https://www.scmp.com/rss/308709/feed Korea had been a single political entity governing the Korean Peninsula up until the end of World War II, when the Soviet Union and United States each occupied the northern and southern halves respectively. The division led to the founding of today’s North Korea and South Korea. Tensions between the two countries remain high as both want to bring a unified peninsula under its own rule. A heavy military presence is still stationed at the border which runs along the 38th parallel. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The dust and debris of the US-Israeli war on Iran have yet to settle, but its strategic shock waves have reached East Asia. From Tokyo to Taipei, a reassessment is under way. The conflict, intended to project American resolve, has been a brutal stress test for the US-led order – with catastrophic results for Washington’s credibility. Far from cementing its primacy, America’s misadventure has revealed a superpower that is overstretched, vulnerable and seen as an unreliable partner. This erosion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He accused the United States of “state terror”. He vowed North Korea would never surrender its nuclear weapons. And yet Kim Jong-un’s address to the Supreme People’s Assembly contained one notable omission: any direct attack on Donald Trump. That absence was an attempt to leave the door to diplomacy ajar, analysts said, even as North Korea’s supreme leader slammed it shut on the notion that his nuclear-armed nation could be pressured, coerced or subdued like other US adversaries. “The United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:55:43 +0000 Agencies Agencies North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was reappointed as president of ‌state affairs, state media reported on Monday, after the isolated nation convened the first session of its Supreme People’s Assembly a day earlier. North Korea’s constitution explicitly states that the president of state affairs is the “supreme leader of the DPRK” who represents the state, which is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Kim’s reappointment as head of the authoritarian nation’s highest... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347517/north-korea-reappoints-kim-jong-un-supreme-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347517/north-korea-reappoints-kim-jong-un-supreme-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:01:43 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The House Select Committee on China released a report on Friday asserting that China is manipulating its position at the United Nations to “undermine America’s interests and advance its international ambitions”. The 34-page report makes the case that China uses budget contributions, appointments to key UN executive positions and strategically deployed troops to expand its reach. The committee did not detail how these activities differed from how most countries operate at the UN, or the influence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347399/us-claims-china-manipulating-its-position-un-undermine-americas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347399/us-claims-china-manipulating-its-position-un-undermine-americas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:17:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The redeployment of US military assets from the Asia-Pacific to the Middle East has split security analysts, with some arguing that any strategic damage is largely “psychological” while others warn of a real and measurable gap opening in the region’s defences. More than 2,000 marines and at least one amphibious assault ship have begun moving from Japan towards the Gulf as the US-Israeli war on Iran grinds on. The assault ship USS Tripoli, docked at Sasebo in Nagasaki prefecture, is expected to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346849/us-militarys-iran-war-pivot-forces-asia-pacific-security-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346849/us-militarys-iran-war-pivot-forces-asia-pacific-security-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:01:16 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Washington’s redeployment of elements of its missile defence systems from South Korea to the Middle East could be read by China as a short-term capability gap in the region, analysts said. They said the move also underlined US flexibility to move its assets across theatres of operation. A Washington Post report on Tuesday citing two unnamed US government officials said that the United States had been moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system stationed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346575/us-shifting-thaad-south-korea-mideast-what-does-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346575/us-shifting-thaad-south-korea-mideast-what-does-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles towards the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but did not immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 07:11:31 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and US President Donald Trump discussed the possible reopening of talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. Kim told Trump he was the only Western leader to have had dialogue with North Korea’s Kim and was currently the only person who could resolve issues on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap quoted Kim as telling reporters in Washington. “President Trump said he was curious if... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:15:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea. The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024. The department also accused workers associated with North Korea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:35:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China. His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific and China’s security and foreign policy. SCMP Plus readers get early access... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3346333/us-israeli-war-iran-may-spark-nuclear-arms-race-carnegie-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3346333/us-israeli-war-iran-may-spark-nuclear-arms-race-carnegie-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:39:17 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing could gain a strategic edge in the Taiwan Strait as US military assets are diverted to the Middle East, even though it remains committed to peaceful reunification, a prominent mainland expert on the Taiwan issue said on Tuesday. Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Peking University and a deputy to China’s National People’s Congress, said Washington’s involvement in multiple conflicts, including the ongoing war in Iran, was straining its armed forces and diminishing its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346239/china-stands-gain-us-moving-military-assets-iran-war-cross-strait-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346239/china-stands-gain-us-moving-military-assets-iran-war-cross-strait-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:30 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has bluntly said that Seoul cannot prevent the United States from redeploying military assets from the peninsula, raising concerns about the shifting role of American forces stationed in the country. Analysts say the episode exposes a stark reality for Seoul: US Forces Korea (USFK) are increasingly being used for missions beyond deterring North Korea as Washington pushes for greater “strategic flexibility” for its troops overseas. Lee made the remarks after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346144/south-korea-grapples-clear-reality-us-forces-shifting-role-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346144/south-korea-grapples-clear-reality-us-forces-shifting-role-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticised the United States and South Korea for proceeding with their annual joint military exercises at a perilous moment for global security and warned that any challenge to the North’s safety would bring “terrible consequences”. Kim Yo-jong’s statement Tuesday came a day after the allies started their 11-day Freedom Shield exercise involving thousands of troops, while Washington also wages an escalating war in the Middle East. Without... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346078/terrible-consequences-north-korea-hits-out-over-us-south-korea-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346078/terrible-consequences-north-korea-hits-out-over-us-south-korea-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:19:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States began a large military exercise with South Korea involving thousands of troops Monday while also waging an escalating war in the Middle East. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said about 18,000 Korean troops would take part in Freedom Shield, which runs through March 19. US Forces Korea has not confirmed the number of American troops participating in the training in South Korea. The allies’ combined exercise comes amid South Korean media speculation that Washington is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345923/us-begins-large-military-exercise-south-korea-while-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345923/us-begins-large-military-exercise-south-korea-while-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 03:45:34 +0000 Syrus Solo Jin Syrus Solo Jin The North Korea that leaves the ninth Workers’ Party Congress is a different country from the one that left the eighth congress in 2021. Five years ago, the centrepiece of the eighth party congress was an ambitious weapons development programme unveiled by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and accompanied by belligerent rhetoric against the United States, both of which indicated the North Korean leadership’s concerns about their vulnerability. Now, Kim’s regime has an improved and resilient... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345219/nuclear-armed-north-korea-pivoting-reunification-coexistence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345219/nuclear-armed-north-korea-pivoting-reunification-coexistence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Reports that Washington could redirect some US military assets from South Korea to the Middle East have stirred unease in Seoul, reviving concerns that a crisis elsewhere could compromise deterrence on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said a redeployment of missile-defence systems could leave South Korea feeling vulnerable to North Korean “adventurism” and signal Washington’s “shifting priorities and lack of seriousness” towards its Indo-Pacific allies. Citing a South Korean government official,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:37:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea will soon no longer be one of the few countries where Google Maps does not work properly, after its security-conscious government reversed a two-decade stance to approve the export of high-precision map data to overseas servers. The approval was made “on the condition that strict security requirements are met”, the ‌Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. Those conditions include blurring military and other sensitive security-related facilities, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345293/south-korea-finally-get-fully-functioning-google-maps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345293/south-korea-finally-get-fully-functioning-google-maps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:44:24 +0000 Rob York Rob York A recent report by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service suggests Kim Jong-un has selected his daughter, Ju-ae (or possibly Ju-hae), to succeed him as North Korea’s supreme leader. This is not the first time analysts have had to consider if North Korea, supposedly the most traditionalist of communist states, could have a female leader, but it is the most definitive. In 2020, Kim spent three weeks out of the spotlight, including missing the April 15 birth celebration of his grandfather, Kim... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344613/kim-jong-uns-daughter-may-well-become-north-koreas-first-female-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344613/kim-jong-uns-daughter-may-well-become-north-koreas-first-female-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gifted new sniper rifles to top government and military officials following a weeklong ruling party congress celebrating his leadership, with state media highlighting an image of his teenage daughter taking aim at a shooting range as her increasingly prominent appearances fuel speculation Kim is grooming her as a future leader. Kim presented the rifles to senior party and military officials on Friday, calling them a sign of his “absolute trust” and gratitude for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344959/north-korea-unveils-image-kims-teenage-daughter-firing-rifle-shooting-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344959/north-korea-unveils-image-kims-teenage-daughter-firing-rifle-shooting-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong During North Korea’s latest military parade, images of its leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter wearing near-identical leather coats have prompted Pyongyang observers to speculate whether the stage is set for the next chapter in the ruling family’s history. For them, the “twin look” is another instance of carefully directed political theatre to burnish the standing of the Kims in the reclusive country for the long term. At the close of the ruling Workers’ Party’s ninth congress on Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344929/why-twin-look-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-daughter-sparks-succession-talk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344929/why-twin-look-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-daughter-sparks-succession-talk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that Pyongyang is ready for confrontation with the US but has also left the door open for dialogue, depending on Washington’s stance. The prospects for North Korea-US relations hinge “entirely on the attitude of the United States”, he said on Wednesday. Pyongyang was prepared for both “peaceful coexistence or eternal confrontation”, but the choice lay with Washington. So long as the US respected North Korea’s nuclear-armed state status, which is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344668/confrontation-or-dialogue-you-choose-north-koreas-kim-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344668/confrontation-or-dialogue-you-choose-north-koreas-kim-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee,Alice Li Yeon Woo Lee,Alice Li For his family’s first overseas trip together, Tang Junjie carefully planned a holiday to Japan during China’s longest Lunar New Year break on record. Flights were booked months in advance by the 22-year-old from Sichuan province, who had already made three solo visits to the neighbouring country that has long been a draw for Chinese tourists. But a sudden deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations changed everything. “The original plan was to transit through Seoul on our way to Japan,” Tang said.... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344356/seoul-gains-tokyos-pain-over-lunar-new-year-politics-reshapes-chinas-tourism-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344356/seoul-gains-tokyos-pain-over-lunar-new-year-politics-reshapes-chinas-tourism-map?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim South Korea last week protested to the US over a rare stand-off between American and Chinese fighter jets in the Yellow Sea, according to media reports. Analysts said the move signalled Seoul was reluctant to see US forces stationed in South Korea more actively confront Beijing. According to a Yonhap News Agency report on Saturday citing unnamed military sources, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back lodged a complaint with General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea (USFK),... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344369/seouls-protest-over-stand-seen-reluctance-let-us-forces-korea-confront-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344369/seouls-protest-over-stand-seen-reluctance-let-us-forces-korea-confront-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Every spring, South Korea and the United States stage one of their largest combined military exercises in a show of force that North Korea invariably denounces as a rehearsal for war. This year, Seoul wants to dial them back, wagering that smaller drills could open a diplomatic door that has been shut since 2019. A joint press briefing on the Freedom Shield exercise that had been scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed amid differences over the scope of the drills, according to Yonhap news... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea has protested to Russia after its embassy in Seoul unfurled a giant banner declaring “Victory will be ours”, an apparent reference to the anniversary of the Ukraine war. South Korea opposes Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its recruitment of soldiers from North Korea, with which Seoul remains technically at war. The red, white and blue banner, written in Russian, was first spotted over the weekend and remained in place at the embassy on Monday morning. Its appearance has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344288/south-korea-protests-russian-embassy-victory-banner-key-war-date-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344288/south-korea-protests-russian-embassy-victory-banner-key-war-date-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:21:30 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon South Korea’s intelligence agency has signalled what could be a historic turn in North Korea’s dynastic politics. Lawmakers were recently told that supreme leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter, whose name is widely believed to be Kim Ju-ae, is being positioned as his likely successor. If confirmed, the move would extend the Kim family’s rule into a fourth generation and, more strikingly, elevate a girl within a rigidly patriarchal society and political system. Her public profile has risen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344084/kim-jong-un-grooms-daughter-rule-chinese-princess-whose-ambition-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344084/kim-jong-un-grooms-daughter-rule-chinese-princess-whose-ambition-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to lift living standards as he opened a landmark congress, state media said on Friday, offering a glimpse of economic strains within the sanctions-hit nation. The supreme leader took centre stage with a speech to start the Workers’ Party congress, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from house building to war planning. Held just once every five years, the days-long congress offers a rare glimpse into the workings of a nation where even... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344155/north-koreas-kim-opens-rare-party-congress-pledge-fix-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344155/north-koreas-kim-opens-rare-party-congress-pledge-fix-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:28:17 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has joined Russia in congratulating North Korea on the conclave of its ruling party, hailing economic achievements under the leadership of Kim Jong-un and pledging to work with Pyongyang to promote regional peace. According to state news agency Xinhua, the Central Committee of China’s Communist Party sent a congratulatory message to Pyongyang on Thursday, asserting that the ruling Workers’ Party had in recent years helped to develop the North Korean economy and improve the lives of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344118/china-applauds-north-korea-party-conclave-new-historical-period-ties-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344118/china-applauds-north-korea-party-conclave-new-historical-period-ties-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has signalled that his country’s armed forces will play an even more “outstanding” role over the next five years – an indication that the coming party congress will map out a new defence build-up, including advances in nuclear and missile capabilities, analysts say. “The next five years will be a period when our army’s exceptional role, which no one can replace, rises even higher,” Kim said on Sunday during a visit to the Ministry of National Defence marking the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342920/north-koreas-kim-signals-party-congress-will-focus-exceptional-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342920/north-koreas-kim-signals-party-congress-will-focus-exceptional-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea grounded an ageing fleet of military helicopters on Monday after a chopper crashed during a training exercise and killed two people on board. The AH-1S Cobra was training for emergency landings when it “crashed due to an unidentified cause” in Gapyeong county west of Seoul, the army said in a statement. Two service members were taken to hospital and later pronounced dead. Photos in local media showed the helicopter’s crumpled fuselage lying on a rocky river bank. “Following the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342890/south-korea-grounds-cobra-military-helicopters-after-fatal-training-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342890/south-korea-grounds-cobra-military-helicopters-after-fatal-training-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:01:47 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A top South Korean official has hinted at a possible shift in frozen ties between the United States and North Korea, raising expectations that Washington could articulate a more open security stance on Pyongyang. In an informal meeting with South Korean reporters in Washington on Thursday, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “there may be some new progress in a few days”. His remarks come amid speculation that US President Donald Trump could seek a meeting with North Korean... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342727/frozen-us-north-korea-ties-may-see-new-progress-seoul-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342727/frozen-us-north-korea-ties-may-see-new-progress-seoul-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Fears over the weakening of global momentum to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have mounted with the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) between the United States and Russia, with observers warning that an emboldened Pyongyang could also spark a domino effect regionally. For 15 years, the treaty functioned as a stabilising force between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, setting limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems while... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Pentagon has signalled a shift for US forces in South Korea, pushing them to expand their role beyond North Korea to help deter Beijing in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere in the region, according to experts. The analysis follows a visit to South Korea this week by Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defence for policy and a key architect of the Pentagon’s National Defence Strategy. In his first trip outside the United States since taking office in April, Colby hinted at a possible... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341991/pentagon-eyes-expanded-role-south-korea-based-us-forces-help-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341991/pentagon-eyes-expanded-role-south-korea-based-us-forces-help-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg For decades, one of the world’s most historically significant collections of Korean art has been kept largely out of public view, quietly assembled by South Korea’s richest family and Samsung founders, the Lees. Now, the works are on their first-ever overseas tour, riding a global wave of interest in Korean culture that extends well beyond pop music and film into the country’s deepest artistic traditions. “Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared” features more than 200 works from the late... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341832/samsung-familys-korean-art-collection-being-shown-first-time-overseas-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3341832/samsung-familys-korean-art-collection-being-shown-first-time-overseas-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 07:15:07 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee It has been just over a month since Lee Hyun-jun* was discharged from his mandatory military service, but the 22-year-old college student already feels he has hit an invisible wall regarding his future. “Whenever I search for jobs, internships or fellowship programmes on online platforms, they always ask for the name of your university,” Lee told This Week in Asia. “Looking at the comments section, people are saying most places prioritise which school you graduated from. They say you might as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341877/south-korea-fights-academic-pedigree-hiring-bias-turns-everyone-losers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341877/south-korea-fights-academic-pedigree-hiring-bias-turns-everyone-losers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea is set to use its coming Workers’ Party congress to signal an escalation towards carrying out large-scale nuclear retaliation in the event of a conflict with the US, with analysts expecting Pyongyang to unveil plans centred on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking American cities. The move was foreshadowed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, when he said he would announce next-phase plans to further strengthen the country’s “nuclear war deterrence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341913/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-set-signal-stronger-nuclear-deterrence-posture-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341913/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-set-signal-stronger-nuclear-deterrence-posture-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu Back decided on Friday to step up personnel exchanges between their forces amid mounting regional security challenges. At the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) base in Koizumi’s hometown of Yokosuka, near Tokyo, the two agreed to hold annual reciprocal visits, as ties between the Asian neighbours have continued to improve in recent years. “We opened the door for a new level of defence exchanges between Japan... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341874/japan-and-south-korea-upgrade-defence-pact-counter-china-and-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341874/japan-and-south-korea-upgrade-defence-pact-counter-china-and-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:41:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A record share of the Japanese public now supports strengthening the country’s Self-Defence Forces, a new government survey shows, highlighting how sharply attitudes on national security have shifted amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s expanding military activities and rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said the shift reflects a growing sense that diplomacy and alliances alone may no longer be sufficient to guarantee Japan’s security. According to a Cabinet Office survey... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341606/why-more-japanese-ever-support-strengthening-self-defence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341606/why-more-japanese-ever-support-strengthening-self-defence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Just days after a court in Tokyo ordered the North Korean government to compensate Japanese citizens who it had lured with the promise of “paradise on Earth”, the victorious plaintiffs are drawing up a strategy to force Pyongyang to pay up. The Tokyo District Court ruled on Monday that three plaintiffs and the family of another claimant who died before the case was concluded should each receive 22 million yen (US$144,000) in compensation for the suffering they endured before escaping from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341604/will-north-korea-compensate-japanese-citizens-lured-paradise-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341604/will-north-korea-compensate-japanese-citizens-lured-paradise-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:52:19 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg North Korea fired what appeared to be ballistic missiles off its east coast days after the US released a new defence strategy signalling a reduction in American military support to deter Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. Multiple ballistic missiles were launched on Tuesday from north of Pyongyang towards waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan’s coastguard said an object suspected of being a ballistic missile likely already fell into the sea. “Our military is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341463/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missiles-us-signals-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341463/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missiles-us-signals-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:14:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea’s president has withdrawn ‌his nomination of Lee Hye-hoon to head ‍the country’s newly created budget ministry after she was accused of unlawful real estate investments and mistreating staff. The plan to appoint ⁠the former conservative lawmaker from former president Yoon’s People Power Party was viewed as an attempt by President Lee Jae Myung to promote national unity with some cross-party appointments. Lee’s liberal government was elected after ‍his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341172/south-korea-withdraws-budget-minister-nominee-after-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341172/south-korea-withdraws-budget-minister-nominee-after-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:29:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Pentagon foresees a “more limited” role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility for the task, a Pentagon policy document released on Friday said, a move likely to raise concern in Seoul. South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops in combined defence against North Korea’s military threat and Seoul has raised its defence budget by 7.5 per cent for this year. “South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341082/pentagon-plans-more-limited-north-korean-role-shifts-defence-burden-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341082/pentagon-plans-more-limited-north-korean-role-shifts-defence-burden-south?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 02:20:43 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public dismissal of a vice-minister during an inspection tour of a major industrial zone reflects growing anxiety within the leadership as Pyongyang prepares for a pivotal ruling party congress amid persistent economic strain, according to analysts. By firing the official on the spot, Kim appears to be signalling zero tolerance for delays and mismanagement while reinforcing his authority ahead of the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea to be held early... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:26:53 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea has begun deploying its most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5 – dubbed the “monster missile” for its massive warhead – to frontline units, military officials said on Sunday, a move that underscores Seoul’s effort to strengthen deterrence against North Korea. The ground-to-ground missile, capable of carrying a warhead of up to eight tonnes, began entering frontline units late last year and is expected to complete full operational deployment before the current... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340310/seoul-takes-aim-north-koreas-leadership-bunkers-monster-missile-hyunmoo-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340310/seoul-takes-aim-north-koreas-leadership-bunkers-monster-missile-hyunmoo-5?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:38:19 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The summit between South Korea and Japan has exposed a growing divergence in how the two neighbours are responding to a more volatile regional order, as supply chains harden into strategic tools and great-power rivalry sharpens, analysts have said. During a meeting in Nara, the hometown and electoral district of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pressed the case for broader regional cooperation that included China, while Tokyo emphasised closer... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339886/south-korea-japan-summit-exposes-strategic-divide-amid-great-power-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339886/south-korea-japan-summit-exposes-strategic-divide-amid-great-power-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:58:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An independent counsel on Tuesday demanded the death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024. Yoon, who was removed from office last April and is in jail, faces eight trials over various criminal charges related to his martial law debacle and other scandals related to his time in office. Charges that he directed a rebellion are the most significant ones. Independent counsel Cho... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339781/south-korean-prosecutors-demand-death-penalty-yoon-suk-yeol-over-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339781/south-korean-prosecutors-demand-death-penalty-yoon-suk-yeol-over-martial-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:18:58 +0000 Chan Young Bang Chan Young Bang The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339398/why-timing-may-be-right-china-press-north-korea-denuclearisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339398/why-timing-may-be-right-china-press-north-korea-denuclearisation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:30:10 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Young people in South Korea are more likely than their peers in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden to agree that having children would bring great joy, but they also express far stronger concerns about the economic burden of childbirth, a study found. The findings, drawn from a survey of 2,500 adults aged 20 to 49 in each of the five countries, were published in a report titled “A Study on International Cases of Population Policies” by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339598/south-koreans-see-joy-parenthood-fear-economic-strain-study-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339598/south-koreans-see-joy-parenthood-fear-economic-strain-study-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:18:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential sister has delivered a scathing warning to the South’s government after drones were reportedly flown across the border earlier this month. Kim Yo-jong, de facto spokeswoman for the ruling Workers’ Party, denounced South Korea’s leaders as a “gang of hooligans” and said the recent drone incidents had reinforced Pyongyang’s view that inter-Korean relations were fundamentally hostile. In a statement released on Sunday via the official Korean Central... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339529/why-north-koreas-gang-hooligans-rebuke-signals-freeze-inter-korean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339529/why-north-koreas-gang-hooligans-rebuke-signals-freeze-inter-korean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:07:45 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A lone body discovered on a cold Japanese beach and a shattered wooden boat coated in black tar have stirred memories of the “ghost ships” that in past winters drifted across to Japan from North Korea. The body washed ashore on Wednesday in Ishikawa prefecture, while a Japan Coast Guard vessel later recovered the capsized boat nearby, local media reported. Authorities have yet to identify the man and are investigating whether he was linked to the vessel, which bore Korean characters and numbers.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:19 +0000