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Firefighters remove tarpaulin sheets covering the debris of a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, on January 13, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap
South Korea

Jeju Air crash ‘man-made’: 179 deaths may have been avoided, report finds

Families seek justice as government-commissioned report blames the fatal Jeju Air crash on a concrete mound at the end of the runway.

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South Korea

Southeast Asia reels in buyers turfed out by Seoul’s housing crisis

South Korea

Top Seoul official calls Venezuela raid ‘violent atrocity’, stirring unease

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Japan

Japan’s Takaichi tipped for snap election gamble as poll ratings soar

The Japanese prime minister has won plaudits at home over her tough stance towards China, but inflation remains a major voter concern.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech in Tokyo on Tuesday. Her approval rating has hovered around 68 per cent in the past few months, according to one poll. Photo: AFP
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech in Tokyo on Tuesday. Her approval rating has hovered around 68 per cent in the past few months, according to one poll. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea’s proposed foreign crime bill sparks xenophobia fears

Critics say a bill to publish crime stats on foreign nationals stigmatises immigrants and ignores data showing their lower crime rates.

China-Japan relations

As Beijing targets Tokyo over Taiwan remarks, what levers does Japan have?

Japanese control of chemical used in semiconductors could prove significant, analysts say.

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South Korea

South Korea’s conservatives attempt break from Yoon with martial law apology

Yoon Suk-yeol’s former ruling party has offered a belated mea culpa, but critics see the move as nothing more than a cynical election ploy.

A supporter of South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol attends a rally in Seoul last month marking the first anniversary of his short-lived declaration of martial law. Photo: AFP
A supporter of South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol attends a rally in Seoul last month marking the first anniversary of his short-lived declaration of martial law. Photo: AFP
Japan

Never send, never pay: NGO sounds alarm on sextortion scourge in Japan

Paps reported 2,200 consultations linked to sextortion as of November for the 2025 financial year, with most victims male and aged under 18.

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China trade

China, South Korea sign US$44 million in trade deals after years of friction

High-level summit strengthens bilateral ties after years of strained relations, as China shores up regional relationships amid row with Japan.

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Japan

‘Keep it secret’: report reveals details of ex-Japan governor’s sex scandal

Former Fukui governor Tatsuji Sugimoto sent messages such as ‘I want to kiss you’ to at least four female staff members.

The former governor of Japan’s Fukui prefecture sent 1,000 lewd texts to staff, according to an investigative report. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Japan’s fix for a shrinking workforce? Corporate dating apps

Companies like Toyota are playing cupid, betting that matching staff with partners from supportive firms will prevent burnout and resignations.

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People cross a road near Tokyo station. The rising popularity of corporate-only dating apps in Japan comes as its birth rate continues to fall. Photo: AFP
People cross a road near Tokyo station. The rising popularity of corporate-only dating apps in Japan comes as its birth rate continues to fall. Photo: AFP
China trade

China bans exports of military-related goods to Japan as dispute intensifies

Shipments of select goods – which could include drones and rare earths – to entities associated with the Japanese military have been restricted.

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South Korea

South Koreans puzzled over Busan airport backdrop in US warning to Maduro

Some social media users questioned why the White House used the image for a message tied to the Venezuela operation.

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Japan

‘Shatters trust’: data fraud scandal hits Japan nuclear plant in quake zone

Chubu Electric accused of falsifying quake-resistance data at the Hamaoka plant to pass the regulatory screening for restart.

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The Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro

The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles in Pyongyang on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles in Pyongyang on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AP
Japan

Fin-tastic: giant bluefin tuna goes for a record US$3.2 million in Japan

The self-styled “Tuna King” said he was surprised at the speed the price rose at the new year auction.

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South Korea

South Korean ‘nation’s actor’ Ahn Sung-ki dies at 74

Ahn collected over 40 major movie awards in his lifetime, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times.

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North Korea

North Korea links Sunday’s missile launch to ‘recent geopolitical crisis’

Kim Jong-un, who denounced the US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, said achievements have been made in preparing forces ‘for an actual war’.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a military factory and inspects the production status of tactical guided weapons. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a military factory and inspects the production status of tactical guided weapons. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
South Korea

South Korean singer Nana’s home intruder claims he ‘never touched her’

The intruder, who sustained a slight cut in the struggle, has also accused the K-pop star of attempted murder.

Japan

Canning old ways: how Japan is rethinking foreign labour

Tawara Canning has managed to maintain its workforce by offering foreigners places to stay and a chance to integrate with the community.

North Korea

North Korea fires missiles ahead of major party congress

The projectiles, launched off the North Korean east coast, are believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) visits a military factory in this photo released on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/Reuters
Japan

Japan’s shoplifters hate a simple ‘hello’ more than cameras

Experts say that in an age of urban isolation, the pressure of ‘real human eyes’ creates more panic in thieves than hi-tech security.

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Shoplifting has grown steadily worse in Japan in recent years, with police recently dismantling a Vietnamese crime ring who had targeted Uniqlo stores across the country. Photo: AFP
Shoplifting has grown steadily worse in Japan in recent years, with police recently dismantling a Vietnamese crime ring who had targeted Uniqlo stores across the country. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan snowstorm traps 3,000 vehicles in 23km traffic jam

New Year return rush traps drivers on the Sanyo Expressway in Hiroshima, causing distress and triggering a wave of emergency calls.

Japan

Why talk of a Japanese nuclear option is resurfacing – and why it alarms critics

Conservatives are calling for a rethink of nuclear taboos, while critics warn of risks to the global non-proliferation regime.

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The Philippines

Why the Philippines’ military is betting on South Korean defence systems

The US$27.7 million contract covers combat management systems for two next-generation Philippine Navy frigates.

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Hanwha Systems Combat System (CMS) in a simulated anti-submarine warfare scene. Photo: Hanwha Systems
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