South Korea
TOPIC
 / location

South Korea

Related Topics:
South Korea
South Korea
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on South Korea, covering politics, economy, society, K-pop and Seoul’s relationships with North Korea, Japan, China and the United States.
Capital
Seoul
Head of State
Lee Jae-myung
Lee Jae-myung
Head of Government
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, standing alongside his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, waves after attending his inauguration ceremony in Seoul on June 4. Lee and his progressive Democratic Party are largely regarded as more friendly towards China and North Korea. Photo: EPA-EFE
China-South Korea relations

South Korea has a new president. Will it get a new China policy?

Progressive Lee Jae-myung to take ‘prudent’ Taiwan stance, while balancing Beijing trade ties and US-Japan three-way alliance, analysts say.

videocam
6
Asia elections

South Korea’s new ‘president for all’ inherits a deeply divided nation

US-China trade war

While Xi-Trump call offers respite, China’s neighbours still caught in rivalry

videocam
9
Asean

Opinion | Asia is finally cool in the eyes of those who matter – its young

From Chinese EVs and hotpots to anime and K-pop, Asia’s soft power is capturing the imagination of Southeast Asia’s army of young people.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Lee Jae-myung

What South Korea’s new president means for its US, China ties

Expect a nuanced approach to foreign policy as President Lee Jae-myung attempts to pull relations with Beijing back from their ‘lowest ebb’.

Lee Jae-myung

Trump and South Korea’s new leader talk tariffs, golf and assassinations

President Lee Jae-myung and Trump have both faced attempts on their lives; Lee even had to undergo surgery after being stabbed in the neck.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China trade

As US-China rivalry squeezes Asian markets, is taking sides even an option?

Analysts break down what the protracted power plays between Washington and Beijing mean for Asian economies as they walk a tightrope of risks vs rewards.

videocam
12
Illustration: Henry Wong
Fame and celebrity

Ex-girlfriend who blackmailed K-pop idol with sex video gets suspended sentence

The woman had told the idol to quit the industry by threatening him with sex videos filmed during their relationship.

videocam
China shipbuilding

Big shipowners take wind out of US sails, continue to order vessels from China

MSC executive tells forum in Oslo that Chinese shipyards can build new vessels for sector’s energy transition.

12
US-China relations

US avoids currency manipulator label for China, but slams lack of transparency

The decision not to sanction China for currency manipulation comes after Trump hailed a ‘very positive’ call with President Xi Jinping.

videocam
6
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent looks on during a press conference in the Oval Office in May. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong police

Editorial | Joint police crackdown on cross-border scams delivers swift justice

Hong Kong force joins regional counterparts on new communication platform to intercept proceeds of crime and net hundreds of fraudsters.

Police agencies in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Macau investigated 9,268 reports using a direct communication and information-sharing platform called Frontier+. Photo: May Tse
Food and Drinks

Move over sesame – in Korea, perilla oil is making a comeback

Believed to have been introduced from China and in use in Korea since the 15th century, perilla oil is a mainstay of Korean cuisine.

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.

videocam
The Philippines

Philippines boosts air power with 12 FA-50 jets amid South China Sea tensions

The light combat aircraft is ‘as good a deal as Manila can get’ as an alternative to the US F-16 multirole fighters, analysts say.

videocam
35
Two Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets fly during a joint patrol and training session with the US over the South China Sea on February 4, 2025. Photo: Philippine Air Force/AP
Science

Next-generation battery expert Zhou Jianbin leaves US for China amid global race

Research into solid-state batteries, seen as a key tech battleground, is a priority for major economies.

videocam
22
Solid-state batteries are seen as a key technological battleground. Photo: Xinhua
Crime

South Korean teacher left with broken ribs after baseball bat attack in class

Teachers’ unions demand harsher penalties and probe into the incident that happened just five days after the victim started at the school.

videocam
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks rise for third day as China’s services PMI beats expectations

The Caixin China services PMI index reading of 51.1 in May exceeds Bloomberg’s consensus forecast of 51.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
31
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung takes the oath of office in the National Assembly building in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
US-China trade war

‘Big, scary moment’? What’s up with Section 899 and its ‘retaliatory’ taxes?

Investors are reacting to a clause buried in “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that threatens to curtail inbound foreign investment in US assets.

videocam
11
Yoon Suk-yeol

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.

videocam
North Korea

South Korea’s new president to restart talks with North, boost ties with allies

Lee Jae-myung says he will open a communication channel with Pyongyang, and boost trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation.

videocam
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung takes the oath of office in the National Assembly building in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
Crime

South Korean father admits killing family amid overwhelming debt crisis

Facing financial ruin, the man told police he drugged his family and drove them into the sea off Jindo Island.

Mokpo coastguard retrieve a vehicle carrying a family of four from the sea at Jindo Port in South Jeolla Province, on Monday. Photo: Handout
Japan

‘Lies into truth’: outcry in Japan over Chinese bias at Canadian history museum

With exhibits on Unit 731 and wartime atrocities, critics in Tokyo warn the museum is eroding Japan’s ‘credibility and national dignity’.

14
US-China trade war

Why new US curbs on China’s tech tests could raise prices for American consumers

Or is this another ‘Taco’ moment for the Trump administration?

videocam
Asia elections

Lee Jae-myung wins South Korean presidential election

The new president will inherit a fragile economy battered by US tariffs, a divided electorate and an urgent need to restore international confidence.

videocam
20
Lee Jae-myung speaks to his supporters in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong helps seize HK$157 million in cross-border online scam operation

Seven Asian police agencies also made 1,800 arrests and froze over 32,000 bank accounts with the aid of direct communication platform.

videocam
As part of the joint operation, police agencies in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Macau investigated 9,268 reports using a direct communication and information-sharing platform called Frontier+ Photo: May Tse

Video | South Koreans begin voting in presidential election

Asia elections

South Korea’s future hangs in the balance as voters choose new president

With a divided electorate and foreign policy decisions looming, the new president will inherit a nation reeling from past political turmoil.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement