House leaders defend 2027 budget amendments amid questions over project details

GMA Network - Oct 26, 2026

House leaders on Monday defended the amendments made by the chamber to the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, saying these were purportedly based on agency proposals and had been made on valid grounds.

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ITCZ to bring rain to parts of Mindanao until Wednesday

Oct 26, 2026

ITCZ to bring rain to parts of Mindanao until Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines — Overcast skies and rain are forecast over the western parts of Mindanao on Monday due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), the state weather bureau said. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the ITCZ is expected to affect the area until Wednesday. READ: PH Weather Updates Today:

Cybercrime ring busted over AI-powered data theft targeting hospitals, businesses

Oct 26, 2026

Cybercrime ring busted over AI-powered data theft targeting hospitals, businesses

Police have busted a cybercrime ring that allegedly stole over 8 million pieces of personal information from dozens of businesses by using artificial intelligence (AI), officials said Monday. Seven suspects allegedly stole 8.2 million pieces of personal data and other internal records from over 90 entities, including hospitals, private academies and businesses, until recently from September last year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The group is suspected of using AI tools to hack 60 of the targets and attempting to extort some of them. Of the targeted entities, 38 suffered losses, with the group demanding a combined 360 million won ($272,000) from them. Police said the group's 32-year-old ring leader was referred to the prosecution on Friday while he was under physical detention. The other suspects are facing further questioning. The ringleader, a self-taught hacker, learned about hacking skills by working at a security company, where the suspect was in charge of mock hacking attacks. Authorities have recently been on alert over cybercrime suspected of employing AI tool

Seoul courts rail ties with 6 nations to boost Korean exports

Oct 26, 2026

Seoul courts rail ties with 6 nations to boost Korean exports

Seoul is bringing railway officials from six countries to Korea this week in a bid to turn its urban transit expertise into overseas contracts for Korean rail operators and manufacturers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that 12 officials from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and Malaysia are taking part in its five-day international training program, which runs through Friday. The program is the largest of its kind since 2020, according to the city, and brings together officials from countries pursuing major urban railway projects. Rather than limiting the visit to policy discussions, Seoul has designed the program to expose participants to the technology and operations behind its transit network, from traffic management to train manufacturing. The itinerary includes the Seoul Transport Operation and Information Service, known as TOPIS, Seoul Metro, the Shinbundang Line and the Ui-Sinseol Line, as well as the Korea Railroad Research Institute and a railway vehicle manufacturing plant. The visits are intended to give participants a broad view of Korea’s

Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Oct 26, 2026

Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Nineteen aspiring entrepreneurs will put their business ideas to the test in Seoul’s Ikseon-dong neighborhood Friday, showcasing products and services developed over five months in a city-backed program designed to turn local culture and resources into viable businesses. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the pop-up event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Stage X Ikseon, where visitors can try prototypes, offer feedback and help participants assess market demand. The teams are part of the fifth cohort of Local in Seoul, a program that trains young entrepreneurs to build brands rooted in the character, stories and resources of local neighborhoods. Since their selection in June, participants have prepared business ideas in four local commercial districts: Magok Art Street in Gangseo District, Konkuk Youth Street in Gwangjin District, Noryangjin Mannaro in Dongjak District and Gwanghui Road in Jung District. The projects range from tea-tasting kits inspired by East Asian traditions to interactive activities built around board games, emotion cards and illustrated

Budget ministry to start early review of 2028 spending cuts

Oct 26, 2026

Budget ministry to start early review of 2028 spending cuts

Korea's budget ministry said Monday it will begin reviewing spending restructuring measures in November for inclusion in the 2028 budget proposal, as part of efforts to develop detailed plans to improve spending efficiency. The Ministry of Planning and Budget unveiled the plan after incorporating 88 measures to cut spending by 44.2 trillion won ($33.4 billion) into the 2027 budget proposal. "In 2027, we plan to eliminate inefficient spending more promptly and precisely," Budget Minister Park Hong-geun said during a meeting of the Fiscal Management Strategy Committee. "We plan to begin identifying tasks in November and expand participation by private-sector experts and civil society groups," Park added. The budget ministry said it plans to harness artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to identify such tasks. "The government plans to use AI assistants to thoroughly review potential tasks, including issues raised by the National Assembly, the audit board and the press, and develop reasonable solutions by analyzing similar cases abroad," the ministry said.

Korean family groups demand overhaul of national population plan

Oct 26, 2026

Korean family groups demand overhaul of national population plan

A coalition of 180 civic organizations is urging the government to rewrite its first national population strategy, saying the plan risks sidelining families even as Korea confronts persistently low birthrates and mounting demographic challenges. The Federation for Korean Families made six demands at a news conference, Friday, at the National Assembly, calling for clearer fertility targets, stronger family support and a dedicated body to coordinate policies on marriage, childbirth, child-rearing and caregiving. The group said the government's first National Population Strategy Basic Plan fails to include a target for raising the total fertility rate, despite a previously announced goal of reaching 1.0 child per woman by 2030. The federation said indicators such as life satisfaction and labor force participation cannot, by themselves, show whether people who want to marry and have children are facing fewer obstacles. It called on the government to pair demographic targets with measures addressing housing costs, child-rearing expenses, work-life balance and access to caregiving time, arguin

Korean diaspora network targets export growth for regional businesses

Oct 26, 2026

Korean diaspora network targets export growth for regional businesses

A global network of Korean diaspora business leaders will connect 160 regional companies with overseas buyers this week in an effort to open new export markets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Overseas Koreans Agency said Monday it would host the two-day World Korean Business Export Consultation on Oct. 27-28 in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and Daejeon, in partnership with the two local governments. About 160 buyers, including 20 members of the OK-Biz business advisory group, will take part alongside 160 SMEs from the two regions. The event will offer tailored, one-on-one business consultations in sectors including food, beauty, information technology and biotechnology, matching companies with buyers based on their industries and commercial needs. The initiative aims to turn connections forged through the 24th World Korean Business Convention into concrete opportunities for regional businesses seeking to expand overseas, drawing on the advisory group's international business networks. The agency has previously worked with local governments, including Busan, Jeonnam-Gwangju S

French Korean War veteran's remains to be laid to rest in Busan

Oct 26, 2026

French Korean War veteran's remains to be laid to rest in Busan

The remains of a French veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War will be brought to Korea on Tuesday and buried at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan this weekend, fulfilling his wish that he be laid to rest in the country he fought for, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Monday. Serge Archambeau, who died on June 5 at the age of 96, volunteered for the war and served as a bazooka gunner with the 3rd Company of the French Battalion, part of the United Nations forces, from October 1951 to September 1952. He fought in some of the war’s fiercest battles, including the so-called Battle of T-Bone Hill and the Battle of the Iron Triangle, and received the Cross for Military Valour with bronze star and other French honors. His remains will arrive at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Tuesday. Roger Quintard, secretary-general of a French veterans’ association and executor of Archambeau’s will, will accompany them because the veteran’s family is unable to travel for health reasons. A ceremony marking the arrival of the remains will begin at 12:20 p.m. A Ministry o

Civil group files police complaint against agriculture minister over farmland survey

Oct 26, 2026

Civil group files police complaint against agriculture minister over farmland survey

A civic group has filed a complaint with police against Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung over the government's ongoing farmland survey, accusing her of abusing power, sources said Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency received the complaint from the People's Welfare Countermeasure Committee on Sunday, claiming Song pressed ahead with the survey without sufficient consultation from farmers, causing anxiety among them, according to the sources. The government launched the comprehensive nationwide survey earlier this year in an effort to determine the actual ownership of farmland and prevent it from being used as a speculative asset. Critics, however, have voiced concerns over the survey, arguing that it could infringe on the property rights of farmers.

Drug suspect repatriated from Ghana after 22 years on the run

Oct 26, 2026

Drug suspect repatriated from Ghana after 22 years on the run

A man in his 80s, suspected of transporting more than 5 tons of narcotics aboard a fishing vessel in waters off South America in the early 2000s, has been repatriated to Korea after spending 22 years on the run, police said Monday. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said the man, whose identity was withheld, was brought back home on Oct. 20 in coordination with the Busan Coast Guard after being deported by authorities in Ghana, where he had been hiding for about 22 years. The man is accused of transporting narcotics on behalf of a drug trafficking organization on five separate occasions in international waters off South America between 2002 and 2004, when he was serving as a supervisor of a deep-sea fishing vessel, and receiving payment for the shipments. The KNPA said the transported narcotics are believed to have been 5,385 kilograms of cocaine worth about 4.8 trillion won ($3.6 billion). The suspect fled to Ghana after his accomplices were arrested and lived there as an undocumented immigrant from around 2004. His repatriation came after the Busan Coast Guard placed him on Inter

Korea, US kick off combined air drills this week

Oct 26, 2026

Korea, US kick off combined air drills this week

Korea and the United States kicked off their combined air drills this week, focusing on counter-air and air interdiction missions aimed at enhancing wartime joint operations, the Air Force said Monday. The Freedom Flag exercise began Monday for a two-week run at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 180 kilometers southwest of Seoul, involving the allies' key aerial assets, including the Korean Air Force's F-15K, KF-16 and F-35A fighter jets, the armed force said in a release. The KC-330 transport aircraft and E-737 Peace Eye early warning and control aircraft will also be deployed for the exercise. The U.S. Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon jet, RC-135 reconnaissance plane and its Navy's MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, as well as the F-35B stealth fighter jet and the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned surveillance aircraft of the U.S. Marines Corps will also participate in the drills. The air forces will operate day and nighttime "mission planning cells" to exchange tactics and expertise, while refining wartime operational and mission execution procedures, the Air Force said. The missions are designed to enhance

Presidential special inspector vows political neutrality, independence

Oct 26, 2026

Presidential special inspector vows political neutrality, independence

The new presidential special inspector, Choi Kil-su, on Monday pledged to uphold political neutrality and professional independence as he began his duties inspecting irregularities involving the president's spouse and close relatives. Choi made the remarks to reporters at his office in central Seoul, following President Lee Jae Myung's formal appointment of him Friday to the post tasked with inspecting corruption allegations involving the president's family and close relatives, as well as senior presidential aides. He is the first presidential special inspector appointed since late 2016, following the post's creation in 2014. "I will uphold political neutrality and independence in carrying out my duties to the end," Choi told reporters, adding he feels a heavy responsibility and will work to meet the public's expectations. Choi also pledged rigorous inspections, saying he plans to serve as a "panopticon," a circular prison design that allows inmates to be constantly monitored. "Inspections are not something for which you have to wait, like the filings of complaints or lawsuits, but (basic

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