October 12 - October 18
China
Authorities detained thirty persons linked to an unregistered network of Christian churches called the Zion Church. Human rights groups are calling it the largest crackdown on house churches in decades. Those detained include Zion founder Jin Mingri (金明日), who is being held on suspicion of “illegal use of information networks,” according to a detention notice seen by the BBC. The detentions spanned at least ten cities.
The Ministry of Commerce accused the United States of undermining the multilateral trading system through trade bullying, following double standards in industrial policy, and disrupting global supply chains. Its third annual report on WTO compliance by the US said Washington has bypassed the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, unilaterally imposed “reciprocal tariffs,” and introduced discriminatory trade measures.
Officials in Tibet said thirty hectares of Himalayan grassland were harmed by a September 19 fireworks display on a mountain in Relong Township in Gyangze County. The display, staged by the Cai Guoqiang Art Studio and sponsored by the outdoor brand Arc'teryx, lasted for less than one minute but included setting off more than 1,000 pots of explosives in order to create the image of a dragon snaking over the mountain. The county party secretary and other local officials were dismissed in an ongoing investigation.
Police in Huoshan County, Anhui Province, arrested a man who dug an unauthorized 300-square-meter basement below his first-floor unit in a nine-story apartment building, causing cracks in more than thirty other units. The excavation was discovered by residents in August, and local authorities have since reinforced the foundation to ensure its safety.
Hong Kong
Two barristers sued a magistrate, a lawyer, and the Department of Justice for HK$21.4 million (about US$2.75 million), alleging they improperly prolonged a jaywalking trial originally scheduled for two days into a 91-day event that began in January 2018 and ended in October 2019. The accused jaywalker ultimately was acquitted but the magistrate said the defense had wasted the court’s time and ordered it to pay about HK$620,000 to the prosecution. In 2022, the Court of Appeals overturned the payment order and said that the magistrate, prosecution, and defense had all wasted court resources.
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese police arrested three men accused of laundering about HK$274 million (US$34.7 million) in a cross-border operation. Hong Kong police said the group recruited persons from the mainland to travel to Hong Kong and open accounts with online-based digital banks. One suspect was arrested in Hong Kong, and two others were detained in Shenzhen.
The Legislative Council approved a long-awaited framework to regulate ride-hailing services such as Uber. The new system, which will not take effect for at least a year, will require platform operators to obtain a license and drivers to obtain permits for themselves and their vehicles. Uber, Didi and other platforms have been operating in Hong Kong without regulations.
Japan
The government has formally asked OpenAI to refrain from infringing on Japanese-created intellectual property such as manga and anime. Soon after OpenAI launched its video generator Sora 2 on Oct. 1, social media was flooded with videos generated by the app, many containing copyrighted characters from anime and game franchises. Digital Minister Masaaki Taira said the government may take further measures.
The Financial Services Agency plans to offer amendments to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act to ban insider trading in cryptocurrencies. The amendments would authorize the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission to investigate suspicious trades and recommend penalties or criminal charges for transactions based on undisclosed information. Currently, crypto trading is largely self-regulated by exchanges and the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association, but oversight has been limited.
The Tokyo High Court ordered the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to pay ¥660,000 ($4387) to a South Asian woman and her daughter after police disclosed their names, address, and phone number to a man with whom they had a dispute in a public park. The officers said the information was to be used in pursuing civil litigation, but the man posted it on social media along with derogatory messages.
Tokyo police arrested a man accused of using AI to create fake sexual images of female celebrities and posting them online to paying subscribers. It is the first time that police in Japan have cracked down on sexual deepfake images of celebrities created with generative AI. The suspect allegedly made a total of about 20,000 sexually explicit images of 262 women, including actors, television personalities, and idols.
Koreas
South Korea issued a travel ban for parts of Cambodia due to an increase in employment scams targeting its citizens, including a recent case in which a Korean university student was killed. Victims are typically lured with promises of high-paying jobs, but upon arrival are confined in compounds and forced to participate in online fraud operations. Second Vice-Foreign Minister Kim Jina led a delegation to Phnom Penh to coordinate the repatriation of about sixty South Koreans who are being detained by Cambodian authorities after a crackdown on the scam operations. About eighty others are missing.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol voluntarily appeared for questioning by a special counsel investigating whether his martial law order in December 2024 amounted to treason. However, Yoon exercised his right to remain silent. The special counsel wanted to know if Yoon ordered the military to fly drones over the capital of North Korea, bypassing the chain of command. North Korea’s government has alleged that South Korean drones scattered anti-regime propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang. Investigators believe Yoon may have wanted to provoke a North Korean response that would provide a pretext for declaring martial law.
Fourteen families of Jeju Air crash victims filed a lawsuit in Washington State against Boeing, alleging the company failed to update equipment on a plane that crashed in South Korea in December 2024, killing 179 people. The lawsuit says Boeing neglected the 737-800’s systems and did not provide adequate pilot training. The cause has not been determined. Other families have sued in Illinois, Boeing’s former headquarters.
A Seoul court sentenced a 67-year-old man surnamed Won to twelve years in prison for attempted murder after he set fire to a subway train in May. Won poured gasoline on the floor of a moving train, injuring six passengers and endangering about 160 others. Investigators said Won committed the arson in a suicide attempt following a divorce.
Seoul police said they will seek civil damages from a man in his 20s who made a false bomb threat at Shinsegae Department Store in August. He is under investigation for public intimidation after posting his threat online. A middle school student had threatened to blow up the same store earlier the same day. Each of the threats required mobilizing hundreds of police and fire officials to evacuate about 4,000 employees and visitors. Police say they are seeking about 20 million won ($14,000).
Taiwan
The Taiwan High Court sentenced former independent legislative candidate Ma Chih-wei (馬治薇) to two years and eight months in prison for violating the Anti-Infiltration Act. The court found that Ma accepted about US$34,000 in cash and cryptocurrency from two friends in China during her 2024 legislative campaign in Taoyuan. It said she provided personal data of government officials to individuals linked to a Chinese foundation, thereby assisting a hostile foreign power in influencing Taiwan’s elections. A district court previously convicted Ma of violating the Personal Data Protection Act but not the more serious Anti-Infiltration Act.
Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) said her ministry plans to block access to TikTok on Wi-Fi networks in elementary and junior high schools. Speaking in a legislative session, Lin said the aim is to protect minors, and that a nationwide ban would raise free speech concerns. The ministry is coordinating with other agencies to restrict TikTok account creation for children under twelve and set limits for older teens.