AI, Policy & regulation, Technology
291 storiesDefense ministry to pursue cut, abolition of alternative service for arts, sports
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Oct 6 that it plans to ultimately pursue a reduction and abolition of supplementary military service, including arts and sports personnel, and to reflect it in the defense reform basic plan. Spokespers…
Netherlands proposes civilian reserve of 150,000 for emergencies
The Netherlands has proposed creating a civilian reserve for crises, with RTL reporting a target of 150,000 reservists for emergency situations, according to TASS. The reported roles include drivers, security guards and mechanics. RBC repor…
Trump signs order allowing tax-free red-dyed diesel on highways
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily allowing off-road red-dyed diesel to be used for highway driving and deferring the federal excise tax on that fuel through the end of 2026 without interest or penalties.…
Asian Games gold row widens as parties in South Korea seek exemption review
South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, a result that exempts most of the squad from military service. A locker-room photo of Park Seung-su in a discharge hat, captain Lee Ki-hyuk…
South Korea's Lee orders CPTPP talks restarted from the beginning amid farm concerns
President Lee Jae-myung instructed at a cabinet meeting on Oct 6 that the government should not fix a conclusion on joining the CPTPP and should “restart dialogue from the beginning,” saying the pact's strategic value is cited alongside ver…
President Lee vows to keep pledge to end “real estate speculation republic”
President Lee Jae-myung said on Oct. 5 in a post on X that his government will keep its promise to escape the “real estate speculation republic,” saying the country cannot be made to face a “lost 30 years” from real-estate bomb-passing even…
Abu Dhabi's AI Everything opens with 400 exhibitors alongside Global Food Week
AI Everything 2026 opened on 6 October at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi and runs to 7 October, with WAM reporting 400 exhibitors and 180 speakers, and Economy Middle East reporting more than 400 companies, 200-plus investors managing about $10…
Two Gyeongbuk public institutions win top grade in provincial evaluation
The Gyeongbuk Credit Guarantee Foundation and the Gyeongbuk Women's Policy Development Institute received the highest grade in Gyeongbuk province's evaluation of its public institutions, according to three local outlets. The reports gave no…
Trump announces “Super Intelligence Force” AI task force led by Jay Clayton
President Donald Trump announced Sunday the creation of a “Super Intelligence Force,” a federal task force he said will coordinate government efforts to keep the United States leading in artificial intelligence, which he has directed the fe…
DigitalX launches app with generative AI chatbot, a first for a Korean crypto exchange
DigitalX, Mirae Asset's digital asset platform, launched a redesigned app on Oct 6 with a built-in generative AI chatbot, which the company says is the first among domestic crypto exchanges. The app adds conversational ordering with a user-…
OpenAI CEO Altman says some AI risks must be accepted, drawing line with Anthropic
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said in an interview with Politico’s technology podcast “Decoded” that society must accept some negative outcomes to secure the benefits of artificial intelligence and keep humans in control. He described O…
South Korea weighs ending military service exemptions for athletes and artists
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on October 6 that it is considering tightening or abolishing the military service exemption granted to athletes and artists, after some Asian Games gold medalists said exemption mattered more to them than…
AMD CEO Lisa Su to visit Korea Oct. 7 for Gamer Day; AI chip talks expected
AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su will visit Korea on Oct. 7, about seven months after her March trip, to attend an “AMD Gamer Day” event at 2 p.m. at Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, AMD said. Su and senior vice president Jack Huynh will attend, …
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia back in court as US seeks deportation to Liberia
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025, was due back in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Tuesday in his fight against deportation to Liberia. The government is asking U.S…
South Korea culture ministry issues director-level personnel notice
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released a personnel appointment notice on 5 October 2026, carried by Newsis, Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Yonhap's summary described …
ABC asks federal judge to block FCC early review of its broadcast licenses
ABC asked a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday to block the FCC from conducting an early review of its broadcast licenses, calling it retaliation for content President Trump dislikes. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan did not rule immed…
Samsung to launch Galaxy Tab S12 series and SmartTag3 in Korea on Oct 7
Samsung Electronics said it will launch the Galaxy Tab S12 series tablets and the Galaxy SmartTag3 tracking device in Korea on Oct 7. The tablets offer up to 23 hours of video playback, run large-screen Galaxy AI features and are the first …
Nvidia-backed Reflection AI unveils Beam, open-weight model to rival Chinese models
Reflection AI unveiled Beam, a 501-billion-parameter open-weight AI model that the New York-based startup says matches leading Chinese open models like Z.ai’s GLM-5.2 at lower compute cost. The Nvidia-backed company says Beam is in final sa…
Japan transport ministry sets four-level flood risk plan for underpasses
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism published guidelines on October 6 classifying underpasses nationwide into four flood-risk levels and calling for remotely operated or automatic barriers at the most dangerous s…
Russian government approves bioeconomy development strategy to 2036
Russia's government approved a bioeconomy development strategy running to 2036, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting with deputy premiers, according to official and business outlets. The strategy defines priority areas for bio…