South Korea’s foreign ministry says it is investigating Ambassador Chung Jae-ho, who has denied allegations of both bullying and mistreating embassy staff.

Beijing is expected to view Seoul’s mass production of its latest jet as a ‘threat’ to its own arms trade, experts say.

Conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol looks set to maintain a hardline stance on Beijing despite the expected victory of ‘submissive’ liberals in next month’s parliamentary elections.

The event included an address by a Taiwanese minister and follows moves by President Yoon Suk-yeol to strengthen ties with the US.

Representatives from Taipei have been included in all three democracy summits, which were begun by US President Joe Biden in 2021, and mainland China has been excluded.

Lengthy delay in trilateral dialogue between the three neighbours signals meeting is not a priority for the leaders.

Foreign ministry urges Seoul to refrain from ‘hyping the issue’ over recent confrontation between China and the Philippines.

‘Core research and development capabilities’ are still subpar in China’s home-grown engines and high-value-added ships, warns NPC delegate and shipbuilding expert after South Korea retakes monthly lead in orders.

Official findings out of South Korea show how much Beijing’s efforts to advance Chinese tech prowess have paid off in recent years, meaning Seoul has its work cut out as it plays catch-up.

South Korea’s national trade and investment promotion agency says China is moving aviation parts supply chains from North America and Europe to neighbouring countries.

In a rare interview, the South Korean president said his wife had been ‘unable to cold-heartedly reject’ a pastor who gifted her a US$2,200 Dior bag. He also dismissed claims he was sacrificing ties with China.

In the first phone call between Wang Yi and Cho Tae-yul, Beijing vows to uphold ‘stability and continuity’ in its South Korea policy.

Nearly three weeks since Cho Tae-yul became South Korean foreign minister, the first phone call with China’s Wang Yi has yet to take place.

The number of students from South Korea at Chinese universities and language institutes last year fell to less than a quarter of its peak of 73,240 in 2017, amid Seoul’s closer ties to Washington and a decline in China’s image among South Korean youth.

Communist Party diplomatic chief Liu Jianchao pledges to increase strategic communications in meeting with North Korean envoy as Pyongyang announces test of nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in response to US-Japan-South Korea military drills.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Japan and South Korea to restart negotiations on a trilateral free-trade agreement in November, amid pressure for them to diversify away.

Defence ministry says navy fleet took part in ‘multiple days’ of training. It comes days after South Korea and Japan scrambled fighter jets in response to Chinese, Russian warplanes.

Ambassadors from eight Nato countries – the US, Britain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland – met Japanese foreign minister before heading to Seoul to meet South Korean defence minister.

The South Korean military said it had contacted Beijing to protest that the planes had not given notice of the incursion over the Sea of Japan.

Improved China-US relations and a need to revive growth have spurred the ministers to meet for the first time in four years, observers say.

The meeting in Busan will address preparations for a three-nation summit, expected to be held by early next year.

Analysts say South Korea never planned to risk friendly ties with China, amid Beijing’s non-interventionist approach as Moscow-Pyongyang ties deepened.

South Korea’s growing military ties with US and Japan could drive deterrence efforts in Taiwan Strait, analysts say.

As South Korea zeros in on China’s reported repatriation of defectors, it may become a roadblock to improving ties.

Chinese ambassador Xing Haiming builds on leadership talks between Seoul and Beijing with call to ‘meet each other halfway’.

The South Korean unification ministry said it believes that recent reports that defectors had been repatriated were true.