Two Held as Hong Kong's Yellow Economy Hits Legal Wall

The National Security Department of the Police Force launched an enforcement operation on October 6. Officers arrested a man and a woman in Kwun Tong District and Tsim Sha Tsui District respectively, both aged 38.

The arrested persons are suspected of violating Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, namely the offence of "doing an act with a seditious intention." Sources indicate that the arrested man is Wong Ka-ho, a former member of the localist group "North District Dynamic." The other arrested person is his girlfriend.

It is understood that during the black violence period, someone set up a social media page named "YellowInsurance," covering platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. While promoting insurance business, the page repeatedly published posts supporting the black violence and expressing solidarity with "brothers and sisters."

It also spread messages smearing the Central Authorities and the SAR Government, promoting "Hong Kong independence," and attempting to incite public hatred toward the Central Authorities and the SAR Government.

After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, this page shifted to continuously inciting through "soft resistance" tactics. It used hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure "edge ball" forms to disseminate anti-China and pro-riot messages and incite "Hong Kong independence." It also promoted the black violence song "Glory to Hong Kong," various yellow shops, and participation in the "yellow economic circle" mobile application "Punish Mee," in an attempt to imperceptibly poison the general public.

Using hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure forms to disseminate messages. (Online image)

The page involved claimed that it could arrange various types of insurance for customers, yet did not disclose the identity of the person in charge or the relevant licence status. An insider's analysis pointed out that this operating method lacked transparency.

The page imitated the operating model of the "yellow economic circle" and hinted in its posts that it was run by anti-government "yellow people," thereby using the political halo to attract yellow-camp consumers to take out insurance through its platform and earn insurance commissions for profit.

Sources say the two arrested individuals are suspected of managing these pages. Wong Ka-ho claimed to work as a financial adviser at a local investment company and holds an insurance intermediary licence. The arrested girlfriend does not work in the insurance industry and does not hold an insurance intermediary licence, and is suspected of having been instigated by Wong Ka-ho to help manage social media.

Under the Insurance Ordinance, selling insurance without a licence or taking part in related regulated activities is a criminal offence. That includes making applications or providing advice on insurance contracts.

Founded in 2015, "North District Dynamic" repeatedly launched and joined protests against parallel traders. Wong Ka-ho was active in those activities and ran in the District Council election that same year for "North District Dynamic", but the pro-democracy camp at the time accused him of "splitting the vote".

In November 2016, Wong and several former members of Demosisto and the League of Social Democrats joined a march against the NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law. He was later arrested for surrounding the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government building and throwing hard objects at police.

In March 2020, Wong Ka-ho and Lui Chi-hang, one of those convicted in the "35+ subversion case", went to MTR Fanling Station to disrupt a signature street booth organized by citizens in "support of Article 23 legislation". The move triggered a pushing and shoving incident involving more than 20 people from both sides.

Reports at the time said Wong and his associates livestreamed the process online during the incident and afterwards shared photos of their own injuries online to court sympathy, and were accused of premeditation.

The "yellow economic circle" broadly refers to the economic activities of so-called "mutual support among brothers and sisters" initiated by some anti-China, destabilizing elements after the 2019 black violence. A senior figure pointed out that in essence it is about amassing wealth by inciting hatred and social confrontation, which both endangers national security and damages Hong Kong's economy and prosperity and stability.

After the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, the forces concerned still hide in the community, poisoning the public through "soft resistance" to seek private gain, planting major hidden dangers for Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperous development.

According to records, many people who took part in anti-government activities during the 2019 black violence hoped to profit through the "yellow economic circle".

For example, Chu Kong-wai is suspected of promoting MPF schemes without an MPF intermediary licence. He marketed MPF consolidation schemes on social platforms and through other channels as a "financial adviser", calling on "brothers and sisters" to let his team manage their MPF accounts and claiming they could obtain ideal returns. He was criticized for disregarding clients' potential financial losses.

Chu was attached to Manulife senior branch manager Lee Chun-wah. Before entering the insurance industry, Lee had been a male PE teacher at a secondary school, during which time he associated with a 14-year-old underage girl and once sat on the back of a half-naked girl to take photos, involving indecency toward an underage girl.

He was later revealed to possess nearly a hundred pornographic photos and videos of another girl at the school. He was ultimately convicted on two counts of committing indecent acts against a child under 16 and possession of child pornography.

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung mentioned in a radio program a few days ago that Hong Kong currently still faces four major national security risks. They include smearing by external forces, local terrorist activities, those who have absconded overseas continuing to advocate "Hong Kong independence", and hidden "soft resistance". He said bluntly that the most evil thing is "soft resistance", because it may not be very obvious.

The expert points out that this case proves the national security risks from "soft resistance" still exist. The acts in the case are suspected of violating "doing an act with a seditious intention," a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of 7 years' imprisonment on first conviction.

The expert believes the police will continue to ensure that laws are observed and strictly enforced and that lawbreakers are prosecuted. The force will effectively prevent, stop and punish any acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law.

Ariel

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The PGA Tour lost Kapalua on Maui as a season opener when a water dispute left the Plantation course unplayable, and then it played the Sony Open in Honolulu for the last time to avoid having one tournament in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

But that's hardly the end of professional golf in Hawaii.

Kapalua is back in the fold with the announcement that the Lotte Championship is moving from Hoakalei on Oahu to the Plantation course, which had hosted a PGA Tour event starting in 1999.

The Lotte Championship moves from October to March 18-21, one week after the new Nanea Cup on the Big Island that will have 95 players from the LPGA Tour and 25 players from five colleges competing concurrently in separate tournaments.

"As we continue to strengthen the LPGA Tour schedule, venues with deep-rooted heritage like Kapalua are exactly what we look for,” LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said.

The LPGA was at Kapalua for one year in 2008, won by Morgan Pressel on the Bay course. The Plantation course has more than 25 years of memories, from Tiger Woods beating Ernie Els in a playoff in 2000 to Hideki Matsuyama setting the PGA Tour's record score to par at 35 under in 2025, the final year it was played.

March also is the last month before the humpback whales — Kapalua is famous for its views of humpbacks breaching in the Pacific — head north toward Alaska.

“Kapalua is an incredible venue to showcase the beauty of Hawaii and everything that makes the islands so special,” said Allisen Corpuz, a Hawaii native and the 2023 U.S. Women's Open champion.

The PGA Tour Champions also has a two-week Aloha swing. It picked up the Sony Championship at Waialae to go along with its Mitsubishi Electric Championship on the Big Island.

The newest team for the indoor golf league TGL at SoFi Center in South Florida is already off to a big start in filling the roster.

The Motor City Golf Club started with Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion who returned to the PGA Tour this year. This week it announced the addition of Jackson Koivun, who in four months led Auburn to the NCAA golf title, won his first PGA Tour title in his third start as a pro and then went unbeaten in the Presidents Cup.

The Detroit-based club is the first expansion team for TGL and makes its debut early next year.

“With Jackson and Brooks, we have an amazing foundation for what we are trying to build,” said Michael Hamp, the team governor of Motor City.

Meanwhile, TMRW Sports announced an extension of its U.S. media rights with ESPN, which has been the network for TGL since it began two years ago.

The Korn Ferry Tour ends its season with the Tour Championship, and eight of the 20 cards for the PGA Tour in 2027 already have been secured. Blades Brown, who turned pro while still in high school and has contended on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour this year, is at No. 14 and seemingly would be safe to be in the big leagues next year.

Holding down the 20th spot is Cole Hammer, who is just over five points ahead of Yuta Sugiura of Japan. Sugiura originally was in the field for the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, but he withdrew because of his position on the Korn Ferry points list.

Sugiura last week became the fourth player in Korn Ferry Tour history with a 58 or lower.

Also at stake this week is a fight for No. 1. Sandy Scott won in Oklahoma last week to overtake Ross Steelman on the points list by a mere 24 points. The leading player gets into The Players Championship and the U.S. Open next year.

Bernhard Langer is in the field for the Constellation Furyk & Friends on the PGA Tour Champions, marking his return to the Ocean Course at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort.

But it's been a minute.

Langer was 50 when he won the Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach for his third career PGA Tour Champions title. Ginn dropped its sponsorship the following year.

The Furyk & Friends, previously held at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, moves to Hammock Beach about 60 miles down the Atlantic coast this year. Langer, the last player to win on the Jack Nicklaus design, returns 18 years later at age 69 and goes for his 48th career Champions title. He has not won since the season finale in 2024.

The European tour schedule for 2027 had one curious shift of tournaments. The BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event on the tour, is moving to the week after the Ryder Cup in Ireland.

The flagship event for years was held in May until it was moved to September in 2019. For the next three Ryder Cups — one in Italy in 2023, the other two in the United States — the BMW PGA Championship has been held two weeks before the matches.

The schedule change allows for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year to be Sept. 17-19. It will be preceded by the European Masters in Switzerland and the French Open. It also means 12 very happy — or very sad — Europeans go to flagship events with a hangover, literal or figurative.

It's reminiscent of 2008, when the PGA Tour rearranged its schedule for the Ryder Cup at Valhalla. There were three FedEx Cup playoff events, followed by a week off and then the Ryder Cup. The Tour Championship was the week after Valhalla.

The Americans won, there was a great celebration. And then the top 30 headed to East Lake. That was the year Vijay Singh only had to finish 72 holes to claim the FedEx Cup. It also was the year Kentucky native Kenny Perry showed how little he wanted to be there.

“I don’t want to be here — don’t want nothing to do with this deal,” Perry said that week. ”It's ruined the greatest week of my life coming here. I don’t want to play golf. I want to go home and celebrate. I’m physically tired. I have no focus. I don’t even care. I’m just trying to get my last-place check, post a 72-hole number and go home."

He tied for 24th, collected $120,400 and went home.

Along with having world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as its defending champion, The American Express will have the Zac Brown Band and Train performing on consecutive nights after the second and third rounds at PGA West in the California desert. ... George McNeill is No. 7 on the Charles Schwab Cup and still needed an exemption to get into the Constellation Furyk & Friends this week. The good news for McNeill? The top 36 at the end of the season are fully exempt for next year. ... Xander Schauffele brought 1-year-old son Victor to the Baycurrent Classic in Japan for grandparents on both sides — his mother and his wife's mother grew up in Japan — to see him for the first time.

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand needed only 101 starts on the LPGA to surpass $20 million in career earnings. She is $30,163 ahead of Cristie Kerr, who played in 609 tournaments.

“That means I need to pay more tax.” — Jeeno Thitikul on surpassing $20 million in career earnings.

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Brooks Koepka of USA tees off the 2nd on day three of the Dunhill Links Golf Championship in St Andrews, Scotland, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

USA teams' Jackson Koivun reacts to his birdie putt on the 12th hole against the International team during a Presidents Cup golf tournament final round singles match at Medinah Country Club, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)