeollanam-do police are investigating possible partner leaks and external hacking.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - South Korean won posts strongest monthly average against the dollar in over two years
Bank of Korea data show the won averaged 1,342.6 per dollar over the first 12 trading days of October, its strongest monthly average since September 2024 (1,332.8). The won had weakened to 1,528 in June on higher oil prices and foreign stock selling; exporters such as chipmakers have since sold more dollars amid sustained trade surpluses. On Oct 16 it touched 1,328.9 intraday, its strongest since Oct 2, 2024, and KBS reported the won at a 19-year high against the yen.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning - Samsung to use TSMC 3nm process for Nvidia custom HBM base die, Seoul Economic Daily reports
Samsung Electronics will use TSMC's 3-nanometre process to make base dies for Nvidia's next-generation custom high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the Seoul Economic Daily reported on Oct 18, marking Samsung's first collaboration with TSMC in HBM manufacturing. Nvidia has asked Samsung, SK hynix and Micron to use TSMC processes for the base die of its NVHBM, which integrates Nvidia's own memory controller. Samsung will keep in-house production for standard HBM.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: An Se-young comes from behind to beat Akane Yamaguchi and retain Denmark Open title
World No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea beat world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-23, 21-14, 21-18 in the Denmark Open (Super 750) women's singles final in Odense on Oct 18, retaining her title and winning her 9th title of the season. She is 61-1 this year, a 98.4% win rate, and has beaten Yamaguchi 10 times in a row.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning