Korea faces warmer, wetter winter as El Niño intensifies SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - South Korea is expected to experience a warmer and wetter winter as an unusually powerful El Niño event intensifies toward what could become the strongest on record, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Friday. The weather agency said the El Niño event, which began in May, is expected to surpass the extreme episodes recorded in 1997 and 2015, potentially becoming the most powerful since systematic observations began in 1950. November 6, 2026

KAIST joins 9.7mln euro EU project to map brain in motion SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - A researcher at a South Korean university has won a lead role on a European Research Council Synergy Grant for the first time, KAIST said Friday. The six-year project will study how the brain moves the body in monkeys that walk, climb and forage freely. Jang Kyung-in, a professor in KAIST's Department of Mechanical Engineering, is one of three principal investigators on the project, called NeuroEthoPrim. The European Research Council (ERC) will provi November 6, 2026

North Korea slams int'l watchdog over high-risk money-laundering list SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) - North Korea on Friday condemned an international watchdog for keeping the country on its list of high-risk countries for money laundering, accusing the body of serving Washington's hostile policy toward Pyongyang. In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman described the country's inclusion on the list as an infringement on the "dignity, rights and interests of a November 6, 2026

Seoul eases visa, work rules for children seeking Korean citizenship SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) — South Korea will allow foreign nationals seeking legal recognition of a Korean parent and their caregivers to stay longer and work legally while their lawsuits are pending, the Ministry of Justice said Friday. The changes aim to protect children born outside marriage from legal and financial hardship as they seek to establish their parentage and eligibility for Korean citizenship. Previously, foreign children seeking legal recognition of a Korean November 6, 2026

Court upholds record fine on Coupang over data breach SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - A Seoul court on Thursday rejected e-commerce giant Coupang's request to suspend a record 423.6 billion won ($312 million) fine imposed over a massive personal data breach affecting approximately 37.5 million people, while temporarily halting separate corrective orders issued by South Korea's privacy watchdog. The Seoul Administrative Court's Fourth Administrative Division partially granted Coupang's application for a stay of enforcement November 6, 2026

Korean teen drug trafficking jump, disguised even as cold pill SEOUL, Nov. 6 (AJP) — Drug smuggling cases involving South Korean teenagers have surged more than elevenfold in four years, with authorities now intercepting not only illicit drugs but also everyday cold medicines containing controlled substances. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday that cases involving teenagers rose from just two in 2022 to 23 in the first 10 months of 2026, an 11.5-fold increase. The amount of drugs seized in those cases jumped nearly 89-fold, November 6, 2026

KOSPI crashes over 8%, forcing 20-min halt SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) — Seoul's main KOSPI market barely held above the 5,000 mark after trading resumed following a a 20-minute time-off triggered by a crash of more than 8 percent within minutes of Friday's opening bell. The Wall Street overnight selloff from fears that the U.S. midterm election results could lead to tighter regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers weighed heavily over South Korean memory chips. The benchmark KOSPI recovered above November 6, 2026

Trump signals no tariff change despite election defeat SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his sweeping trade policy, reiterating that foreign companies could face tariffs of "up to 300 percent" if they fail to build factories in the U.S. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed that foreign companies were building more than 3,000 factories and production facilities across the U.S. and warning that construction would grind to a halt if the tariffs were removed. He argued November 6, 2026

France calls wage talks after biggest day of protests in years ZURICH, November 05 (AJP) -France’s prime minister called emergency wage talks Thursday as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched nationwide, demanding relief from rising living costs and an end to cuts in public services. Sébastien Lecornu will meet union leaders and employers at Matignon, his office in Paris, on Monday, Nov. 9. His office said the talks would address wages and purchasing power, with Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou instructed to complete pr November 6, 2026

EU car-rule retreat divides stakes for Hyundai, Kia ZURICH, November 05 (AJP) -European Union lawmakers have backed easing the bloc’s planned 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, a shift that could give Hyundai Motor more room to maneuver while reducing some of the regulatory advantage Kia has built through stronger electric vehicle sales. The European Parliament’s environment committee approved the proposal Wednesday by 48 votes to 30, with two abstentions. The full Parliament is expected to vote in December before November 6, 2026