AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
South Korea’s “Onnara System,” a key administrative network used by civil servants, was found to have been hacked for nearly three years without detection. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety uncovered the breach in July, revealing that approximately 650 digital certificates used for official logins had been stolen.
Despite the discovery, the identities of the hackers and the full extent of the data exposure remain unknown. Investigations revealed that suspicious login attempts had been occurring since at least September 2022, but no alerts were triggered due to nonfunctional monitoring systems—highlighting critical vulnerabilities in the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
The revelation comes on the heels of a fire last month at the National Computing Center, which temporarily paralyzed hundreds of government servers. Together, the incidents have fueled growing criticism over the fragility and mismanagement of South Korea’s highly praised “e-government” system.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced that a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand will be signed in Malaysia during the ASEAN Summit, scheduled for October 26–28. The signing will reportedly take place in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking on Monday at the official inauguration of the US$2.3 billion 4F-class Techo International Airport, Hun Manet emphasized the need to resolve conflicts through peaceful means.
“If leadership continues to respond to anger with anger, it is clear that war will not easily come to an end,” he said. “Therefore, in the coming days, we hope to sign a peace agreement and will do everything we can to end the conflict. This is our approach—this is what we must do.”
He further acknowledged that border issues are complex, not only for Cambodia and Thailand but for other ASEAN member states as well. However, he pointed out that many nations in the region choose to settle such disputes through peaceful, bilateral, or judicial mechanisms rather than resorting to military force.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning about a deepening global hunger crisis as humanitarian funding plummets from $9.8 billion in 2024 to just $6.4 billion in 2025. Afghanistan is among the six hardest-hit countries, with fewer than 10% of those in need currently receiving food assistance.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the situation as “dire,” warning that millions could face catastrophic hunger if funding is not urgently restored. According to the agency, 13.7 million Afghans are at risk of sliding from “crisis” to “emergency” levels of food insecurity.
Severe budget shortfalls — including cuts in U.S. assistance — have forced WFP to scale back its operations and focus only on the most vulnerable, such as women-led households and children.
The WFP urged international donors to renew their commitments to avoid further deterioration, cautioning that worsening hunger threatens not only human lives but also regional stability, particularly with winter fast approaching.
Pooneh Nedai, Shokaran Magazine, Iran
The 41st Warsaw Film Festival in Poland concluded with the NETPAC Award, which honors the promotion of Asian and Pacific cinema, going to the Iranian documentary Distant Roads (Uzak Yollar). The Warsaw Film Festival ran from October 10 to 19 in the Polish capital.
Directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammad Reza Ayni, the film has already garnered international acclaim, having won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance. It was also screened at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival and is set to be featured at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Distant Roads tells the compelling story of a 37-year-old former midwife in a remote Iranian village. Now a landowner and motorcycle rider, she fiercely advocates for the rights of others—and successfully wins local elections, challenging social and gender norms in her conservative community.
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