Housing Authority eases way for families, resales

Korea and France commenced their 27th joint coordinating committee on nuclear energy in France's southwestern region of Saclay this week and discussed nuclear technology cooperation, Seoul's science ministry said Friday. The two-day event ending Friday (local time) comes as the two nations mark their 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the Ministry of Science and ICT added. The event has been organized since 1982, following the signing of a bilateral agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 1981. During the meeting, Korea and France discussed 21 areas of technological cooperation in fields such as nuclear energy research, nuclear safety and the nuclear industry. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in next-generation nuclear reactors, as well as in the nuclear energy supply chain, following related memorandums of understanding signed during two bilateral summits this year, held in April and September. "We will use the joint coordinating committee as an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperative framework between the two countries ... to drive ne

WASHINGTON — Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance said Thursday it has completed covering assets affected by a massive cyberattack blamed on North Korea, after committing more than $6.34 billion in company funds to make up for the losses. "Binance has completed coverage of assets impacted in the security incident," the company said in a statement posted on its website. The company said it used funds from its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), futures insurance fund and corporate treasury to cover the losses, while acquiring affected cryptocurrencies through market and over-the-counter transactions. "Binance has committed to replenishing SAFU to return the fund to approximately $1 billion, ensuring it remains fully resourced as an emergency user-protection reserve," it said. The announcement follows an Oct. 29 cyberattack in which hackers allegedly linked to North Korea stole more than $6 billion in digital assets from Binance. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation attributed the theft to a North Korean hacking group known as TraderTraitor, warning that the stolen assets could be l

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at protecting American small businesses from economic and cybersecurity threats posed by foreign adversaries, including North Korea. The House passed the Combating Foreign Threats to Main Street Act of 2026 on Wednesday, The bill would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide small businesses with information and guidance on identifying and responding to threats from foreign adversaries. "China, Russia and North Korea are working to undermine our economic and national security, and American businesses are increasingly caught in the crosshairs," Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) said during a House floor debate on Wednesday. The legislation seeks to help businesses address risks such as intellectual property theft, cyberattacks, counterfeit goods and predatory investment practices. It now subject to deliberation by the Senate. "While these threats affect businesses of every size, small businesses are often the most vulnerable, and they simply do not have the resources or expertise to identify these threats

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for China on Friday for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on bilateral relations and issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, including the possibility of renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. Cho was scheduled to hold talks with Wang later in the day, followed by a dinner hosted by the Chinese foreign minister, according to the foreign ministry. "We plan to discuss the overall state of bilateral relations, particularly issues that need to be coordinated between the two countries ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit," Cho told reporters at Gimpo International Airport before departing for China. His visit comes ahead of President Lee Jae Myung's planned trip to China for the APEC summit in Shenzhen from Wednesday to Thursday, and the ministerial meeting was expected to help lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We plan to hold comprehensive discussions with China on these issues, particularly North Korea-related matters, including the possibility of U.S.-No

North Korea has revised its constitution to change its national flag's aspect ratio for the first time since its regime was established in 1948, according to the amended basic law posted on the website of Pyongyang's propaganda outlet. Article 166 of the revised constitution posted on Naenara's website stipulates that the ratio of the flag's height to its width is 1 to 1.65, replacing the previous ratio of 1 to 2. The change came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sought to build his own governing style and national identity while retaining some legacies of his predecessors. The flag's 1-to-2 ratio rule had remained unchanged in the law until the North's constitutional revision in September 2023. Despite the ratio change, the overall design of the North's flag remains intact, consisting of a broad red stripe in the center, narrow white stripes above and below it, blue stripes above and below the white stripes, and a red five-pointed star in a white circle. The constitution says the red stripe stands for the blood shed by anti-Japan fighters who dedicated their lives to defending the c

Korean President Lee Jae Myung will hold bilateral meetings with his Thai and Philippine counterparts next week on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), his spokesperson said Friday. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced Lee's planned meetings as the Korean president is scheduled to attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in China. Lee will attend the ASEAN summit in Manila on Monday and Tuesday before traveling to China's Shenzhen on Wednesday for a two-day trip to attend the APEC summit. Lee will separately meet with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Monday afternoon on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Kang said in a press release. On the sidelines of the APEC summit Wednesday, Lee will hold a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in southern China, home to some 24,000 Korean nationals, she said.

Senior officials of South Korea and the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) held a meeting Friday and discussed North Korea's nuclear program and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain, the foreign ministry said. The meeting between Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo and U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu took place on the sidelines of the two-day Korea-U.N. Conference on Disarmament and Nonproliferation, held in Seoul from Thursday. During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean nuclear issue, the outcomes of the U.N. General Assembly's First Committee and ways to deepen cooperation between South Korea and the UNODA. During the conference, Jeong stressed the need for international cooperation to promote the responsible use of AI in the military domain while addressing related challenges. He also said South Korea would continue to play an active role in the field, noting that it had spearheaded a U.N. General Assembly res

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina will visit the United States next week for talks on economic security cooperation and ways to strengthen bilateral relations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Kim will make a four-day visit to the U.S. starting Sunday. She is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on Monday to discuss cooperation on strengthening supply chains and promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment, according to the ministry. The vice minister will attend the 10th Korea-U.S. public-private economic forum on Wednesday and deliver a keynote speech on ways to boost bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the shipbuilding and energy sectors. Kim also plans to meet with academic figures as part of outreach efforts to strengthen support for South Korea-U.S. relations in the U.S. amid changes in the makeup of Congress following the U.S. midterm elections, the ministry said.

The “close personal relationship” has been the downfall of a number of chief executives over the years.

Ariel Bombara told a coronial inquest that her father was a bigot, a racist, homophobic and a misogynist.

Stephen Sondheim’s musical remains the ultimate fairytale for grown-ups in an evocative production from Opera Queensland and Queensland Theatre.

Stephen Sondheim’s musical remains the ultimate fairytale for grown-ups in an evocative production from Opera Queensland and Queensland Theatre.