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A man pays respects at an altar for the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush on December 29, 2022. Photo: Kyodo
South Korea

Too little, too late: South Korea’s Itaewon inquiry lays bare chain of failures

The hearing comes over three years after the tragedy, hindered by political gridlock, accountability disputes and investigative delays.

North Korea

Iran may team up again with North Korea to defy ‘gangster-like’ US. Here’s why

Japan

Japan to release oil reserves as early as Monday

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Japan

‘He’s so handsome’: Japan’s youngest governor, 36, sets social media abuzz again

Fans of Takato Ishida continue to swoon over him, even as the Fukui governor has to deal with his predecessor’s sexual harassment scandal.

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Left: Takato Ishida, the 36-year-old governor of Fukui, attends a session of the prefectural assembly. Right: Ishida attending the Special Committee on Anti-Harassment on Monday. Photos: Instagram / ishida.takato
Left: Takato Ishida, the 36-year-old governor of Fukui, attends a session of the prefectural assembly. Right: Ishida attending the Special Committee on Anti-Harassment on Monday. Photos: Instagram / ishida.takato
The Philippines

As US missiles leave South Korea, the Philippines asks: are we next?

South Korea couldn’t stop the pull-out. Now, Manila must figure out if it is indeed a strategic partner or just another supply depot.

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South Korea

Jeju Air crash: South Korean auditor says ministry prioritised cost over safety

The audit said the transport ministry allowed 14 non-compliant localiser structures at eight airports to reduce earthwork costs.

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Earthquakes

On This Day | Deadly earthquake that claimed thousands of lives in Japan – SCMP archive

On this day 15 years ago, one of the most powerful earthquakes on record triggered a devastating tsunami in Japan, killing more than 18,000.

Tsunami waves hit residences after a powerful earthquake in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, Japan, on March 11, 2011. Photo: AP Photo
Tsunami waves hit residences after a powerful earthquake in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, Japan, on March 11, 2011. Photo: AP Photo
China energy security

As war on Iran escalates, Asia scrambles to deal with global energy fallout

China, Japan and South Korea have all taken steps to reduce impact of supply shortages – but analysts warn of spillover.

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Japan

Japan struggles with rising maintenance costs 15 years after Fukushima disaster

The costs of maintaining public housing for disaster victims and sea walls in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima total over US$923.7 million.

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South Korea

South Korea gets wake-up call as US diverts military assets to Middle East

President Lee Jae Myung urges South Korea to boost its own defence amid reports of US military assets being redeployed to the Middle East.

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Members of Korean Peace Solidarity for Sovereignty and Reunification shout slogans and hold banners during a rally against US and South Korean military exercises outside the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: EPA
Japan

‘They knew hunger’: Fukushima worker devotes life to abandoned animals

Toru Akama, 63, has helped over a thousand animals, starting with dozens of dogs left behind after the 2011 earthquake-triggered catastrophe.

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Former nuclear plant worker Toru Akama cuddles a cat at his animal shelter in Fukushima prefecture. Photo: AFP
Former nuclear plant worker Toru Akama cuddles a cat at his animal shelter in Fukushima prefecture. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

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Korean peninsula

‘Terrible consequences’: North Korea hits out over US-South Korea drills

Sister of North Korean leader says 11-day Freedom Shield exercise to harm regional stability.

South Korea

South Korea pulls rare move in bid to shield residents from Iran oil shock

As a nation that imports nearly every drop of oil it consumes, South Korea is hitting the panic button to shield citizens from rising prices.

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A board shows prices as cars queue at a petrol station in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

G7 to discuss possible emergency release of oil reserves: French president

Concern is rising about the war and Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s energy supplies pass.

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Cars line up at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday as oil prices surge due to the intensifying conflict in the Middle East. Photo: EPA
Cars line up at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday as oil prices surge due to the intensifying conflict in the Middle East. Photo: EPA
North Korea

North Korea cancels Pyongyang marathon weeks before race, with no reason given

The race had been set for April 5 and would have marked the second year since Pyongyang resumed the event after the pandemic.

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Korean peninsula

US begins large military exercise with South Korea while attacking Iran

Thousands of troops begin annual drills amid speculation over US Patriot redeployment to the Middle East.

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Japan

Fire safety upgrades stall at Japan’s castles, shrines and temples

Work has yet to begin at about 30 per cent of priority heritage sites nearly 7 years after the blaze that destroyed Okinawa’s Shuri Castle.

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Flames engulf Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, in October 2019. The fire destroyed several major structures at the Unesco World Heritage site. Photo: EPA-EFE
Flames engulf Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, in October 2019. The fire destroyed several major structures at the Unesco World Heritage site. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

80 years on, gender gap persists in Japanese politics

New research shows there has been little change since women in Japan first exercised their right to vote nearly 80 years ago.

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Vietnam

In Vietnam’s Da Nang, South Korean tourism boom meets growing resentment

The coastal city has become a hub for Korean tourists and businesses, but workers and residents say the boom has also exposed frictions.

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South Korea

Seoul’s missile shield vs Iranian barrage: the fight to protect UAE’s skies

Abu Dhabi wants faster Cheongung-II missile battery deliveries from Seoul amid 96 per cent interception success against Iranian attacks.

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A Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile is launched towards a simulated target during a drill in the Yellow Sea area in 2024. Photo: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff
South Korea

South Korea uneasy as US weighs moving air defences to Middle East

Fears are growing in Seoul that shifting US Patriot and THAAD missiles to fight Iran could leave it vulnerable to North Korea.

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US and South Korean soldiers take part in a joint river-crossing exercise as part of the Freedom Shield military drills in March 2025. Photo: Getty Images
US and South Korean soldiers take part in a joint river-crossing exercise as part of the Freedom Shield military drills in March 2025. Photo: Getty Images
Japan

Japan’s manga industry faces a ‘#MeToo moment’ after Shogakukan scandal

Prominent creators pull their work as the publisher launches a probe into how a convicted author returned under a pen name.

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Japan

Japan weighs military upgrade on Iwo Jima as China deepens Pacific activity

Tokyo is reportedly planning to enhance facilities and station aircraft on the island, and establish a Pacific defence initiative office.

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Japan

Can Japan build a ‘China-free’ military? The high price of defying a rival

Tokyo’s bid to boost ‘self-reliance’ may be costly and could take years given China’s dominance in critical materials, analysts say.

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Japanese troops take position during a joint military drill in Funabashi, Chiba prefecture, on January 7. Photo: AFP
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