Police bust P7.8M smuggled cigarettes in Lanao del Sur

Inquirer.net - Nov 15, 2026

COTABATO CITY—Acting on a tip from concerned citizens, police confiscated P7.8 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes in Picong, Lanao del Sur, on Friday night, Nov. 13, police confirmed Sunday. Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) regional director, said joint police operatives from the Picong Municipal Police Station and regional and

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Easterlies to bring rain, cloudy skies to parts of Mindanao on Nov. 15

Nov 15, 2026

Easterlies to bring rain, cloudy skies to parts of Mindanao on Nov. 15

MANILA, Philippines — The easterlies will bring cloudy skies and rain to parts of Mindanao on Sunday, while other parts of the country may experience rainshowers and thunderstorms, according to the state weather bureau. In its 5 a.m. weather forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the easterlies, or warm winds

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

Audi Korea accelerates recovery on solid sales of redesigned A6

Nov 15, 2026

Audi Korea accelerates recovery on solid sales of redesigned A6

Audi Korea surpassed 10,000 units in cumulative sales early this month, driven by solid sales of its redesigned A6 flagship sedan and expanded vehicle lineups with diverse powertrains, the carmaker said. The sales figure was achieved a month earlier than last year, marking the second consecutive year that the German automaker has hit the 10,000-unit sales milestone in Korea. Audi Korea is on track for a rapid sales rebound here after it revamped its overall strategy with a focus on product portfolio expansion. The carmaker introduced 16 new models last year, including flagship all-electric models — the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron — as well as the A5 sports sedan and Q5 SUV with internal combustion engines. The A6 sedan is particularly the key sales driver for Audi Korea, with the model's sales reaching 2,241 between January and September here, according to the carmaker. The strategy is designed to give Korean customers a broader range of choices amid rapidly diversifying preferences for powertrains, body styles and driving needs. The lineup has been further strengthened this year with the

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

Kia's domestic electrified vehicle sales top 300,000 units in 2026

Nov 15, 2026

Kia's domestic electrified vehicle sales top 300,000 units in 2026

Kia said Sunday its domestic sales of electrified vehicles surpassed 300,000 units this year as of Monday, making it the first automaker to reach the milestone in Korea in a single year. Kia, an automaking affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said its sales of electrified vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid models, came to 300,048 units, up 41.9 percent from a year earlier. Annual sales of electrified vehicles first topped 100,000 units in 2021, reaching 109,741, before exceeding 200,000 in 2024 at 222,085. Of this year's tally, EVs accounted for 120,360 units, more than doubling from a year earlier and marking the first time an automaker has sold more than 100,000 EVs in Korea in a single year. Sales of hybrid models over the period rose 16.9 percent to 179,688 units. Kia added that its overall domestic sales this year came to 502,286 units, with electrified models accounting for 59.7 percent of the total. Among EVs, the EV3 led sales with 30,455 units, followed by the EV5 with 28,971 and the PV5 with 24,266. Among hybrid models, the Sorento hybrid posted sales of 70,176 un

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

SK chairman calls for AI expansion beyond chips into models, services

Nov 15, 2026

SK chairman calls for AI expansion beyond chips into models, services

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won urged leaders of group subsidiaries to redefine themselves as artificial intelligence (AI) companies and expand beyond chips, infrastructure and energy into AI models and services, building a growth cycle that connects the conglomerate’s businesses. According to SK Group, Sunday, Chey outlined the strategy at CEO seminar held Thursday to Saturday in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. During the seminar, Chey highlighted the importance of an "AI flywheel" to position SK as a key player in a “token economy,” where AI computing and services are traded as resources. “We must break out of existing business frameworks and redefine ourselves as AI companies,” Chey said, urging every affiliate to find new roles beyond its traditional business and connect them to AI services and the token economy. Under the strategy, AI semiconductor capabilities would support AI factory expansion, supporting the growing demand for electricity, energy and AI services. Competitive energy supplies and wider service adoption would spur investment in AI factories and advanced chips.

HD Hyundai launches autonomous vessel developed with Anduril

Nov 15, 2026

HD Hyundai launches autonomous vessel developed with Anduril

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai said Sunday it has launched an autonomous surface vessel (ASV) jointly developed with U.S. defense firm Anduril Industries as it seeks to expand into the U.S. market for unmanned naval vessels. HD Hyundai and Anduril held a launching ceremony at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday. The 600-ton ASV is equipped with VAone, an autonomous navigation solution developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Anduril's Lattice platform, enabling it to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and maritime intelligence-gathering missions without a crew. HD Hyundai plans to conduct sea trials off Ulsan before further testing in the U.S. early next year to gather operational data as it seeks to enter the U.S. Navy's unmanned vessel market. The U.S. Navy is pursuing a hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned vessels to strengthen its maritime capabilities. In September, it announced plans to procure 30 medium-sized ASVs. The latest launch follows a demonstration by HD Hyundai and Anduril of a 368

LG Electronics' Tennessee plant tops 10 mil. units in cumulative production

Nov 15, 2026

LG Electronics' Tennessee plant tops 10 mil. units in cumulative production

LG Electronics’ Tennessee plant surpassed 10 million units in cumulative production, playing a pivotal role in helping the company secure the top spot in the U.S. laundry appliance market. The company said Sunday it held a ceremony to congratulate the production of the 10 millionth unit at the plant participated by local officials and LG Electronics executives. LG Electronics built its Tennessee plant on a 1.25 million-square-meter site in Clarksville, Tennessee in 2018. Since then, the company has invested approximately $500 million in expanding facilities and improving manufacturing processes. The plant began producing washing machines in November 2018, followed by dryers in 2022 and wash towers in 2023. Its annual production capacity now stands at 2.25 million units, more than four times its 2019 level, comprising 1.55 million washing machines and 700,000 dryers. The expansion has established the plant as LG Electronics’ key local manufacturing and supply hub. LG Electronics’ washing machines and dryers accounted for 17.2 percent and 17.4 percent of the U.S. market, respectively

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

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