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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
One of CGN Energy International’s gas-power projects is seen in South Korea. Photo: China Energy News
China trade

China energy giant expands Korean footprint, helps fuel Seoul’s AI ambitions

The state-owned firm’s new project, independently managed by the company’s South Korean subsidiary, brings its number of power facilities in the country to five.

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United States

Outside In | Why Donald Trump may regret reheating his global trade war

US-China trade war

Trump’s new tariffs, stock market intervention, mega IPOs

China-South Korea relations

South Korea returns looted Qing dynasty lions to China in cultural diplomacy win

Experts believe the marble sculptures guarded an imperial residence before they were taken by Japanese invaders in the early 20th century.

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These Qing Dynasty lions, which stood outside a Seoul museum for more than 80 years, have been returned to China. Photo: Xinhua
Seoul

SK Group chief ordered to pay US$644 million in South Korea’s biggest divorce

If finalised, the High Court ruling means Chey Tae-won’s break from Roh Soh-yeong will be South Korea’s most expensive divorce ever.

Samsung Electronics

South Korea rethinks Yellow Envelope Act as labour union demands mount

Without clearer boundaries, the revised act could fuel labour disputes and create uncertainty for businesses and the economy, critics warn.

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Food and Drinks

The best guest shifts in Hong Kong and Macau amid Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026

As the top 50 list is unveiled in Macau next Tuesday, rare guest shifts bring the region’s finest mixologists to the Four Seasons’ Argo, Green Room at Upper House and more.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 is set to unveil the top 50 list on July 28. Photo: Handout
SCMP Highlights

Fresh US tariffs on 60 economies; first China duo win Fields Medal: 7 highlights

From a new Chinese AI model to a Singapore minister’s resignation, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Banking & finance

Hongkongers increase cross-border shopping splurges, spending data shows

Price differentials, changing consumer habits make mainland China a ‘major hotspot’ for Hongkongers’ spending, UnionPay International says.

US-China trade war

Liberation Day 2.0? US slaps fresh wave of tariffs on China, 50-plus economies

‘Forced labour’ duties replace Trump administration’s original sweeping levies but are unlikely to generate the same level of global shock.

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US President Donald Trump at a rally in Georgia on Wednesday, before the administration’s tariff announcement. Photo: AP
North Korea

Seoul drops ‘denuclearisation-first’ stance on Pyongyang

The long-term goal of denuclearisation remains unchanged but stymieing new developments will be South Korea’s focus.

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People in Seoul watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, in April. 2026. Photo: AFP
Korean drama reviews

A Shop for Killers season 2: Lee Dong-wook leads action-packed return

Lee is back alongside Kim Hye-jun to take on assassins in this new season that has so far prioritised narrative set-up over splashy violence.

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Stocks

Macroscope | Emerging markets have a concentration problem. Investors will have to live with it

Investors nervous about the dominance of South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers can’t afford to ignore them.

Artificial intelligence

South Korean unions push for higher payouts after Samsung’s US$400,000 bonus

What began with workers calling for Samsung and SK Hynix to share profits reaped from the AI boom is spilling over to other industries.

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Samsung Electronics union members hold a rally protesting against gaps in bonuses in front of its branch in Suwon, south of Seoul, on July 16. Photo: Yonhap/EPA
Lee Jae Myung

South Korea charges former US diplomat with defaming Lee Jae Myung

Morse Tan, a former US ambassador-at-large, is accused of spreading false allegations about the president in Washington last year.

Morse Tan served as the US ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice under the first Trump administration. Photo: US Department of State
Seoul

Guilty verdict leaves South Korea’s top conservative ‘a wounded lame duck’

A campaign finance conviction threatens to end Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s presidential ambitions, just weeks after winning a fifth term.

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US-China relations

US Congress weighs new tariffs, sanctions to counter China’s shipbuilding threat

US lawmakers search for ways to tackle Beijing’s rapid rise in commercial shipbuilding and restore America’s diminished commercial fleet.

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Wealth management

DBS survey shows Chinese investors eye Hong Kong, US to weather volatility

Stocks in mainland markets have underperformed this year, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 3.9 per cent year to date as of Wednesday.

Bull statues near screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, February 3, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Asian cinema: Korean films

My Sassy Girl at 25: how Jun Ji-hyun’s star turn changed South Korean cinema

Jun Ji-hyun’s role as a brash young woman in the 2001 romcom subverted gender stereotypes, today inspiring actresses like Park Eun-bin.

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Asian Cuisine

Owner of Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea faces jail for ant-topped sorbet

Prosecutors demand prison term and fine for serving unapproved imported insects to diners.

Indonesia

Indonesia steps up market reforms to avert MSCI downgrade

Investment chief Rosan Roeslani says the overhaul is about building trust, not just pleasing index providers.

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A man walks past a glass window reflecting an electronic sign showing the stock market index at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Trump approves Saudi nuclear deal that could allow uranium enrichment, AP sources say

Deal is expected to last 30 years, with US firms helping the kingdom develop a civil nuclear industry.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: AP
ETFs

Chinese brokerage quits South Korea ETF as Seoul stock volatility spills over

The Shenzhen-based brokerage’s retreat from Huatai-PineBridge semiconductor fund comes just weeks after stepping in as market maker.

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong retains 17th spot among top cities for students but high costs hurt

Quacquarelli Symonds also identifies limited global diversity and persistent shortage of student accommodation as key challenges for city.

Defence

Questions resurface over South Korea defence minister’s army service

Ahn Gyu-back’s accuser claims a gap in his military record reflected an absence without leave. Ahn has called it an ‘administrative error’.

South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a ceremony at the navy’s 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek on June 29. Photo: Yonhap/EPA
Asia travel

Why are tourists flocking to South Korea’s pharmacies and wellness services?

Beauty and wellness tourism is booming in South Korea, with packages mixing medical technology, beauty services and lifestyle experiences.

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Customers browse health supplements and skin care products at Ready Young Pharmacy in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Beauty and wellness tourism is currently one of South Korea’s fastest-growing tourism trends. Photo: The Korea Times
North Korea

North Korea paves way for possible Kim trip to Moscow

Pyongyang’s top diplomat met Putin to discuss the Ukraine war, munition shipments and a likely Kim visit, analysts say.

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China stock market

Citi bets on China amid AI volatility, geopolitical friction

Wall Street giant adjusts emerging market asset allocation recommendation, identifying China as benefiting from a broadening market rally.

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