Australia hands Ming dynasty Buddha back to China amid ongoing mystery over its arrival

South China Morning Post - Oct 16, 2026

A 500-year-old Buddha statue that was found buried by a roadside in Australia has been returned to China, leaving an ongoing mystery about how it arrived in the country. The 15cm (six-inch) bronze figurine was formally handed over to Chinese consular representatives during a ceremony in the coastal town of Denham in Shark Bay on Tuesday, the public broadcaster ABC reported. It will be taken to China for further evaluation to establish its history before being displayed at a museum in...

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Defense ministry refutes Pyongyang's claim questioning Seoul's test of hypersonic glide vehicle

Oct 16, 2026

Defense ministry refutes Pyongyang's claim questioning Seoul's test of hypersonic glide vehicle

South Korea's defense ministry on Thursday refuted a claim by North Korea's missile chief that questions Seoul's recent test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Earlier in the day, Jang Chang-ha, director-general of North Korea's Missile Administration, claimed that South Korea's test of the HGV may not have achieved hypersonic flight because its outside appearance was "not stained with any soot," according to the North's Korean Central News Agency. Jang cited photos provided by South Korea after last Thursday's test, but Seoul's defense ministry countered by saying the vehicle has advanced thermal-protection technology and the visible appearance of "soot" is impossible during hypersonic flight. South Korea's military "plans to further develop technologies involved in the weaponization process of the HGV," the ministry said. In a rare public disclosure of the development of key military assets, Cheong Wa Dae unveiled South Korea's first test launch of the HGV. The test came amid rising inter-Korean tensions following the recent explosion of a land mine in the border area that inju

Farm raising beef for tables around the world faces threat from data center construction

Oct 16, 2026

Farm raising beef for tables around the world faces threat from data center construction

A fierce battle over artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which are increasingly being seen as unwanted facilities, is erupting around the world among governments, companies and local residents. Korea, which is also moving quickly to expand AI data centers as one of the government's three megaprojects, is no exception. Where can we find clues to resolving these conflicts? To find answers, a Hankook Ilbo reporting team traveled to Australia Aug. 7-14 for a field investigation into how the country is preparing for the future with AI data centers. Australia is seeking to make AI data centers its next major growth industry after minerals and wool. Residents are banding together to make their voices heard and searching for rules that will allow people and AI data centers to coexist. In August, winter fog in the Southern Hemisphere swallowed the morning sunlight, leaving a farm in darkness as cattle awoke to the familiar voices of an elderly couple. "Did you have any trouble during the night?" "Did you sleep well?" Every morning at 7 a.m., Paul Brackenreg, 61, and Rosalind "Rose" Murphy, 7

[WEEKENDER] 'Why not Gangnam?': Data center boom fuels fear in neighborhoods kept in the dark

Oct 16, 2026

[WEEKENDER] 'Why not Gangnam?': Data center boom fuels fear in neighborhoods kept in the dark

About 20 people gather every morning in front of Geumcheon District Office in southwestern Seoul, holding signs and staging protests. Most are in their 50s and 60s and live in a large apartment complex identified only as "L," home to more than 1,700 households. Their protest, which they say is the first demonstration they have ever taken part in, marked its 203rd consecutive day on Sept. 21. They might be expected to be tired by now, but it is anger rather than fatigue that shows on their faces. The protesters are vehemently opposed to a data center. About 100 meters from the entrance to their apartment complex, construction of an eight-story data center has been underway for 11 months. Ko Young-chan, 33, a two-term member of the Geumcheon District Council who lives in L Apartment, said, "It seems data center developers came here thinking, 'Land prices in a place like Geumcheon District make the project worth trying.'" He also claimed that the data center itself would not generate tax revenue for the district. The situation is not unique to Geumcheon District. Data center projects are

President Lee's approval rating rises after dipping to lowest level: poll

Oct 16, 2026

President Lee's approval rating rises after dipping to lowest level: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose slightly to 39 percent after weeks of decline, a weekly poll showed Friday. The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,003 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance increased 2 percentage points from the previous week. The figure marks a slight recovery from his record low of 37 percent recorded in the previous two Gallup polls, following a downward trend since late August. Those who disapproved of Lee's handling of state affairs rose by 1 percentage point on-week to 52 percent. Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 20 percent cited diplomacy, followed by economic and livelihood issues at 11 percent. Real estate policies, along with economic and livelihood concerns, were among the main reasons cited by those who disapproved of Lee's performance. Support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 1 percentage point to 36 percent after marking the lowest figure since the launch of Lee's administration last week. Support for the main opposition People Power Par

Seoul city blames ex-mayor's policies for weak long-term housing supply

Oct 16, 2026

Seoul city blames ex-mayor's policies for weak long-term housing supply

The Seoul city government on Friday blamed policies pursued under late former Mayor Park Won-soon for weakening the foundation for long-term housing supply in the capital. The municipality made the assessment in a report analyzing the city's housing policies over the past 20 years, as recent shortages in the capital have contributed to sharply rising home prices. The report said that between 2012 and 2020, while the late Park served as mayor, 389 of the 683 areas designated for city improvement projects were canceled, eliminating the opportunity to supply roughly 430,000 homes. Park, who was a member of the now ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), prioritized "urban regeneration" projects that focused on preservation over large-scale redevelopment or reconstruction. The report comes as current Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party has faced criticism from DPK lawmakers over his private-led housing supply policy. The city government under Oh plans to break ground on about 310,000 housing units by 2031 through redevelopment and reconstruction projects to respond to t

Seoul weighs expanding Cheonghae Unit operations toward Strait of Hormuz

Oct 16, 2026

Seoul weighs expanding Cheonghae Unit operations toward Strait of Hormuz

Seoul is considering expanding the operating area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, as it prepares to seek parliamentary approval to extend the unit’s deployment. The government is also reviewing a proposal to add a maritime patrol aircraft to the unit, according to local media reports. No decision has been made on either proposal. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul told lawmakers Thursday the ministry was reviewing various options concerning the unit’s mission and deployment extension. The current parliamentary authorization expires Dec. 31. The Cheonghae Unit, deployed off Somalia since 2009, escorts commercial vessels and helps protect shipping routes. Its current deployment consists of 4,400-ton destroyer, a helicopter, up to three rigid-hull inflatable boats and no more than 320 personnel. One option under consideration is deploying a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to expand surveillance coverage. The review comes after Washington requested military contributions from allies to help secure the Strait of Ho

N. Korea reports opening of new cross-border bridge with China

Oct 16, 2026

N. Korea reports opening of new cross-border bridge with China

North Korea on Friday reported the opening of a new cross-border bridge linking its border city of Sinuiju with China's Dandong, highlighting its potential to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the North Korea-China Amnok River Bridge was held the previous day, with senior officials from both countries attending, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The bridge is the creation reflecting the invincible vitality and development of the DPRK-China friendship, which has preserved its nature despite the trials of history," the KCNA said, adding that the bridge would "enable the two countries to boost bilateral economic relations." DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, China's Xinhua News Agency earlier reported the official opening of the bridge across the Amnok River, known as the Yalu River in China. North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song and Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered congratulatory speeches via video link, while Ri Ryong-nam, North Korea's ambassador to China, and W

'AI artists' perform improvised jazz at Jarasum Jazz Festival

Oct 16, 2026

'AI artists' perform improvised jazz at Jarasum Jazz Festival

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 accord

SK hynix showcases next-generation AI memory technologies beyond HBM

Oct 16, 2026

SK hynix showcases next-generation AI memory technologies beyond HBM

SK hynix said Friday that it has showcased its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) memory technologies aimed at expanding the boundaries of AI infrastructure beyond conventional high-bandwidth memory (HBM). The company presented the technologies at the OCP Global Summit 2026, held in California from Tuesday to Thursday (local time). The summit is an annual conference organized by the Open Compute Project Foundation that brings together engineers and industry leaders. The Korean chip giant said it divided its exhibition space into two sections. The front section, dubbed the memory section, showcased the company's flagship products, while the larger rear section, called the system demo section, featured memory solutions designed to support next-generation server ecosystems. Kim Ho-sik, a senior vice president at SK hynix, introduced MARS (Memory-Centric AI Rack-Scale System), a disaggregated rack-scale architecture designed to coordinate computing and memory resources seamlessly. Kim highlighted progress in High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), a technology aimed at addressing the industry's

Marcos to summon Chinese envoy over 'use of force' remark

Oct 16, 2026

Marcos to summon Chinese envoy over 'use of force' remark

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday confirmed he will summon Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan after the latter"s remarks conveyed a “thinly veiled threat” of using force.

Pageantry matters for US-China summits, even with modest results

Oct 16, 2026

Pageantry matters for US-China summits, even with modest results

The most consequential outcome of President Xi Jinping’s Washington visit might be his US counterpart Donald Trump’s unusually lavish welcome. It told Beijing, US allies and global markets that, however fierce the strategic rivalry, China’s importance makes sustained diplomatic engagement essential. The airport greeting, lavish banquet at the White House and flyover by military aircraft restored the appearance of a workable relationship between two powers. Even so, Beijing has learned not to...

Los Angeles city employee among four charged in downtown graffiti spree

Oct 16, 2026

Los Angeles city employee among four charged in downtown graffiti spree

Prosecutors say a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee was one of four men who caused more than $170,000 in graffiti damage to downtown buildings.

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