South Korea imposed a travel ban on all of Iran amid rising security concerns, its foreign ministry said Thursday. In this image, an Iranian flag stands amid the destruction in Enghelab Square following Wednesday’s attacks by the United States and Israel on Tehran. Photo by Nahal Farzaneh/UPI | License Photo
South Korea imposed a travel ban on all of Iran amid rising security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
A Level 3 travel alert, which advises nationals to leave the country, was upgraded to a travel ban effective at 6 p.m., the ministry said, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The ministry warned that Korean nationals who visit or stay in Iran without authorization may face punishment under relevant laws, advising those planning to travel to the region to cancel their trips and urging those currently there to evacuate.
The ministry said it issued the ban as “the worsening situation in the Middle East has raised serious concerns over the safety of Korean nationals visiting or staying in Iran.”
“The government will continue to closely monitor developments in the Middle East and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of Korean nationals,” it said.
The latest measures come as South Korea is continuing to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East after about 140 nationals were brought to safety in earlier operations, as U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran escalate into a wider regional conflict.
The government is actively considering sending a chartered plane to the region, including the United Arab Emirates, where more than 2,000 South Korean short-term travelers remain stranded due to flight disruptions.
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Reservists participate in simulated firing training during the first reserve forces exercise of the year at the Army’s 51st Infantry Division science-based reservist training center in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on March 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
March 4 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Army has begun its 2026 reservist training program using advanced simulation and data systems designed to improve combat realism and tactical efficiency.
At a science-based reservist training center in Seoul’s Seocho district on Wednesday, reservists trained with the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, known as MILES, which uses laser signals and sensors to determine hits during simulated combat.
When a reservist was struck during a mock urban battle exercise, the equipment immediately sounded an alert indicating the participant had been “killed,” demonstrating the system’s ability to provide instant and objective combat assessments.
The Army said the system replaces earlier exercises that relied heavily on instructor judgment. Instead, the equipment records hits and performance data in real time, allowing trainees to review their results and identify areas for improvement.
Officials say the new approach encourages a more participatory training model in which reservists track their own performance and refine their skills based on data.
Indoor firing range reduces noise complaints
The facility also includes an indoor shooting range equipped with advanced soundproofing designed to address long-standing noise complaints from nearby residents.
Army officials said the range is quiet enough that it is difficult to detect gunfire outside the building.
Transparent ballistic acrylic panels at each firing lane and automated fire-control systems were installed to improve safety. Reservists monitor their shooting results in real time on digital displays during training.
The Army said the technology helps transform the facility from a traditional military site into security infrastructure that can coexist more easily with surrounding communities.
VR simulations recreate urban battlefields
Reservists also trained in virtual reality simulations using a three-screen system that recreates realistic urban environments.
The scenarios include detailed digital models of locations such as Seocho Station and the COEX underground shopping mall in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
Participants wearing helmets equipped with spatial-recognition technology practiced navigating the terrain and conducting simulated urban combat operations without the constraints of real-world training space.
Smart systems streamline training process
An information and communications technology management system links multiple stages of the training process.
Reservists register by scanning identification cards when they arrive, after which smartwatches and kiosks connect them to a network that manages equipment distribution, firing exercises, tactical drills, evaluation and discharge.
The Army plans to expand the system to additional training facilities and introduce more simulation-based exercises.
Officials said 29 science-based reservist training centers have been built nationwide so far, including one scheduled for completion in Busan later this month.
New facilities are also planned this year in Mokpo, Daejeon, Chilgok, Yeongcheon and Andong. The Army ultimately plans to operate about 40 such centers nationwide.
Col. Park Hyun-gyu, head of the Army’s reservist training policy division, said the program aims to improve readiness while making training more efficient.
“The science-based system enhances training results while minimizing inconvenience for participants,” Park said. “It will strengthen the combat readiness of our reservists while creating a training environment that can coexist with local communities.”
A chart outlines key legislative proposals promoted by South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party, including expanding the Supreme Court, abolishing the prosecutor’s office and revising criminal statutes. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
March 4 (Asia Today) — A series of legislative proposals by South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party has sparked debate over judicial independence, as critics argue the measures could affect ongoing criminal cases involving President Lee Jae-myung.
The legislation includes proposals to expand the Supreme Court, introduce constitutional review of court rulings and abolish the crime of breach of trust. Legal experts say the bills, combined with calls to drop certain prosecutions, raise concerns that lawmakers could influence judicial proceedings.
Five criminal cases involving Lee are currently paused while he serves as president. As the National Assembly moves forward with legal revisions, some members of the legal community warn the changes could intersect with those trials.
National Assembly inquiry targets prosecution investigations
According to political sources, the Democratic Party has launched a parliamentary committee seeking a national investigation into what it calls politically motivated prosecutions under the previous administration.
The committee plans to examine several high-profile cases involving political figures, including the Daejang-dong development case and allegations involving transfers of funds to North Korea.
Party officials have also urged prosecutors to withdraw indictments in cases involving Lee.
The move has prompted criticism from legal observers who say the National Assembly should not interfere in criminal proceedings.
Judicial reform bills move quickly through parliament
The Democratic Party has advanced three major judicial reform bills in recent weeks.
The legislation would expand the number of Supreme Court justices from 14 to 26, allow the Constitutional Court to review final court rulings through a judicial complaint system and introduce a new criminal offense for officials who deliberately misapply the law in judicial decisions or investigations.
Supporters say the reforms are aimed at addressing structural issues within the judiciary.
However, some legal analysts say the proposals could alter the balance of power within the court system and influence the legal environment surrounding ongoing cases.
Breach of trust law could affect corruption cases
Another proposal under discussion involves abolishing the criminal offense of breach of trust, which has been used in several major corruption investigations.
If the law were repealed, legal experts say it could affect cases related to development projects in Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong as well as allegations involving misuse of a provincial government corporate credit card.
Under South Korean law, when a criminal statute is repealed after an alleged offense, courts may dismiss charges related to that statute.
Concerns raised over separation of powers
Some lawyers say the pace and scope of the legislative initiatives raise broader concerns about the balance between the legislative and judicial branches.
“The outcome of trials should be determined in court,” one attorney who previously served as a senior prosecutor said. “If lawmakers change laws in ways that directly affect ongoing cases, it raises questions about the separation of powers.”
Supporters of the legislation argue the reforms are necessary to improve accountability within the justice system.
Debate over the proposals is expected to continue as the National Assembly reviews the measures during the current parliamentary session.
Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, who doubles as deputy prime minister for science affairs, speaks during a meeting of science and technology-related ministers at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, 28 January 2026. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
March 3 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT said Tuesday it has begun distributing graphics processing units to industry, academia and research institutions as part of a government push to expand domestic artificial intelligence capacity.
The ministry said it will supply about 4,000 GPUs starting this month from a pool of 10,000 units secured through last year’s supplementary budget. It selected recipients for the first batch and said the GPUs will be used to support 159 projects.
Under the initial allocation, 2,624 GPUs will go to universities and other academic institutions, 1,288 to industry and 312 to research institutes, the ministry said.
A previous call for proposals drew 514 applications. The ministry said the selected projects will be deployed immediately for AI research and development, including services and model development, based on expert evaluations of factors such as expected technological impact, societal impact and contribution to the domestic AI ecosystem.
The ministry said it will conduct periodic monitoring after allocation. If improper use is found, it said the GPUs could be reclaimed and reassigned to other users.
The ministry also said it plans an additional call for proposals later this month, including 4,000 GPUs for industry users such as small and midsize companies and startups and about 1,000 more for academia and research institutions.
In future rounds, the ministry said it will give greater consideration to applicants based outside the capital area and seek to prevent allocations from concentrating on specific companies or institutions.
Choi Dong-won, the ministry’s director general for AI infrastructure policy, said the GPU program is intended to serve as a catalyst for strengthening AI capabilities and expanding AI services, creating additional demand for infrastructure in a self-reinforcing cycle.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) shaking hands with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (R) during their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore, 02 March 2026. Lee is in Singapore on an official visit Photo by Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) / EPA
March 2 (Asia Today) — Lee Jae-myung and Lawrence Wong agreed Monday to pursue an artificial intelligence cooperation framework and upgrade bilateral trade ties, as the two countries seek to expand collaboration in advanced technology and energy.
During a summit in Singapore, the leaders committed to making AI a central pillar of economic cooperation and to launching negotiations to upgrade the existing free trade agreement.
According to the presidential office, the proposed AI Cooperation Framework would promote joint research, investment and industrial innovation, including the development of so-called physical AI applications and the broader use of AI in everyday life.
The two sides signed five memorandums of understanding covering science and technology cooperation, AI and digital technology in public safety, intellectual property cooperation, joint use of environmental satellites and collaboration on small modular reactors, or SMRs.
They also agreed to begin talks to modernize the free trade agreement, focusing on supply chains, the green economy, trade facilitation and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul services.
Under the agreements, the countries plan to expand policy coordination and personnel exchanges in areas such as quantum technology, SMRs and space and satellite development. They also pledged to share information on AI policy in public safety and support promising companies in related sectors.
In a joint press statement, Lee said he hoped to “further solidify existing cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure” while expanding collaboration into “future-oriented sectors such as AI, nuclear energy and advanced science and technology.”
Hyun Jin Preston Moon, chairman of the Global Peace Foundation and author of The Korean Dream, speaks in Seoul on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, saying Korea stands at a “historic turning point” and that the choices Koreans make now will have profound consequences for future generations. He urged a citizen-led effort to reshape public understanding of unification as North Korea hardens its stance toward the South. Photo by Ronald Park / Global Peace Foundation
March 2 (UPI) — In a recent interview with journalists from several Korean media outlets, Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation and author of The Korean Dream, warned that Korea stands at a pivotal crossroads where the decisions made and actions taken will determine the fate of the Korean Peninsula and the future direction of the Korean people for generations to come. With Washington focused on numerous global crises and lacking a clear policy towards North Korea, he said, it is precisely now that the Korean people must assert themselves in support of a free and unified homeland.
The interview took place amid deepening inter-Korean tensions. At the end of 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un formally abandoned the goal of unification which had existed since the formation of North Korea under his grandfather Kim Il Sung’s rule. He designated the two Koreas as “hostile states” and ordered revision of the DPRK constitution to remove reunification as a national objective.
Moon defined North Korea’s formal adoption of the “two hostile states” doctrine as a structural turning point, one that exposes the fragility of the Kim regime. He said the situation demands strategic clarity rather than reliance on past engagement models, and requires that a compelling alternative vision to be placed on the table before this window of opportunity closes.
Conciliatory approaches, he said, carry meaning only when both sides share the goal of unification. When one side formally abandons that goal and redefines the other as an enemy, the entire strategic framework must be fundamentally reconsidered. Clinging to outdated models, he warned, is not diplomacy – it is self-delusion.
At the core of the alternative he is presenting is the Korean Dream – a comprehensive national vision rooted in Korea’s civilizational heritage spanning five millennia and grounded in democratic governance, economic opportunity, and fundamental human rights and freedoms for all its citizens. Rather than reacting to Pyongyang’s provocations, Moon argues, South Korea must define the peninsula’s future on its own terms. He noted that the previous Korean administration had already accepted the Korean Dream framework in principle; during the 2023 Camp David Summit, the U.S. and Japan agreed to support South Korea in its pursuit of a free and unified Korea. Moon also called for a non-governmental advisory committee to replace the current Ministry of Unification to allow for institutional continuity in how South Korea’s administration relates to North Korea, noting that the ideological reversals with each consecutive administration have long undermined inter-Korean policy.
Central to the Korean Dream vision is Hongik Ingan – the founding Korean ethos, roughly translated as “to broadly benefit humanity.” Moon describes this as the spiritual and historical bedrock of Korean identity. He emphasized that it is not an abstract ideal but a living principle that has been passed from generation to generation as part of the Korean people’s heritage and infuses unification with a high-minded purpose. Koreans must rediscover this founding spirit, he said, and see themselves not as passive pawns of geopolitical forces but as active agents with a civilizational mission.
On economic concerns, Moon was direct. Unification is not a burden but an opportunity of historic scale, he said, particularly for Korea’s younger generation. A unified Korea would integrate the more than 25 million North Korean residents into a new domestic market, rebalance its export-dependent economy, and spur large-scale infrastructure development, industrial restructuring, and expanded regional influence.
Moon drew parallels of the potential economic transformation that unification could unleash to China’s wealthy coastal cities that burgeoned with its historic shift from a centrally planned to a market economy. For the Korean Peninsula, he continued, such changes could fuel what he called a second Miracle on the Han River. The generation that seizes this moment, he said, will not merely inherit a problem but will open a new chapter of flourishing for Korean civilization.
The decisive factor shaping the Peninsula’s future, Moon argued, is neither military posture nor diplomatic maneuvering – it is public consciousness. If South Korean youth come to see unification not as a financial burden inherited from their predecessors but as a civilizational mission rooted in Hongik Ingan, that shift in public imagination will become the most powerful engine for change on the Korean Peninsula.
He pointed to North Korea’s growing internal vulnerabilities as evidence that the window for shaping the arc of history is narrowing. Rising defection rates – including among senior officials- and the regime’s deepening economic fragility suggest that the structures sustaining Kim Jong Un’s control are under mounting pressure. Moon said Kim is likely reassessing his long-term strategic options as he observes the dramatic upheaval unfolding in Iran.
“The regime’s current two-state posture is not necessarily permanent,” Moon said. “What matters is whether the right alternative is on the table.” He urged the South Korean administration to adopt the Korean Dream vision and offered to support and advise the U.S. administration as it further develops its strategy and approach to the Koreas.
1 of 2 | Religious leaders, civic activists, overseas Koreans, South Korean youth and North Korean defectors gather in Seoul on March 1, 2026. and hold signs reading “Two Korea No! One Korea Yes!” during the Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA rally in Seoul. Photo courtesy of Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA
March 1 (UPI) — Thousands of South Koreans gathered in central Seoul on Sunday to call for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and oppose what they described as a two-state framework between the two Koreas.
The rally, organized by Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA, was held at Gwanghwamun Square near the Dongwha Duty Free shop to mark the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.
Organizers estimated attendance at more than 4,000. Police did not immediately provide an independent estimate.
Organizers said pre-event cultural performances began at 1 p.m., including traditional percussion and a performance by a North Korean defector-turned-singer. The main program opened at 2 p.m., with speakers emphasizing the legacy of the 1919 independence movement and calling for renewed efforts toward unification.
Participants included civic activists, religious leaders, North Korean defectors, separated family members, overseas Koreans and young people. Many held signs reading “Two Koreas: No, One Korea: Yes.”
North Korea in recent months has characterized inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states,” effectively redefining its official stance on unification. In South Korea, the unification minister has said the ministry is proceeding with steps to formalize what he described as a “peaceful two-state” approach as a ministry position.
Kim Hyung-seok, a 105-year-old emeritus professor at Yonsei University, delivered a special message urging citizens to take the lead in pursuing national unity. He said unification should be achieved by the Korean people rather than driven solely by political leaders.
Religious figures from different faiths also addressed the crowd. Buddhist monks Hyein and Eung cheon spoke at the rally, alongside Protestant pastors Kim Jin-hong and Jang Hak-il, who criticized what they described as efforts to institutionalize division on the peninsula. Participants later sang “Our Wish Is Unification,” a song long associated with reunification hopes.
North Korean defector Kang Chol-hwan, head of the North Korea Strategy Center, spoke about human rights conditions in the North and stressed the importance of expanding outside information access to North Korean residents.
Jang Man-soon, head of a civic group representing families separated by the Korean War, announced plans to raise funds for broadcasting initiatives aimed at North Korea and to promote the establishment of a platform tentatively named “Korea Link.”
During a joint declaration, youth representatives from the South and from the defector community pledged to uphold the spirit of the March 1 movement and work toward unification based on freedom, human rights and shared prosperity.
After the rally, participants marched around the Gwanghwamun area, concluding the event at about 5 p.m.
Organizers said they plan to continue nationwide activities promoting what they described as a citizen-led movement for peaceful unification.
Jeong Yeon-du, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, speaks during a briefing with reporters at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 27 (Asia Today) — The United States has reaffirmed that it remains open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy said Thursday, as Washington also reiterated its longstanding policy stance.
Jeong Yeon-du, director-general for strategy and intelligence at the Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Washington that he confirmed during meetings with senior U.S. officials that “the U.S. position of being open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions remains unchanged.”
Jeong said he met with senior State Department officials, including Allison Hooker, Thomas DiNanno and Michael DeSombre, as well as congressional figures and Korea experts at major think tanks during his visit, which began Monday.
He said the two sides exchanged views on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the outcome of North Korea’s ninth Workers’ Party Congress, and discussed pending issues based on the joint explanation released after the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump last October in Gyeongju.
Jeong said Seoul explained its plan to continue supporting early resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and to pursue long-term efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions and build trust, while adhering to the principle of denuclearization.
A White House official delivered a similar message this week in response to remarks by Kim Jong Un suggesting conditional willingness to improve ties with Washington.
“U.S. policy toward North Korea remains unchanged, and President Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim Jong Un without any preconditions,” the official said, recalling that Trump held three summits with the North Korean leader during his first term.
The statement was interpreted as reaffirming Washington’s twin positions: openness to talks without preconditions and continued pursuit of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Kim recently said Pyongyang would maintain a “strongest stance” toward the United States but added that if Washington respects North Korea’s “current status” and withdraws what it calls a hostile policy, there would be no reason the two sides could not get along. His remarks were widely seen as a demand for recognition of North Korea as a nuclear state.
Despite the stated openness to dialogue, a senior South Korean government official said there are no new developments such as working-level contacts between Washington and Pyongyang. The official added that while the United States continues to signal it is open to talks, it does not appear to have moved to concrete preparatory steps.
Jeong said Seoul and Washington agreed to maintain close coordination through frequent communication at various levels. He also said he explained South Korea’s phased denuclearization proposal and listened to views in U.S. policy circles regarding North Korea.
Trump met Kim in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019 and at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. While the first summit produced a joint statement on new bilateral relations and denuclearization, subsequent talks failed to yield an implementation agreement, and substantive negotiations have remained stalled.
Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, who doubles as deputy prime minister for science affairs, speaks during a meeting of science and technology-related ministers at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, 28 January 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Feb. 26 (Asia Today) — A presidential advisory body has recommended that South Korea reconsider the uniform application of its 52-hour workweek, proposing limited exceptions for startups and companies in national strategic technology sectors.
The National Advisory Council on Science and Technology, which advises the president, said firms founded within the past five years and those engaged in key strategic technologies should be allowed greater flexibility in managing working hours.
South Korea introduced the 52-hour workweek cap in 2018 as part of broader labor reform efforts aimed at improving work-life balance and reducing long working hours that had long been a hallmark of the country’s rapid industrialization. The law applies to most businesses and limits total weekly working hours, including overtime, to 52.
The council said building a competitive innovation ecosystem requires a regulatory shift toward greater autonomy and flexibility. It proposed allowing technical personnel at eligible firms to calculate working hours on a quarterly or semiannual basis rather than weekly, depending on project needs. Under the proposal, any exemption would require written consent from individual employees and safeguards to protect workers’ health.
Business groups have long called for expanding exceptions to the 52-hour limit, but the recommendation carries added weight because it comes directly from a presidential advisory body rather than an industry lobby.
In the council’s written opinion, a first-generation venture founder said the 52-hour system conflicts with the nature of startups, which often depend on intensive, time-sensitive work to scale quickly. Another founder cited in the report argued that uniform rules designed around traditional manufacturing no longer reflect the needs of the modern startup ecosystem.
The council noted that other sectors face similar constraints. In semiconductors, companies often experience surges in workload tied to delivery schedules and research timelines, making continuous R&D difficult to sustain under fixed weekly caps. Game developers likewise face concentrated workloads in the months leading up to major releases.
The debate comes amid growing concern about South Korea’s technological competitiveness. According to a 2024 technology level assessment submitted to the council by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the number of national strategic technologies – a government-designated list of critical fields including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials – in which South Korea leads China fell from 17 to just six over the past two years.
The council’s report referenced China’s widely known “996” work culture – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week – as a factor that may be contributing to the pace of R&D there. Interest in similar intensive work models is reportedly growing in Silicon Valley as competition with China intensifies.
The National Assembly passed a special semiconductor law in January, but a provision that would have exempted the industry from the 52-hour workweek was stripped out before final passage. It remains unclear whether the government intends to pursue standalone legislation to address the exemption. No official response from the government or labor groups was immediately available.
The council is calling on lawmakers to introduce more flexible working hour arrangements at minimum across the broader science and technology sector.
Colonel Jang Do-young (L), public affairs director of South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Colonel Ryan Donald (R), public affairs director of U.S. Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a press briefing on the 2026 Freedom Shield military exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Jung Yeon-je/EPA
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (UPI) — The United States and South Korea will kick off a major joint military exercise next month, both countries announced Wednesday, as they prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul.
The annual springtime Freedom Shield exercise will take place March 9 to 19 and will incorporate “realistic threats, including lessons learned from recent conflicts … to further strengthen the Alliance’s readiness and capabilities through combined, joint, all-domain operations,” the militaries said in a joint statement.
“This exercise will also serve as an opportunity to support ongoing preparations for a conditions-based wartime operational transition, consistent with alliance agreement,” the statement added.
South Korea is looking to complete the handover of wartime command from the United States before President Lee Jae Myung’s five-year term ends in 2030.
The exercise will feature computer simulation-based command post exercises as well as “Warrior Shield” field training, the allies said.
Freedom Shield comes as the Lee administration attempts to improve frayed relations with Pyongyang, which frequently condemns the allies’ joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion.
Local media have reported that Seoul is proposing scaling down field training during this year’s exercise — a move that Washington has allegedly resisted.
At the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises in August, half of the 40 planned field training exercises were rescheduled to later in the year.
“Complex combined exercises often require additional coordination, looking at the scale and sequencing of these events,” Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of U.S. Forces Korea, said at a press conference Wednesday. “The important thing to remember is Freedom Shield and Warrior Shield will go on this March as a major defensive-oriented exercise.”
In addition to U.S. and South Korean forces, personnel from other member countries of the United Nations Command will join the exercise, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe to monitor compliance with the Armistice Agreement.
“You’ll see U.S., South Korean and United Nations Command member states participating in tough, realistic, demanding training — and that is the real measure of the alliance,” Donald said.
Col. Jang Do-young, public affairs director of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the press conference that field training exercises were still being coordinated.
He added that March’s Freedom Shield will not include scenarios directly related to a North Korean nuclear attack, but would include training for “deterrence of nuclear threats.”
Last week, a South Korean lawmaker said that Pyongyang is planning to hold a large-scale military parade to show off its latest weapons at the conclusion of the ongoing Workers’ Party Ninth Congress.
President Trump honored two storied military veterans during his State of the Union address, including 100-year-old veteran Royce Williams of Escondido, who survived what is believed to be the longest dog fight in military history.
The former Navy fighter pilot, who was seated next to First Lady Melania Trump in the Capitol during the president’s address Tuesday night, flew more than 220 missions in World War II as well as the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
Trump called Williams “a living legend” before describing his war-time heroics.
“In the skies over Korea in 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime, a legendary dogfight,” Trump said. “Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.”
Despite being outnumbered, Williams took down four of the jet fighters as his plane was hit more than 260 times and he was severely injured.
The incident was kept confidential because the Soviet Union was not officially a combatant in the Korean conflict, and American officials feared that if the air battle became known, it could compel the Soviets to formally enter the war.
Williams didn’t speak about the details of the encounter — even with family members — until records about the dogfight were declassified in 2002.
“His story was secret for over 50 years. He didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew,” Trump said. “Tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”
Trump then announced that Williams would receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. Melania Trump placed the blue-ribboned medal around his neck.
Williams was the guest of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall), a fellow veteran.
“My friend, constituent, and lifelong hero Royce Williams is a Top Gun pilot like no other, an American hero for all time, and now, a recipient of the highest honor in the land,” Issa said in a statement. “It was many years in the making, but it is my honor to have fought all these years for Royce to gain a recognition that he has not sought, but so richly deserves.”
Trump also announced that the Medal of Honor would be awarded to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, an Army helicopter pilot who was gravely wounded in the 2026 raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip. One bullet after another, he observed four agonizing shots shredding his leg into numerous pieces,” Trump said.
Despite the gunshot wounds to his legs, with blood flowing through the helicopter he was piloting, “Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat, turn the helicopter around so the gunners could take care of business, saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory,” Trump said.
Trump added, “Chief Warrant Officer Slover is still recovering from his serious wounds, but I’m thrilled to say that he is here tonight with his wife, Amy. Eric and Amy, come on in.”
Slover, with the aid of a walker, entered the gallery. “In recognition of Eric’s actions above and beyond the call of duty,” Trump said, “I would now like to ask Gen. Jonathan Braga to present Chief Warrant Officer Slover with our nation’s highest military award.”
Trump added that he too hopes to one day receive a Medal of Honor.
“But I was informed I’m not allowed to give it to myself,” Trump said. “But if they ever open up that law, I will be there with you someday.”
Food products are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul on May 16, 2025, as major domestic food companies reported declines in first-quarter operating profits amid rising costs and weak consumer demand. File. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Feb. 24 (Asia Today) — Major South Korean food companies are expanding cost-cutting and restructuring efforts after operating profits fell by as much as 30% last year amid a domestic demand slump and rising costs, industry officials said Monday.
Lotte Wellfood is running a voluntary retirement program for some employees as part of efforts to streamline its organization, according to industry sources.
The program targets workers 45 and older with at least 10 years of service. In addition to statutory severance pay, eligible employees with 10 to under 15 years of service would receive 18 months of base pay, while those with 15 years or more would receive 24 months, officials said.
The package also includes a 10 million won ($7,500) re-employment support payment and up to 10 million won ($7,500) in university tuition assistance per child.
Lotte Wellfood said it plans to pursue growth strategies such as developing major brands and expanding global business operations while improving organizational efficiency.
Binggrae carried out a similar voluntary retirement program in January, citing cost increases and weakening consumption, according to industry sources.
CJ CheilJedang has also signaled tighter management. Chief executive Yoon Seok-hwan told employees in a message earlier this month that the company needs “disruptive change and innovation,” outlining plans for business restructuring, financial improvements and organizational culture reforms.
The restructuring push follows a downturn in earnings. Industry data show operating profit last year fell 20.6% at CJ CheilJedang, 30.3% at Lotte Wellfood and 32.7% at Binggrae compared with a year earlier.
Companies have faced pressure from raw material price volatility, higher logistics costs and slowing consumer demand. Executives have also cited stronger consumer resistance to price increases, limiting their ability to pass through costs.
Some analysts cautioned that repeated short-term cutbacks could weaken competitiveness over time unless companies deliver results from new growth initiatives.
Visitors attend the AI Content Festival at COEX in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2025. File. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Feb. 24 (Asia Today) — South Korea will invest 19.8 billion won ($15 million) this year to support artificial intelligence-based content production, marking the largest government-backed funding initiative in the sector to date, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday.
The program, administered by the Korea Creative Content Agency, is designed to foster AI as a key growth engine for the content industry, offering support from early-stage development through global expansion.
Funding will be divided into three tracks – entry-level, leading-edge and collaborative – based on a company’s growth stage.
Under the entry-level track, small and medium-sized enterprises will be eligible for up to 200 million won ($150,000) per project. About 24 projects will be selected, focusing on genre convergence, extended reality and interactive content, as well as AI-based production platforms.
The leading-edge track will provide up to 700 million won ($530,000) per project for roughly 10 projects aimed at developing globally competitive AI-powered content. Officials said projects with strong overseas potential will receive priority.
The collaborative track will support partnerships between large or mid-sized companies and smaller firms, with up to 400 million won ($300,000) per project. Around 16 projects will be selected, a sharp increase from four last year.
Beyond financial aid, selected companies will receive legal, copyright and commercialization consulting, along with business matching and expert networking support.
An AI Content Festival will be held in the second half of the year to showcase supported projects and facilitate exchanges with domestic and international industry experts.
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s digital content ecosystem, while Korea Creative Content Agency said it aims to help companies translate production experience into sustainable business growth.
Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, who also serves as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, speaks during a meeting of economy-related ministers on price controls affecting household livelihoods at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, 11 February 2026. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Feb. 23 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s government said Sunday it would maintain round-the-clock market monitoring after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled reciprocal tariffs invalid, adding that the immediate impact on global markets appeared limited.
U.S. and European equities rose on the day of the ruling, while the dollar index remained stable, officials said. Still, Seoul warned that trade uncertainty persists amid signals from Washington about possible new tariff measures and the continuation of sector-specific duties.
First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il chaired an emergency market review meeting in Seoul attended by officials from the central bank and financial regulators.
Participants said global markets reacted calmly on Thursday, when the U.S. court issued its decision. The S&P 500 rose 0.69%, while the Euro Stoxx 50 gained 1.18%. The dollar index fell 0.2%, and yields on 10-year and two-year U.S. Treasury notes each climbed 2 basis points.
Officials said improved risk appetite contributed to broadly stable trading conditions.
However, they cautioned that policy uncertainty remains after the U.S. government signaled it could impose a 10% tariff on goods from all countries, with a possible increase to 15% the following day. Ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine were also cited as potential risks.
The government said it would continue operating a 24-hour joint monitoring system among relevant agencies and strengthen coordination to respond quickly if volatility increases.
Separately, officials noted that tariffs on automobiles and steel imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act remain in place, and that a new investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act has been launched.
Participants agreed to closely track follow-up measures by Washington and responses from major trading partners, and to work to ensure that South Korea’s export conditions to the United States are not adversely affected.
When the pandemic hit, and reality settled in that life would be isolated and mostly inside, Grammy winner Anderson .Paak found himself on the outside looking in, in a way he didn’t anticipate. “I was the odd man out. My son was 8, and BTS took over the whole house,” .Paak explained in an interview with The Times at his WeHo lounge, Andy’s. “It was a K-pop storm. Before that, me and my son were bonding off of my music.”
.Paak’s son, Soul Rasheed, and his now ex-wife originally from Korea, Jaylyn Chang, had become obsessed with K-pop alongside much of America, which reminded .Paak of the intensity of Beatlemania. Black American music influenced the birth of a new style, which formed and expanded across oceans, then returned to the U.S. and exploded. This effect in the .Paak household was palpable, causing Soul and Chang to deeply bond in a new way. .Paak himself, as a soul, R&B and hip-hop aficionado, was tapped into the source, but not the reinterpreted subject. So he had to find a way in.
Soul, at the time, like many 8-year-olds, had also become obsessed with becoming a YouTuber. Besides .Paak’s music, the father-and-son duo had also previously connected over humor, so .Paak started there. They began with funny skits and eventually fused them with BTS dances. Soon, there were even videos featuring them comedically educating each other about their individual music tastes. “I loved it,” .Paak recalled, getting lost in the memory. “I was getting to know him more, and he was getting to know me. My mom would always say, ‘It’s one thing for your kids to love you, but it’s another to share things you’re interested in.’ It wasn’t like I was being Anderson .Paak, I was just Dad.”
“I was getting to know him more, and he was getting to know me,” .Paak said of bonding with his son, Soul.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
Through this exploration and the realization of a potential continued familial bond, a story idea emerged, then a treatment for a K-pop-centered film that .Paak would direct and he and Soul would both star in. .Paak then began directing a slew of music videos as the pandemic began to fade, building a portfolio and gaining experience in the medium. But he could start to sense Soul’s interest fading as time passed. After a few failed pitch attempts, .Paak urgently enlisted the help of one of his oldest friends and fellow entertainer, Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park, who brought .Paak and the idea to Stampede Ventures.
“The pitch was from an idea that Anderson had, and [to introduce it], we showed them this TikTok that he had with his son,” Park recalled over Zoom. “Anderson was like, ‘Do you know anything about BET, son?’ And [Soul] was like, ‘No, but I know BTS.’ Then they were just going back and forth, arguing about BET and BTS. That was literally the deck, [us saying] we would take that energy and put it into a two-hour film. They loved it. As soon as we walked out of the office, Anderson looked over like, ‘Are we greenlit?!’ They just understood it, the whole intergenerational, intercultural element of Black and Korean.” Stampede combined forces on the project with Live Nation Studios and .Paak’s debut feature “K-Pops!” was off to the races.
It’s important to note that .Paak is himself Black and Korean. His mother was adopted from Korea by a SoCal Black American military family and .Paak’s father was also a Black military officer. Thus, while his mother was born in Korea, he was raised almost entirely within a Black cultural space. .Paak didn’t experience much direct exposure to Korean culture until his 20s, when he met Chang at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. As an immigrant directly from Korea, Chang showed him the fortitude of structure amid her community. He was also taken by their inherent family value system. “In Korean households, you stay in the house until you get older so you can take care of your parents, and your parents can help take care of the kids,” .Paak explained. “There’s an infrastructure that’s worked out. Also, Korean food is important, as is learning the language. I was drawn to that. My son didn’t eat anything outside of Korean food for so long, and he’s just now getting into tacos.”
.Paak then further explored his Korean side through a burgeoning friendship with Park, which happened a bit later, after Chang had already given birth to Soul. Park introduced .Paak to K-town-based Korean culture through their shared music scene. “The people that came from K-town had a lot of Latino and Black influences as well,” .Paak remembered. “There was a little more of a melting pot, and it was more urban. But in a similarly communal way [to Koreans from Korea], they were all hanging out in K-town with other Korean friends. They’d drink soju, and go to after-hours where you had to have somebody Korean with you.”
While .Paak had some opportunities in adulthood to grasp a bit of his Korean heritage, in “K-Pops!,” through his main character BJ, he also got to actualize what his mother may have missed. In the film, BJ, a failed karaoke bar R&B musician, gets a lucky chance to go to Korea and be the drummer for a popular K-pop competition series. There, he bumps into his estranged ex-girlfriend’s son, Tae Young (played by Soul), who is competing on the show. He then finds out that the kid is his. While a messy transition ensues, BJ and Tae Young eventually get to galavant around Korea and work together to try to win the competition. Through this exploration, BJ finds out he can thrive in Korea while still holding onto his Blackness. .Paak’s mother’s dive back into her roots had a different result. “My mom went abroad and spent a year in Korea, but when she went there, she just didn’t like it,” .Paak explained. “In the movie, initially, BJ doesn’t really have any connection to his Korean side and doesn’t really care to know, but then he finds a bridge.” That bridge is music.
Actor Yvette Nicole Brown, who in “K-Pops!” plays BJ’s mother, proclaimed over Zoom that, “Everything about the film and the music in it is Blasian, every culture is celebrated and massaged and made into something beautiful.” .Paak made a concerted, intentional effort to explore both the Black and Korean sides of K-pop in two scenes.
The first is an early breakdown initiated by Soul’s character, Tae Young, who explains the structured roles of a K-pop group, which may be fun for superfans and educational for laypeople to the genre. The next is a winding presentation by BJ to Tae Young about the influence of Motown groups like the Jackson 5 and boy bands like New Edition on the momentum of K-pop’s rise. It’s particularly poignant because it is all shot at a record store on the streets of Korea, where .Paak explained he actually found the records he was referencing. “There’s nothing wrong with people doing their interpretation of Black music, as long as you pay homage and as long as you respect it and take care of it,” .Paak declared. “Because [if you do], then they’ll take care of you, but the moment you don’t, you’ll see what happens … I wanted to explain that history because that’s how I saw it.”
Real-life father and son, Anderson .Paak, left, and Soul Rasheed, co-star in “K-Pops!”
(Jake Giles Netter)
”K-Pops!” has as much of who .Paak and Soul are as father and son as he could fit in. There are appearances by legacy Black artists like Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as K-pop stars like Vernon from Seventeen. There are original songs co-written and co-produced by .Paak and musician Dem Jointz, that feature K-pop fused with soul and funk, one of which Tae Young performs as his finale competition number (soundtrack arriving soon). The film was shot in both L.A. and Korea and provided ample time for bonding (especially during scenes filled with off-the-cuff humor) that .Paak envisioned from the beginning. Yet still, at the time they were about to shoot, .Paak almost couldn’t get Soul on board because he had turned 11 and wasn’t as into K-pop or acting comedically anymore; he insisted he was instead “into Slipknot.”
The duo did find their footing, though, and executed a winding story that centers on their connection. As a burgeoning teenager in 2024, Soul went with his father to the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, along with a plethora of Korean relatives from his mom’s side. .Paak anxiously awaited their full reaction to the culmination of his quest for a deeper bond.
“Everybody really enjoyed it,” .Paak remembered, relieved. “[Soul] was like, ‘I’m proud of you, Dad.’ I asked him, ‘You think you would ever do part two?’ He was like, ‘Nah, I don’t think acting is my passion, but I’ll never forget those moments … You know what? On second thought, it depends on the script.’ But I think he’s really proud of it. I think it’s something like, when he gets older, he’ll see how special it is as well. But yeah, he didn’t say it’s cringe.”
“K-Pops!” has its L.A. premiere on Tuesday and debuts in select theaters Friday.
Kim Kyung-man, director of the Artificial Intelligence Policy Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, announces additional selections for the Independent AI Foundation Model project at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 20. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 20 (Asia Today) — Motif Technology’s consortium has been selected in an additional call to join South Korea’s government-backed effort to build an “independent” artificial intelligence foundation model, as officials said a second evaluation in August will continue to weigh whether teams meet the project’s originality standard.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said Motif was chosen for its experience designing models with its own architecture and for achieving performance it said could compete with leading global systems despite operating in a limited data environment.
The Motif consortium includes the company, startup More, Seoul National University’s industry-academia cooperation foundation and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The group plans to build an inference-focused large language model with 300 billion parameters and later expand work into vision-language models and vision-language-action models, the ministry said.
Motif will develop its model from this month through July and then compete in an August stage evaluation against LG AI Research, Upstage and SK Telecom. The ministry said it will extend the development timeline for the existing three teams by one month, setting the deadline at the end of July, and will provide Motif with support comparable to the other teams, including 768 graphics processing units and data.
The August stage evaluation will narrow the field to three teams and will include the originality requirement, officials said. Two teams are to be selected for final support by the end of the year.
Kim Kyung-man, director of the ministry’s AI policy office, said the four teams will discuss how to apply the originality assessment and that more detailed criteria will be developed with input from industry and academia.
The project drew attention last month after Naver Cloud failed to meet the originality requirement in an initial evaluation and NC AI was eliminated after scoring lowest on other criteria, raising questions in some quarters about the program’s momentum.
The ministry said the project’s priority is building a domestic AI ecosystem through teams capable of developing an independent foundation model.
Kim Yong-min, chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s Bill Review Subcommittee No. 1, opens a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 20 to review a proposed amendment to the Pardon Act. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Feb. 20 (Asia Today) — A National Assembly subcommittee on Thursday approved a third revision to South Korea’s Commercial Act that would in principle require listed companies to cancel repurchased shares within a year, shifting key decisions from boards to shareholders.
The bill cleared the Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s Bill Review Subcommittee No. 1. It sets a one-year deadline for canceling newly acquired buyback shares and gives companies six months to comply for company-held shares already on their books.
Rep. Oh Ki-hyung of the Democratic Party told reporters the core change is requiring companies to decide their shares-held-in-treasury disposal plans at an annual shareholders meeting rather than leaving the matter to boards.
He said directors could face administrative fines of up to 50 million won ($34,500) if the company fails to cancel the shares within the required period.
Oh said the measure is not an unconditional mandate to cancel repurchased shares, arguing that companies could keep them for extended periods if they obtain approval from shareholders.
The revision also adds language allowing boards to pass resolutions on capital-reduction procedures when buyback shares acquired for specific purposes are canceled, lawmakers said.
Fireworks erupt during the launch ceremony of the new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer Dasan Jeong Yak-yong at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan, South Korea, 17 September 2025. The 170-meter-long, 21-meter-wide destroyer is equipped with advanced stealth features and enhanced detection and interception capabilities against ballistic missiles. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Feb. 18 (Asia Today) — South Korea faces mounting strategic pressure as rivalry between the United States and China intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, raising questions about how Seoul should balance its security alliance with Washington and its economic ties with Beijing.
Analysts say the regional balance of power is entering a new phase. U.S. carrier strike groups continue to patrol the Western Pacific and longstanding alliances remain intact. Yet some experts argue Washington’s long-term strategy integrating economic, diplomatic and industrial policy lacks consistency.
In the March-April issue of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Indo-Pacific strategist Jack Cooper wrote that while American military power remains strong, its broader strategic integration has weakened. In an article titled “Asia After America,” he argued that policy shifts between administrations and the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership have left gaps in regional economic leadership.
Cooper said the issue is not U.S. withdrawal but uncertainty over long-term strategic continuity. For allies, he wrote, the question is who shapes the regional order beyond crisis intervention.
Meanwhile, China has continued expanding its footprint through militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea and sustained military activity near Taiwan. Beijing is also deepening regional economic integration through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Belt and Road Initiative, often referred to as the New Silk Road.
South Korea sits at the center of these tensions. Its security rests on its alliance with the United States, while China remains its largest trading partner. Key sectors such as semiconductors, batteries and artificial intelligence are directly exposed to U.S.-China competition.
Jung Seong-jang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, said in an interview that a Taiwan contingency could directly affect South Korea by disrupting critical sea lanes of communication.
A 2023 report by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy found that 33.27% of South Korea’s maritime trade passes through or near the Taiwan Strait. The institute estimated that disruption of major shipping routes in the area could cause economic losses of about 445.2 billion won ($334 million) per day, based on current exchange rates.
Jung cautioned that direct South Korean military involvement in protecting sea lanes could heighten tensions with China, while North Korea might exploit regional instability to escalate provocations.
Joo Eun-sik, head of the Korea Institute for Strategic Studies, outlined several policy recommendations.
First, he called for deeper integration of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, including coordinated planning in maritime security, missile defense, space and cyber domains to strengthen deterrence against so-called gray-zone threats.
Second, he urged a combined economic and security strategy, strengthening supply chain cooperation and expanding investment in strategic technologies. He said South Korea’s defense industry should function not only as an export sector but as part of a broader strategic network.
Third, he emphasized maritime capabilities, describing sea routes from the Strait of Malacca through the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait as vital to South Korea’s economy. Expanding blue-water naval operations, submarine forces, maritime patrol and unmanned systems, he said, is essential.
Finally, he highlighted the need to build strategic autonomy within the alliance framework by investing in independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, space monitoring systems and layered missile defense.
Analysts say the Indo-Pacific order remains unsettled. Whether South Korea becomes a passive bystander or an active architect of its own strategy may depend on how effectively it integrates security, industry and technology into a coherent national plan.
South Korea win the women’s 3000m speed skating relay gold medal as Italy finish in second, meaning Arianna Fontana wins her 14th Olympic medal to become her country’s most decorated Olympian.
North Korea has been designated a “high-risk jurisdiction” for money laundering and terrorism financing for the 16th consecutive year, financial authorities said Wednesday.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is tasked with combating money laundering and terrorism financing, has put North Korea in the highest risk category along with Iran and Myanmar, according to the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Financial Services Commission.
“The FATF remains concerned by the DPRK’s continued failure to address the significant deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism regime and the serious threats posed by the DPRK’s illicit activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its financing,” the organization said on its website, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The FATF, which works under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has categorized North Korea as a “high-risk jurisdiction” since 2011.
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Nearly 3 out of 10 households in South Korea raise pets, mostly dogs, government data showed Tuesday. In this Sept. 28, 2025, photo, dogs wear traditional hanbok at a fashion show held in Seoul. File Photo by Yonhap
Nearly 3 out of 10 households in South Korea raise pets, mostly dogs, government data showed Tuesday.
A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed that 29.2 percent of households were raising pets at home in 2025.
Of such households, 80.5 percent raised dogs, while 14.4 percent raised cats and 4.1 percent fish.
Pet owners spent an average of 121,000 won (US$84) per month for their pets.
The survey marked South Korea’s first nationally approved statistical survey on pet ownership.
In a separate survey on animal welfare, also conducted by the agriculture ministry, a little less than half of respondents said pet owners appear to be properly complying with pet-related requirements, such as using leashes and identification tags.
Still, there existed a wide perception gap depending on the respondents’ pet ownership, with 86.9 percent of those who own pets saying they comply with the rules, while only 39.9 percent of non-owners gave the same response.
Regarding the penalty for animal abuse, 93.2 percent of respondents agreed with a need for stronger punishment for those who abuse animals, including bans on animal ownership.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
