https://www.scmp.com/rss/32925/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on South Korea, covering politics, economy, society, K-pop and Seoul’s relationships with North Korea, Japan, China and the United States. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley An often-overlooked reason stock markets are prone to bouts of irrational exuberance, as is the case now, is that there is too much money chasing too few investment opportunities around the world. Could we be on the cusp of breaking out of this vicious cycle of boom and bust? There are some grounds for optimism on this score. They originate from an unexpected quarter – not from dangerously overpriced equity markets but from more staid bond markets beyond the United States, specifically in Europe... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3354373/can-europe-and-asia-break-grip-us-bond-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3354373/can-europe-and-asia-break-grip-us-bond-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin K-pop boy band BTS will perform at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium for three days in March next year as part of their comeback tour, with tickets to sell for up to HK$3,299 (US$420) each. The dates for the boy band’s performances in the city were announced by event organiser Live Nation HK on Friday. The shows are part of the group’s “Arirang” world tour, which marks their return to the global stage after all seven members recently completed mandatory military service in South Korea. The band is set... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354540/k-pop-stars-bts-hold-3-concerts-hong-kongs-kai-tak-stadium-2027?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354540/k-pop-stars-bts-hold-3-concerts-hong-kongs-kai-tak-stadium-2027?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:15:23 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As high fuel prices and disruption from the Middle East conflict force many Asian carriers to cut capacity and rearrange routes, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is moving in the opposite direction: adding long-haul flights to Europe in a bid to capture traffic from its Gulf rivals. Aviation analysts said the carrier’s expansion reflected a rare combination in the region: a strong balance sheet, insulation from sudden jumps in fuel prices due to its hedging strategy and a hub in Singapore that could... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:33:32 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Since the end of March, global financial markets have been pulled in opposite directions. Government bond markets have experienced a slow-motion crash. On May 19, the yield on 30-year US bonds, which moves inversely to its price, rose to nearly 5.2 per cent, its highest level since June 2007. The average yield on 10-year sovereign bonds in the Group of 7 advanced economies has hit a 22-year high. Global stock markets, on the other hand, have been on a tear. Since March 30, the MSCI World Index,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354315/asia-caught-tug-war-between-global-bond-and-stock-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354315/asia-caught-tug-war-between-global-bond-and-stock-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s declaration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “war criminal” highlights the balancing act between his human rights convictions and commitment to protecting Seoul’s interests in the Middle East, analysts have said. Lee’s comments came as Seoul was pushing for the release of two South Korean nationals detained by Israeli forces while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip aboard humanitarian aid boats, drawing attention to his willingness to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:32:19 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Chinese leader Xi Jinping could visit North Korea as early as next week, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. The trip would follow Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pyongyang last month, as long-standing ties between the two sides grow warmer. “We have obtained intelligence indicating that President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon,” the Yonhap report said, citing a government source. Another government official told Yonhap that Xi might visit North Korea later this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354299/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-north-korea-early-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354299/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-north-korea-early-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 02:15:44 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Washington would not raise future tariffs on Chinese goods above the level stipulated in a trade truce the two countries hammered out late last year, Beijing said, a commitment arising from talks in South Korea held hours before US President Donald Trump’s arrival in the Chinese capital last week. Analysts said the pledge signals a shift in relations between the world’s two largest economies – from unilateral trade shocks towards a phase of “managed competition”. “We hope the US side will honour... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354260/china-us-trade-talks-saw-washington-commit-tariff-ceiling-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354260/china-us-trade-talks-saw-washington-commit-tariff-ceiling-beijing-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu The planned listing of ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), the country’s leading DRAM maker, is drawing attention after a recent update of its prospectus with a sharp earnings turnaround, showing how quickly the Hefei-based company has benefited from a global DRAM shortage and rising memory prices. In the first quarter, its revenue reached 50.8 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion), up 719 per cent from a year earlier, while net profit was 33.0 billion yuan, compared with a loss of 2.83 billion yuan in... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354223/why-chinese-dram-maker-cxmts-ipo-attracting-so-much-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354223/why-chinese-dram-maker-cxmts-ipo-attracting-so-much-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met on Tuesday, they had energy security atop the agenda – and something harder to name top of mind. It was their fourth meeting in six months, a pace of leaders’ encounters that analysts say reveals much about the uncertainty the two US allies are united in feeling, despite their historical grievances. The formal pretext of their latest summit was energy security. Japan and South Korea, heavily export-driven... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354211/japan-south-korea-hone-diplomatic-muscle-memory-amid-taiwan-worries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354211/japan-south-korea-hone-diplomatic-muscle-memory-amid-taiwan-worries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:28:48 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui History looms large at the 2026 Venice Biennale, where the official curatorial framework – focused on contemplative, alternative voices from the “Global South” – has inspired many artists to draw from, come to terms with, and reveal personal perspectives within history. This is strongly reflected in a number of memorable exhibitions by artists of Asian heritage. While sidestepping cultural essentialism, these practitioners focus on sidelined perspectives and offer fresh ways of thinking amid... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354160/how-asian-artists-2026-venice-biennale-are-making-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354160/how-asian-artists-2026-venice-biennale-are-making-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:15:06 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), tiny electronic components found in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, is surging as the artificial intelligence boom triggers new production. MLCCs, which act as electrical buffers in circuit boards, are increasingly deployed in massive volumes in high-performance servers, emerging as the latest AI-driven investor darling following memory chips and optical modules. The AI hardware boom was squeezing production capacity as MLCC... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354168/how-tiny-capacitors-became-latest-ai-driven-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354168/how-tiny-capacitors-became-latest-ai-driven-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 03:22:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Samsung Electronics workers’ union said late on Wednesday that a planned strike had been put on hold until further notice after negotiations with management resumed with the participation of South Korea’s labour minister. The company’s management and workers’ union had resumed talks earlier in the day in a last-ditch attempt to avert a strike. The labour union at the world’s top memory chipmaker had said it would begin a strike on Thursday after talks over bonuses broke down, raising concerns... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354165/samsung-workers-go-ahead-18-day-strike-bonus-talks-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354165/samsung-workers-go-ahead-18-day-strike-bonus-talks-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 03:08:53 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram Yeon Sang-ho sleeps soundly at night – no bad dreams, no night terrors, thank you very much. “When I get to bed, I’m just completely exhausted,” the 47-year-old South Korean director says with a grin. “When I sleep, the next step is just I wake up. So I never dream or have nightmares.” This must have come as a relief given he has spent a decade contemplating zombies on and off following his 2016 mega-hit Train to Busan. It is late afternoon when we meet on the windswept sixth-floor terrace of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3353976/how-colony-features-new-kind-zombie-reflect-modern-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3353976/how-colony-features-new-kind-zombie-reflect-modern-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their fourth meeting in about six months on Tuesday, underscoring the need for greater cooperation between the historical Asian rivals amid global challenges, including the Iran war. Lee hosted Takaichi in his hometown of Andong, a southeastern South Korean city famous for its centuries-old traditional folk village, a Unesco World Heritage site. In January, the two met in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, an ancient... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354117/south-koreas-lee-hails-deep-friendship-he-hosts-japans-takaichi-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354117/south-koreas-lee-hails-deep-friendship-he-hosts-japans-takaichi-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 10:54:04 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee The AI-driven “super cycle” in memory chips may lose momentum by 2028 as Chinese chipmakers aggressively expand production and global tech firms curb spending, a Samsung Electronics executive adviser said. “South Korea’s memory chip industry is performing very strongly this year and some forecasts suggest conditions could improve further next year,” adviser Kyung Kye-hyun said at a forum hosted by the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. “But caution is needed for 2027, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354099/chinas-rapid-chipmaking-expansion-threatens-ai-memory-chip-boom-samsung-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354099/chinas-rapid-chipmaking-expansion-threatens-ai-memory-chip-boom-samsung-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:30:11 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi China’s Ganfeng Lithium, a global giant of the lithium industry, says its orders have been booked through the first half of 2027 amid a surge in demand for energy storage systems (ESS) and a frenzy of investment in artificial intelligence data centres (AIDCs). “Our production capacity for the year is fully booked,” said Wang Xiaoshen, president and vice-chairman at the world’s largest metal lithium producer and lithium compounds supplier. Ganfeng also manufactures lithium-ion batteries. “The... https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3354068/chinas-ganfeng-secures-orders-amid-surge-demand-global-energy-storage-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3354068/chinas-ganfeng-secures-orders-amid-surge-demand-global-energy-storage-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:00:11 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash Southeast Asia must brace itself for a punishing spell of climate whiplash, with an expected El Nino threatening drought-like conditions, flash floods, crop losses and haze across the region, experts... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3354039/southeast-asias-climate-singaporeans-and-work-ethic-stereotype-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3354039/southeast-asias-climate-singaporeans-and-work-ethic-stereotype-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 04:30:06 +0000 Letters Letters The ongoing volatility in the Middle East has sent shock waves through global energy markets, hitting East Asia at an overlooked but critical point: the plastic supply chain. The resulting squeeze on naphtha – a key petrochemical feedstock – is driving up costs for everything from medical syringes to food packaging. For Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, this “naphtha shock” has exposed their economic vulnerability inherent in a fossil-fuel-dependent plastics economy. Research by Greenpeace shows... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353939/naphtha-shock-must-spur-east-asia-cut-its-plastics-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3353939/naphtha-shock-must-spur-east-asia-cut-its-plastics-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 03:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of Starbucks Korea has been fired after a marketing campaign sparked public outrage for ‌evoking painful memories of a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980. Shinsegae Group, the retail conglomerate that licences and manages the US coffee chain in South Korea, said it had sacked Sohn Jeong-hyun, the head of Starbucks Korea, for carrying out “inappropriate marketing”. Sohn’s dismissal came hours after Starbucks launched its “Tank Day” campaign on Monday promoting... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354038/starbucks-korea-boss-loses-job-after-tank-day-promotion-misfires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354038/starbucks-korea-boss-loses-job-after-tank-day-promotion-misfires?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 03:03:03 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong’s finance chief has begun a five-day European tour, starting in France, as part of the city’s latest push to attract global capital and reinforce its status as an international financial hub. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po arrived in Paris on Monday, where he met representatives of the Association Francaise de la Gestion Financiere (AFG) and Paris-based think tank Asia Centre, sources told the South China Morning Post. He also called on China’s ambassador to France and Monaco,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354014/hong-kong-finance-chief-woos-french-wealth-managers-european-tour-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354014/hong-kong-finance-chief-woos-french-wealth-managers-european-tour-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 00:30:05 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Chinese memory chip stocks rallied on Monday after ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) disclosed sharply stronger first-quarter results and an upbeat first-half outlook in its updated listing prospectus, as the global memory shortage boosts China’s semiconductor supply chain. GigaDevice, a chip designer and CXMT shareholder, rose 6.57 per cent on Monday to close at 400 yuan per share, taking its gain over the past month to more than 40 per cent. In Hong Kong, GigaDevice shares rose 8 per cent on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353988/cxmts-blowout-earnings-outlook-fuels-rally-chinese-memory-chip-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353988/cxmts-blowout-earnings-outlook-fuels-rally-chinese-memory-chip-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 11:05:02 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong In South Korea, the clock is ticking on what threatens to become the most consequential labour dispute in recent history – and Seoul is running out of patience. With 50,000 workers at Samsung Electronics poised to walk off the job on Thursday in an 18-day strike, the government of President Lee Jae Myung finds itself cornered by a crisis it cannot afford to mishandle, with up to 100 trillion won (US$66.7 billion) in projected economic damage on the line, plus the potential disruption to global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353960/south-korea-stifling-samsung-workers-us400000-bonus-strike-risks-wider-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353960/south-korea-stifling-samsung-workers-us400000-bonus-strike-risks-wider-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Last year, investment in Japanese multifamily properties reached US$6.3 billion. While this accounted for 16 per cent of commercial real estate transaction volumes in Japan, it constituted almost half of the investment in institutional-grade rental housing in the whole of the Asia-Pacific. As the largest developed economy in the region, Japan has long dominated the investible rental housing market. According to LaSalle, “Japan’s multifamily sector is similarly mature to its US counterpart or UK... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353926/why-asias-rental-housing-markets-outside-japan-are-luring-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353926/why-asias-rental-housing-markets-outside-japan-are-luring-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump leaves China after much pomp and pageantry, but little to show for it 2. Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on? 3. What do travellers need to know when Hong Kong airport’s Terminal 2 opens? 4. Reality deficit: how South Korea lost the plot on AI 5. Have Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3353918/trumps-china-trip-assessed-south-koreas-ai-problem-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3353918/trumps-china-trip-assessed-south-koreas-ai-problem-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 04:30:06 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Chinese technology stocks rose on Monday, bucking sell-offs in the Asia-Pacific region, as investors bet that the current blistering run will extend its course on the back of earnings resilience and strong sentiment. The Star Market 50 Index gained 0.8 per cent at the close, while the tech-heavy ChiNext 50 gauge rose by as much as 0.9 per cent before finishing the day 0.4 per cent lower. The stabilisation of South Korea’s Kospi index also helped to lift sentiment, with the tech-heavy gauge... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353921/chinese-tech-stocks-shrug-regional-weakness-regain-momentum-after-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353921/chinese-tech-stocks-shrug-regional-weakness-regain-momentum-after-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 03:52:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on top military officials to bolster front-line units and turn the southern border into an “impregnable fortress”, state media reported on Monday. Kim gave the instruction at a meeting on Sunday where a photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed him presiding over commanding military officers wearing full-dress uniform. The North Korean leader told the military officials that a “great change” would be made in an effort to deter war and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 03:37:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea ⁠will pursue all options, ⁠including emergency arbitration, to ⁠avoid a labour strike at the country’s biggest employer Samsung Electronics and to minimise any damage if one does occur, its prime minister said on Sunday. The world’s largest memory chipmaker and its South ‌Korean labour union will resume pay talks on Monday with a government mediator, in a move that could ease concerns over a potentially disruptive strike at the tech giant that accounts for nearly a quarter of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353897/south-korea-weighs-arbitration-avoid-samsung-semiconductor-plant-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353897/south-korea-weighs-arbitration-avoid-samsung-semiconductor-plant-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 15:18:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack”. No one was blamed, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the United States and Iran signalled they were ready to fight again. There were no reported injuries or radiological release. The UAE, which has hosted air defences and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks. Tensions have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353889/drone-targets-uae-nuclear-power-plant-straining-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353889/drone-targets-uae-nuclear-power-plant-straining-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 12:05:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean women’s football club Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for an Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from ‌the isolated state to the South in eight years. The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country ahead of Wednesday’s match against South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon. The visit has been approved under the inter-Korean exchange law and covers their stay through next weekend, though the team could leave... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:55:27 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The face of beauty in Asia is changing, says Dr Dissapong Panithaporn. He should know, as he sees it every day in Thailand. The younger generation, women and men in their mid-twenties, are edging away from plastic surgery and fillers towards something more natural, the leading Thai dermatologist said. ‘’The whole trend has shifted from anti-ageing to longevity of skin, prevention and preservation rather than correction or repair,’’ Dissapong – better known as Dr Joe – said from his Bangkok... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353848/move-over-k-beauty-thailand-next-big-thing-aesthetics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3353848/move-over-k-beauty-thailand-next-big-thing-aesthetics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 05:30:05 +0000 Zha Daojiong Zha Daojiong Southeast Asia stands at the threshold of a nuclear renaissance. Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement in March for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The Philippines and Indonesia aim to have operational reactors by the early 2030s. Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are studying small modular reactors. Given heightened energy insecurity, climate commitments and the imperative to meet surging electricity demand from industrial growth, data centres and AI development, nuclear energy is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:10 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee The young woman in the stands simply sighed, turned her head and sat there, looking impossibly composed, while 15 million strangers fell briefly in love with someone who had never existed. She was, according to the caption accompanying one of many posts, “the average Korean woman”. Her admirers quickly crowned her a “baseball goddess”, analysing her every feature with the forensic enthusiasm reserved for internet obsessions, as the five-second clip went viral across South Korea’s online... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353740/reality-deficit-how-south-korea-lost-plot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3353740/reality-deficit-how-south-korea-lost-plot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Minh Tran Minh Tran Ahead of next year’s Apec summit, Vietnam has a grand plan to transform Phu Quoc, its largest island, into Southeast Asia’s leading conference and exhibition hub. The 137 trillion dong (US$5.2 billion) blueprint includes an airport overhaul, a light-rail line, clusters of luxury hotels and a brand-new sewerage system – much of it paid for by one of the country’s largest conglomerates, in return for tracts of land, operating concessions and the cachet of building national landmarks. But problems... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353741/vietnams-us5-billion-apec-island-running-out-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Cameron Dueck Cameron Dueck The voices come from a distance, indirect and indecipherable. Unfamiliar voices speaking in a foreign language. They weave in and out of range, in and out of my drowsy dream. A child’s shout is followed by the tinkle of laughter. Slowly my mind climbs out of the warm burrow of sleep to see what all the fuss is about. It takes me a moment more to realise the voices are German. I’m still dancing between dreams and reality, enjoying the gauzy confusion. Why German and not English or Cantonese? I... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3353659/mastering-art-tourist-nap-richer-travel-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3353659/mastering-art-tourist-nap-richer-travel-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 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 Kishore Mahbubani Kishore Mahbubani Western social science has made three metaphysical mistakes. The first was to assume that its laws and lessons were, like the physical sciences, universally applicable to all societies. Harvard Professor Theodore Levitt captured the prevailing zeitgeist well when he wrote in 1983: “The world’s needs and desires have been irrevocably homogenised.” That may have been true 40 years ago. It is no longer. One indirect consequence of this assumption – that the whole world was converging towards a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353739/west-was-never-whole-world-its-time-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353739/west-was-never-whole-world-its-time-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 02:00:19 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Ralph Jennings Mia Nurmamat,Ralph Jennings US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore the massive upswing in capital expenditures across Asia that is driving a broad shift in economic power. When US President Donald Trump made his... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3353399/trump-and-his-ceos-want-chinas-business-has-asia-moved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3353399/trump-and-his-ceos-want-chinas-business-has-asia-moved?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Cyril Ip Cyril Ip What comes to mind when you think of China, Japan and South Korea? This was a question posed in a second-year sociology seminar during my time at Bristol, and it has stayed with me ever since. We were split into three groups and given 10 minutes to create posters capturing our immediate associations. Japan came first. Sketches of anime, sushi platters and temples appeared. My classmates spoke with enthusiasm, drawing on travel memories or aspirations to visit. A country that, less than a century... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353463/how-deal-very-chinese-time-western-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353463/how-deal-very-chinese-time-western-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Peugeot and Jeep, owned by French-Italian automotive group Stellantis, have committed to fresh investments to build electric cars with its partner Dongfeng Motor, as more international marques join the fight against Chinese rivals in the world’s largest car market. Stellantis announced on Friday that four electric vehicles (EVs) under the two storied auto brands would roll off the production lines in 2027 as the European carmaker leverages Chinese technologies to assemble best-class cars for the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353767/peugeot-jeep-take-chinese-rivals-new-models-using-local-ev-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353767/peugeot-jeep-take-chinese-rivals-new-models-using-local-ev-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 14:20:02 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A widely touted economic hub in the Philippines will involve eight more countries, signalling greater international confidence in the long-term viability of the ambitious project to boost connectivity and trade in a key region. The Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), a trilateral infrastructure initiative led by the US, Japan, and the Philippines, is set to receive additional support from Canada, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Initially envisioned as a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 11:07:49 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s government expressed concern over China’s renewal of US beef import licences, warning the move could reshape competition in the country’s largest meat export market. A senior Brazilian government official told the South China Morning Post that the renewal brought “anxiety” to the sector and could affect domestic cattle prices. China is Brazil’s largest beef market, and the quota system already reduces the country’s competitiveness, the official said. The comments came after Bloomberg... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 20:46:09 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong police arrested a driver after his truck hit a parked vehicle and killed a worker on a closed section of the Cheung Tsing Highway in Tsing Yi in an accident that also left five others, including four South Korean tourists, injured on Thursday. A source said that the accident happened at around 5.10pm when the local driver of a minivan carrying the four tourists pulled over to the side of a lane after one of the vehicle’s tyres burst. A highway worker arrived at the scene in a patrol... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353609/truck-driver-arrested-after-accident-leaves-1-highway-worker-dead-5-others-hurt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353609/truck-driver-arrested-after-accident-leaves-1-highway-worker-dead-5-others-hurt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 16:17:37 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump last met President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on October 30 last year, the US Federal Reserve had just embarked on a monetary easing cycle. At the end of 2025, bond investors were betting that the Fed would continue reducing interest rates this year. Fast forward to today and the financial landscape is markedly different. While investors were still anticipating cuts in borrowing costs just before the war in Iran erupted at the end of February, they are now... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Samsung Electronics’ biggest labour union is threatening to strike at the height of the global AI chip boom, turning a fight over bonuses into a test of how the industry’s windfall profits should be shared and sparking fears of an economic slowdown in South Korea. The union has warned it will stage an 18-day walkout from May 21 to June 7, raising concerns about production disruptions, customer defections and wider fallout across the global technology supply chain. The dispute comes as demand for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353543/samsung-unions-strike-threat-fuels-fears-south-koreas-economic-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353543/samsung-unions-strike-threat-fuels-fears-south-koreas-economic-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:06 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. What is China’s luxury Silk Road Express train like? We ride its new route A resplendent train cuts a fine figure at platform two of Chengdu West Railway Station. Its elegant exterior, unlike the other austere carriages trackside, features striking hues of celadon blue and red, and hand-painted gilded lettering. This is... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353489/chinas-silk-road-express-best-things-do-nanjing-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353489/chinas-silk-road-express-best-things-do-nanjing-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 07:15:04 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Two China-domiciled exchange-traded funds (ETFs) targeting overseas chipmakers warned of investment risks arising from excessive premiums to net asset values and imposed a temporary trading halt, as the record-setting run in tech stocks has spurred Chinese investors to chase the global rally. Hutai-PineBridge CSI KRX China-Korea Semiconductor ETF, which invests in Chinese and South Korean chipmakers, was suspended from trading for an hour on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday, citing the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353523/chinese-chip-etfs-pause-trading-they-warn-soaring-premium-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353523/chinese-chip-etfs-pause-trading-they-warn-soaring-premium-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 06:41:23 +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 Howard Liu Howard Liu Chinese memory module manufacturers are accelerating the release of consumer and enterprise storage products powered by domestic DDR5 chips, as breakthroughs by ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), the nation’s leading memory chipmaker, filter through the supply chain. Powev, one of China’s major memory module vendors, recently said its Sinker-branded DDR5 server memories had entered mass production and delivery. The 64GB DDR5-5600 RDIMM product passed testing by multiple major customers and was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353464/chinese-memory-module-makers-ramp-production-cxmt-ddr5-breakthrough-hits-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353464/chinese-memory-module-makers-ramp-production-cxmt-ddr5-breakthrough-hits-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 23:30:05 +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 Eric Jiang Eric Jiang Budget carrier HK Express will cut its fuel surcharge on flights departing Hong Kong to overseas destinations by 12.8 per cent from May 16, reducing the fee by HK$50 (US$6.38) to HK$339 per leg, the airline has said. The reduction, revealed on its website on Wednesday, excludes mainland China routes, and follows lower fuel prices amid the Middle East war. The budget carrier of Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways also said the surcharge for inbound medium-haul journeys, such as those departing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353443/hk-express-cuts-surcharge-128-fuel-prices-ease-amid-mideast-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353443/hk-express-cuts-surcharge-128-fuel-prices-ease-amid-mideast-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:30:49 +0000