Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said the government would continue to support the growth of high-value tourism alongside the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (Mice) industry. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan noted that Hong Kong had been buzzing with major events over the past week, including financial summits and international exhibitions. He highlighted the three-day inaugural "Festival of Connoisseurs", which showcased an array of luxury goods such as supercars, yachts and jewellery, noting that it drew over 3,000 visitors from around the world. Citing industry research, Chan said visitors attending international exhibitions spend an average of HK$9,300 per person, which is 70 percent higher than a typical overnight tourist. The research, he said, also estimated that the exhibition industry contributed over HK$50 billion to Hong Kong’s economy in 2024 and created around 67,000 full-time jobs. Chan said the government would continue to vigorously promote mega events across different fields and improve supporting facilities. The Tourism Board, he added, would also continue to work with the industry to tailor more unique experiences and services for high-value visitors. Looking ahead, Chan noted that Hong Kong's capacity for large-scale Mice events would expand by more than 40 percent upon the completion of Phase 2 of AsiaWorld-Expo...
Read full articleThe United States on Saturday called for international cooperation to combat North Korea's illicit cyber activities following a massive cryptocurrency theft involving Binance. "Particularly in light of the recent hack of Binance, it is critical for governments to work together and do their own part to mitigate the DPRK cyber threat and curb illicit DPRK revenue generation," a State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in a written response. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The remarks were made in response to an inquiry about potential coordination between Washington and Seoul on additional sanctions following the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's attribution of the cryptocurrency theft to North Korean actors. The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of enforcing existing international sanctions and taking measures to prevent Pyongyang from financing its weapons programs. "We expect all U.N. member states to enforce existing sanctions and take proactive measures to prevent the DPRK from funding its unlawful WMD
Belgian Ambassador to Korea Bruno Jans, left, raises a toast with Theodora Gentzis, center, secretary-general of Belgium's foreign affairs ministry, and Lim Sang-woo, Korea's deputy minister for public diplomacy, during a reception marking Belgium's King's Day and the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Korea in Seoul, Thursday. Also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the arrival of Belgian troops during the 1950-53 Korean War, Jans highlighted the shared history, friendship and solidarity that continue to unite the two countries. Expressing gratitude for the service and sacrifice of Belgian troops, Lim said the Korean government would work closely with Belgium to translate the outcomes of the June summit into tangible benefits for the people and businesses of both countries. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung
More than 13,000 people visited Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, over a 10-day period, to catch a rare glimpse of a North Korean self-propelled howitzer visible from the observatory. Despite the heightened tensions between the two Koreas, a total of 13,243 people visited the park from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, up 7.5 percent from 12,321 during the same period last year, according to Gimpo city, Sunday. The increase came after images published by local media showing a North Korean self-propelled howitzer stationed along the North Korean coast, about 1.5 kilometers from the observatory, went viral. Weekday visits rose sharply, with daily number of visitors reaching 1,000 to 1,200, up as much as 35 percent from a year earlier. Weekend attendance, however, fell nearly 10 percent to 4,200 due to entry restrictions, as the park is currently limiting the number of visitors on-site to 500 at a time for safety reasons. The artillery is close enough to be seen through binoculars and telescopes from the observatory. However, North Korean troops recently covered the weapon with camouflag
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