https://www.scmp.com/rss/318214/feed East Asia's latest news, current affairs, politics and regional issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday accused Israel of failing to “reflect” on allegations of rights abuses by its forces, after Israel decried him for amplifying social media “disinformation”. Lee irked Israel’s foreign ministry this week with his comments on a social media video with a caption purporting it showed Israeli soldiers torturing and pushing a “Palestinian kid” off a roof. “I need to look into whether this is true, and if so, what measures have been taken,” Lee said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349733/south-koreas-president-hits-back-israel-row-over-disturbing-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349733/south-koreas-president-hits-back-israel-row-over-disturbing-video?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:21:42 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s energy security has long hinged on Middle Eastern oil. The Iran war simply exposed how breakable that lifeline had become. While a two-week ceasefire agreed on Tuesday promises some relief by reopening the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic, analysts say the shock has laid bare vulnerabilities Tokyo cannot easily paper over. As an archipelago nation with no cross-border pipelines, Japan draws more than 95 per cent of its crude from the Middle East and routes the bulk of it through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349679/japans-middle-east-oil-habit-gets-iran-war-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349679/japans-middle-east-oil-habit-gets-iran-war-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Legendary British rock band Deep Purple made ⁠Japanese Prime Minister ⁠Sanae Takaichi’s day with a brief ⁠visit to their high-profile superfan on Friday as they returned to the country they first toured more than half a century ago. Takaichi’s reputation as an amateur drummer and fan of hard rock and heavy metal has been ‌well documented, and she has referred to Deep Purple as one of her favourite bands along with the likes of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. “You are my god,” a giddy Takaichi... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349631/japans-sanae-takaichi-tickled-pink-meet-uk-band-deep-purple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349631/japans-sanae-takaichi-tickled-pink-meet-uk-band-deep-purple?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:15:38 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Buying illegal drugs has become as easy as ordering a pizza in South Korea – especially for teens and young adults who have grown up in the digital age – as drug trafficking has increasingly moved online. On platforms like Telegram and the dark web, users familiar with drug-related slang can easily locate dealers. Consumers simply place an order, pay with bitcoin, and, once the transaction is complete, receive a message with instructions on where to collect their purchase. Pickup locations are... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:17:22 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Russia’s protest over a proposed investment by a Japanese company in a Ukrainian drone maker signals its concern that Tokyo may be supporting closer cooperation with Kyiv’s defence sector and planning to lift a long-standing ban on weapon exports, according to an international relations expert. On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko registered Moscow’s protest in a meeting with Akira Muto, the Japanese ambassador to Russia. Muto “rebutted” the protest, according to a Jiji... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349578/why-japanese-firms-tie-ukrainian-drone-maker-sparks-concerns-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349578/why-japanese-firms-tie-ukrainian-drone-maker-sparks-concerns-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Economic growth across Asia is likely to slow even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, as the impact of war in the Middle East ripples through industries from manufacturing to tourism, according to the Asian Development Bank. The US and Israeli war on Iran is projected to halt developing Asia’s economic upswing, with the region’s gross domestic product expansion seen moderating to 5.1 per cent this year from 5.4 per cent in 2025, the ADB said in its outlook report on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349591/asian-economies-face-formidable-test-middle-east-conflict-drags-adb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349591/asian-economies-face-formidable-test-middle-east-conflict-drags-adb?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:32:16 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow US President Donald Trump’s public rebuke of South Korea for refusing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz is an uncomfortable moment for a 70-year alliance, piling fresh pressure on a Seoul government already uneasy about Washington’s appetite for confrontation in the Middle East. But analysts believe the relationship can withstand the strain, pointing to deep institutional ties between the two militaries, broad elite and public support in both capitals, and the reluctance of other US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349554/why-trumps-hormuz-rebuke-wont-derail-south-koreas-very-strong-alliance-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349554/why-trumps-hormuz-rebuke-wont-derail-south-koreas-very-strong-alliance-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is forging ahead with an investment plan that could see as much as 1 trillion yen (US$6.3 billion) pumped into its shipbuilding sector as it tries to wrest back greater control of a key strategic industry. However, analysts said money alone would not be enough to restore Japan’s former standing in a sector now dominated by China, with higher costs, labour shortages and years of lost capacity all standing in the way. The effort has taken on greater urgency as turmoil in the Middle East has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349549/can-japan-regain-shipbuilding-might-us63-billion-funding-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349549/can-japan-regain-shipbuilding-might-us63-billion-funding-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Marco Vicenzino Marco Vicenzino The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is a real diplomatic breakthrough. It has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a relief rally in global markets and eased the immediate fear of a spiralling energy shock. But its strategic significance lies less in the relief it has produced than in the uncertainty it leaves behind. The truce is time-limited, tied to negotiations and built around temporary safe passage rather than a settled regional order. The ceasefire terms and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:30:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s recent string of weapons tests, including cluster munitions, marks a renewed show of military strength ahead of next month’s US-China summit, even as Beijing may become a go-between to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts say the summit could be an opportunity for China to arrange subsequent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Pyongyang said tests conducted over the previous two days involved a radar-evading missile... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:02:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large on Thursday, authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued. The male wolf – born in 2024 and weighing about 30kg (66lbs) – escaped from O-World, a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon, about 150km (90 miles) south of Seoul, on Wednesday, triggering a wide search in surrounding areas. It remained at large on Thursday, authorities said, with a nearby school closing for safety. “Daejeon... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349451/activists-howl-rage-escaped-wolf-faces-death-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349451/activists-howl-rage-escaped-wolf-faces-death-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:06:18 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s famed cherry blossom season has become the latest battleground in a broader debate over overtourism, etiquette and how foreign visitors are portrayed when trouble flares. That debate sharpened this week after the conservative Sankei newspaper ran a report accusing “unruly crowds” of foreigners of misbehaving during hanami – or cherry blossom viewing parties – across Japan, prompting renewed calls for visitors to show greater respect for local customs. In an echo of wider demands to rein... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349441/cultural-clashes-unruly-crowds-japans-cherry-blossom-parties-stir-overtourism-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349441/cultural-clashes-unruly-crowds-japans-cherry-blossom-parties-stir-overtourism-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Frustration and desperation are growing in Japan amid a search for an 11-year-old boy who disappeared more than two weeks ago in a rural part of Kyoto prefecture, with 700 police officers scouring abandoned properties in the mountains surrounding the town of Nantan. The lack of sightings and clues has triggered speculation – a good deal of it sensationalist – on the boy’s fate and focused renewed attention on the number of children who go missing every year in Japan. The father of Yuki Adachi... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349417/frustration-speculation-mount-japan-search-missing-boy-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349417/frustration-speculation-mount-japan-search-missing-boy-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:38 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg North Korea conducted a slew of new weapons tests, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said, including one involving an electromagnetic weapon system and a carbon fibre bomb. The tests, which were conducted over three days from Monday to Wednesday, were overseen by General Kim Jong-sik, the KCNA report said. The weapons tests come at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Pyongyang has moved closer to Moscow in recent years, supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, and is now... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349440/tests-electromagnetic-weapon-and-carbon-fibre-bomb-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349440/tests-electromagnetic-weapon-and-carbon-fibre-bomb-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:57:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea fired several ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, following a separate launch detected a day earlier as Pyongyang doused Seoul’s hopes of an easing in tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the unidentified short-range missiles were launched at around 8.50am from near Wonsan on the North’s east coast. The missiles flew 240km (150 miles), the JCS ‌said, adding that South Korean and US authorities were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:46:07 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran that will see Tehran temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz brought welcome relief to Asian markets on Wednesday. With Trump’s deadline approaching for the Islamic Republic to reopen the waterway or face obliteration, he announced a halt to attacks for two weeks and said he had received a “workable” 10-point proposal. Iran later said it had agreed to safe passage in the strait, through which a fifth of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349331/cautious-optimism-asia-after-us-iran-agree-ceasefire-reopen-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349331/cautious-optimism-asia-after-us-iran-agree-ceasefire-reopen-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:52:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s tougher deportation drive is deepening fear among asylum seekers and long-term foreign residents, rights groups say, warning that the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants is clashing with its duty to protect refugees. Official figures show a record 318 foreign nationals were forcibly deported from Japan under escort in 2025, up 30 per cent from a year earlier, as authorities ramped up the Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan (Zero Plan), a government drive launched last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok The Strait of Hormuz blockage is being felt far and wide. While the world struggles with higher pump prices, key energy exporters such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar face severe economic setbacks. In Gulf states serving as air hubs, expats and affluent locals are scrambling for the exit. The discovery of oil transformed Arabian deserts into rich petro-states. Knowing this wealth would not flow forever, the states leveraged their strategic locations to become air traffic hubs.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349044/gulf-states-geography-both-generous-and-treacherous-patron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349044/gulf-states-geography-both-generous-and-treacherous-patron?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The latest indirect exchange of comments between North and South Korea has raised hopes of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula even as conflict roils other parts of the globe. Hours after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over drone incursions into the North on Monday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a warm statement. The powerful politician welcomed Lee’s remarks as “extremely fortunate and a wise move”, citing her brother as praising Lee’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:24:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran has freed a Japanese national held since January, Tokyo said on Tuesday, with Kyodo News reporting, however, that the individual is not allowed to leave the Islamic Republic. The Japanese news agency also reported, citing unnamed sources within the government in Tokyo, that the person is believed to be the Tehran bureau chief of broadcaster NHK. “The Japanese embassy in Iran has confirmed that a Japanese national who was detained by Iranian authorities on January 20 was released on April 6... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349209/japan-confirms-release-second-citizen-held-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349209/japan-confirms-release-second-citizen-held-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:02:27 +0000 Yogi Putranto Yogi Putranto Control of the seas has long defined power in the Asia-Pacific. From strategic chokepoints to contested fishing grounds, maritime space has shaped the region’s economic lifelines and geopolitical tensions. But a quieter contest is unfolding – less visible, yet potentially more consequential. It is not a contest over territory but over data. As satellite surveillance, digital tracking and advanced analytics transform how the ocean is monitored, a new question emerges: who controls the information... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348997/asia-pacific-real-maritime-contest-over-satellite-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348997/asia-pacific-real-maritime-contest-over-satellite-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea will send five Korean-flagged ships to the Saudi Arabian Red Sea port of Yanbu to help establish alternative oil supply routes to avoid the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a ruling MP said on Monday. Oil prices have surged amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, raising growth and inflation risks for South Korea, which relies on Middle Eastern crude for around 70 per cent of its imports. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz – a critical route for global crude oil and gas –... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349167/iran-war-south-korea-aims-bypass-hormuz-send-ships-saudi-port-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349167/iran-war-south-korea-aims-bypass-hormuz-send-ships-saudi-port-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:01:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol has drawn sharp criticism for an Easter message from prison that opponents say amounted to comparing his downfall to the suffering of Jesus and showing his lack of remorse for his criminal acts. Yoon, who was removed from office a year ago after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024, released the message on Sunday through his lawyer, Bae Ui-cheol, urging the public to “hold onto the hope of salvation even if times are... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:09:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea appears to be distancing itself from long-time partner Iran and carefully managing its public messaging to preserve the possibility of a new relationship with the US after the Iran war, South Korean lawmakers have said, citing the spy agency. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North ‌Korea had not sent weapons or supplies so far to Iran since the conflict started on February 28, and did not issue public condolences upon the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:32:16 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, with tensions mounting in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches. “We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” Takaichi told a parliamentary committee when asked by an opposition lawmaker about Japan’s diplomatic efforts regarding the US-Israeli war with Iran. “Japan will make every effort... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:32:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang on Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called “irresponsible”. South Korea initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion – with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians – but Lee said an investigation had revealed government officials had been involved. “Although this was not the intention of our government, we express our regret to the North that unnecessary... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:12:19 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Repeat short-haul visits by Chinese travellers to South Korea are expected to rise after Seoul eased multiple-entry visa rules, but analysts say the immediate impact may be limited because of growing competition from Southeast Asia and higher airfares linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran. The South Korean embassy in Beijing announced that Chinese nationals who had previously visited South Korea would now be eligible for a five-year multiple-entry visa. Those holding residency status in 14 major... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348904/south-korea-eases-chinese-travel-visas-southeast-asia-rivals-iran-war-cloud-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348904/south-korea-eases-chinese-travel-visas-southeast-asia-rivals-iran-war-cloud-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The day that Taiki Hirokawa stabbed his former girlfriend to death in a Pokemon store in Tokyo had started like any other, his mother told police. She and her son had breakfast together and nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Hours later, security camera footage caught 26-year-old Hirokawa walking straight into the store, pulling out a knife, going behind the counter where Moe Harukawa, 21, was serving customers, and repeatedly slashing her in the neck and chest before turning the knife on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348976/japans-knife-crime-wave-lays-bare-tragic-cost-youth-mental-burnout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348976/japans-knife-crime-wave-lays-bare-tragic-cost-youth-mental-burnout?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Zhang Zhipeng Zhang Zhipeng The US-Israeli strikes on Iran and ensuing conflagration offer a window into how the US-led order works. For all its contributions, it functions like an air conditioner – cooling the American centre by pumping hot air into the periphery. Aggressive interest rate hikes export inflation to emerging markets. Proxy wars outsource geopolitical risk to distant theatres. The United States stays cool while the Global South absorbs the brunt of the heat. But the vents are closing: developing nations are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Many of Tokyo’s popular and iconic Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees were planted during Japan’s post-war advancement in the 1960s, and are now getting old and frail. Some have fallen and many others require support, triggering safety concern as the Japanese celebrate the season of their favourite flower. Two cherry blossom trees collapsed on Thursday, one at Kinuta Park in downtown Tokyo and the other at the Chidorigafuchi greenway. The one in Kinuta Park damaged a fence while the other tree... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349018/safety-fears-bloom-japan-ageing-cherry-trees-collapse-tokyo-parks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349018/safety-fears-bloom-japan-ageing-cherry-trees-collapse-tokyo-parks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:22:26 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea has spent a decade and billions of dollars trying to build a world-class fighter jet. Now that the finish line is drawing near, it’s nearly time to find out who will buy one. The first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae, developed jointly with Indonesia since 2015, was unveiled by Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon on March 25. Analysts say the aircraft could pave the way for South Korea, already one of the world’s top 10 arms exporters, to grab an even bigger slice of the global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Efforts by South Korea and France to secure safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to be centred on a post-war defensive armada with other countries. Analysts also say both nations are wary of joining the Middle East conflict at this point in time and antagonising Iran. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday revealed he had agreed with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to cooperate on safety in the strategic oil supply strait. Lee made the remarks after a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, in what appear to be the first such transits since the war in Iran closed the crucial waterway. The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and two people familiar with the situation. That is the first ship linked to western Europe that is known to have made it through since the war began more than a month ago. Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:32:11 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The dust and debris of the US-Israeli war on Iran have yet to settle, but its strategic shock waves have reached East Asia. From Tokyo to Taipei, a reassessment is under way. The conflict, intended to project American resolve, has been a brutal stress test for the US-led order – with catastrophic results for Washington’s credibility. Far from cementing its primacy, America’s misadventure has revealed a superpower that is overstretched, vulnerable and seen as an unreliable partner. This erosion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The Iran war is rattling Asian chipmakers as damage to Qatar’s gas facilities chokes off supplies of helium, an essential ingredient in manufacturing products ranging from smartphones to medical scanners. Analysts warn that the supply disruption is expected to trigger ripple effects across the global economy for some time. Pradeep Philip, head of Deloitte Access Economics, said that while there had been considerable focus on the energy shock arising from the conflict, the crisis over helium... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348954/helium-supply-shock-threatens-asian-chipmakers-economic-slowdown-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348954/helium-supply-shock-threatens-asian-chipmakers-economic-slowdown-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s order for hundreds of Tomahawk missiles from the US is under threat as the American-Israeli war with Iran burns through inventories, the latest example of how the conflict is drawing in supplies and troops at the expense of defending against Washington’s primary strategic rival, China. Tomahawk missiles are a centrepiece of Tokyo’s new strategy of equipping itself with long-range strike capabilities to deal with challenges from China and North Korea. But Washington has informed Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:30:16 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Korean Air said on Friday it will faithfully respond to legal procedures in the United States, where a lawsuit was filed in Virginia on behalf of the estate of Porscha Tynisha Brown, who died at age 33 in March 2024, during a flight from Washington to Incheon operated by the airline. Burns Charest, the law firm representing the complainants, claimed her death resulted from a series of critical failures by Korean Air flight personnel. According to the complaint, Brown experienced sudden... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348875/i-cant-breathe-korean-air-sued-over-flight-death-passenger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348875/i-cant-breathe-korean-air-sued-over-flight-death-passenger?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:40:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall After playing in a forested area in the Solomon Islands, Billy’s children often break out in rashes or itchy boils at home. A few years ago, the family became dizzy, suffered headaches and vomited – they believed it was due to the clams from nearby mangrove beds that they had eaten. “It was lucky that we stopped the children from eating them,” said Billy, whose family lives a hand-to-mouth existence in the village of Yandina in the Russell Islands. The 50-year-old farmer suspected that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348779/solomon-islands-residents-live-fear-wwii-bomb-explosions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348779/solomon-islands-residents-live-fear-wwii-bomb-explosions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan A month into the Iran war, Washington still says it expects to achieve its objectives in weeks, not months. That may prove optimistic. The terms on offer from the United States and Iran barely overlap, and markets remain unconvinced a durable settlement is close. But one fact is clear: the war’s most consequential effects may be felt not only in the Middle East but across East Asia. It would be a mistake to see this as only an oil story. It is also about hierarchy. In East Asia, the war is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan could get a boost in its push for a next-generation fighter jet if Canada joins a multinational consortium backing the aircraft’s development, as Tokyo aims to narrow the gap with China’s fast-modernising air force. The Canadian government said it intended to take part in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), currently involving Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday. Japan is planning to replace its ageing F-2 fleet with a sixth-generation stealth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa The United States attacked Iran without consulting its European allies. President Donald Trump assumed the operation would be a quick win, over before anyone had to take a position. Instead, Washington answered a question Western governments had long avoided. After years of pushing Nato towards confrontation with China, would the transatlantic alliance fight a war it had not chosen together? The answer was no. Iran and Taiwan are different cases. One sits on Europe’s wider periphery and carries... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348047/what-iran-war-reveals-about-natos-appetite-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348047/what-iran-war-reveals-about-natos-appetite-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday to design a road map for critical minerals supply as they seek to deepen cooperation in the sector amid China’s dominance of global rare earths. The two leaders also affirmed that Japan and France will maintain close communication in support of efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and establish a high-level dialogue on artificial intelligence, Takaichi said at a joint press appearance... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:58:08 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s exports of jet fuel have declined sharply in recent weeks amid the US-Israel war on Iran, leaving countries including Australia and Japan facing a supply crunch and scrambling to find alternative sellers. China is Asia-Pacific’s largest jet fuel and kerosene exporter, but shipments from the country fell nearly 40 per cent month on month in March to 204,000 barrels per day, figures from trade data provider Kpler showed. The cutback is likely to hit hardest in Australia and Japan, which... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348642/australia-and-japan-face-jet-fuel-supply-crunch-china-cuts-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348642/australia-and-japan-face-jet-fuel-supply-crunch-china-cuts-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:22:29 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Kim Bong-hwan, who runs a barbecue restaurant in Myeong-dong in central Seoul, is feeling the brunt of rising costs, with wholesale beef prices climbing from about 28,000 won (US$18) per kilogram to more than 40,000 won in recent weeks. “Everything’s going up – beef, pork, eggs, vegetables and even disposable materials like plastic bags and containers,” he said. “Prices have risen 20 to 30 per cent in just a few weeks.” Kim, who has operated the restaurant for more than 15 years, said raising... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348630/south-korean-restaurants-struggle-survive-global-oil-prices-eat-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348630/south-korean-restaurants-struggle-survive-global-oil-prices-eat-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:44:27 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday raised tobacco and corporate taxes to finance a boost in defence spending, with income tax hike set to follow in 2027 as the government projects the tax increases will add some 1.3 trillion yen (US$8 billion) annually in revenue. As the security environment surrounding Japan deteriorates and the government is set to further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities, the public is likely to face further tax burdens to finance the outlays, which have now ballooned to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:40:03 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has moved swiftly to contain the diplomatic fallout after a member of its Self-Defence Forces broke into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo last week. But observers and local media say the incident has given Beijing an opening to reinforce claims of rising militarism and anti-China sentiment in Japan. Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, on Monday called the break-in on March 24 “extremely unusual and serious”, adding that it “should not have happened”. His... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348549/japan-races-limit-fallout-chinese-embassy-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348549/japan-races-limit-fallout-chinese-embassy-break?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Tokyo’s Shibuya ward – home to the famous scramble crossing and one of the Japanese capital’s busiest shopping and nightlife districts – is abandoning its long-standing policy of asking people to take their rubbish home. Instead, it is turning to on-the-spot fines as visitor numbers surge and litter piles up. Under a new campaign branded “If you throw trash, you lose cash”, anyone caught dropping rubbish will be fined 2,000 yen (US$12.50), with enforcement starting on June 1 after a grace... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348562/japans-shibuya-fine-litterbugs-spot-june-visitor-numbers-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348562/japans-shibuya-fine-litterbugs-spot-june-visitor-numbers-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Japanese prosecutor who publicly accused her boss of rape condemned her office on Tuesday for failing to protect victims, after it rejected her request for an independent probe into harassment within the organisation. Very few women in Japan speak out about sexual assault but Hikari (not her real name) came forward in 2024 to accuse Osaka’s then top prosecutor of raping her six years earlier. Kentaro Kitagawa, head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested and admitted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348575/japan-rape-accuser-condemns-prosecutions-failure-protect-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348575/japan-rape-accuser-condemns-prosecutions-failure-protect-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:58:54 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service at two Ground Self-Defence Force bases in the country. The deployment of the missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, and Camp Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture, central Japan, marks a shift from the country’s exclusively defence-oriented policy under its war-renouncing constitution. Japan has for the first time acquired a counterstrike capability,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348516/japan-deploys-long-range-missiles-2-bases-amid-china-tensions-irking-locals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348516/japan-deploys-long-range-missiles-2-bases-amid-china-tensions-irking-locals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:53:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo on Tuesday with a packed agenda and a receptive audience in a Japanese government anxious about a choked oil route and looking for support amid its diplomatic falling-out with Beijing. The French president’s three-day visit, before he heads to South Korea later in the week, comes as Japan looks to Europe for solidarity amid a crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that has sent oil prices soaring. The backdrop to Macron’s meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:36:20 +0000