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Tokyo’s Ginza district. A doctor running a clinic in the locality has sued his childhood friend for US$4.4 million, alleging fraudulent investment schemes ruined his life. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

How a Japan doctor lost everything to his friend after agreeing to reunion

‘I lost all my savings and couldn’t even hold a proper funeral for my mother. My life has been destroyed,’ the victim says.

Japan

Why 25 years after Tokyo rail tragedy, ‘drunk passenger’ problem still persists

US-China trade war

Trump raises tariffs on South Korea as country ‘is not living up’ to trade deal

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Banking & finance

In a turbulent world, funding Asia’s critical infrastructure a ‘duty’: AIIB

New president says private capital and international cooperation essential to funding infrastructure projects across continent.

Zou Jiayi speaking at a panel during the 19th Asian Financial Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on January 26. She is China’s former vice-minister of finance, and became AIIB president on January 16. Photo: SCMP
Zou Jiayi speaking at a panel during the 19th Asian Financial Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on January 26. She is China’s former vice-minister of finance, and became AIIB president on January 16. Photo: SCMP
South Korea

South Korean democracy icon Lee Hae-chan dies from heart attack in Vietnam

The former prime minister had two cardiac arrests while in Ho Chi Minh City for a Peaceful Unification Advisory Council meeting.

South Korea

Google’s Gemini surges in South Korea, challenging ChatGPT, after latest launch

South Korea generated about US$21 million, or 11.4 per cent of Gemini’s cumulative revenue on Apple’s app store – second only to the US.

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South Korea

South Korea withdraws budget minister nominee after allegations

Conservative Lee Hye-hoon’s appointment was viewed as an attempt by President Lee Jae Myung to promote national unity with cross-party appointments.

Lee Hye-hoon during a confirmation hearing for her nomination as budget minister before the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee, on Friday. Photo: The Korea Times
Lee Hye-hoon during a confirmation hearing for her nomination as budget minister before the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee, on Friday. Photo: The Korea Times
South Korea

South Korea begins investigation into Grok, sexually exploitative images

Grok is estimated to have generated around 3 million sexually explicit images between December 29, 2025, and January 8 this year.

Japan

‘They were cute’: Japan fans jostle for final glimpse of China-bound pandas

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972.

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Japan

As Muslim tourism grows, can Japan adapt to travellers’ prayer needs?

In places where purpose-built prayer rooms are not feasible, experts say flexibility is vital to enhance visitor experience.

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A Muslim woman prays in the prayer room at the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, last year. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

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People walk along Takeshita Street, Harajuku, Tokyo. The number of tourist arrivals in Japan rose by 15.8 per cent to a record 42.7 million last year. Photo: EPA
People walk along Takeshita Street, Harajuku, Tokyo. The number of tourist arrivals in Japan rose by 15.8 per cent to a record 42.7 million last year. Photo: EPA
North Korea

Pentagon shifts North Korean responsibility to ‘capable’ South

US officials have recently been pushing to allow American troops in South Korea more flexibility to operate outside the peninsula.

South Korea

73 South Koreans repatriated from Cambodia face online scam probe

Arriving in handcuffs, the suspects allegedly scammed fellow South Koreans out of US$33 million.

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South Korea

K-drama star Cha Eun-woo’s ad campaigns pulled amid tax scrutiny in South Korea

The actor is contesting an additional tax assessment of more than US$13 million tied to a company registered under his mother’s name.

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South Korean actor Cha Eun-woo. Photo: Instagram/eunwo.o_c
South Korea

Dubai chewy cookie: K-pop post sparks viral South Korean snack frenzy

South Korea’s highly interconnected culture has fuelled a series of viral food crazes, the latest being a chocolate-loaded cookie known locally as ‘dujjonku’.

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“Dubai-style” chewy chocolate cookies have taken off in Seoul, South Korea, drawing long lines. Photo: AFP
“Dubai-style” chewy chocolate cookies have taken off in Seoul, South Korea, drawing long lines. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan halts world’s largest nuclear plant hours after restart

TEPCO halted the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart after a monitoring alarm sounded, but confirmed the reactor is stable with no radioactive impact.

South Korea

South Korea banned dog meat. Now what happens to 500,000 animals?

As South Korea moves to end dog meat consumption by 2027, the government lacks a clear survival plan for nearly half a million caged dogs.

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South Korea

South Korean court’s harsh jail term for Han sets stage for Yoon’s verdict

The ex-prime minister was jailed for 23 years for his role in Yoon’s martial law decree, deemed an ‘insurrection from above’ by the court.

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Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo (right) is questioned by a reporter as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo (right) is questioned by a reporter as he arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan’s conservatives turn sour on Trump as ‘fears of abandonment’ deepen

Right-wing media outlets and politicians are now concerned that Trump’s second term will harm Japan’s trade and security interests.

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Japan

‘I was a victim’: survey reveals surge in men groped on Tokyo transit

Experts say the 15.1 per cent figure is striking and a reminder that women are not the only targets of molestation on public transport.

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Japan

Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima under close scrutiny

The No 6 unit at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reached criticality on Wednesday, a key step in Japan’s push for stable energy despite lingering safety fears.

A Tepco employee opens a watertight door inside the unit 7 reactor building at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in August 2024. Photo: AFP
South Korea

Why South Korea’s flight attendants are forced to brave bitter cold in uniforms

Flight attendants commute in uniform due to lack of changing rooms at Incheon Airport as labour groups fight for better conditions.

Flight attendants of Asiana Airlines (left) and Korean Air pose at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 in South Korea. Photo: The Korea Times
Flight attendants of Asiana Airlines (left) and Korean Air pose at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 in South Korea. Photo: The Korea Times
South Korea

South Korea’s ex-PM Han gets 23 years in prison for insurrection

A ‌judge said Han Duck-soo ‘disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end’.

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Japan

Japan ex-PM Abe’s killer Yamagami gets life term for ‘despicable’ act

Abe’s assassination also ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and the Unification Church.

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South Korea

Seoul warns North Korea’s nuclear weapons will soon go ‘abroad’

Pyongyang is producing nuclear material for up to 20 weapons annually, President Lee Jae Myung says.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends what state media reported was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in 2023. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
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