https://www.scmp.com/rss/328404/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Korea Times The Korea Times For most residents of South Korea’s capital, the Han River is a place for evening strolls, picnics and a brief respite from city life. But for Kim Jun-young, chief of the Hangang Bridge CCTV Integrated Control Centre in Seoul’s Gwangjin district, it is where his team pulls people back from the edge every day. Established in 2021, the centre uses AI for comprehensive emergency response, monitoring 900 CCTV cameras across 17 of the 21 pedestrian-accessible Han River bridges. Beyond suicide... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353790/ai-helps-south-korea-stop-99-suicide-attempts-han-river-bridges-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353790/ai-helps-south-korea-stop-99-suicide-attempts-han-river-bridges-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 02:56:50 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen “Large Boeing orders” are expected as part of US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday, adding that China and the US would discuss establishing a joint “board of trade” to manage commercial ties. When asked about the potential for deals in what have come to be known as the “three Bs” ­– Chinese purchases of beans, beef and Boeing aircraft ­– Bessent told CNBC: “I think we’re going to see the large Boeing orders.” The agreement, if... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353578/boeing-nears-large-china-orders-trump-and-xi-forge-new-trade-board-bessent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353578/boeing-nears-large-china-orders-trump-and-xi-forge-new-trade-board-bessent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:35:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Statues erected by South Korean civic groups on the other side of the world honouring the tens of thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by imperial Japanese forces during World War II have once again succeeded in making Tokyo’s elites deeply uncomfortable. The decisions by local governments in Germany’s capital and New Zealand’s largest city to rescind or decline to renew permits for “comfort women” memorials have been pounced on by conservatives within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The US strikes on Iran sent a clear signal to Pyongyang. But rather than retreat or show renewed interest in denuclearisation, North Korea has doubled down on deterrence. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has tightened security around its leadership and continued its missile launches, underscoring its sensitivity to Washington’s military posture. From Pyongyang’s perspective, these moves are meant not only to gauge how far US military pressure could one day extend, but also to signal that North Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:30:04 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Gwanghwamun Square, a plaza in Seoul framed by royal palaces and monuments to Korean national identity, is at the centre of a dispute over whether a massive new Korean war memorial belongs in a public space seen as a major tourist attraction and long associated with civic gatherings and pro-democracy protests. A row of 23 stone monuments representing South Korea and the 22 foreign countries that fought alongside it during the 1950-53 war was recently unveiled at the square. Located across from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353427/whale-bones-south-koreas-war-memorial-sparks-conflict-over-symbolism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353427/whale-bones-south-koreas-war-memorial-sparks-conflict-over-symbolism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 09:12:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Senior officials from China and the United States concluded their latest round of trade talks in Seoul after less than four hours on Wednesday, the briefest session since the two countries began holding talks last year. The seventh round of negotiations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – wrapped up just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The officials ended the session without speaking to the media, a departure... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 09:09:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea was reviewing a phased contribution to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Wednesday, signalling support steps short of military participation. Ahn told a press conference with South Korean reporters in Washington that he had conveyed Seoul’s position at a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Monday. “We said at about this level that, fundamentally, we will participate as a responsible member of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353396/south-korea-signals-phased-support-us-led-hormuz-mission-after-ship-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353396/south-korea-signals-phased-support-us-led-hormuz-mission-after-ship-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 06:40:15 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport around noon on Wednesday Seoul time. The two officials had both paid courtesy calls to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the morning. This is the seventh round of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353224/china-us-trade-talks-kick-seoul-ahead-high-profile-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353224/china-us-trade-talks-kick-seoul-ahead-high-profile-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 03:34:15 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu The next round of US-China trade talks appears to be a rushed precursor intended to set the stage for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, according to analysts who expect only modest deliverables from the negotiations. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in South Korea this week, both sides have confirmed, marking the latest in a series of diplomatic sprints intended to stabilise the world’s most consequential economic relationship. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353174/us-china-negotiations-seek-quick-seoul-search-deals-ahead-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353174/us-china-negotiations-seek-quick-seoul-search-deals-ahead-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet for trade talks in Seoul on Wednesday, probably to iron out final details before a presidential summit in Beijing the following day. The discussions would focus on “economic and trade issues of mutual concern”, China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday. The country also confirmed that US President Donald Trump will make a state visit from Wednesday to Friday, the first by a US president in almost nine years. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3353144/china-readies-trump-visit-amid-rebound-trade-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3353144/china-readies-trump-visit-amid-rebound-trade-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 09:03:07 +0000 Igor Patrick,Mark Magnier Igor Patrick,Mark Magnier Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will travel to South Korea this week for trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, both sides confirmed on Sunday, in the final round of negotiations before a summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing. The meeting is scheduled for May 12 and 13 in Seoul and comes days before Trump’s state visit to China on May 14 and 15. China’s Ministry of Commerce said He would lead a delegation to hold economic and trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353067/china-us-confirm-seoul-trade-talks-days-trump-xi-summit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353067/china-us-confirm-seoul-trade-talks-days-trump-xi-summit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 15:50:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean cargo ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz six days ago was struck by unidentified aircraft, the foreign ministry in Seoul said on Sunday, days after the fire-damaged HMM Namu arrived in Dubai. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran had “taken some shots” at the Panama-flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join US operations aimed at restoring normal shipping through the strait. The vital waterway has been virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:57:38 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee Every year for the past three years, Edward Sugiana has made the same pilgrimage from Vancouver to a memorial hall on the southern fringes of Seoul that has become one of K-pop’s most sacred and sorrowful sites. Inside a small private room, Post-it notes from fans cover the walls alongside flowers and photographs of the girl group Kara. Nearly seven years after her death, visitors continue to arrive to pay tribute to Goo Hara – a woman many never met, but whom thousands feel they lost. “At the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352925/k-pop-moved-goo-hara-sulli-and-jonghyuns-suicides-fans-never-did?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352925/k-pop-moved-goo-hara-sulli-and-jonghyuns-suicides-fans-never-did?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s rapid technological gains and aggressive pricing are making it increasingly difficult for South Korean firms to find profitable areas of industrial synergy with their Chinese counterparts, according to experts. Speakers at a recent forum in Beijing urged firms from both countries to pivot towards building more interdependent ecosystems in high-growth sectors such as batteries and artificial intelligence, while also calling for the advancement of negotiations towards an upgraded... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352913/how-chinas-sharper-tech-edge-forces-south-korea-rethink-decades-industrial-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 10:30:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Friday it would deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that were capable of striking South Korea’s capital region and would commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks. The announcement comes days after South Korea said the North’s newly revised constitution drops all references to Korean unification, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s vows to terminate ties with South Korea and establish a two-state system on the Korean peninsula. Kim visited a munitions... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:19:40 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that a South Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without US protection in the Strait of Hormuz – a focal point of the ongoing Iran war. “For several days before the fire broke out, the ship had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement. The remarks followed an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 07:18:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean appeals court reduced the sentence of former prime minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday by eight years for crimes relating to ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration. Yoon’s decree in December 2024 briefly suspended civilian rule and plunged South Korea into chaos, but only lasted around six hours as opposition lawmakers moved quickly to overturn it in a vote. A lower court had sentenced Han in January to a heavier-than-expected jail term of 23 years for engaging in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352689/south-korean-court-cuts-former-prime-minister-han-duck-soos-jail-term-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352689/south-korean-court-cuts-former-prime-minister-han-duck-soos-jail-term-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:40:52 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean appellate court judge who presided over a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee was found dead early Wednesday morning, police said. Shin Jong-oh, who had overturned a lower court’s not guilty verdict and imposed a harsher sentence on Kim, was discovered with severe injuries in a flower bed near the Seoul High Court building in Seocho district, southern Seoul. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Police suspect the 55-year-old died after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352562/south-korean-judge-who-handed-kim-keon-hee-4-year-term-found-dead-days-after-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352562/south-korean-judge-who-handed-kim-keon-hee-4-year-term-found-dead-days-after-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 03:39:55 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi South Korea’s first home-grown combat aircraft, the KF-21, still has a “long way to go” competing globally against products from the US, Europe and China, analysts say, as the fighter jet is finally rolled out. In March, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) officially unveiled the first production unit of the KF-21 Boramae, making South Korea the eighth country to join an elite group capable of indigenously developing advanced supersonic combat aircraft. The roll-out marked the start of mass... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352500/can-south-koreas-most-advanced-fighter-kf-21-compete-china-us-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352500/can-south-koreas-most-advanced-fighter-kf-21-compete-china-us-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seoul said on Monday that an “explosion and fire” had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8.40pm in Seoul, “an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company … anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”. There had been “no casualties to date” among the 24 crew members on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:55:30 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times The notes of one of Chopin’s nocturnes drifted up through the deep underground air inside Noksapyeong station in Seoul on a recent Monday afternoon, echoing off curved walls and bouncing against translucent glass banisters. A commuter sat at an upright piano in the concourse – one of the station’s cultural fixtures – and for a few unannounced minutes, the cavernous hall felt less like a subway station and more like a dream that missed its exit. That is precisely the effect Noksapyeong station... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352311/story-seouls-strangest-subway-station-failed-hub-plans-wedding-and-art-venue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352311/story-seouls-strangest-subway-station-failed-hub-plans-wedding-and-art-venue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean athletes are set to step onto South Korean soil for the first time in eight years, raising hopes that sports could again help ease bilateral tensions even as Pyongyang continues to define Seoul as a hostile state. Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea have confirmed their participation in the 2025–2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL). “We have been informed by the AFC that Naegohyang Women’s FC have expressed their intention to participate in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:14:32 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times For many foreign Seoulites, the name “Nowon” is more familiar as a punchline than a place. Beyond the long-running joke that the city’s northeastern district’s name sounds like “no one”, there is not a whole lot that is widely known about it. For most, it is regarded as a quiet residential district filled with apartment blocks and cram school clusters, not nightlife or cultural flair. But Kelly’s Pub, nestled above a street near Gongneung Station, is a sign that Nowon is no longer a blank spot... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352112/how-irish-pub-helping-turn-quiet-seoul-neighbourhood-cultural-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352112/how-irish-pub-helping-turn-quiet-seoul-neighbourhood-cultural-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar When Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently visited Seoul for a state visit, one of the most memorable moments was a photo that he took with a 19-year-old Indonesian K-pop idol. Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, better known as Carmen of the girl group Hearts2Hearts, symbolises Indonesia’s ascendancy in the K-pop universe: no longer just a vast market for the genre’s stars, with the country increasingly playing a part in the industry’s global growth. Foreign Minister Sugiono said on April 22 that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times As a rift widens among Republicans over US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a top Korean-American leader said Seoul must recognise that President Donald Trump is heavily influenced by a faction he calls “new neocons”. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson broke sharply with the president in a Wall Street Journal interview on Saturday, calling him a “slave” to hawkish interventionists willing to deploy military force. Kim Dong-seok, the 68-year-old head of the Korean American Grassroots Conference,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351984/could-reckless-trumps-destroy-and-deal-tactics-target-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351984/could-reckless-trumps-destroy-and-deal-tactics-target-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:41:21 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol had his prison sentence increased on Wednesday in a separate case linked to his failed martial law decree, in what analysts said could be a “bellwether” for the trials still unfolding from the crisis. The Seoul High Court raised Yoon’s sentence from five years to seven for obstruction of justice and other offences after finding that he used presidential security agents to block investigators trying to arrest him over the December 2024... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351820/south-koreas-yoon-given-longer-sentence-obstructing-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351820/south-koreas-yoon-given-longer-sentence-obstructing-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:18:45 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Thousands of Japanese are defying rising prices at home and the pain of the feeble yen to have one final foreign holiday over “golden week” before airlines increase fuel surcharges. The operator of Narita International Airport anticipates that 1.59 million travellers will pass through the airport on the outskirts of Tokyo between last Friday and May 10. That would be an increase of around 2 per cent from last year’s golden week holiday season, which in Japan refers to a cluster of national... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351741/japanese-travellers-rush-abroad-golden-week-fuel-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351741/japanese-travellers-rush-abroad-golden-week-fuel-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for more confident diplomacy based on “mutual respect”, in remarks seen by observers as a veiled response to mounting US pressure over issues including intelligence-sharing, defence autonomy and the regulation of American companies. “As a sovereign nation, we will focus on diplomacy that builds genuine friendships with our allies with confidence,” Lee said while presiding over a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. South Korea must continue to develop... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351739/why-south-koreas-lee-urging-mutual-respect-diplomacy-amid-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351739/why-south-koreas-lee-urging-mutual-respect-diplomacy-amid-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:03:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea’s former First Lady Kim Keon-hee was sentenced on Tuesday to four years ‌in prison for stock manipulation and bribery, after an appeal court increased her earlier sentence. The court said that Kim had participated in manipulating the price of a thinly traded Korean stock with multiple traders, reversing a lower court’s ruling that acquitted her of the charge. It also found that she accepted two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace, worth around 80 million ⁠won (US$54,257) in total, from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351685/south-korean-court-increases-kim-keon-hees-corruption-sentence-4-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351685/south-korean-court-increases-kim-keon-hees-corruption-sentence-4-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:54:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting on Monday at the United Nations in New York as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was “one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”. On Monday he warned “the drivers” of nuclear weapons... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:41:03 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) has taken a leap forward in commercialising sodium-ion batteries, signing a large supply contract with an energy-storage system (ESS) provider amid high demand for power infrastructure after the global oil shock. The world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and ESS battery maker announced on Monday that it would deliver 60 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of sodium-ion batteries to Beijing HyperStrong Technology over three years in a landmark deal for the new battery... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351601/chinas-catl-touts-landmark-order-deepseek-moment-sodium-ion-batteries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351601/chinas-catl-touts-landmark-order-deepseek-moment-sodium-ion-batteries?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:16:17 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea and Russia are moving to consolidate their military ties at a time of deepening global instability, with both sides using the Ukraine war as a symbol of their unwavering alliance. Sunday’s unveiling of a memorial museum in Pyongyang for North Korean soldiers killed in the war was also aimed at showing the two countries were in lockstep over their anti-West stance, according to observers. The partnership stemmed from their converging needs – Russia’s demand for manpower and materiel,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:13:41 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee For 42 years, Ha Sung-ki has sold large speakers to churches and event halls from his electronics shop inside Seoul’s Sewoon Plaza. On a weekday afternoon, the corridor outside – once part of a bustling merchants’ network – is largely empty. “These days, the number of customers crossing the street to come here can be counted on your fingers – sometimes fewer than 10 a day,” he said. “People used to come for the nostalgia, the vintage products and the experience of assembling electronic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351379/iconic-south-korean-district-brink-divisive-urban-renewal-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351379/iconic-south-korean-district-brink-divisive-urban-renewal-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Long a staple in Filipino desserts, ube has become the newest obsession in South Korean cafes. The root crop, also known as purple yam and commonly exported from the Philippines, is turning up in everything from creamy desserts to colourful drinks as its popularity spreads worldwide. Ube first went viral for its visual appeal as it gives off a distinct violet hue when added to desserts and drinks, taking the place of the long-reigning green of Japan’s matcha. The starchy tuber is now a mainstay... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351302/how-viral-ube-drinks-and-desserts-are-taking-over-south-korean-cafes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351302/how-viral-ube-drinks-and-desserts-are-taking-over-south-korean-cafes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China would see India’s attempt to expand defence industry cooperation with South Korea in artillery and anti-aircraft guns as “inevitably sensitive” given Beijing’s border dispute with New Delhi in the Himalayas, according to analysts. After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as part of his three-day visit to India, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced that Seoul and Delhi had agreed to upgrade their economic cooperation, focusing on vital sectors such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:20 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik condemned US Republicans’ claim that South Korea was discriminating against e-commerce giant Coupang, calling it “interference in domestic affairs”. His remarks followed a letter sent by 54 US lawmakers in the Republican Study Committee to South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, in which they claimed Seoul was taking discriminatory and unfair actions against the US-based company that is under police investigation and government scrutiny... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351272/south-korea-and-us-showdown-over-coupang-meddling-testing-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351272/south-korea-and-us-showdown-over-coupang-meddling-testing-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:30:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea’s air force apologised on ⁠Thursday for a ⁠2021 mid-air collision involving two ⁠fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident. “We sincerely apologise to the public ‌for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesman said in a press briefing, adding that one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351175/south-koreas-air-force-apologises-after-audit-blames-2021-jet-collision-mid-air-selfies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351175/south-koreas-air-force-apologises-after-audit-blames-2021-jet-collision-mid-air-selfies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:57:47 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Yongsan in central Seoul was once the capital of electronics in South Korea. For those shopping for gadgets, a visit to the area was a must. However, with the widespread adoption of online shopping leading to a decline in physical electronics sales, the neighbourhood has found a new identity. The area, centred around I’Park Mall, is now emerging as a major hub for subculture content and pop-up events, drawing a growing number of visitors seeking offline experiences. I’Park Mall embodies that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350990/seoul-mall-one-best-places-buy-anime-and-fan-merch-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350990/seoul-mall-one-best-places-buy-anime-and-fan-merch-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:15:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A common hand gesture in a South Korean army recruitment poster has prompted scrutiny of a little-known cultural sensitivity in the country. In the poster, a female model in a combat uniform poses with her hand resting under her chin. All quite innocent – except her thumb and index finger form a shape that many South Koreans associate with man-hating, according to The Korea Herald. The finger pinching gesture is known as the “Megalian hand”, after the radical South Korean feminist group that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351149/south-korean-army-removes-poster-depicting-man-hating-hand-gesture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351149/south-korean-army-removes-poster-depicting-man-hating-hand-gesture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:06:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean police have moved to detain Bang Si-hyuk, the founder of K-pop giant Hybe – the entertainment company behind groups including BTS – in a case that has spilled beyond finance and into the politics of Seoul’s uneasy alliance with Washington. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had requested an arrest warrant for Bang through the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, citing alleged fraudulent stock trading in violation of the Capital Markets Act. The case took on a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350898/south-korean-police-seek-arrest-warrant-hybe-founder-bang-after-travel-request?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350898/south-korean-police-seek-arrest-warrant-hybe-founder-bang-after-travel-request?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:09:19 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong posed for a widely shared selfie in New Delhi on Monday, drawing attention to the optics of “selfie diplomacy” at a Korea-India summit. The photo was taken during a state lunch using Samsung’s latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip7. The image quickly went viral online on social media and was picked up by multiple media outlets. The moment comes months after Lee drew... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350837/after-xi-south-koreas-lee-brings-modi-selfie-diplomacy-frame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350837/after-xi-south-koreas-lee-brings-modi-selfie-diplomacy-frame?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:35:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A reported US pullback in intelligence-sharing with South Korea has exposed a new trust gap between the allies after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young publicly mentioned a suspected North Korean uranium-enrichment site. Washington viewed Chung’s remark as disclosing sensitive information about Kusong – a site long discussed in outside analyses, but not previously identified publicly by a South Korean official in such terms – and responded by reducing the intelligence it shared with Seoul,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350756/south-korea-us-tensions-flare-over-intelligence-leak-claims-pyongyang-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350756/south-korea-us-tensions-flare-over-intelligence-leak-claims-pyongyang-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:30:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When a major stroke paralysed South Korean pianist Lee Hun’s right side in 2012, he first worried about whether he would ever walk again. Playing the piano was not even a consideration. He returned to the piano only after a mentor told him about a large number of piano pieces for the left hand alone. After exhaustive practice he made a comeback, playing recitals as South Korea’s only known professional left-hand-only pianist. He is now preparing for a new challenge: his first joint performance... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350709/south-korean-pianist-whose-right-hand-was-paralysed-now-wows-crowds-just-his-left?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350709/south-korean-pianist-whose-right-hand-was-paralysed-now-wows-crowds-just-his-left?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The sound of tinkling bells drifts through an alley in central Seoul, an unmistakable sign that a shaman is near – although in this case the mystic is a robot powered by artificial intelligence. Many South Koreans still place great value in shamanic traditions, which purport to divine a person’s future based on the day and time they were born. Practitioners, known as mudang, wear long, colourful robes and perform dances and chants to commune with the gods – sometimes even walking on sharp blades... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:20:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea welcomed a record 2.06 million foreign visitors in March, led by Chinese arrivals, government data showed on Thursday, with tourism spending lifted ‌by the comeback tour of K-pop supergroup BTS after a years-long hiatus. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the monthly record helped lift first-quarter arrivals by 23 per cent from a year ago to 4.76 million, also a record for a first quarter. It attributed the trend to the “worldwide popularity of [Korean] culture”,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350291/bts-comeback-drives-record-206-million-tourists-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350291/bts-comeback-drives-record-206-million-tourists-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:37:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea has made “very serious” advances in its abilities to turn out nuclear weapons, with the probable addition of a new uranium enrichment facility, as it steps up activity at a key complex, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said. Enriching uranium can provide an alternative, and experts say, a more effective, path to acquiring weapons-grade material in addition to ‌reprocessing spent plutonium extracted from a nuclear reactor. Speaking in Seoul on Wednesday, the head of the International... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An American YouTuber who caused outrage for filming himself kissing a statue commemorating Korean wartime sex slaves has been sentenced to six months in prison, a court in Seoul said on Wednesday. Johnny Somali, 25, gained notoriety several years ago for recording himself doing a series of provocative stunts in South Korea and Japan, and streaming them on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. South Korean authorities indicted Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, in 2024 on public... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350123/south-korea-jails-us-youtuber-johnny-somali-kissing-comfort-women-statue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350123/south-korea-jails-us-youtuber-johnny-somali-kissing-comfort-women-statue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:24:44 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong At least 26 South Korean tankers are thought to be stranded near the Strait of Hormuz. That fact alone may best explain why President Lee Jae Myung walked into a diplomatic firefight with Israel last week, analysts say. The row erupted on Friday when Lee commented on a grainy clip that appeared to show Israeli soldiers pushing a body from a rooftop. The footage, which dates to September 2024, was originally posted by a Palestinian activist account alongside a caption falsely claiming it showed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349989/what-really-behind-south-koreas-row-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349989/what-really-behind-south-koreas-row-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:22:47 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk In South Korea’s capital, more than one in three people live alone, creating headaches when it comes time to visit hospital or simply move home. But Seoul has a solution: a “companion service” that dispatches helpers to assist solo residents with tasks that are hard to manage without a second pair of hands. On Sunday, the city’s government announced that the programme, which began more than four years ago as a hospital escort service, would soon be expanded to cover moving day logistics and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349863/south-korea-offers-us4-hour-helpers-solo-residents-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349863/south-korea-offers-us4-hour-helpers-solo-residents-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:28:15 +0000