Andrea Ward, Recognized by BestAgents.us as a 2023 Top Agent

Artificial intelligence (AI) models developed by a research team led by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) professor Nam Ju-han made their debut at one of Korea’s leading jazz festivals, performing improvised jazz alongside human artists. According to the university Friday, the team showcased human-AI music collaboration technology that analyzes the flow of human performances in real time, allowing AI to take over performances or generate improvised accompaniment during the 23rd Jarasum Jazz Festival, held in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, from Oct. 9 to 11. A total of 12 human jazz artists participated in the event, collaborating with AI in 26 pieces across 12 performances. The technology is different from existing music AI services as it enables collaboration with human musicians in jazz, a genre characterized by improvisation. Jazz musicians often change the tempo or create new melodies based on how they feel in the moment. Because the same piece can be performed differently each time, musicians must listen to one another and adjust their playing accordi

An Uzbek man who spent more than 16 years behind bars serving a life sentence for robbery-murder and other charges was released Thursday after a court granted him a retrial, citing serious problems with the police investigation that led to his conviction. Bozorov Akmal, 37, walked out of Changwon Prison Thursday evening, after the Changwon District Court suspended the enforcement of his sentence pending a final ruling in the retrial. He tearfully reunited with his father, who was waiting outside the prison. “I have suffered greatly, feeling that I was wrongfully imprisoned. But at the same time, I am truly sorry for the great pain this could cause the victim’s family,” said Akmal. “I will speak truthfully throughout the remaining court proceedings.” The case dates back to March 24, 2009, when a taxi driver in his 50s was found murdered inside a taxi parked in an alley in Myeongseo-dong, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. On July 6 that year, police arrested three people, including Akmal, then 19, in connection with a separate taxi robbery. Police subsequently identified Akma

A special counsel team on Friday demanded a 30-year prison term for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in his appeals trial over allegations that he ordered drone incursions into North Korea to provoke Pyongyang in an attempt to use potential North Korean provocations to justify his declaration of martial law. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team also sought a 30-year prison term for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges of benefiting the enemy and abuse of power in the same appeals trial at the Seoul High Court. The team additionally requested a 20-year prison term for Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and a five-year term for Kim Yong-dae, former head of the Drone Operations Command, on the same charges. Yoon was convicted by a lower court in June and sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering the Drone Operations Command in October 2024 to send drones to Pyongyang in an attempt to provoke a military clash that could provide a pretext for his declaration of martial law in December that year. Former Defense Minister Kim was also given a 30

A crackdown on cheating using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses is raising concerns over mounting pressure on teachers tasked with detecting the devices, with the college entrance exam just a month away. The Ministry of Education plans to require exam supervisors to inspect all test takers wearing glasses before each session of this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), or Suneung, as part of efforts to prevent AI-assisted cheating. Under the rules, even possessing smart glasses without using them will be considered cheating. Violators will have their exam results invalidated and be barred from taking Suneung the following year. The tougher measures come amid a series of cheating cases involving AI glasses during recent university entrance exams. On Oct. 10, a student was caught wearing smart glasses during an entrance exam at Yonsei University. Although exam supervisors had checked students before the test began, the student reportedly switched glasses afterward, evading detection until later in the test. A similar case was reported at the University of Seoul on

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday called on the National Assembly to push for a constitutional revision, saying the spirit of the country's democratization movements should be reflected in the Constitution. Lee made the call in a speech at a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Busan-Masan pro-democracy protests against then President Park Chung-hee's dictatorship, also known as the Buma uprising. "Reflecting the Buma democratization uprising and the Gwangju democratization movement in the preamble to the Constitution is the smallest measure we need to not forget the blood-stained history of defending Korea's democracy and people's sovereignty," the president said. "On this occasion, I once again request that the National Assembly begin gathering public opinions and holding reasonable discussions on constitutional reform," he said.

Only about half of Korean adults wash their hands with soap after using the restroom, a survey showed, while the average time spent washing hands fell far short of the recommended 30 seconds. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday announced the findings of its survey on infection prevention practices for the first half of 2026, conducted jointly with the National Medical Center. The survey observed the hand-washing behavior of 4,560 adults at 120 public restrooms nationwide from May 28 to June 30. Exit interviews were also conducted with 1,800 of the participants. The survey found that 86 percent of people washed their hands after using the restroom, up 1.9 percentage points from 84.1 percent last year. The proportion who washed their hands with soap rose 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier to 46.7 percent. Another 39.3 percent washed their hands with water only, while the remaining 14 percent did not wash their hands at all after using the restroom. The amount of time people spent washing their hands was also notably short. The average total hand-washing

Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong on Friday called for abolishing a legal provision that bars punishing perpetrators of domestic violence if the victims do not wish punishment. Under the current law, authorities cannot punish domestic violence offenders if victims express opposition to punishment. Critics have said the provision has led offenders to pressure victims to settle cases. "Since the policy briefing in December last year, I have consistently called for abolishing the clause on domestic violence as a crime not punishable against the victim's will," Won said in a YouTube interview. She added that President Lee Jae Myung shares her view. Stalking crimes had previously not been punishable against the victim's will but a legal revision abolished the provision in June 2023.

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed a new vice industry minister and a new deputy chief of the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Park Dong-il, a senior official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, was named vice minister, while Shin Ji-chang, a senior FSC official, was appointed the commission's vice chairman, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. Kang described Park as an industry policy expert with extensive experience in planning and coordinating industrial policies, expressing hope that he would play a role in spearheading the country's push to achieve unrivaled leadership in future strategic industries. The presidential spokesperson portrayed Shin as a career official well versed in the financial and industrial sectors, with expertise in financial programs for low-income people and small merchants, as well as the housing market.

Some Samsung Electronics employees have drawn criticism from online users after appearing to welcome a nearly 9 percent plunge in their company's share price on an anonymous workplace community. Posts written by Samsung Electronics employees on the company's board on Blind, an anonymous community for office workers, spread across online communities and social media Thursday. Blind requires users to verify their employment through their company email addresses, and displays the name of their employer alongside their usernames. According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics closed Thursday's regular trading at 210,000 won ($147), down 9.48 percent, or 22,000 won, from the previous session. One person believed to be a Samsung Electronics employee posted on Blind under the title, "Please let the stock plunge to 100,000 won." Another employee wrote a post titled, "Isn't a falling stock price actually better for Samsung Electronics employees?" The employee said, "From the Device Solutions (DS) division's perspective, a higher stock price only increases the risk associated with OPI2," ref

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