Commentary: Newsom, Hegseth, Becerra — who's in the hottest water? Our columnists discuss

Los Angeles Times - Nov 15, 2026

Did Newsom's death row clemencies help or hurt his presidential prospects? How badly did AWOL Democrats blow it letting Hegseth's impeachment slide? L.A. Times columnists discuss.

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Heat index in parts of Eastern Visayas expected to increase

Nov 15, 2026

Heat index in parts of Eastern Visayas expected to increase

TACLOBAN CITY — Borongan City and Guiuan in Eastern Samar are expected to record a heat index of up to 42 degrees Celsius, classified as “danger,” on Nov. 15, as high temperatures persist in several areas of Eastern Visayas, the state weather bureau said. Tacloban City and Catarman in Northern Samar are expected to record

Lacson lauds police over discreet work in Basilan judge killing probe

Nov 15, 2026

Lacson lauds police over discreet work in Basilan judge killing probe

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson has lauded the police for their “silent and disciplined” work in making a breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of Basilan Judge Joseph Wee Sit in Zamboanga City. “This is how high-profile cases are cracked: silent, precise, disciplined, and with methodical efficiency. No fanfare; just results. Congratulations!” Lacson

Bulusan Volcano logs 438 quakes in 24 hours; eruption threat remains

Nov 15, 2026

Bulusan Volcano logs 438 quakes in 24 hours; eruption threat remains

LEGAZPI CITY— Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon recorded 438 volcanic earthquakes in 24 hours, more than double the 205 reported in the previous advisory, raising concerns over possible steam-driven eruptions. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in its Nov. 15 bulletin, said the earthquakes were recorded from midnight of Nov. 14 to midnight of

How a picture book helped a troubled student find her way

Nov 15, 2026

How a picture book helped a troubled student find her way

At an interview for a Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education position as a behavioral intervention specialist teacher earlier this year, Jang Se-ra, a veteran elementary school teacher of 23 years, held a well-worn book in her hands. The book, titled "Try It Like Ji-woo!," had helped bring about a remarkable transformation in just two to three months in a 13-year-old student, identified by the pseudonym Ji-woo. Jang had created the picture book herself, making Ji-woo, whom she had taught the previous year in an inclusive classroom at Haneul Elementary School in Seoul's Mapo District, its main character. The experience gave her a firsthand appreciation of the power of behavioral intervention to change both students and schools. Whenever Ji-woo, then a sixth-grader, traveled between her inclusive classroom and the special education classroom, everyone at the school could tell she was on the move. Ji-woo, who has autism spectrum disorder, repeatedly shouted, sat down on the hallway floor and cried. When Jang became her homeroom teacher, Ji-woo displayed similar behavior. She threw objects,

Medical school prep at age 4? Korean math tutor calls it 'child abuse'

Nov 15, 2026

Medical school prep at age 4? Korean math tutor calls it 'child abuse'

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A prominent Korean math instructor has sparked debate after calling for criminal punishment of those responsible for intensive academic programs targeting children as young as 3 or 4 years old, describing the country's increasingly competitive early education culture as a form of child abuse. Jung Seung-je, one of South Korea's best-known private education instructors, made the comments during a recent appearance on the popular YouTube channel ChimChakMan. The video, titled "Which Subject Is Most Important: Korean, English or Math?" featured Jung alongside Korean language instructor Yoo Dae-jong and English instructor Kim Ji-young, who also appear on the education reality program "Teachers 3: Retake War." During the discussion, Jung criticized the growing trend of enrolling preschool children in advanced academic programs designed to prepare them for eventual admission to medical school, one of the most competitive educational pathways in South Korea. "Especially in math, children are entering medical school preparation classes at the age of 3

N. Korea-linked hackers target 30 S. Korean servers: report

Nov 15, 2026

N. Korea-linked hackers target 30 S. Korean servers: report

Hackers suspected of having ties to North Korea's Lazarus Group identified 30 servers in South Korea as potential targets for cyberattacks in October, a report released by a cybersecurity firm showed Sunday. Cyfirma said it obtained a list of 216 servers across 10 countries compiled by Korean-speaking hackers, covering government agencies, banks, telecommunications companies and infrastructure providers. Of the total, 30 servers were located in South Korea. The original 216-server list was completed on Oct. 24, the report showed. By region, the Asia-Pacific accounted for 148 targeted servers, followed by North America with 49 and the Middle East with 19. The United States and Japan together accounted for 44.4 percent of the total, Cyfirma added. The cybersecurity firm assessed with "high confidence" that the hackers were linked to the Lazarus Group ecosystem, with their apparent objectives including financial gain and espionage. Cyfirma stressed that inclusion on the target list did not necessarily mean the servers had been successfully breached. The company warned that simply updating webs

N. Korean leader's close aide visits Russia amid deepening bilateral ties

Nov 15, 2026

N. Korean leader's close aide visits Russia amid deepening bilateral ties

A North Korean official considered to be one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's closest aides has arrived in Russia, the North's state media said Sunday, amid deepening relations between the two countries following North Korea's deployment of troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, arrived in Moscow by private plane on Saturday, leading a party and government delegation, the Korean Central News Agency said. The visit comes at "a time when the militant friendship, friendship and relations of alliance between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation with independence and justice as their common ideal are being further cemented with each passing day," it said in an English dispatch. The delegation was invited by Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia's ruling United Russia party. They were greeted at the airport by Andrei Klimov, a member of the party's Supreme Council and first vice chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's p

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo's drunk driving prompts broadcasters to edit him out

Nov 15, 2026

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo's drunk driving prompts broadcasters to edit him out

Actor Ko Kyung-pyo’s drunk driving has prompted broadcasters to cut his appearances from their shows, the latest case of Korea’s long-standing practice of minimizing screen time for entertainers involved in wrongdoing. Ko was caught driving under the influence after his car hit a garbage truck in western Seoul’s Mapo District at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, police said. Officers found him in the driver’s seat with a blood alcohol level high enough for license revocation. The production team of MBC’s variety show “Hang Out With Yoo” said on Saturday morning that it would edit out as much of Ko’s presence as possible to avoid making viewers uncomfortable. Ko had appeared as a guest in an episode set to air that afternoon. The producers of tvN’s variety show “Sixth Sense: B-Side,” on which Ko is a regular cast member, also said they would keep his scenes to a minimum in Sunday’s episode and next week’s finale for the same reason. The team behind “Amazing Saturday,” another tvN variety show, which recently filmed an episode with Ko as a guest, plans to edit down h

Top tax accountant exam scorer admits to cheating using AI

Nov 15, 2026

Top tax accountant exam scorer admits to cheating using AI

The top scorer in Korea’s recent tax accountant qualification examination admitted Sunday that he used generative artificial intelligence (AI) and a camera to cheat, reversing his earlier denials after his unusually high marks drew public scrutiny. “I cheated on the tax accountant examination,” Han Won-seok said on the YouTube channel run by his lawyer Lee Don-ho. “I sincerely apologize for the harm my wrongdoing has caused so many people.” Han’s results attracted attention because he answered 159 of the 160 questions correctly in the first-stage tax accountant examination in April, scoring 397.5 out of 400. Three months later, he scored 663 out of 800 in the second-stage written examination and was named the overall top scorer. His exceptionally high scores had fueled online speculation about possible cheating. Experts, including licensed tax accountants and tax lawyers, argued that the near-perfect score in the first test was “close to impossible,” suggesting that he might have used AI smart glasses. It turned out Han’s cheating method was not AI glasses. He said he i

Factional infighting puts DPK chief in leadership crisis

Nov 15, 2026

Factional infighting puts DPK chief in leadership crisis

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Kim Min-seok faces a leadership crisis only about three months into the position, as factional infighting between his supporters and loyalists to the party's former leader is escalating, with the latter boycotting meetings and openly criticizing his leadership. The latest move adds to disputes that have dogged Kim’s leadership, ranging from a row over his claim of a “secret alliance” between a nonmainstream religious sect and the former leader, Jung Chung-rae, and Kim's investigation order for one of Jung's loyalists, to disagreements over pending issues including the chief justice’s impeachment and property tax reform. On Friday, Reps. Choi Min-hee, Han Min-soo and Lee Seong-yun, all Supreme Council members and considered loyalists to Jung, boycotted a meeting in protest against Kim’s order the previous day for the party's ethics committee to investigate Choi. They instead held a press conference to call for the party's reform, criticizing Kim's leadership. Kim and Jung competed in a bitterly contested party leadership race in A

Uzbek national sentenced to 16 months for funding Syria-based terrorist group

Nov 15, 2026

Uzbek national sentenced to 16 months for funding Syria-based terrorist group

An Uzbek national in Korea has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for sending funds to a terrorist group based in Syria, legal sources said Sunday. The Seoul Central District Court recently handed down the sentence to the defendant after finding the Uzbek national guilty of violating the anti-terrorism law. The court also ordered the defendant to pay 1.25 million won ($936) — the same amount the Uzbek national sent in six transfers to an account designated by a KTJ member between January 2024 and January 2025. Khatiba Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (KTJ), a UN-designated Islamic extremist group associated with al-Qaida, has been linked to the 2016 suicide bombing at the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan and the 2017 suicide bombing on the St. Petersburg subway in Russia. The Uzbek national entered Korea on a D-4-1 student visa to study at a university-affiliated language institute and was staying in the country as an international student when contacted by the KTJ member. According to the legal sources, the court said the defendant "provided funding to support a terrorist group knowing that

Presidential office weighs life without parole as part of public safety push

Nov 15, 2026

Presidential office weighs life without parole as part of public safety push

South Korea's presidential office said Sunday it is considering life imprisonment without parole as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening public safety and cracking down on crimes targeting vulnerable people. The initiative will focus on crimes targeting socially vulnerable people, including relationship-based crimes and crimes with apparently random motives. The issue has drawn renewed attention amid a series of high-profile cases involving relationship-based violence in recent years, including the killing last month of a woman on the southern resort island of Jeju who had been under police protection after reporting stalking and dating violence, allegedly by a man who told police she was his former lover. The government will also step up efforts to eradicate crimes involving scams, illegal drugs, illegal private lending, digital sex crimes and false or fabricated information, among other offenses that disrupt people's daily lives or threaten public order, presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun said. Lim said the initiative follows instructions from President Lee Jae Myung at

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