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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Seoul. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Head of Government
Mayor Oh Se-hoon
Left: BTS member Jungkook wearing the controversial “Make Tokyo Great Again” cap during a rehearsal appearance in June 13 Photo: Handout. Right: Jungkook during a BTS 5th anniversary photoshoot in Los Angeles in May 2018. Photo: Dispatch / Wikimedia Commons
South Korea

BTS’ Jungkook apologises for wearing ‘Make Tokyo Great Again’ hat after backlash

The 27-year-old K-pop star said he was not aware of the hat’s historical and political significance.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Despite setbacks, Seoul’s property market is an example of resilience

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South Korea

In the 1980s, South Korea was a meth exporter. Now, its drug labs are back

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South Korea

Lee Jae-myung’s debut at G7 summit shows ‘South Korea is back in the game’

His attendance at the meeting of major powers will be the new president’s first overseas trip since taking office.

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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at a meeting in the presidential office on Monday. Photo: dpa
China travel

End of political chaos in South Korea sparks pickup in Chinese visitors

Inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung expected to lead to an increase in tourism exchanges and improved bilateral ties.

South Korea

Filipino helpers face exploitation, sexual harassment in South Korea

Carers in the pilot programme endure excessive workloads and contract abuse, sparking criticism over its flawed implementation.

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South Korea

End to inter-Korea ‘loudspeaker war’?

Pyongyang’s cessation of loudspeaker broadcasts does not signal a shift in its indifferent policy towards ties with Seoul, analysts say.

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South Korean soldiers work on a loudspeaker set up for propaganda broadcasts during a military drill near the Demilitarised Zone. Photo: Handout via Reuters
South Korea

BTS’ Jungkook faces break-in attempt hours after South Korean military discharge

The Chinese fan was caught trying to gain entry into his Seoul flat by repeatedly pressing the keypad door lock.

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South Korea

South Korea urged to tighten rules on Chinese-led property shopping

Foreign real estate deals in the country spark debate on reciprocity laws as officials push for stronger regulations.

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South Korea

South Korea’s ties with Japan face new test after ex-forced labourer wins suit

A 107-year-old South Korean has won his case against Mitsubishi after a court ordered the firm to pay him compensation for his labour.

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A shop in Tokyo featuring Japanese and South Korean flags. Ties between both sides are set to be tested again over a South Korean ex-forced labourer winning a suit against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Photo: AP
South Korea

Seoul court delays trial of South Korean president over election law charges

Lee Jae-myung’s trial was delayed indefinitely due to constitutional protection, sparking debate on the legal implications for sitting presidents.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s trial over election law violations has been postponed indefinitely. Photo: Reuters
Japan

South Korea’s Lee pledges warmer ties, but past tensions leave Japan ‘worried’

A minor bilateral misstep or the need to push a nationalist agenda could see ties spiral to the lows of 2019, analysts warn.

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China-South Korea relations

South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Analysts expect Lee Jae-myung’s foreign policy to be marked by pragmatism, but balancing economic and security interests will be challenge.

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South Korea

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung’s journey with South Korea’s president

South Korean First Lady Kim Hye-kyung was the president’s third blind date match in a month.

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Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hye-kyung at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday where Lee was sworn in as South Korea’s new president. Photo: Xinhua
South Korea

Seoul is spending millions to fight loneliness in South Korea. Will it work?

Efforts include creating spaces like the Seoul Maeum Convenience Store, a cross between a mental health centre and a cafe, and a 24-hour support hotline.

People walk across a road in Seoul. South Korea’s capital is at the epicentre of the nation’s social isolation epidemic, with people living alone now making up more than 35 per cent of all households in the capital, according to The Korea Herald. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

The winner of Tuesday’s snap presidential election will face ‘the worst troubles in economy and security’, analysts say.

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South Korea

K-pop takes centre stage in South Korea’s presidential race

Lovable and Next Door Oppa are among the retro hits used by front-runners Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo to sway voters.

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China-South Korea relations

‘US troops critical’: South Korean presidential candidate signals turn on China

Lee Jae-myung says Trump’s attempt to engage Kim Jong-un in dialogue is ‘helpful for the peace of the Korean peninsula’.

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Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK), says US troops in South Korea could be “critical” for containing China. Photo: AFP
South Korea

Talk of US troop cuts rattles nerves in South Korea ahead of snap election

The Pentagon has denied reports of a drawdown, but analysts say it remains possible given Washington’s shifting defence priorities.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | After hardline Yoon, South Korea needs a more balanced foreign policy

The next leader must broaden diplomacy while rejecting nuclear arms and regaining wartime military control.

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South Korea

South Korea’s ‘Warmth Mailbox’ delivers handwritten hope in age of loneliness

The project sees volunteers answer letters from anonymous strangers with pen, paper and empathy.

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A man submits a letter to the “Warmth Mailbox” located on the campus of Konkuk University, western Seoul. Photo: Kim Jung-yeop
South Korea

South Korea offers cash for marriage to tackle birth-rate crisis

These one-off financial incentives may do little to address the structural challenges, though, critics argue.

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A bride leans on a pillar before a mass wedding ceremony organised by the South Korean Unification Church. Photo: AFP
South Korea

Jets scrambled in 2 mins: inside South Korea’s secretive air defence centre

Pilots sprint to their planes seconds after an alert goes out at the Korea Air and Space Operations Centre.

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South Korea

‘Go back to China’: South Korea election stokes anti-Chinese hostility in Seoul

Wave of anti-China narratives by far-right groups has left Chinese nationals and ethnic Korean-Chinese in the country afraid for their safety.

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South Korea

Sole of a nation: Lee Jae-myung’s shoes sell out in South Korean election campaign

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung blue-and-red “bipartisan” trainers that symbolise unity between liberal and conservative voters sold out overnight.

Reebok Classic Leather GY1522. Photo: handout
South Korea

South Korea arrests 2 over plot to extort Son Heung-min with fake pregnancy

The pair allegedly demanded millions of won to stay quiet about the fabricated claims involving the national football icon.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min reacts during a Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt in London on April 10, 2025. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Korea’s denial of joint drills with Japan highlights past ‘grievances’

Many South Koreans may find it difficult to accept the idea of their soldiers training beside Japanese troops, analysts say.

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South Korea

South Korea’s Starbucks bans use of presidential candidates’ names in orders

Customers cannot use the names of all seven presidential candidates in the ‘Call My Name’ service until after the nation’s June 3 snap polls.

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