Trending on X, 10 AM: Nyambaatar and embassies, UB at 387, drugs by mail, Gantsmod, Korean visas, MSE record

Here are the ten topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 06:00 and 10:13 on October 29, and the posts that reached the widest audience. Engagement figures were taken at 10:24.

1. Kh. Nyambaatar turns to foreign embassies (new development)

Former Justice and Home Affairs Minister Kh. Nyambaatar, now a member of the Ulaanbaatar City Council, has taken his dispute with the Office of the President to foreign diplomatic missions. In a post addressed to the embassies of the United States, the European Union and other countries in Mongolia, he wrote that freedom of expression and of the press is being seriously violated in Mongolia. He claimed that citizens who criticise the President in posts or comments get phone calls from the Office of the President demanding that they delete them, have their homes searched by security agencies, and are detained without a court order. These are his claims and have not been independently verified. On October 27 the Office of the President issued a statement accusing Nyambaatar of spreading slander.

Outlets including UBN.mn and Record.mn reported his statement.

2. Ulaanbaatar celebrates its 387th anniversary

October 29 marks 387 years since Ulaanbaatar was founded, and users shared greetings for the occasion. The city traces its history to 1639 and the camp of Zanabazar. MNC Television noted that this camp, the Örgöö, moved 28 times between 1639 and 1778 before settling on the site of today's city in 1778. For the anniversary, the Chinggis Khaan National Museum is opening its permanent exhibition halls to the public free of charge today from 09:00 to 16:00.

3. Police break up a group importing psychotropic substances by mail from Germany

Police and intelligence agencies have uncovered and are investigating three Mongolian citizens who allegedly imported psychotropic substances from Germany through international mail and sold them. According to the national broadcaster MNB, officers seized 2 kg 625.4 g of a high-concentration substance listed in Schedule II of the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, plus 600 g, or 1,230 pieces, of MDMA-based substances. Together that is enough for about 2,105 doses. Users voiced concern about rising drug crime among young people.

4. Face-recognition checks at Gantsmod slow Mongolian exports (new development)

The cause of the slowdown in Oyu Tolgoi's copper concentrate exports, covered in the October 27 roundup, has become clear. The Chinese side told the Ömnögovi border port administration that since August it has been rolling out a system at Gantsmod that identifies drivers by face while they sit in their vehicles. The work will continue until the end of December. Read more in the separate story.

5. South Korea to pilot group tourist visas for Mongolians

South Korea's Justice Ministry says it will run a one-year pilot of group tourist visas (C-3-2) for Mongolian citizens starting October 30. Groups of at least five people, organised through one of seven travel agencies chosen by the Korean Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, will be able to stay for up to 15 days. Read more in the separate story.

6. Mongolian Stock Exchange market value hits ₮17.1 trillion

Lemon Press reported that the combined value of companies listed on the Mongolian Stock Exchange has reached a record ₮17.1 trillion. Mono.mn had reported ₮17.08 trillion at the October 9 close. Khan Bank and Tavan Tolgoi are each worth more than ₮3 trillion and together account for about 41% of the total. Separately, the exchange reported that Khan Bank has repaid 25% of the original principal of its "Green Bond-2", leaving $12.5 million outstanding.

7. N. Altankhuyag calls the repeated returns of his case "ordered"

The Supreme Court has declined to hear the so-called "Development Bank" case on supervisory review, so it will be retried at first instance. In an interview with UBN.mn, MP N. Altankhuyag said that of five court hearings he has been acquitted three times and his case has been sent back twice. He called the drawn-out process and repeated returns "ordered, a form of torture." He also said he has no evidence yet of who might be behind it and is looking into it. He noted that the provision allowing cases to be sent back was removed from the law in 2022.

8. IMF and World Bank warn that budget expansion could fuel inflation

A review by iToim.mn, drawing on IMF and World Bank assessments, said the spending increases in the 2026 amended budget and the draft 2027 budget could add to inflationary pressure. In its October 8 statement, the IMF warned in particular that funding spending with volatile mining revenue and one-off dividends is risky. Separately, Bloomberg TV Mongolia reported that the World Bank has raised its 2027 copper price forecast by 18% from its April outlook, to $13,000 per tonne.

9. MP P. Sainzorig has his travel ban lifted

iSee.mn reported that MP P. Sainzorig, who is under investigation, had his travel ban lifted a few days ago after asking a court to do so on the grounds that he had an official assignment abroad. The outlet added that MP D. Amarbayasgalan had his travel ban lifted in June and MP Kh. Bulgantuyaa in August.

10. Moroccan minister's "Mongolian marriage" remark draws criticism

Morocco World News reported that Moroccan Higher Education Minister Azzedine El Midaoui drew criticism on October 26 for using the phrase "Mongolian marriage" in parliament, as an example of students studying, living and staying in the same region. A Moroccan organisation defending the rights of women with disabilities condemned the phrase as discriminatory, outdated terminology once used for people with Down syndrome, and the minister apologised. Zogii.mn described the phrase as insulting to Mongolians.

Sources: UBN.mn, Record.mn, MNC, MNB, Bloomberg TV Mongolia, Zindaa.mn, Korea Herald, Yonhap, Mono.mn, Lemon Press, iToim.mn, IMF, iSee.mn, Morocco World News, Zogii.mn, egov.mn.

Methodology: We ranked posts from about 200 major news and influential accounts found through X search, plus more than 50 keyword searches, by an engagement score (likes + 2× reposts + views/100), and checked the facts against news sites. Posts that could not be verified or that carried a risk of defamation were left out. Views expressed by individuals on X do not represent the position of egov.mn.