The government is reportedly reviewing plans to expand the label-free mandate for domestically produced drinking water to include bottled water brands imported from overseas, officials said Sunday. The plan was discussed in a recent meeting with importers of foreign-produced bottled water, according to the officials from the environment ministry. The meeting was a routine consultation with industry officials, and the ministry is still undecided on whether to apply the mandate to offshore brands, they added. Korea has required all bottled water produced and sold domestically to be label-free starting early this year, replacing physical labels with QR codes on bottle caps and external packaging. The mandate is expected to reduce the country's annual plastic usage by 2,270 metric tons, according to the ministry of climate, energy and environment. Bottled water produced overseas, however, is excluded from the mandate and is sold with traditional labels. Domestic producers have raised equity concerns, arguing that competing products in the same market should be subject to the same standards. As

Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked No. 1 among regional flagship national universities in Korea in both the U.S. News and QS global university rankings released this year. The university said Friday that the rankings reflect the department's international research competitiveness. The department ranked 137th globally (tied) and fifth nationally in environmental engineering in the 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, climbing 29 places from the previous year. It also maintained its fifth-place national ranking and No. 1 position among regional flagship national universities for the third consecutive year. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for environmental sciences, the department placed in the 251-300 band globally and tied for eighth nationally, earning the highest ranking among Korea’s regional flagship national universities. U.S. News places emphasis on research indicators, including publication volume, citation impact, the proportion of highly cited papers and international research collaboration. QS, me

A Kookmin University research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts the properties of mixtures based on the proportions of their chemical components. The university said Thursday that the team was led by Joung Joon-young, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university’s Graduate School. The team included Kim Ji-hwan, a student in the university’s integrated master’s and doctoral program, and Kim Chan-joong, an undergraduate student. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal under the title “Encoding composition-dependent intermolecular interactions into learned molecular representations.” Most chemical products people encounter in everyday life are mixtures of multiple substances rather than single compounds. Common examples include industrial solvents, electrolytes in batteries, automotive fuels, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. The properties of a mixture depend not only on which substances it contains but also on the proportions in which they are combined. These changes, however, do not necessar

Helped by the artificial intelligence-led (AI) chip supercycle, Samsung Electronics is poised to become the first Korean company with cash assets of over 200 trillion won ($146.6 billion), industry data showed Sunday. Cash and cash equivalents at the chip giant are estimated to have reached 214.8 trillion won as of the third quarter, up 24.8 trillion won from 190 trillion won recorded three months earlier, according to the data. The amount is also nearly double from the 108.5 trillion won recorded at the end of the third quarter of 2025. Total assets owned by the company reached 791.8 trillion won as of end-September, up 32.4 trillion won from three months earlier. Market watchers estimate Samsung's current cash assets are enough to fully fund the top-line payout in its landmark shareholder return policy announced in August. The chip behemoth said about 90 trillion won to 110 trillion won will be available for shareholder returns in 2026. Investments into chipmaking infrastructure and research and development are expected to reach a historic high of over 100 trillion won this year, too, w

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District. The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981. In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground. Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season. El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially dec

South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines has cleared a key domestic hurdle, but securing reactor fuel from the United States remains unresolved, with legal requirements and closer congressional scrutiny threatening to complicate the project. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the basic acquisition strategy for the Jangbogo N program Friday, setting a 2027 start date targeting deployment of the first submarine in the late 2030s. The decision establishes how the project will proceed, not how Seoul will obtain the nuclear fuel it needs. A defense acquisition official said Seoul believes it can secure submarine fuel without needing to revise its existing nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. Instead, the government is pursuing a separate arrangement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which provides for military nuclear cooperation. The official cited the AUKUS partnership, under which the U.S. and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as a precedent for a separate agreement. But negotiations have ye

The government is considering expanding restrictions on minors’ social media use beyond age limits for account registration to include regulations on recommendation algorithms and platform features to curb excessive use. However, questions remain over how the proposed measures can effectively protect minors from excessive social media use while safeguarding their freedom of expression and access to information. According to the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), Sunday, it is considering amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act to prohibit children under 14 from creating social media accounts and require platform operators to verify users’ ages. The commission first proposed the measures during a presidential policy briefing in July. The proposed measures also include disabling personalized recommendation algorithms that analyze users’ interests and browsing histories, as well as features such as infinite scrolling that could encourage excessive use, by default for accounts belonging to users aged 14 to 19. It aims to finalize the measures by the

The United States acknowledged that certain policy-related variables could affect the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul, but reaffirmed its commitment to the existing bilateral agreement that the handover will proceed based on agreed conditions, a Korean lawmaker said Sunday. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who chairs the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, briefed reporters at the National Assembly on the outcome of a parliamentary delegation’s trip to the United States from Nov. 1 to 5. He said the delegation was granted entry approval only at the last minute, but was still able to proceed with its scheduled visit to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and its subordinate component commands in Hawaii. Asked whether the Democratic sweep in the U.S. midterm elections could affect the OPCON transfer process, Jin said he did not expect any significant changes. "Korea and the U.S. have discussed and reached agreements over OPCON transfer for more than 20 years. A Democratic victory (in the U.S.) would not affect the existing bil

Mirae Asset Financial Group is strengthening its artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity capabilities in its latest executive reshuffle, promoting digital specialists and elevating its information security operations, the company said Sunday. According to the company, 20 percent of executives promoted in Thursday's personnel changes specialize in AI transformation, digital technology and information security. It also elevated its information security division as part of efforts to better protect customer assets and personal data against increasing cyberattack threats. Noh Yong-woo, a vice president, has been nominated as CEO of Digital X. His appointment will be finalized following the Financial Intelligence Unit’s acceptance of the required change notification and a shareholders’ meeting. Digital X, formerly known as Korbit, was renamed after Mirae Asset Consulting, a nonfinancial affiliate of the group, acquired a 97.15 percent stake in the cryptocurrency exchange in July. Noh is expected to draw on his experience in management innovation, risk management and digital asset r

POSCO is facing the prospect of a prolonged labor dispute after union members rejected a tentative wage agreement, leaving the steelmaker struggling to reach a deal following the first strike in its history. The company’s labor union on Sunday said its members had rejected the tentative wage agreement in a vote. Of the 9,177 ballots cast, 4,433 votes, or 48.31 percent, were in favor, while 4,744, or 51.7 percent, were against. The rejection has cast uncertainty over the next round of negotiations, with the union expected to seek better terms than those included in the failed deal. However, it remains unclear how much management will be willing to concede amid a prolonged downturn in the steel industry. The two sides began wage negotiations on June 16 and held around 30 rounds of formal and working-level talks, but failed to narrow their differences over pay increases and other compensation. The union had initially called for a 7.1 percent increase in base pay, a performance bonus worth 600 percent of base pay, 50 shares of company stock for each worker and a holiday bonus worth 200 per

Coupang is facing growing pressure to broaden its lobbying strategy in the United States beyond its Republican allies following the Democrats' sweeping midterm election victory, experts and industry officials said Sunday. The change could be particularly impactful for the e-commerce giant, whose lobbying efforts have helped draw attention in Washington to its dispute with Korean regulators. Republican lawmakers, including members of the House Judiciary Committee, have publicly criticized what they described as discriminatory treatment of the U.S.-headquartered firm in Korea. With Democrats now set to control both chambers of Congress, the institutional backing Coupang has received from Republican lawmakers is expected to weaken, prompting experts and industry watchers to say the company will have to broaden its relationships across both parties to maintain its influence in Washington. “Especially for a digital-focused firm like Coupang, which remains subject to policies under the Republican administration, it is important to balance lobbying efforts between Democrats and Republicans,

More than 9 out of 10 Korean companies operating in Vietnam said they plan to maintain their businesses there despite rising labor costs and regulatory burdens, a survey released Sunday showed. According to the survey conducted by Korea International Trade Association (KITA), 92 percent of Korean companies operating in Vietnam said they had no intention of withdrawing from the Southeast Asian country. Among them, 87.5 percent cited "cost advantage relative to other countries" as the main reason for their stay. The results come despite a sharp rise in wages in Vietnam in recent years, KITA said. The monthly minimum wage of Vietnamese workers increased by more than 4.5 times from $45.4 in 2010 to $205.3 in 2024, according to the association. Monthly wages have risen by an annual average of 11.4 percent during the 14-year period, marking the fastest pace of increase among major economies in Asia. Despite increasing labor costs, companies maintained a positive view on the future outlook of the Vietnamese market. Nearly 60 percent of companies expected their operations in Vietnam to improve ove

The government has agreed to consider funding about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) for essential investments related to firefighting efforts, a ruling party official said Sunday. The move came as part of discussions to ease the fiscal burden on provincial governments, Democratic Party of Korea chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said at a press briefing following a consultation session between the government, the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae. Additional budget funds to prepare firefighting equipment and training facilities, as well as strengthening a medical system centered on firefighting efforts, will also be factored in for a review of next year's budget, Park said. Currently, provincial governments fund the bulk of the firefighting-related budget, with only about 10 percent of the total amount funded by the central government. At the meeting, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said the government will review whether it is providing full support for firefighters before asking them to devote themselves to public safety. In the meeting, held a day ahead of the 64th anniversary of the Day of Fi

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On the heels of their resounding victories in the midterms, Democrats are preparing to take President Trump’s tariffs head-on as part of their pledge to lower the cost of living.  The tariffs, a central part of Trump’s economic agenda dating to his first term, were a frequent target for Democratic lawmakers and candidates on the...

Researchers were making a killing.

Middle powers navigating the US-China competition in artificial intelligence (AI) favour flexible partnerships over closed alliances, demanding a “plugged in, not locked in” approach, an AI governance panel heard on Saturday. Alejandro Reyes, adjunct professor in the department of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, said that middle powers were exercising agency in the AI era, selectively partnering with both Beijing and Washington “issue by issue” rather than...

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Temperatures in Hong Kong are forecast to plunge to as low as 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, a further drop from an earlier prediction, as a cold front is expected to hit the city early this week. The Hong Kong Observatory on Sunday revised its forecast for the coming week, saying it expected an intense northeast monsoon to bring cool, very dry weather to the city. An earlier forecast had put this week’s lowest temperature at 18 degrees. “A cold front will move across the coast...

More than half of Hong Kong’s underprivileged children spend over two hours a day on electronic devices, often turning to screens for cheap entertainment despite problems with their eyesight, attention, sleep and addiction, a survey has found. The Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), which released the findings on Sunday, urged authorities to keep students on campus for longer, introduce full-day kindergartens and subsidise more extracurricular activities for underprivileged pupils. Wong...

Three hikers have been injured in Hong Kong after being hit by a paraglider landing at the Ngong Ping campsite in Ma On Shan Country Park. Police received a report at 12.36pm on Sunday that three people, including two teenagers, had been injured at the campsite after being hit by a landing paraglider. The Government Flying Service deployed a helicopter to transport the trio to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for treatment. A 42-year-old woman, surnamed Zheng, sustained a head injury while her...

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