[Vantage Point] The P33-million question: Tracing the Duterte wealth trail

Rappler - Sep 23, 2026

If Sara Duterte's wealth is clean, the ledgers will logically align. If they do not, the untouchable facade will crumble under the weight of her own financial trail.

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Watchdog chief calls for fairness, transparency in CEO selection process

Sep 23, 2026

Watchdog chief calls for fairness, transparency in CEO selection process

The chief of the country's financial watchdog said Wednesday that bank holding companies need to draw up measures to boost fairness and transparency in selecting chief executives of their affiliates. In a meeting with the heads of eight holding companies of banks, Lee Chan-jin, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), urged them to redouble their efforts to select chief executives of their affiliates in a fair and transparent manner. The watchdog has been racing to map out measures to boost the governance structure of financial holding companies that center around fair and transparent selections of chief executives of banks. Lee also stressed that banks need to enhance their internal control schemes as financial accidents have been on the steady rise. According to the FSS, a total of 171 billion won ($126 million) worth of financial accidents were reported in the banking sector in the first seven months of the year, sharply up from 69.6 billion won in 2023.

SK Enmove, LG Electronics team up for immersion cooling technology

Sep 23, 2026

SK Enmove, LG Electronics team up for immersion cooling technology

SK Enmove, a lubricant unit of SK On, and LG Electronics have teamed up to develop next-generation refrigerants, lubricants and immersion cooling technologies for applications across various industries. SK Enmove CEO Kim Wone-kee and LG Electronics Eco Solution Division President Lee Jae-sung signed a memorandum of understanding a day earlier to jointly develop new refrigerants, refrigeration lubricants and immersion cooling technologies for home appliances, commercial and industrial applications. Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop next-generation refrigerants in response to tightening global environmental regulations. The refrigerants will be designed to meet international environmental regulations and refrigerant standards, with a global warming potential below 150 and no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. SK Enmove will develop refrigerant candidates, while LG Electronics will assess their commercial applicability using its experience with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products and systems in global markets. The two companies will also con

Korea Zinc's Project Crucible fills critical gap in US minerals supply chain

Sep 23, 2026

Korea Zinc's Project Crucible fills critical gap in US minerals supply chain

Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-birm was a relatively small player among the Korean business leaders who gathered in Washington last year for a presidential summit, which included much larger groups such as Samsung, SK and Hyundai Motor Group. But Choi brought something increasingly relevant to Washington: critical minerals. Rather than focusing primarily on investment or manufacturing, Korea Zinc highlighted its decades of experience in refining a wide range of non-ferrous metals and recovering multiple critical minerals from raw materials and smelting byproducts — a capability that addresses a key weakness in the U.S. critical minerals supply chain: limited domestic processing capacity. Four months later, Korea Zinc unveiled Project Crucible, a proposed $7.4 billion integrated smelter and critical minerals processing facility in Tennessee, backed by the U.S. government and private investors. The facility is designed to produce 12 types of nonferrous metals, including 11 designated as critical minerals by the U.S. government, as well as semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid. Production is sc

'There are gay people in schools, too': Teachers form 1st LGBTQ+ committee

Sep 23, 2026

'There are gay people in schools, too': Teachers form 1st LGBTQ+ committee

“Schools have gay people, too!” That was the message of support from a teacher in a booklet published ahead of the launch of the Sexual Minorities Committee of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU). On March 1, the committee became the union’s first-ever body dedicated to sexual minorities. It brings together LGBTQ+ teachers and teachers who support them. Their shared hope is that LGBTQ+ students will encounter at least one teacher who supports them during their years at school. On the evening of Sept. 14, The Hankook Ilbo spoke by phone with “Mo,” the committee’s inaugural chairperson, who uses a pseudonym as an activist. Schools ask about gender every day Mo is a 13-year veteran elementary school teacher. At the first staff meeting held at the school where Mo currently works, Mo proposed eliminating a numbering system that divides students by gender. Under the system, the 30 students in a class are divided into boys and girls, with boys assigned numbers starting with 1 and girls from 16, in alphabetical order. The students are then divided into “boys’ team

Saudi Arabia celebrates 96th National Day

Sep 23, 2026

Saudi Arabia celebrates 96th National Day

This year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its 96th National Day, observed annually on Sept. 23. The occasion commemorates the day in 1932 when the founding king, His Majesty King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, proclaimed the unification of the country under a single banner as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This followed a long journey of struggle and unification, culminating in the establishment of a strong and enduring state, uniting its people under the banner of Tawhid (the Oneness of God) and setting the kingdom on a path of nation-building and development for a more prosperous and stable future. On this cherished day, Saudis reflect on the journey of a nation founded on enduring values of pride in its faith, identity and sense of belonging. Passed down through successive generations, this journey has enabled the kingdom to become a model of development and transformation, firmly rooted in its historical legacy and authentic identity while advancing confidently toward new horizons of progress and innovation. The 96th National Day is celebrated under the slogan “Our Pride

Leaders of Korea, Australia agree to boost cooperation for stable energy supply

Sep 23, 2026

Leaders of Korea, Australia agree to boost cooperation for stable energy supply

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday and agreed to cooperate closely to build stable regional energy supply chains. The two leaders reached the agreement during the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. The two leaders had a frank exchange of views on bilateral ties, energy supply chains, cooperation in the defense industry, as well as the international security situation, Seong said. They, in particular, reaffirmed that South Korea and Australia are key partners that rely on each other for energy resources such as liquefied natural gas and petroleum products as the countries jointly respond to the energy crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. "Additionally, they resolved to cooperate closely to build stable and resilient regional supply chains," Seong said. Albanese described South Korea as a trustworthy partner in the critical minerals and clean energy sectors, say

N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend UN General Assembly

Sep 23, 2026

N. Korea's vice FM leaves for New York to attend UN General Assembly

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong has departed for New York to attend the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly, state media reported Wednesday. A North Korean delegation, led by Kim, left Pyongyang on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing details of his itinerary. Kim is set to take the floor Monday, the closing day of the General Debate, the annual high-level session where U.N. member states lay out their positions on major international issues. During last year's session, he used his address to reiterate Pyongyang's stance that it will never abandon its nuclear weapons. Following the failed 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang had not sent any minister-level officials for six years. North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song served as its representative instead. Previously, former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong attended the U.N. General Assembly from 2014-2015 and his successor, Ri Yong-ho, participated from 2016 to 2018.

Lee, UN chief Guterres discuss Korean Peninsula issues, S. Korea-UN cooperation

Sep 23, 2026

Lee, UN chief Guterres discuss Korean Peninsula issues, S. Korea-UN cooperation

NEW YORK — President Lee Jae Myung met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday and discussed cooperation between South Korea and the world body, as well as issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Lee's attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, marking their third in-person meeting since Lee took office in June last year. During the meeting, Lee highlighted his administration's efforts to build peaceful and mutually developmental coexistence between the two Koreas under the vision that building peace without the need to fight is the path toward the most secure peace, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. Lee also said he expects close communication and cooperation with the United Nations in pursuing the vision. Guterres expressed "active support" for Seoul's overall diplomatic policy, including its policy of building peace on the peninsula, pledging to play a possible role in helping bring the vision to fruition, Seong said. The U.N. chief also hailed the constructive role Ko

Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume US-N. Korea dialogue

Sep 23, 2026

Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume US-N. Korea dialogue

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his envisioned role as a "pacemaker" in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging efforts to help swiftly resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea. The South Korean president made the pledge in his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while inter-Korean relations remain at a standstill. "I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. can resume without delay," Lee said. "We will lay the groundwork for this (U.S.-North Korea dialogue) to develop into a dialogue between the related parties to end the war on the Korean Peninsula and transition into a peace regime." The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. "Fortunately, President Trump's resolve has recently created a hard-won opportunity for change," Lee said, referring to Trump's repeated expressions of interest in dialogue

Sungkyunkwan University, KIST researchers develop innovative anticancer platform

Sep 23, 2026

Sungkyunkwan University, KIST researchers develop innovative anticancer platform

A Sungkyunkwan University research team has developed an innovative cancer treatment platform in collaboration with researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Sungkyunkwan University said the platform is designed to simultaneously identify cancer cells and the surrounding cells that support them and block communication between the two at its source by suppressing the production of extracellular vesicles. The team was led by professor Yang Yoo-soo of the university’s department of integrative biotechnology. It collaborated with a KIST research team headed by Dr. Shim Man-kyu. Cancer does not grow through the efforts of cancer cells alone. Surrounding the cancer cells are cancer-associated fibroblasts and various immune cells that act like collaborators, forming a complex community known as the tumor microenvironment. These cells communicate with one another by exchanging tiny packages called extracellular vesicles, which carry signaling molecules between cells. Through this exchange, cancer cells gain advantages that promote their growth and spread to other orga

Seoul yet to decide on joint Olympic bid with North Jeolla

Sep 23, 2026

Seoul yet to decide on joint Olympic bid with North Jeolla

With North Jeolla Province pushing to co-host the 2036 Summer Olympics with Seoul, the capital city's government remains hesitant to respond to the proposal, following its own elimination from the domestic selection process. North Jeolla Province officials said the provincial government submitted a joint hosting proposal to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is currently awaiting a response. Insiders, however, say it would be challenging for the two governments to iron out the details of the co-hosting arrangement as both would want to hold the major events, including the opening ceremony. “They will find it hard to narrow their differences because both sides would want the key events ... Seoul had already lost the initial domestic bid to North Jeolla Province. While Seoul would readily host the event on its own, a joint bid is a completely different matter, as it involves significant taxpayer money,” a government official familiar with the matter told The Korea Times. It has been reported that the metropolitan government told the province that under a joint bid, the capital would

[COVER STORY] North Jeolla Province's 2036 Olympic bid falters as it seeks to co-host with Seoul

Sep 23, 2026

[COVER STORY] North Jeolla Province's 2036 Olympic bid falters as it seeks to co-host with Seoul

North Jeolla Province has approached Seoul about joining its bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics as a co-host, fueling speculation that the province's bid for the provincial city, Jeonju, to host the games is losing momentum amid concerns about a lack of necessary infrastructure. Although the provincial government says it is not giving up its bid to host the Games on its own but is adopting a strategy to increase its chances of being selected, the co-hosting offer shows it is facing a growing burden over its lack of necessary facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has since postponed its review of the province's plan for the event hosting. Provincial government officials said North Jeolla Gov. Lee Won-taeg recently met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to discuss co-hosting the upcoming Olympics. “The governor met with Seoul officials to discuss the broader framework for a joint bid, and we are currently awaiting Seoul’s official response. At the working level, we have formally requested that they submit their proposal on the co-hosting arrangement, and working-level officia

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