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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi prepares to welcome Central Asian leaders during a summit in Tokyo on December 20. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Takaichi is shaping up as Japan’s Thatcher. How long can she last?

The prime minister has defied the odds by winning back LDP voters with sweeping immigration, economic policies and a tough stance on Beijing.

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South Korea

South Korea ends bear bile industry, but 200 moon bears in limbo

Japan

‘Pillar’ of Japan’s Communist Party, Tetsuzo Fuwa, dies aged 95

South Korea

Probe into South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee ends with ‘unresolved issues’

Analysts say the findings have raised questions about whether South Korea’s laws can deal with alleged abuses of power by a president’s spouse.

South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho district on August 12, after attending a court review on her arrest. Photo: Korea Times
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho district on August 12, after attending a court review on her arrest. Photo: Korea Times
North Korea

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

Japan

5-year-old dies after ski lift accident in Hokkaido, Japan

Safety concerns were previously raised over a lack of handrails and the lift’s design.

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South Korea

South Korea’s record low birth rate leads to mass school closures

With student counts half of 1980 levels, South Korea confronts a crisis of empty classrooms and abandoned sites, raising worry over wasted assets.

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An empty classroom in a South Korean high school, with rows of desks and a blackboard. Photo: Shutterstock
An empty classroom in a South Korean high school, with rows of desks and a blackboard. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Can Japan’s space industry regain thrust after H3 rocket failure?

Failure is inevitable, aerospace experts say, so Japan needs to be less afraid of making mistakes and move on.

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Japan

‘I feared for my life’: 50-vehicle pile-up on icy Japan expressway kills 2

Twenty-six people were injured in the mishap in Gunma prefecture that also sparked a fire at the far end of the pile-up.

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Japan

‘Built on tofu’: safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant

While Fukushima operator Tepco says it is ‘committed to safety’ at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, critics believe it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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The No 5, 6 and 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex operated by Tepco. Photo: Kyodo
Semiconductors

China’s CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak

Prosecutors in Seoul indict 10 people, including ex-Samsung executives, for allegedly leaking the firm’s technology to memory chipmaker CXMT.

Seoul prosecutors say the leak of Samsung’s proprietary DRAM technology benefited Chinese memory chip rival CXMT. Photo: AFP
Seoul prosecutors say the leak of Samsung’s proprietary DRAM technology benefited Chinese memory chip rival CXMT. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan stabbing rampage leaves 15 injured at Yokohama rubber factory

Authorities confirm injuries after a weapon and ‘spray-like liquid’ attack. Local media report one man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

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South Korea

In South Korea, vouchers to curb county’s falling population draw new residents

Officials in Okcheon, however, are looking to identify fake residents who change addresses without moving in.

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South Korea

Yoon faces 10-year jail term in South Korea over first of 4 failed coup trials

During a hearing, Yoon appears tense and laughs in disbelief as special prosecutors present the charges in his first trial.

South Korea’s then impeached president Yoon Suk-Yeol attends a hearing at the Constitutional Court in Seoul in February. Photo: AP
Japan

Video | Finger-lickin’ good KFC on the Christmas menu for millions in Japan

Christmas Eve is KFC’s busiest day in Japan. Millions of families visit branches across the country to enjoy special holiday menus.

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Photo: SCMP/Composite
Photo: SCMP/Composite
Japan

Japan’s US$782 billion budget to boost military firepower, tame inflation

The budget comes as the market worries about Prime Minister Takaichi’s big spending policies adding to Japan’s public debt.

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North Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

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South Korea

Coupang’s massive data leak probe ignites US-Seoul diplomatic firestorm

Some Republicans said Seoul’s investigation into the e-commerce firm was an attempt to favour China.

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

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

South Korea

South Korean webtoon slammed for heroine resembling Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae

Critics say the romantic comedy ‘Princess Goes to School’ risks softening perceptions of North Korea’s regime.

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Japan

‘Juicy, delicious’ and sold out: culled bear meat sparks Japan feeding frenzy

‘With news about bears growing, the number of customers who want to eat their meat has increased a lot,’ an eatery owner says.

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People eat bear meat hot pot at a restaurant in Chichibu, Japan’s Saitama prefecture. Photo: AFP
South Korea

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

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Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after then South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Photo: AFP
Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after then South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Photo: AFP
Extreme weather

Asia’s year in extreme weather and natural disasters, from earthquakes to floods

From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025.

South Korea

A year after South Korea’s Jeju Air crash, the fight for truth continues

Families of the victims say they harbour deep mistrust over how the investigation into the disaster that killed 179 people has been handled.

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North Korea

How North Koreans use ‘laptop farms’ in US to land tech jobs abroad

Amazon said it has blocked more than 1,800 North Korean workers from remote IT jobs, citing a rise in applications.

Many North Koreans exploit US “laptop farms” to secure remote tech jobs. Photo: Shutterstock
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