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South Korea

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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
Labubu plush toys and keychains became popular globally in 2024. Photo: Dickson Lee
Pop Mart

Pop Mart comes with a cool idea for red-hot Labubu: mini-fridges

The Chinese toymaker is launching two limited-edition Labubu-themed mini-refrigerators priced at US$878 each.

China shipbuilding

China delivers record LNG carrier – is South Korea losing its shipbuilding edge?

North Korea

North Korea, Russia boost anti-West ‘powerful bulwark’ as Ukraine war drags on

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China exports

Chinese EVs are making inroads in one of world’s most competitive auto markets

BYD is now one of Korea’s fastest-growing imported EV brands while rivals like Chery look to break into a market long dominated by local giants.

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An aerial drone photo taken on April 10 shows vehicles to be exported at Yantai port in east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua
Diplomacy

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

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Fame and celebrity

Meet Matthew Kim, the K-pop star-turned-actor who plays Woosh in Beef S2

‘Big Matthew’ was a rapper in coed K-pop group Kard before joining Beef Season 2 with Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Parasite’s Song Kang-ho.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Trump’s oil crisis is accelerating the end of the fossil fuel era

Ironically for president ‘drill, baby, drill’, this crisis may prove an irreversible tipping point for clean energy.

An oil tanker burns off the coast of Iraq after being hit by an Iranian strike last month amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Photo: AP
China-South Korea relations

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

Wave of content creators documents life on mainland, with one saying ‘the window has opened and everyone wants to take a look inside’.

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Urban planning

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight

Conservationists worry that reshaping Seoul’s Sewoon District risks erasing both heritage and livelihoods.

Japan

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

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An nuclear-capable Minuteman III ICBM sits inside a silo at an air force base in the US last year. Photo: US Air Force/Handout
China-India relations

Why China won’t like India’s latest defence deal with South Korea

After Lee Jae Myung’s recent visit to New Delhi touting expanded bilateral cooperation, Beijing is likely to be uneasy, analysts say.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Fame and celebrity

Meet Seoyeon Jang, who plays Eunice in Netflix’s Beef Season 2

The latest season of Beef stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Charles Melton – but what do you know about Seoyeon Jang, who plays Eunice?

Japan

Burger King in Japan dangles US$250,000 to lure rival franchisees

Meanwhile, Philippine fried chicken chain Jollibee has announced a record operating income and is accelerating its global expansion.

United States

‘Make money in Korea, ignore Korean sentiment’: Seoul, US spar over meddling

National Assembly Speaker Woo slams US Republicans’ ‘interference in domestic affairs’ amid data leak probe into the e-commerce firm.

A worker drives a delivery truck of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang in Seoul last year. Photo: AFP
Semiconductors

Asia’s chipmakers feel the heat as naphtha crunch hits photoresist supply

Japanese suppliers warn of photoresist strain as upstream shocks ripple through Asia’s semiconductor supply chain.

Shortages are expected to hit advanced nodes that rely on extreme ultraviolet lithography the hardest. Photo: EPA
Aviation

South Korean air force apologises for mid-air selfies that caused jet collision

No one was injured. One of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military.

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Asia travel

This mall is one of the best places to buy anime and fan merch in Seoul

I’Park Mall in Seoul’s Yongsan district focuses on fandoms built around animations, games and character-based intellectual property.

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Seoul

South Korean army removes poster depicting controversial hand gesture

The finger pinching gesture, known as the ‘Megalian hand’, is seen as a mockery of male genitalia.

The South Korean army started removing this recruitment poster on Tuesday, just three days after it went up at major hubs such as Seoul’s Yongsan Station. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

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Sexual harassment and assault

How a dropped sex assault case cost an aspiring South Korean officer her life

Thousands sign petition demanding a new probe into the woman’s death after police dismissed her case, igniting public fury.

China travel

More bookings, shorter trips: Chinese adjust to pricier fuel for May holiday

Domestic flight bookings up about 8 per cent and domestic package-tour reservations up about 10 per cent, survey finds.

Chinese tourists wearing traditional Thai costumes shield themselves from the sun at Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok on April 14. Photo: EPA
Fashion

A. Society’s founders on the Hong Kong eyewear brand’s rise to global cool

As Asian eyewear labels command growing attention, A. Society has launched an enhanced version of its A. Custom in-store personalisation service.

Julien Avignon, Kenny Kwok and Dee Lam are the founders of Hong Kong eyewear brand A. Society. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

How an alleged Malaysian scammer vanished with US$25 billion in life savings

More than 300 ­foreign nationals flock to Malaysia in pursuit of justice over the ‘High Inspirations’ scam.

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China stock market

Asian, emerging-market funds rotate into China and Taiwan stocks: HSBC

Fund managers shift focus to Chinese and Taiwanese stocks, while reducing exposure to South Korea amid global market turbulence.

Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

Given cybersecurity risks in critical software, Mythos has sparked debate about whether its capabilities should be shared with China.

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The Claude Mythos logo is displayed on a smartphone screen in this arranged photograph. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks drop as war uncertainty lingers after ceasefire extension

Investors need more conviction about material progress on a ceasefire and the normalisation of oil flow, investor says.

Pacific nations

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

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