IT
From Korea to El Salvador: how AI is reshaping public education
A Korean education-technology company, IHFB (I Hate Flying Bugs), is bringing its AI-powered learning platform into public school classrooms in El Salvador. The platform analyses not only students' mock-exam answers but also their problem-solving process, identifying learning gaps and providing personalised feedback. The company has spent more than a decade building personalised learning solutions.
In El Salvador, teachers can now monitor students' progress in real time, spot weak points and offer targeted support. In a PISA for Schools assessment, about 1,200 students from 171 participating schools scored above the national average in reading, mathematics and science, and came close to the 2022 PISA averages recorded by Germany and Sweden.
President Nayib Bukele highlighted the results and announced plans to expand the programme nationwide. For IHFB, El Salvador is a springboard for bringing Korea's personalised-learning experience to the global education market.
Government steps up cybersecurity checks after data breaches
Korea's government has begun security inspections of private-sector critical infrastructure after a series of cyberattacks and personal data breaches. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to assess vulnerabilities at about 172 facilities operated by 111 organisations.
The inspections were ordered by President Lee Jae Myung and focus on externally accessible servers and websites. They follow another hacking incident reported in the financial investment sector.
Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin urged tighter IT security, and the government plans to draw up follow-up measures based on the findings.
2026 K-Tech Inside Show: the hidden technologies behind Korean manufacturing
The 2026 K-Tech Inside Show opened on Wednesday, highlighting the less visible technologies behind Korean manufacturing. About 100 companies are taking part over three days across seven sectors, including semiconductors, future mobility, batteries and biotechnology.
Exhibits range from foundational software for next-generation vehicles to precision inspection systems that examine components from multiple angles. This year's theme, Deep Connect, stresses cooperation among industry, government and institutions.
Participating companies described the materials, parts and equipment sector as the soil in which industries such as semiconductors and automobiles grow: easy to overlook, but essential.
Politics
Kim Jong-un stresses combat readiness as APEC meeting with Trump remains uncertain
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met the military's company commanders and called for combat readiness through intensive training, state media reported. It was the third company commanders' conference and the first held under its own name in about 27 years, according to Rodong Sinmun.
Kim described the company as the basic combat unit and its commanders as the foundation of the army, saying their first mission is to complete combat readiness through intense training. He also called for building units in which one soldier can take on a hundred.
The timing is drawing attention as uncertainty continues over a possible APEC meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Lee: nothing comes before people's lives and safety
President Lee Jae Myung said nothing takes priority over the lives and safety of the people, speaking at a meeting with the Presidential Committee on Life and Safety a day before the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy, in which 159 people died.
Even if the economy grows and the nation develops, it means nothing if people lose their lives at work and do not return home, Lee said. He urged constant reflection on whether the state properly protected victims and their families in past disasters.
Authorities plan tighter safety enforcement and crowd management in 28 areas, including Itaewon and Hongdae, from late October to early November.
S. Korea, U.S. defense chiefs meet amid OPCON transfer talks
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the first time on Wednesday in Cebu, the Philippines, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus.
Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's commitment to transferring wartime operational control to South Korea, and the two sides agreed to work closely for a smooth and timely transfer. They will hold another defense ministers' meeting in Washington in December, ahead of the annual Security Consultative Meeting in early 2027, where details of the OPCON transfer will be discussed.
The SCM, usually held in the fall, has been pushed into next year.
Economy
AI boom drives SK hynix Q3 operating profit to US$ 62.5 bil.
SK hynix posted record earnings for a sixth straight quarter on strong demand for AI memory chips. Third-quarter operating profit reached 83.3 trillion won, about US$ 62.5 billion, up more than 630 percent from a year earlier. Revenue rose 327 percent to 104.6 trillion won, or US$ 78.5 billion, surpassing all of last year's sales in three months.
The company credited rising prices for high-bandwidth memory and server chips, and announced a quarterly dividend of 20,000 won per share, totalling 14 trillion won.
SK hynix expects demand to outpace supply through 2030.
KOSPI reclaims 6,000 mark as chip rally lifts index 6.6%
The KOSPI closed at 6,012.44 on Wednesday, up 6.63 percent, or 374.10 points, and back above the 6,000 mark for the first time in 10 sessions.
Chip heavyweights led the rally, with SK hynix surging about 11 percent and Samsung Electronics about 9 percent as investors reacted to SK hynix's record earnings.
A buy-side sidecar was triggered for a second straight day to cool the market briefly.
K-Tourism: Korea eyes 30 million visitors as arrivals hit record
The number of foreign visitors to Korea this year has already surpassed last year's record of 18.94 million, according to the tourism ministry. If the current pace continues, the country expects to reach its target of 23 million by the end of the year.
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young credited the global popularity of K-culture, improved transportation and Korean hospitality, saying interest from travellers who want to experience Korea in person keeps growing.
The government is betting on tourism to drive growth beyond Seoul and has set its sights on 30 million visitors.
Society
Fire at Guryong Village in southern Seoul extinguished after 13 hours
A fire at Guryong Village, a dense cluster of makeshift homes in Seoul's Gangnam district, was fully extinguished early Wednesday after burning for nearly 13 hours. It began around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday and was put out at 4:39 a.m.
Thirty-nine residents evacuated and one woman suffered a minor leg injury; no other casualties were reported. Authorities deployed 232 personnel and 110 pieces of equipment.
According to the Gangnam district office, 107 people from 77 households were affected, with temporary shelters set up at a nearby school and gymnasium.
Births in Korea rise 13% in August, 26th straight month of growth
Births in Korea rose 13 percent in August from a year earlier to 23,703, extending the streak of year-on-year increases to 26 months and outpacing July's 11.1 percent gain.
Cumulative births from January to August reached nearly 194,000, up 14.5 percent, with every region posting growth. The total fertility rate rose to 0.87 in August, up 0.09, led by women in their 30s.
Marriages, seen as an early indicator of future births, fell in August but remained up over the first eight months of the year.
Foreign resident population in Korea hits record 2.66 million
Korea's foreign resident population exceeded 2.66 million last year, a record high and the fourth consecutive year of growth, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The increase in international students was the most notable, surpassing 270,000, up more than 17 percent from the previous year.
An official said the figures reflect increasingly diverse communities and expressed hope they will serve as a foundation for policies supporting smoother integration.
World
Israeli exit polls point to deadlock as coalition talks loom
Israel's first nationwide election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, has left neither main bloc with a majority in exit polls, pointing to weeks of uncertainty over who will govern.
Pollsters projected 50 seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp, 52 to 53 for the main opposition and about 17 for Arab-led parties. Sixty-one seats are needed in the 120-seat Knesset, so a coalition must be formed; the first nominee can get up to 42 days to assemble a government, and another election is possible if attempts fail.
Experts expect a hard line on Iran to continue even if Netanyahu is replaced.
Trump says he will respect midterm results if elections are honest
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would respect the results of next week's midterm elections, but only if he considers them honest.
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are up for grabs. Polls suggest Democrats could retake the House and have a chance of winning the Senate.
A Republican victory would preserve the party's control of Congress, while a Democratic takeover could complicate Trump's legislative agenda and open the door to congressional investigations. Trump is making a final campaign push to defend Republican strongholds.
Ebola cases top 10,000 in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have passed 10,000, and nearly half of those infected have died. Congolese government data showed nearly 4,900 deaths.
The outbreak began in mid-May and is now the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with fears it could spread to more African countries.
The World Health Organization condemned an attack on two health workers responding to an Ebola alert; one of them was killed.
Culture
Yeon Sang-ho's Paradise Lost reclaims top spot among Korean films
Director Yeon Sang-ho's psychological thriller Paradise Lost has reclaimed the top spot among Korean films at the domestic box office. It ranks second overall, behind the Japanese animated film Chiikawa the Movie.
The film follows Ryu So-young, a mother who lost her son nine years ago when a school camping bus disappeared. Audiences have praised it as a film that leaves plenty to think about.
Yeon and actors Kim Hyun-joo and Park Jeong-min will hold a guest discussion event in Seoul on October 29.
Ramyeon: Korea's beloved noodles taking the world by storm
Ramyeon, Korea's instant noodles, has become a global food phenomenon. Along the Hangang River, visitors use special cooking machines to prepare their own bowls and eat by the water.
A six-metre-tall cup-noodle installation sailed past London landmarks on the Thames, Korean ramyeon has drawn attention from top restaurants in Los Angeles, and travellers at Incheon Airport can browse a library of noodles and cook them on the spot.
From a riverside meal to a global sensation, ramyeon keeps finding new ways to bring people together.
National Opera reimagines Wagner's Das Rheingold with cinematic staging
The National Opera of Korea is giving Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold a cinematic staging in Seoul, running from October 29 to November 1 at the Seoul Arts Center.
The opera opens the four-part Ring Cycle, which Wagner took 26 years to complete; the company plans to stage the entire cycle by 2029.
Director Lorenzo Fioroni breaks with traditional staging using live cameras and LED screens, turning performers' bodies into vast landscapes and magnifying their expressions.