Missing 11-month-old boy rescued after being buried alive in dog crate

Global food service and restaurant franchise operator, Theborn Korea, has partnered with Italian oven manufacturer UNOX to program its standardized recipes into commercial equipment, paving the way for an automated K-food rollout across Europe. Theborn Korea said Wednesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with UNOX on Nov. 4 at the Italian company's headquarters, combining its expertise in Korean cuisine and TBK sauces with UNOX's commercial cooking technology. Under the agreement, the companies will test Korean dishes using 11 varieties of TBK sauces and convert cooking conditions into data to develop standardized recipes and operating manuals. The goal is to allow local restaurant workers with little experience preparing Korean food to produce dishes with consistent taste and quality using UNOX smart ovens. Founded in 1990, UNOX specializes in commercial smart ovens and recorded global revenue of 360 million euros (540.6 billion won) last year, according to Theborn Korea. Its product lineup includes convection ovens, which use circulating hot air for even cooking, and combination

Hanwha Qcells has earned top ratings across two major international solar module evaluations, strengthening its position in the U.S. market as manufacturers face growing pressure to demonstrate product quality and domestic production credentials. The solar division of Hanwha Solutions said Wednesday that its modules received Top Performer recognition in all eight categories of the 2026 PV Module Reliability Scorecard published by U.S.-based Kiwa PVEL, one of the industry’s leading independent testing organizations The evaluation, released Tuesday (local time), subjected solar modules to eight rigorous tests designed to simulate harsh operating conditions, including high temperatures, humidity, sudden temperature changes, mechanical stress and hail impacts. The assessment also included modules manufactured at Hanwha Qcells’ Cartersville, Georgia, facility, which was completed in July. The results are particularly significant for the U.S. market, where locally manufactured products can qualify for additional tax incentives under the domestic content bonus credit provisions of the inves

Korea is pushing ahead with plans for a new generation of aircraft that can take off and land without runways, following a record-setting seven-day flight by its solar-powered unmanned aircraft in the stratosphere. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced Wednesday that it will pursue development of hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft after its EAV-4 unmanned aerial vehicle completed 170 hours and 5 minutes of continuous flight from Aug. 18 to 25. The achievement more than tripled Korea's previous domestic endurance record of 53 hours, set by the EAV-3 in 2020, and ranked second globally behind Airbus' Zephyr, according to the agency. During the flight test, the EAV-4 also demonstrated wildfire surveillance capabilities, using electro-optical and infrared cameras to identify ignition points within seconds and track and predict the direction of smoke and the movement of embers. Flying at an altitude of about 20 kilometers, solar-powered stratospheric aircraft can remain airborne for extended periods, potentially serving as persistent surveillance platforms and emergenc

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued a safety alert Wednesday to medical professionals and patients over a potential risk of a rare eye condition associated with GLP-1 obesity drugs, including popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Mounjaro. The move follows safety measures by overseas regulators concerning nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve that can lead to sudden, potentially permanent vision loss. In June last year, the European Medicines Agency classified it as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, estimating it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 users. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked drugmakers Monday to add a possible increased risk of NAION to the warnings and precautions on GLP-1 drug labels. The letter advises medical professionals to stop treatment and have patients examined immediately if NAION is suspected in those taking GLP-1 drugs, which aid weight loss by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. Patients with related symptom

The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing for Kim Jong-chul, nominee for commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), next week, officials said Wednesday. The parliamentary public administration and security committee adopted a plan to hold the hearing next Wednesday during a plenary meeting earlier in the day. The KNPA commissioner general nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing. If appointed, Kim would fill a post that has remained vacant for nearly two years since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in late 2024.

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday vowed to accommodate farmers' opinions in deciding whether to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The president made the remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on the 31st Day of Farmers, reiterating his pledge to take farmers' interests into account when deciding to join the Indo-Pacific trade bloc. "On important issues, including farmland reform ... and the CPTPP, the government will work toward faithfully reflecting voices from the (agricultural) field so as to be helpful to farmers," Lee wrote in the post. The president has previously said that Korea's entry into the CPTPP would be "unavoidable," but has pledged to focus on finding complementary measures to implement when seeking CPTPP membership. While CPTPP membership is expected to help boost Korea's overall exports, the agricultural and fisheries sectors are likely to take a hit from market opening due to imports of cheaper products. Lee has ordered the government not to apply for CPTPP membership this year, expressing the need for sufficie

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to pushing for a constitutional revision, rejecting opposition claims that the revision would be aimed at allowing President Lee Jae Myung to seek a second term. Cho's remarks came as opposition lawmakers have questioned whether he had left open the possibility of Lee seeking another term after he told a press conference in July that an incumbent president's eligibility to seek another term would be up to the people to decide. "As stipulated in Article 128 of the Constitution, the extension of a sitting president's term is not a subject of discussions for a constitutional revision," Cho said during a discussion hosted by the Kwanhun Club, a senior journalists' association. "This should no longer be used for political conflict." Cho said the National Assembly should take the lead in pursuing constitutional reform, adding that he plans to launch an advisory committee under his office soon to set the direction and key priorities for the revision. "As no nationwide elections are scheduled for next year, it would b

Unionized workers of Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) said Wednesday they will launch an indefinite general strike at 9 a.m. on Dec. 10, demanding improvements to the promotion system and the employment of more safety-related personnel. The Korean Railway Workers' Union announced the plan in a news conference at Seoul Station, warning the walkout will proceed unless its demands are met. In a statement, the union criticized the current promotion system for "unfairly" excluding field workers and said staff shortages in railway operations are directly compromising safety. The union plans to hold a large-scale rally at Seoul Station on Saturday, followed by a two-week safe-operation campaign and a series of regional nighttime rallies beginning Nov. 23. The walkout could disrupt KTX and conventional train services nationwide, as well as subway services in the capital area. Its impact could be greater than that of previous strikes following the integration of high-speed rail operator SR Co. into KORAIL in September.

Korea jumped eight places to rank 10th out of 70 nations in the 2026 World Digital and AI Competitiveness Ranking (WDAIR), published Wednesday by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) — the prestigious Swiss business school known for its benchmark global competitiveness evaluations. Among nations with populations exceeding 20 million, Korea secured fourth place, trailing only the United States, Canada and China. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that Korea achieved comprehensive improvements across all five evaluated categories: Governance, Technological Infrastructure, Efficiency, Human Resources Development and Societal Attitudes & Values. Notably, Korea jumped 10 places to rank third globally in Efficiency and climbed four spots to third in Technological Infrastructure. Korea demonstrated unmatched leadership in government execution and technological foundation, claiming the top spot worldwide in both the Government Core Systems Index and total research and development (R&D) expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product. The nation also mainta

SEONGNAM — A bus plowed into more than 30 vehicles waiting at a traffic stop in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, during morning rush hour Wednesday, officials said, leaving 57 people injured. The city bus, driven by a man in his 60s, struck four other buses, a cargo truck and 27 passenger cars before coming to a stop after hitting a traffic barrier in Seongnam's Bundang Ward at 7:34 a.m. The bus reportedly hit the vehicles over a distance of about 100 to 150 meters The incident left nine people seriously hurt and 48 others with minor injuries. None of the injuries were reported to be life threatening. The bus driver reportedly told police that the brakes did not work, with investigators looking into the exact cause of the crash. Police said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol, but plan to check whether he had taken drugs.

Busan is testing a new sea taxi service that could offer residents and tourists a faster, more scenic way to travel between the southeastern port city's popular coastal destinations while avoiding road traffic. Busan Metropolitan City conducted two trial runs of its planned Busan Sea Taxi service on Wednesday, inviting 16 local journalists to experience a 45-minute route connecting the Suyeong River, Gwangalli and Haeundae beaches. Boats departed from APEC Naru Park at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., following a route divided into three 15-minute sections before returning to the river. The service is intended to serve both as an alternative mode of transportation and a tourism attraction, offering passengers views of Busan's coastline while connecting districts that frequently experience traffic congestion. Under the plan, at least six environmentally friendly vessels, each with a capacity of fewer than 50 passengers, will operate along the route, supported by three boarding facilities on the Suyeong River, at Gwangalli and in Haeundae. The city plans to invest 1.4 billion won ($960,000) in boardi

HD Construction Equipment has joined hands with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to honor Ethiopian soldiers who fought and died during the 1950-53 Korean War, unveiling a memorial wall bearing their names at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The company said it held a ceremony to dedicate the memorial wall at the cathedral on Wednesday, coinciding with the International Memorial Day for U.N. Korean War Veterans. The event was attended by HD Construction Equipment CEO Moon Jae-young, Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul, Korean Ambassador to Ethiopia Koo Hong-seok, Ethiopian defense officials and Korean War veterans and their families. HD Construction Equipment and the veterans ministry signed a memorandum of understanding in May to establish memorial facilities in countries that sent troops to support Korea under U.N. Command. Ethiopia was selected as the first site, with HD Construction Equipment covering the full cost of construction. The wall features individual plaques inscribed with the names of the 122 fallen soldiers, as well as messages of gratitude and reme