Prince Harry, Meghan make first joint public appearance since UK return

NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) -- Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Thursday carried out their first joint engagement since their surprise move back to the UK in August. King Charles III's 42-year-old younger son and Meghan, 45 -- who left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud -- were greeted with cheers before they chatted and joked with well-wishers in the central English city of Nottingham. The royal-style visit puts the pair at odds with Buckingh

Oct. 15, 2026

Lee appoints serious crimes agency chief, ending two-week vacancy

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday approved Kim Ji-yong as the inaugural head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, filling the role just two weeks after the agency’s launch. The approval came 38 days after Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung recommended Kim for the post, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. Lee had ordered additional vetting after hard-line members of the broader ruling bloc opposed Kim, arguing that his perceived ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol could undermine

Oct. 15, 2026

Lee urges US firms to pursue new opportunities in South Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday urged US businesses to seek new investment opportunities in South Korea, calling for stronger two-way investment between the allies. Lee made the request during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae with Evan Greenberg, chair of the US-Korea Business Council and CEO of Chubb Group, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. “South Korea and the US are developing into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance encompassing the economy and advanced t

Oct. 15, 2026

TSMC's net profit hits record in third quarter

TAIPEI (AFP) -- Taiwanese chip giant TSMC said Thursday that net profit soared to another record high in the third quarter, buoyed by massive global demand for AI hardware. The result marked the sixth straight record quarterly net profit for the company, the world's biggest contract maker of microchips, including those used in Nvidia AI data center processors. But with the AI boom only growing, analysts warned that chipmakers and other tech firms reporting bumper financial results risk being "ju

Oct. 15, 2026

Robots first, soldiers follow: A glimpse of battlefield tactics in 2040

YANGPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province — South Korea's Army envisions a battlefield where drones and robots find threats, breach dangerous areas and absorb risks before soldiers move in. That vision — part of a broader push to transform a manpower-heavy force into an AI-enabled manned-unmanned force by 2040 — was on display Wednesday at a training ground in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The Army staged an integrated future warfare exercise under its Army TIGER+ initiative, combining artificial intellige

Oct. 15, 2026

Korea Zinc's $7.4b Tennessee smelter wins local backing

Korea Zinc's planned $7.4 billion smelter project in Tennessee is drawing growing support from local officials, who say it will create jobs and help secure US supplies of critical minerals. The endorsement comes days after US President Donald Trump promoted the project at a campaign rally, touting its economic benefits ahead of next month’s midterms. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts welcomed the investment, citing its significance for the local economy and US mineral security, according to Nashville-

Oct. 15, 2026

Korean Air posts record quarterly revenue in Q3

Korean Air posted record quarterly revenue for the July-September period on surging inbound and steady cargo demand, despite persistently high fuel costs, the national flag carrier said Thursday. According to preliminary earnings data, third-quarter revenue reached 5.04 trillion won ($3.8 billion), the highest of any quarter in the company’s history, up more than 1 trillion won, or 26 percent, from a year earlier. Operating profit climbed 12 percent to 421.2 billion won. Net income soared more t

Oct. 15, 2026

A2O groups debut with young, multinational lineup and old-school K-pop formula

A2O Lite’s debut single “Neon” topped Melon’s Top 100 on Wednesday, giving producer Lee Soo-man a strong start to his return to the Korean music industry. Beyond its early chart success, however, A2O’s two new groups reveal how the veteran producer is approaching this generation of K-pop idols: The young, multinational lineups are paired with a musical style reminiscent of his earlier work at SM Entertainment. A2O Lite and boy group A2O Soul made their first official appearances at a joint showc

Oct. 15, 2026

Only 1 out of 10 Koreans wash hands in 'proper way'

Just 11.4 percent of South Koreans are washing their hands after using the bathroom in a way that is recommended by health authorities, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday. The KDCA released its report on the hand-washing habits of Koreans, which showed the average time spent washing hands was 13.9 seconds after using the bathroom. Some 86 percent washed their hands. Of the total, 46.7 percent used soap and 39.3 percent used only water. The remaining 14 percent did not

Oct. 15, 2026

Army officer suspended for leaving post 64 times in 10 months to 'feed his lizard'

A court has upheld a two-month suspension imposed on an Army officer for repeatedly leaving his post without permission, verbally abusing soldiers and delaying approval of their leave. The Busan District Court said Thursday it has dismissed the officer’s lawsuit against his unit commander seeking to overturn the disciplinary action. Gate records showed the officer drove off the base 64 times during weekday working hours over 10 months without requesting leave or reporting his departures to a com

Oct. 15, 2026

Kospi slides over 7% as chip stocks sink

South Korean stocks plunged Thursday as a technology-led sell-off sent Samsung Electronics and SK hynix down roughly 10 percent, triggering circuit breakers on both the Kospi and Kosdaq. The benchmark Kospi tumbled 7.57 percent to close at 5,554.22, extending losses throughout the session after opening 5.59 percent lower. It was the first time for the index to close in the 5,500 point range since wrapping up at 5,593.56 on July 30. During the session, the index fell more than 9 percent to an int

Oct. 15, 2026

Seoul shares crash over 7% on chip rout amid AI, inflation woes

South Korean stocks plunged more than 7 percent Thursday as major chipmakers extended losses amid growing concerns over the sustainability of artificial intelligence-related investments and rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The Korean won weakened against the US dollar. After opening 5.59 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index extended its losses, tumbling 454.59 points, or 7.57 percent, to end at 5,554.22, after dipping as low as 5,450.81. The KOSPI fell for the seventh

Oct. 15, 2026

From Avignon to Seoul, Han Kang's words fill the silence

Against a white wall, two actors also dressed in white take their places onstage. The stage is almost unnervingly bare. A vast sheet of white fabric covers the floor and walls; the music stands and water bottles are white, too. Little suggests a world beyond the stage itself. Only midway through the performance does snow descend from above, adding yet another layer of white to the scene. In this near-empty space, Isabelle Huppert speaks in French and Lee Hye-young in Korean, their voices carryin

Oct. 15, 2026

[Contribution] Harnessing the Korean Wave: Reflections on three years of strengthening Thai-Korean relations

I arrived in Seoul in early 2024 as a stranger fresh from a term in Washington. Aside from a brief visit during my time in International Organization for Migration in 2003, South Korea was known to me only as home of the Korean Wave. I however spent the next three years learning how to harness this Korean Wave to serve Thai-Korean relations. My time in Korea was highlighted by key leaders’ meetings and visits which paved the way for our countries’ relations. The most consequential did not take p

Oct. 15, 2026

Beyond blood and marriage, who counts as family?

President Lee Jae Myung’s recent call for a broader discussion of family diversity has touched off talks over growing diversity in South Korea's housholds, and how the social perception and legal protections are still mostly focused on the traditional form of the family. Speaking Wednesday at an event unveiling the government’s population strategy, Lee questioned the practice of describing families formed through marriage between a man and a woman as "normal." He called for discussion of how far

Oct. 15, 2026