IT
Apple unveils its first touchscreen laptop, the MacBook Pro
Apple has unveiled its first laptop with a touchscreen, dropping a stance it had held for more than 15 years.
The new MacBook Pro was shown at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, starts at about 2,900 dollars and goes on sale on November 6. In 2010 Steve Jobs called touchscreens on laptops ergonomically terrible, but the company now treats the feature as something customers expect.
2026 K-Tech Inside Show puts Korea's hidden manufacturing tech on display
The 2026 K-Tech Inside Show has opened, gathering the materials, parts and equipment technologies that support Korean manufacturing without being visible in finished products.
Displays range from foundational software for next-generation vehicles to precision inspection systems that examine components from multiple angles. The three-day exhibition is designed to create business opportunities for manufacturers at home and abroad. One participant compared materials, parts and equipment firms to the soil in which the semiconductor and auto industries grow.
Seoul summit weighs AI's growing energy footprint against climate goals
As artificial intelligence advances, so do concerns about its environmental footprint. Government officials and climate experts met in Seoul on Thursday for the Global Green Growth Summit to discuss how to pursue rapid technological development without giving up climate goals.
The summit focused on how technology, investment and international cooperation can drive greener growth. Participants said countries that move decisively today will be better positioned to compete tomorrow, and argued that economic development and environmental sustainability are not opposing objectives.
Politics
North Korea fires more than 10 ballistic missiles days after Seoul proposes military talks
North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles flew about 250 kilometers.
The launch came a week after South Korea proposed military talks to address border issues. The JCS said the allies had closely monitored preparations and tracked the missiles immediately after launch, and that the military remains on alert for further provocations.
Lee and Germany's Merz adopt enhanced strategic partnership
President Lee Jae Myung hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Blue House on Thursday, and the two leaders adopted an Enhanced Strategic Partnership covering high-tech industries, energy security and defense.
They also adopted a Framework for an Economic and High-tech Partnership. Lee said cooperation between the two countries, which share common values, matters more than ever, while Merz said the interests of both nations are connected in many ways.
Seoul outlines two-step approach to wartime operational control talks
The Defense Ministry said its agreement with the Pentagon to transfer wartime operational control at an appropriate time does not mean a delay. Spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said both sides agree the transfer should happen on time, based on the necessary conditions and military readiness.
The talks will proceed in two steps: defense chiefs will try to narrow differences in Washington this December, and Seoul aims to complete a key assessment and agree on a target year at the annual Security Consultative Meeting in early 2027.
Economy
Samsung posts 107.4 trillion won quarterly operating profit, a record for a tech firm
Samsung Electronics said Thursday its third-quarter operating profit surged 783 percent from a year earlier to 107.4 trillion won, or about 80.5 billion dollars. Revenue rose 127 percent to 195.3 trillion won, the fourth consecutive quarter of record sales and profit.
It is the highest quarterly operating profit ever posted by a global technology company. Semiconductors accounted for more than 99 percent of operating profit, even after a softer dollar created a 10 trillion won negative currency effect. Shares fell, however, as the company delayed details of its share buyback plan.
U.S. Federal Reserve holds its benchmark rate steady
The U.S. Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate in the 3.75 to 4 percent range, after raising it by a quarter point last month, as inflation remains elevated despite strong growth.
The Federal Open Market Committee voted 10 to 2 to keep rates unchanged after a two-day meeting. Chair Kevin Warsh said economic activity continues to expand at a strong pace, and announced dedicated sessions at future meetings to focus on long-term monetary strategy.
October business sentiment hits a four-year high on manufacturing strength
Business sentiment in Korea rose to a four-year high in October. The Bank of Korea said the Composite Business Sentiment Index climbed more than 5 points from September to 104.2.
Manufacturing sentiment also reached a multi-year high, with smaller domestic-focused firms improving more than large exporters. The BOK attributed the gain to higher production and investment in cars, chips and shipbuilding, and to lower raw material costs helped by a stronger won.
Society
President Lee acknowledges state failure at Itaewon memorial
President Lee Jae Myung attended a memorial service at Gwanghwamun Square on Thursday, the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush. At 10:29 a.m. participants observed a moment of silence for the 160 people who died on October 29, 2022.
In his address, Lee spoke of the state's failure to protect its people, saying a joyful autumn evening turned into a horrific tragedy and the state was nowhere to be found. Bereaved families and survivors joined the ceremony, and questions over the cause and accountability remain four years on.
Korea's first homegrown obesity drug reaches hospitals and clinics
Korea's first domestically developed GLP-1 obesity treatment began reaching hospitals and clinics on Thursday. Hanmi Pharmaceutical's Eppe now competes with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro.
The supply price for the first four weeks is set at about 130,000 won, less than half the initial price of Mounjaro. The drug suppresses appetite and slows gastric emptying so patients feel full longer, and is expected to widen options for patients facing high costs.
18-day Korea Grand Festival opens with nationwide discounts
The Korea Grand Festival opened on Thursday, an 18-day nationwide shopping event running through mid-November to boost domestic consumption and tourism by combining several government-led sales into one.
A Win-Win Consumption Lottery runs alongside it. Shoppers, including foreign residents, must sign up on the Digital Onnuri app, and receive a lottery ticket for every purchase of at least 30,000 won at participating stores.
World
Spain high-speed train collision kills at least 68
Two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people in the country's second deadly rail crash this year and raising questions about railway safety.
A Renfe high-speed train struck a stationary Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid. More than 100 people were injured and taken to hospital, and authorities expect the death toll to rise as search and rescue continues.
Israel's partial results show Netanyahu's bloc short of a majority
With about 90 percent of ballots counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc holds a modest lead but appears short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Early tallies put Netanyahu's coalition at about 54 seats and the opposition bloc, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, at roughly 49. With no clear winner projected, parties have begun scrambling to build a governing coalition.
Flavio Bolsonaro declares himself Brazil's rightful leader from Miami
Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, who arrived in Miami on Wednesday, has declared himself the rightful leader of Brazil.
In an open letter he accused the Supreme Court and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of an electoral coup without providing evidence. He first called himself the elected president, then replaced that with rightful leader. He denied fleeing and thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina's Javier Milei, while Trump declined to comment but repeated that Brazil's election was a very strange election.
Culture
National Opera of Korea reimagines Wagner's Das Rheingold
The National Opera of Korea is staging Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold with a cinematic approach that brings the myth into the present. The production runs from October 29 to November 1 at the Seoul Arts Center.
Directed by Lorenzo Fioroni, it is the opening chapter of the Ring Cycle, which Wagner took 26 years to complete and which will be staged in full by 2029. The story follows the dwarf Alberich, who renounces love to steal the Rhine gold and sets off a struggle for power.
Tripitaka Koreana recarving project launched at Haeinsa
Korea has launched a project to recarve the Tripitaka Koreana, a UNESCO-recognized set of Buddhist scriptures on woodblocks, reviving a centuries-old practice of hand-carving each character.
Haeinsa Temple in Gyeongsangnam-do Province held a Buddhist ceremony on Thursday to begin renewing 81,258 woodblocks. Both the Janggyeong Panjeon depositories and the woodblocks inside them carry UNESCO recognition, and organizers said the project continues the spirit of ancestors who carved the teachings one character at a time for future generations.
Seoul International Choreography Festival brings dancers from six countries
The 2026 Seoul International Choreography Festival opened on Wednesday at the ARKO Arts Theater, presenting 15 works from six countries over five days, including Finland, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus, Hungary and South Korea.
Finnish dancer Tero Saarinen, who performed on opening night, highlighted the high technical level of Korean dancers. The program is built around choreography that tells stories through the body, beyond the limits of language.