Kapunan: Defense’s ‘I don’t know’ alibi makes VP Duterte look ‘dumb’

Inquirer.net - Nov 6, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Should the defense panel for the impeachment trial insist that Vice President Sara Duterte was unaware of the documents bearing her signature, it would only prove that the country’s second-highest official is dumb, lawyer Lorna Kapunan said on Friday. Kapunan, one of the private lawyers assisting the prosecution panel, said at a

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Nov 7, 2026

[COVER STORY] Ruling party leader's credibility put on line as Shincheonji claims backfire

Kim Min-seok, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and former prime minister, is facing a test of his credibility after an internal investigation failed to substantiate his claims of a “secret alliance” involving his leadership rival and the nonmainstream religious sect Shincheonji. On Friday, Kim apologized again during the party’s Supreme Council meeting. It was his third apology over the controversy, following remarks at Tuesday’s closed-door meeting of party lawmakers and on the party’s YouTube channel on Thursday. “I once again offer my apologies to everyone who was hurt as I raised serious concerns and warned about religious interference in politics during the party’s leadership election,” Kim said. He was referring to his allegation in the run-up to the Aug. 17 party leadership election that the anti-President Lee Jae Myung faction within the party and Shincheonji had formed a secret alliance. The claim targeted the camp of his leadership rival, former Chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae. After raising the allegation and winning the leadership race, Kim

Nov 7, 2026

JoongAng Ilbo buyers have financial room to fund acquisition: KIS report

In an unconventional lifeline for Korea's traditional press, a diverse corporate coalition spanning tech, retail and entertainment has agreed to rescue JoongAng Ilbo, one of the nation’s most influential conservative daily newspapers. Under a 520 billion won ($388 million) conditional agreement approved Wednesday by the boards of Daou Technology, Saramin, CJ Corp. and Shinsegae, the newly injected capital will flow directly into the newspaper to clear its debts and pull the media outlet out of a creditor-led workout program it entered this summer. According to an assessment by Korea Investors Service (KIS), a Moody’s affiliate, the acquiring companies possess the financial capacity to comfortably fund the transaction. Under the agreed funding structure, Daou Technology will cover 36.5 percent of the total, or about 189.8 billion won, while CJ Corp. will contribute 35.7 percent, or 185.6 billion won. Shinsegae is participating alongside CJ as a financial investor with a 14.1 percent stake (73.3 billion won), and online job portal Saramin will provide 13.7 percent (71.2 billion won).

Nov 7, 2026

From Pokemon to T1, global fandoms open new market for Korean resellers

Korean sellers are finding new opportunities in the global collectibles market, as overseas buyers are willing to pay a premium for rare, hard-to-find items, with trading card sales by Korean sellers on eBay more than tripling year-on-year in the third quarter. EBay said Friday that Korean sellers in the Collectible Card Games Category saw the highest sales growth among all Korean sellers on the global e-commerce platform from July to September this year. Trading cards featuring characters, artists or celebrity athletes fueled platform users’ attraction toward the Korean resellers. The most popular trading cards featured characters from the globally popular animated franchise Pokemon and iconic League of Legends esports team T1. The top-selling item in the category was the 2026 KOREA MEGA FESTA Magikarp card, which also ranked ninth in overall sales among Korean sellers on eBay. The Riftbound X 2025 World Champion T1 Signature Edition Card fetched a premium even during prelaunch sales, demonstrating a global fandom around the product itself and the team represented by professional gam

Nov 7, 2026

UN chief calls for restoration of inter-Korean communication channels amid DMZ tensions

WASHINGTON — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the restoration of communication channels between South and North Korea amid concerns over a potential escalation of tensions across the border. "The Secretary-General remains concerned about the situation in the Korean Peninsula, including potential escalation of tensions across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)," United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a regular press briefing Thursday. Dujarric said that Guterres encourages relevant parties "to initiate the resumption of communication channels, including military-to-military communications, all of this in order to avoid unintended accidents or miscalculations." The spokesperson also stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. "Diplomatic engagement and renewed dialogue remain the only pathway to reduce tensions and to achieve sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. The remarks came amid heightened tensions along the inter-Korean border following a Sept. 21 land mine explosion inside the DMZ that in

Nov 7, 2026

Mirae Asset says data breaches exposed customer, employee information

Mirae Asset Securities Co. said Saturday that it suffered cyberattacks that resulted in the leakage of account numbers some 3,800 customers and personal information of over 35,000 current, former employees and contractors. The South Korean brokerage said unauthorized external access occurred Wednesday and Thursday, targeting its mobile web phone authentication login service and internal system, respectively. They resulted in the leakage of some 3,800 customer account numbers and information on 35,255 current, former and contractors. The non-customer, corporate data leaked included names, employee ID numbers, email addresses, mobile phone numbers and passwords. Mirae Asset said it immediately blocked the affected access routes after detecting suspicious activity from external IP addresses and activated its emergency response system. The company also said it reported the incident to the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and the Personal Information Protection Commission.

Nov 7, 2026

Hechyeomoyeo opens 18th mass exhibition at KOTE featuring over 500 artists

The Hechyeomoyeo (HCMY) opened its 18th mass exhibition at KOTE in central Seoul's Insa-dong on Wednesday. The opening party featured music, live drawing, face painting, clowns and flash tattoos, as art lovers from Korea and all around the world crowded into all five floors plus the roof and basement of the aging building that houses KOTE. “My approach is straightforward: If someone tells me they have a creative skill to share, I try to find a place for them in the event,” Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith, the American artist who started HCMY, told The Korea Times. HCMY is an independent art initiative that began in Korea as an effort to make exhibition opportunities more accessible to Korea-based artists. It has grown into an international community, connecting hundreds of creators across continents. Despite its global reach, HCMY maintains a strong connection to its Korean roots. Smith estimates that approximately 65 percent of the participants at HCMY's Korean exhibitions are Korean nationals, while around 20 to 30 percent are foreign residents, and the rest are international artists

Nov 7, 2026

California rejects billionaire tax proposal in win for executives, Newsom

California voters are rejecting a proposal to impose a wealth tax on billionaire residents, marking a major win for tech and business executives, who spent hundreds of millions against the measure, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). According to DDHQ's analysis, 54 percent voted against the measure, while 46 percent voted for...

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Nov 7, 2026

Kapunan: Defense’s ‘I don’t know’ alibi makes VP Duterte look ‘dumb’

MORE NEWS

[COVER STORY] Ruling party leader's credibility put on line as Shincheonji claims backfire

JoongAng Ilbo buyers have financial room to fund acquisition: KIS report

From Pokemon to T1, global fandoms open new market for Korean resellers

UN chief calls for restoration of inter-Korean communication channels amid DMZ tensions

Mirae Asset says data breaches exposed customer, employee information

Hechyeomoyeo opens 18th mass exhibition at KOTE featuring over 500 artists

California rejects billionaire tax proposal in win for executives, Newsom

Jacobina: More than a biscuit, the pride of Mendez town

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