German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make an official visit to South Korea next week for a summit with President Lee Jae Myung, Lee's office said Friday. Merz is scheduled to visit Seoul next Thursday and Friday, marking his first visit to South Korea since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a German chancellor to the country in three years, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. Lee and Merz are scheduled to hold a summit Thursday, followed by a joint press statement and an official dinner, she added. The summit will come about four months after their previous meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France in June. It will be their third meeting since Merz took office, Kang said. Merz will also attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul. During the upcoming talks, the leaders will hold in-depth discussions on economic cooperation; future industries, such as batteries, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI); defense and the arms industry, as well as regional and international issues. "Germany i

South Korea has donated eight decommissioned military helicopters to Kenya after an overhaul, delivering on its pledge to support the U.N. peacekeeping missions in the region, officials said Friday. A ceremony marking the donation of the eight MD 500 Defenders was held at the Kenya Army Corps of Aviation in Nairobi on Friday (local time), according to the defense ministry. The move comes as South Korea pledged to provide choppers to the U.N. peacekeeping operations across Africa during the U.N. peacekeeping ministerial meeting held in Seoul in 2021. The United States vowed to conduct maintenance work on the helicopters and help transport them to the East African country. Since late 2023, eight MD 500 Defenders have been transported to the U.S., where they underwent maintenance and repair work for about two years. The upgraded choppers arrived in Kenya last month, pending deployment after successfully completing all flight tests, according to officials. The defense ministry plans to continue to expand its contributions to U.N. peacekeeping missions. Friday's event was attended by some 200 p

The spy agency on Friday reported to a parliamentary committee that recent unverified rumors circulating social media claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might have died are false, sources said. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered the assessment during a closed-door meeting with ruling and opposition lawmakers on the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, according to sources who attended the meeting. The rumors, which claimed Kim had suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, fallen into a coma and died, have spread widely on overseas social media and been picked up by several foreign media outlets earlier this week. No evidence has been provided to substantiate the claims. North Korean state media have not directly addressed the speculation but reported Tuesday that Kim visited a garment and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang a day earlier. Photos released by the state media showed him touring the exhibition with his daughter Ju-ae. During the briefing to the committee late last month, the NIS said Kim, who weighs more than 140 kilograms, was at high risk of cardiovascul

After grabbing the lead at the halfway mark of the LPGA Tour event on her home soil Friday, Ryu Hae-ran said she was pleased with the state of her game entering the weekend. Ryu carded a bogey-free round of 64 in the second round at the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. She is at 13-under 131, two better than fellow South Korean Kim Min-sun and American veteran Lauren Coughlin. Ryu made two eagles on the front nine and four birdies on the back nine. Over the first two rounds, Ryu has not yet made a bogey. She has been dialed in with her shotmaking, having missed just two fairways and one green this week. "Today was an amazing day. I really worried about the wind, but today's wind was much better than yesterday," Ryu said. "That is why I hit a lot of greens today. Everything is good for me. I am happy right now." Her putting, though, has been a different story, as she needed 32 putts to get around each of the first two rounds. For the season, Ryu ranks among the best on the tour in advanced and conventional ball-striking stats b

Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Shin Hyun-song said Friday the central bank will adjust its monetary policy to a future environment of higher economic growth and interest rates, signaling it will maintain a hawkish stance for some time. In response to a question from Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly, Shin agreed with the assessment that a return to the era of ultra-low interest rates would be difficult. "We will implement policies effectively in preparation for the prospect of a future environment characterized by high growth and high interest rates," he said. The central bank has adopted a more hawkish stance in recent months amid rising inflation and solid economic growth. It raised the benchmark interest rate to 3 percent in July and August, marking the first back-to-back rate hikes since January 2023. The January 2023 hike was the seventh consecutive increase in a tightening cycle that began in April 2022. Over the 3 1/2-year period, the rate was gradually lowered to 2.5 percent from 3.5 percent before the latest round of

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber made an unannounced visit to Korea on Friday, marking his first trip to the country in about 13 years. Bieber shared his arrival on social media with the caption, "Made it to Seoul," alongside a photo taken while traveling through the Korean capital. He arrived at Incheon International Airport, located just west of Seoul, with his wife, model Hailey Bieber, in the early hours of Friday, according to local media reports. The 32-year-old singer last performed in Korea in 2013, though he made a virtual appearance at the Weverse Con Festival, a music festival hosted by K-pop powerhouse Hybe, in late 2021. While the exact purpose of Bieber's trip was not immediately disclosed, his visit coincides with a Seoul pop-up store for Skylrk, the fashion and lifestyle brand he co-founded. He later posted photos of himself at the store on social media, fueling speculation that his trip was tied to the event. The store opened Thursday in the trendy Seongsu neighborhood and runs through Sunday.

Ryu Hae-ran soared to the top of the leaderboard at the LPGA Tour event in her native Korea on Friday. Ryu fired a blistering round of eight-under 64 to seize the 36-hole lead at the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. Ryu, the highest-ranked player in the field this week at No. 3, has yet to make a bogey in this tournament. On Friday, Ryu recorded two eagles on the front nine and added four birdies on the back nine for her second consecutive bogey-free round. Ryu, who hit every green in regulation and missed just one fairway Friday, holds a two-shot lead over two players — Kim Min-sun of Korea and Lauren Coughlin of the United States — at 13-under 131. Ryu, 25, is from the nearby town of Yeongam. Her two LPGA wins this season have both come at major championships — first at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and then at the Amundi Evian Championship. Ryu is now trying to join world No. 1 Nelly Korda and second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul as the only players to notch at least three victories in 2026. Ryu eagled the first two par-5

The Army's Ground Operations Command (GOC) has conducted an annual counterfire field training exercise (FTX) to enhance its readiness for wartime operations, the armed service said Friday. The drills were conducted from Monday through Friday, involving some 4,100 troops affiliated with the Combined Ground Component Command (CGCC), according to the Army. The GOC also serves as the ground component command of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), which was transitioned into a standing unit earlier this year. During the drills, which were held in tandem with the annual Hoguk exercise, troops trained under a simulated all-out war scenario on the Korean Peninsula. The CGCC task force, comprising intelligence and artillery units, attempted to occupy positions and detect and strike targets using their combined assets. A range of joint surveillance and strike assets, including the allies' unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-battery radars, the Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) and K9 self-propelled howitzer, were mobilized for the drills. The troops also practiced res

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday urged prompt and bold reform of outdated regulations that hamper the growth of new technologies or advanced industries, calling it an essential task in the country's drive for global industrial leadership. The president made the call at the second plenary meeting of the regulation rationalization committee, aimed at easing regulations to help nurture advanced industries and ensure balanced development, both of which are key initiatives of the Lee administration. "Rationalizing regulations is an essential task in establishing an irreplaceable Republic of Korea," Lee said, reiterating his administration's push to establish global leadership in advanced industries. The president said new regulations would still be needed and should even be strengthened to protect people's lives and safety, as well as social fairness and transparency, but any outdated regulations hampering growth should be promptly reformed. "Outdated, inconvenient regulations that block new technologies and the development of new industries should be reformed promptly and boldly," he said. T

Lisa of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK returned to the music scene Friday with her new solo EP, "Press Play," marking her first release in one year and eight months. The six-track album, released at midnight, serves as the singer's first solo EP and follows her debut full-length album, "Alter Ego," which came out in February last year. Fronted by the lead track "Tarantino," the EP also includes the songs "Sawadika," "V12," "Cobra," "Cut U Off" and "Sweat." "Sawadika," which was released ahead of the album in September, debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart shortly after its release. It set a new record as the highest-charting song from the artist. The comeback follows a major milestone for Lisa at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles last month. She won the Best Pop award, a major category, for "Dream," a track from "Alter Ego," becoming the first Asian solo artist to claim the prize.

Woori Financial Group Inc. on Friday reported a decline in its third-quarter net profit on a one-off factor. Its net profit reached 1.04 trillion won ($784 million) in the July-September period, down 15.7 percent from a year earlier. The earnings exceeded market expectations. The average estimate of net profit by analysts stood at 963.4 billion won, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. In the first nine months of the year, the banking group racked up 2.66 trillion won in net profit, down 4.9 percent on-year. Operating profit for the July-September period was 1.41 trillion won, up 43.6 percent from a year ago, and revenue also jumped 66.2 percent to 13.3 trillion won. Interest income rose 1.7 percent on-year to 2.37 trillion won in the third quarter. Its non-interest income, on the other hand, sank 7.6 percent on-year to 581 billion won in the July-September period, Woori said. The financial group's flagship Woori Bank, meanwhile, reported a net profit of 1.02 trillion won in the third quarter, sharply up from a net profit of 736 billion won

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said Friday his ministry will make efforts to devise measures to address problems caused by smart glasses, vowing to speed up related guidelines already under preparation. Bae made the remarks during a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly when a lawmaker asked whether the ministry is planning to deal with concerns over covert filming and privacy violations caused by such devices. "We will swiftly come up with response measures from a pan-ministerial level," Bae said, noting that President Lee Jae Myung pointed out the issue during a recent Cabinet meeting. "We are preparing a guideline but will speed up its progress." Smart glasses are wearable computer frames that integrate digital technology into eyewear, allowing people to film objects with a camera installed on the glasses, or show visual information on the lenses. The technology was brought to the mainstream mostly by Ray-Ban from Meta Platforms Inc. The device has recently face scrutiny in Korea, as a few people have been caught using them to cheat in academic and technical exams or ille

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday welcomed an appeals court's decision to acquit Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a high-stakes political funds case linked to opinion polls ahead of the 2021 mayoral by-election. Oh, who had been fined 10 million won ($7,500) by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act and was at risk of losing his mayoral post, was acquitted on appeal. He is affiliated with the PPP. "It is a great relief and at the same time only the right thing that the city administration, entrusted to Mayor Oh Se-hoon by ten million residents of Seoul, can continue without disruption," PPP chief spokesperson Park Choong-kwon said in a commentary. "The ruling shows that the truth always prevails in the end, even if it takes time," he said. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. Under the Political Funds Act, elected officials are stripped of their seats if they receive

Police will step up crowd safety measures in major nightlife districts across Seoul for Halloween festivities next week, officials said Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Nov. 1. During this period, 4,594 police personnel — including 30 riot police units, 120 regional patrol teams, 120 special task force members, 99 detectives and 765 traffic police — will be deployed to Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu, Myeongdong and Ikseon-dong, where large crowds are expected to gather. The heightened safety measures come as Seoul prepares for its fourth Halloween since the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, a tragic incident that claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in the popular nightlife neighborhood. From Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, police will closely manage traffic control in collaboration with local district governments, restricting vehicle access in phases based on crowd density. In major crowd gathering areas like Itaewon and Hongdae, police will also carry out preventive patrols to ease public anxiety caused by a recent s

Hana Financial Group Inc. on Friday reported a rise in net profit in the third quarter of the year, driven by a rise in interest and non-interest income. The banking group said it racked up a net profit of 1.22 trillion won ($919 million) in the July-September period, up 7.86 percent from a year earlier. The earnings are higher than market expectations. The average estimate of net profit by analysts stood at 1.21 trillion won, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. Hana Financial posted 1.63 trillion won in operating profit for the quarter, compared with 1.48 trillion won a year ago. Revenue also rose 83.6 percent to 19.99 trillion won. In the first nine months of the year, Hana racked up 3.62 trillion won in net profit, up 5.56 percent on-year, marking the highest ever. Hana Financial posted an interest income of 7.48 trillion won in the January-September period, up 10.37 percent on-year, and its commission income spiked 29.8 percent to 2.14 trillion won over the cited period. Its flagship Hana Bank reaped a net profit of 1.19 trillion won

The culture minister said Friday his ministry will conduct a thorough audit of the former National Museum of Korea chief who resigned over the museum's controversial display of a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection. You Hong-june stepped down earlier this week after the museum wrongly displayed the calligraphy in an exhibition as the work of a Korean independence activist. The piece was later identified as the work of a prominent pro-Japanese collaborator during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea and turned out to be from You's own private collection. "I think the incident has damaged the reputation and public trust the museum has built over the years," Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young told a lawmaker during a parliamentary audit of the ministry. "The ministry will seek to restore public confidence through a rigorous investigation." The audit will not be limited to the alleged abuse of authority by the former director but will also look into "every procedure involved in the management and authentication of the exhibit at issue," Chae added.

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed a former senior prosecutor as special inspector tasked with investigating irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential officials. Lee approved the appointment of Choi Kil-su, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, a day after the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee adopted a confirmation hearing report on him with bipartisan support. The appointment made Choi, a former senior prosecutor, the first presidential watchdog appointed since 2016. Lee earlier nominated him for the post from among three candidates recommended by the ruling and opposition parties, and the bar association. The special inspector is tasked with investigating corruption allegations involving the president's family and relatives, as well as senior presidential aides. The special inspector post was established in 2014 but had remained vacant since its first inspector stepped down in September 2016.

Police said Friday they have sought an arrest warrant for a woman on suspicion of killing her mother at their home in western Seoul the previous day. The suspect in her 40s allegedly killed her mother in her 60s at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at their home in Seoul's Gangseo Ward and voluntarily called the police. Police arrived at the scene and put her under emergency arrest at around 8:40 a.m., according to the Gangseo Police Station. Police filed for a warrant to formally arrest her Thursday night, officials said. Reasons for the suspect's alleged killing of her own mother were not immediately available. When calling the police, the suspect described the victim as her "stepmother" but the victim was confirmed to be her biological mother. The suspect's daughter told police that she heard the suspect saying the victim had attempted to feed her poisoned food, although police have found no relevant evidence. Investigators have also obtained statements that the suspect had previously expressed negative feelings toward her mother, including using abusive language against her. The suspect is denying the

A detailed road map for the planned integration of military academies will likely be announced later than originally planned to ensure the ongoing deliberations reflect the positions of all stakeholders, a Seoul official said Friday. The Lee Jae Myung administration is pushing to establish a single military academy by merging those of the Army, Air Force and Navy to enhance joint capabilities amid a declining birth rate and changing warfare environment driven by drones and artificial intelligence technologies. However, the plan has faced strong pushback from active-duty service members and alumni groups, who regard the move as a politically motivated effort to weaken the Army and argue it will erode the capabilities of the individual service branches. "We think that it will be physically difficult to announce (the detailed plans) before the end of this month," a defense ministry official told reporters on background. "We are still in the process of gathering opinions." The delay appears to reflect Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's earlier indication the ministry may rethink the plan cons

A National Election Commission (NEC) official, who was found dead a day after undergoing questioning by a special counsel, did not mention any coercive interrogation by special counsel investigators in a note he left behind, the investigation team claimed Friday. The NEC official, in his 40s, was found dead outside his apartment in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Wednesday morning. He left a suicide note, in which he reportedly expressed grievances over the questioning he faced the previous day. The NEC official's lawyer, who was present during the questioning, earlier claimed that investigators had pressured and coerced the deceased and that there had been procedural shortcomings in drawing up his interrogation records. The investigation team, led by special counsel Lee Tae-han, said it has checked the content of the deceased's suicide note through proper procedures, and confirmed that it did not mention any coercion. The deceased rather mentioned that he did not hold a grudge against the special counsel, while only pointing out organizational problems at the NEC, the team added. The specia