Netflix launches Lee Chang‑dong’s short film Heartbeat on Monday. The 28‑minute drama, starring Jeon Do‑yeon and Sul Kyung‑gu, debuted at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival without a theatrical run. The project was commissioned by the World Health Organization and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation as part of a depression‑focused initiative. Lee’s feature film Possible Love is scheduled for release on Friday.
Seoul
4 stories since 29 October 2026, newest first
31 October 2026
Veteran South Korean actor Choi Bool-am died at about 10 p.m. on Thursday at a hospital in western Seoul, aged 87, according to his family. He began his television career in 1967 at Seoul Central Broadcasting, the forerunner of KBS, and became known for playing detective Park Young-han in MBC's crime drama Chief Inspector, which aired from 1971 to 1989. He had hosted the KBS documentary Korean Food Table for 14 years before stepping down after herniated-disc surgery in March last year. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young posthumously conferred the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit on him.
30 October 2026
Binance, the crypto exchange, says hackers took about $6.3 billion in client assets from internet-connected wallets on Thursday, 30 Oct, in the largest crypto theft on record. The operation took roughly 20 minutes. Binance says it will cover customer losses using its own funds, and about $3 billion has been frozen on-chain with industry partners. Security firms TRM Labs and others link the attack to a North Korea-linked hacking unit. Binance suspended withdrawals after the breach.
29 October 2026
North Korea fired roughly a dozen short‑range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on 29 Oct, each traveling about 250 km toward the East Sea, according to South Korean military sources. Seoul’s National Security Office labeled the launches a breach of UN Security Council resolutions and convened an emergency meeting, while the United States and Japan receive shared intelligence. The same day, South Korea accused North Korea of placing landmines south of the Military Demarcation Line, a claim Pyongyang denied and warned could provoke retaliation.