Wanted: UN secretary-general as ‘mediator-in-chief’

Rappler - Sep 22, 2026

The race for the world’s foremost diplomat shines a spotlight on the crises the global organization faces

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Korea's aviation industry undergoes major M&A shakeup

Sep 22, 2026

Korea's aviation industry undergoes major M&A shakeup

Korea’s low-cost carrier (LCC) industry is heading for a major shakeup, as VIG Partners moves to acquire Air Premia, seeking synergies by combining the long-haul-focused carrier with its existing Eastar Jet, which has a stronger presence on short-haul routes. VIG is reportedly in negotiations with AP Holdings and Tire Bank to acquire about 70 percent of Air Premia, with the transaction valued at around 300 billion won ($217 million). The potential deal would mark VIG’s second major move in Korea’s LCC industry since it acquired Eastar Jet in 2023. The latest move would give the private equity firm access to two airlines with distinctly different route strategies: Eastar has focused largely on short- and medium-haul routes, while Air Premia has built its business around long-haul services, including flights particularly to the United States. The combination could therefore offer a way to build scale across a broader network, rather than simply adding another airline to VIG’s portfolio. Eastar Jet and Air Premia generated combined sales of about 1.21 trillion won last year, accordi

In AI-augmented legal market, clients will judge firms by final results: BKL chief

Sep 22, 2026

In AI-augmented legal market, clients will judge firms by final results: BKL chief

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a standard tool across the legal profession and beyond, clients will ultimately judge law firms not by whether or how much they use the technology, but by the quality of the results they deliver with it, said Yi Joon-ki, managing partner of Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL). “Clients do not really care what tools we use,” Yi said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office. “What they want is a compelling and useful analysis — one that addresses their needs. In the end, it is BKL’s judgment, and BKL will be responsible for it. As long as we deliver a reliable answer, that is what matters to them.” The Seoul-based law firm has emerged as one of the most active adopters of generative AI among Korean law firms, rolling out the technology across the organization this year after conducting pilot projects in litigation, legal research, due diligence, document drafting and other legal tasks. Yi said BKL’s broader ambition is not merely to automate routine work, but to redesign legal workflows so that lawyers can deliver deeper analysis, sha

Lee approves appointments of finance, defense, land minister nominees

Sep 22, 2026

Lee approves appointments of finance, defense, land minister nominees

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday approved the appointments of the minister nominees for finance, defense and land, his office said. Finance Minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il, Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Land Minister nominee Hong Jee-sun recently underwent confirmation hearings at the National Assembly, and their hearing reports were adopted by the respective parliamentary committees. Lee appears to have signed off on their appointments shortly after arriving in New York, where he is set to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

President Lee arrives in New York to attend UN General Assembly

Sep 22, 2026

President Lee arrives in New York to attend UN General Assembly

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New York on Monday to attend the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Week and deliver a speech. During a speech on Tuesday to the U.N. session, Lee plans to propose ways to reform the U.N. to tackle global issues and outline South Korea's contributions, while also presenting his administration's vision of seeking peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. On the sidelines of the U.N. session, Lee will seek to engage with other heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and hold a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for the world body's cooperation in efforts to ensure peace on the peninsula. On Wednesday, the president will attend an investment summit that will bring together economic and financial leaders from South Korea and the United States before departing for Mexico later that day for a state visit.

N. Korea says tested new weapon system earlier this week

Sep 22, 2026

N. Korea says tested new weapon system earlier this week

North Korea on Tuesday reported on its missile launch earlier this week, saying the test of a new combat weapon system was significant in demonstrating the advancement of the country's weapons technology. The North's missile bureau "successfully conducted a test of a new weapon" Sunday in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea did not specify what the weapon system was but stressed the test was "of significant importance for advancing weapons system technology," it said. The announcement came two days after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the North had fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area. Kim described the test as "an unquestionable demonstration of advanced defense technology" and "a clear renewal in the modernization of the armed forces," the KCNA said. Noting that such technology would be significant for the country's war preparedness and future development of its armed forces, Kim said the country's adversaries would better understand what the technological advance

Confirmation hearing report adopted for SME minister nominee

Sep 22, 2026

Confirmation hearing report adopted for SME minister nominee

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday adopted a confirmation hearing report for the minister nominee for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), paving the way for her appointment. The report for SME Minister nominee Lee So-young was adopted by bipartisan consensus at a meeting of the parliamentary trade committee, though the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) noted concerns she may be unfit for the job due to unresolved suspicions surrounding her apartment purchase and apparent lack of expertise in SME policies. Still, the party said Lee had also led efforts to remove excessive business regulations and engaged in various parliamentary activities to promote sustainable growth. Lee, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was tapped by President Lee Jae Myung as part of a Cabinet reshuffle in late August and is known for her career as a climate and environmental lawyer.

PM stresses importance of police roles under new law enforcement system

Sep 22, 2026

PM stresses importance of police roles under new law enforcement system

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Tuesday that a police reform committee will be established under her office to ensure a responsible and fair policing system as the law enforcement agency is set to take on greater roles according to the government's sweeping prosecution reform. Starting Oct. 2, the police will assume responsibility for all investigations, while the prosecution's role will be limited to indictment without the power to conduct investigations on its own. The reform has raised concerns negative effects could arise if police conduct all investigations as the prosecution has made up for shortfalls in police investigations. Such concerns have deepened in the wake of a series of police misconduct incidents in recent months, including shocking revelations that an officer closed two missing person cases without confirming their safety. The two were ultimately found dead. "Under the new system, the roles and responsibilities of police are of paramount importance," Han said during a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in the central administrative city of Sejong. "The g

Appellate court set to rule on ex-first lady's jobs-for-gifts bribery case

Sep 22, 2026

Appellate court set to rule on ex-first lady's jobs-for-gifts bribery case

An appellate court was set to rule Tuesday on former first lady Kim Keon Hee's charges of taking expensive gifts in return for job appointments and other favors. The Seoul High Court was scheduled to hand down its ruling at 2 p.m. after a lower court sentenced Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, to seven years in prison in June after finding her guilty of accepting bribes for mediation. A special counsel team indicted Kim on charges of receiving jewelry worth a total of over 100 million won ($72,800) from a construction company chairman between March and May 2022 in exchange for a government job for his son-in-law. She was also charged with receiving a golden turtle ornament in April 2022 from Lee Bae-yong, former head of the National Education Commission, in return for her appointment; a Dior bag from a pastor the same year; and a Vacheron Constantin watch from another businessperson in September 2022. She was additionally accused of receiving a painting by renowned artist Lee Ufan from a former prosecutor in February 2023 in exchange for her help in securing him a nominati

N. Korea's Kim calls for modernizing ideological tactics

Sep 22, 2026

N. Korea's Kim calls for modernizing ideological tactics

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on party officials to revamp the party's propaganda and ideological campaign in line with the "expectations of the times," state media reported Tuesday. In his closing address at the party's third workshop for officials in the information sector on Monday, Kim laid out "principled issues" and tasks for modernizing "the contents, forms, methods and means of ideological work," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He called for "innovations in information and motivation work and creation of cultures," urging that they align with "the expectations of the times, the revolution and the people." The four-day workshop wrapped up Monday, centered on ideological education built around Kim's "revolutionary ideas" and "the revolutionary relics and the leadership exploits of the party," the KCNA reported. Participants were urged to step up "the information and publicity offensive to rouse the masses to implementation of the decisions of the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea," tailoring ideological work to individual sectors and uni

President Lee plans to call for phased denuclearization of N. Korea at UN

Sep 22, 2026

President Lee plans to call for phased denuclearization of N. Korea at UN

South Korea's liberal President Lee Jae Myung says he’ll underscore the need for a practical, step-by-step denuclearization of North Korea during this week’s U.N. General Assembly, adding that both Seoul and Washington are willing to reengage with Pyongyang. “To change the direction of a moving vehicle, it must be brought to a halt first,” Lee said in written responses to questions by The Associated Press before his departure Monday to New York. “A phased approach of stop, reduction and dismantlement is a practical way of effectively resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.” Lee's push comes as North Korea is ramping up weapons testing activities even after U.S. President Donald Trump scaled back a major military exercise with South Korea in a conciliatory gesture toward leader Kim Jong Un, who viewed it as an invasion rehearsal. Lee advocates phased denuclearization of North Korea North Korea's evolving nuclear program has raised questions about whether its denuclearization can be achieved in a single step and given rise to calls for convincing North Korea to denuclearize i

FM Cho meets US senators to discuss alliance, Korean Peninsula issues

Sep 22, 2026

FM Cho meets US senators to discuss alliance, Korean Peninsula issues

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met with U.S. senators in New York and discussed the Korea-U.S. alliance, Korean Peninsula issues and regional affairs, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Cho, who is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly's high-level week, held a meeting with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Chris Coons (D-DE) together on Monday (local time), according to the ministry. Cho highlighted that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed during last week's bilateral talks in Washington to maintain close communication to ensure the faithful implementation of key summit agreements reached by their leaders and outlined in the joint fact sheet. He called for active support from U.S. Congress to ensure the swift advancement of strategic cooperation in key areas, including shipbuilding and nuclear energy. The joint fact sheet, issued in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump the previous month, calls for Seoul to invest $350 billion in the United States, including $150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation, in exchan

LG chairman widens AI data center partnerships with Big Tech firms

Sep 22, 2026

LG chairman widens AI data center partnerships with Big Tech firms

LG Group is expanding its partnerships with Big Tech companies in artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure, with Chairman Koo Kwang-mo’s engagement with leaders of Microsoft and Nvidia leading to collaboration opportunities in areas including cooling systems, batteries and robotics components. LG Electronics said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that Koo met Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the latter's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Monday (local time), and discussed strategic collaboration in AI data center infrastructure, AI transformation and physical AI. In AI data center infrastructure, the two sides will explore business opportunities for LG to supply cooling, power, and infrastructure solutions in support of Microsoft’s global data center expansion. In the short term, the two sides will concentrate on supplying LG Electronics’ high-capacity cooling solutions for Microsoft’s AI data center projects at key strategic locations, while expanding their collaboration over the medium to long term to prefabricated data centers. Prefabricated data ce

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