https://www.scmp.com/rss/329983/feed Park Chan-kyong is a journalist covering South Korean affairs for the South China Morning Post. He previously worked at the Agence France-Presse's Seoul bureau for 35 years. He studied political science at Korea University and economics at the Yonsei University Graduate School. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong War on Iran has changed many things, not least of which is the tenor of nuclear debate in two of America’s closest Asian allies: countries that have long defined themselves by the weapons they do not possess. For decades, the question of whether South Korea and Japan might one day build their own nuclear arsenal was treated as fringe speculation – the preserve of hawks and provocateurs. No longer. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sounded the alarm.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +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 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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Bolstering strategic partnerships and economic ties will be high on the agenda during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s six-day trip to India and Vietnam, as Seoul seeks to expand cooperation with the Global South amid turmoil in the Middle East. Lee, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, business leaders and Korean expatriates before concluding the India leg of his visit on Tuesday. National security adviser Wi Sung-rak said South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350621/south-korea-targets-india-vietnam-co-prosperity-push-trade-and-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350621/south-korea-targets-india-vietnam-co-prosperity-push-trade-and-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong As the war on Iran continues to command global attention, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stepped up his appearances at military events, using drills and missile tests to project confidence at home and defiance abroad. His heightened visibility suggests that Kim feels more secure in his country’s nuclear deterrence as Washington’s focus is pulled in several directions, analysts say. Kim has cast himself as increasingly assertive and is distancing himself from the symbolic rituals observed by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350305/north-koreas-kim-ramps-show-force-us-war-iran-raises-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350305/north-koreas-kim-ramps-show-force-us-war-iran-raises-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For the first time in nine months, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol finally saw his wife again on Tuesday. He was the defendant. She was the witness. She barely looked at him. The reunion, their first since his arrest following a failed martial law declaration that ended his presidency, lasted all of 30 minutes. The couple made eye contact only once. Yoon looked visibly thinner, his face gaunt and marked with age spots, his once-dark hair now almost entirely silver. Kim Keon-hee wore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350122/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ignores-yoon-frosty-courtroom-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350122/south-koreas-kim-keon-hee-ignores-yoon-frosty-courtroom-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:24:08 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s recent string of weapons tests, including cluster munitions, marks a renewed show of military strength ahead of next month’s US-China summit, even as Beijing may become a go-between to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts say the summit could be an opportunity for China to arrange subsequent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Pyongyang said tests conducted over the previous two days involved a radar-evading missile... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:02:56 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The latest indirect exchange of comments between North and South Korea has raised hopes of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula even as conflict roils other parts of the globe. Hours after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over drone incursions into the North on Monday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a warm statement. The powerful politician welcomed Lee’s remarks as “extremely fortunate and a wise move”, citing her brother as praising Lee’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:24:16 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s jailed former president Yoon Suk-yeol has drawn sharp criticism for an Easter message from prison that opponents say amounted to comparing his downfall to the suffering of Jesus and showing his lack of remorse for his criminal acts. Yoon, who was removed from office a year ago after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024, released the message on Sunday through his lawyer, Bae Ui-cheol, urging the public to “hold onto the hope of salvation even if times are... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349150/south-koreas-yoon-slammed-invoking-jesus-his-message-sent-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:09:31 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea has spent a decade and billions of dollars trying to build a world-class fighter jet. Now that the finish line is drawing near, it’s nearly time to find out who will buy one. The first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae, developed jointly with Indonesia since 2015, was unveiled by Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon on March 25. Analysts say the aircraft could pave the way for South Korea, already one of the world’s top 10 arms exporters, to grab an even bigger slice of the global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Efforts by South Korea and France to secure safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to be centred on a post-war defensive armada with other countries. Analysts also say both nations are wary of joining the Middle East conflict at this point in time and antagonising Iran. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday revealed he had agreed with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to cooperate on safety in the strategic oil supply strait. Lee made the remarks after a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong In Seoul last week, South Koreans were stripping shop shelves of plastic bin bags. Not food, not medicine. Bin bags. Nearly 2.7 million of the city’s mandatory “pay-as-you-throw” bags were sold each day, almost five times the normal volume, as residents scrambled to stockpile what they feared might soon become scarce. City by-laws mandate that the prepaid bags – made from naphtha, a petroleum derivative – be used to throw away household waste. But with oil supplies under strain amid the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:33:37 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching targets around the globe, touting the development as elevating the country’s “strategic military power to the highest level”, state media said on Sunday. The test of the engine made of composite carbon fibre material produced a maximum thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons, up from 1,971 kilonewtons recorded during a similar experiment last September, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:49:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The death of one of South Korea’s most notorious police officers, known for his torture methods on prisoners, has revived painful memories of human rights abuses during the country’s era of military-backed authoritarian rule. Lee Geun-an, dubbed the “torture expert”, succumbed to multiple organ failure on Thursday at the age of 88. He had faced lifetime criticism for never expressing remorse and referring to himself as a “patriot”, once comparing his interrogation methods to “art”. Survivors of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348204/death-south-korean-torture-expert-reopens-authoritarian-era-wounds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348204/death-south-korean-torture-expert-reopens-authoritarian-era-wounds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A Philippine prison was supposed to contain Park Wang-yeol. Instead, according to South Korean investigators, it became his office from which an alleged drug trafficking empire was run, complete with a “VIP” lifestyle, a Telegram alias and a girlfriend summoned to his cell on demand. On Wednesday, after nine years of failed extradition attempts, that arrangement finally came to an end. Bearded, silent and dressed in casual clothing, the 48-year-old arrived at Incheon International Airport near... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347820/south-korean-sugar-cane-killer-extradited-philippines-over-drug-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347820/south-korean-sugar-cane-killer-extradited-philippines-over-drug-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:29:22 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea builds fast. It always has. The pali-pali (hurry, hurry) spirit turned a war-ravaged nation into an industrial titan in a single generation. It also has a habit of killing factory workers, safety experts say. Those deadly consequences were on full display in Friday’s fire at Anjun Industrial, a car parts supplier in Daejeon. The warning signs were impossible to miss. Oil vapour so thick it coated the lenses of workers’ glasses with a greasy film. Grease caking the ceilings, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347544/south-koreas-pali-pali-spirit-keeps-killing-its-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347544/south-koreas-pali-pali-spirit-keeps-killing-its-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:19:37 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea built the Cheongung-II to stop North Korean missiles. Now the system is stopping Iranian ones – and in doing so, has turned Seoul into one of the most sought-after defence suppliers on the planet. The medium-range surface-to-air missile system, also known as the KM-SAM Block II, has scored a reported interception rate of 96 per cent against Iranian missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates. It was a combat debut that rivalled, and in some cases exceeded, the performance of the US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347353/iran-war-debut-south-koreas-cut-price-patriot-outshines-us-interceptors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347353/iran-war-debut-south-koreas-cut-price-patriot-outshines-us-interceptors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea finds itself boxed in as Tehran moves to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a bargaining chip amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, leaving Seoul caught between its dependence on Middle East oil and its unwillingness to antagonise Washington. Economists note that South Korea relies on Washington’s security umbrella to deter threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and that its oil trade is settled in US dollars – two realities that sit awkwardly alongside Iran’s push for yuan-based energy... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347201/south-korea-risks-us-rift-over-irans-hormuz-strait-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347201/south-korea-risks-us-rift-over-irans-hormuz-strait-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is unlikely to rush into joining a US-led military effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, officials and analysts have said, after President Donald Trump urged other nations to send ships to the strategic waterway. Seoul is expected to seek parliamentary consensus before making any decision and is waiting for the outcome of a summit on Thursday between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as well as a formal request through diplomatic channels. A key US ally, South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong As war with the United States and Israel batters Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, analysts say Tehran is likely to turn to North Korea once again after the fighting stops, reviving a long-suspected partnership built on shared hostility towards Washington and years of military cooperation. North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help with uranium enrichment, and analysts say it is likely to do so again once the war ends. “North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:07 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For the first time in over three decades, South Korea is doing something it hoped it would never do again: telling the market what it can charge for fuel. President Lee Jae Myung’s order is more than a mere policy reversal, however. For a country that imports nearly every barrel it consumes, it is an act of pre-emptive self-defence – the reflex of an economy watching the Middle East burn and knowing exactly what that means. Fuel prices have already surpassed 1,900 won (US$1.28) per litre at some... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345985/south-korea-enacts-historic-fuel-price-cap-fight-iran-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345985/south-korea-enacts-historic-fuel-price-cap-fight-iran-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a newly built destroyer and oversaw a test launch of what state media called a “strategic cruise missile” this week, casting the navy’s build-up as a key part of Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear deterrent, analysts said. The two-day inspection of the 5,000-tonne destroyer Choe Hyon came as North Korea was closely watching recent US military strikes on Iran and ahead of US-South Korea joint exercises set to begin on March 9. Kim hailed the warship as a “new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:56:25 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For decades, North Korea’s most potent insurance policy has been the threat it poses to Seoul, guaranteeing that any US move against Kim Jong-un’s regime would first exact an unbearable toll on the South. Now, a new Pentagon blueprint may have just offered that survival strategy Washington’s seal of approval. The new National Defence Strategy, presented to a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, calls on Seoul to take “primary” responsibility for deterring North Korea, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:39:32 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Kim Jong-un will have seen the footage. A supreme leader of nearly 37 years, killed alongside members of his own family. Citizens celebrating in the streets. Rivals already angling for a role in the political transition. If the US-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday was intended to send a message to the world, analysts say North Korea almost certainly received it. Though the lesson likely learned – do not negotiate with the US and never be in Iran’s position... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345084/us-strikes-iran-north-korea-sees-nuclear-vindication?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345084/us-strikes-iran-north-korea-sees-nuclear-vindication?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:07:48 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He called himself a spiritual guide. Prosecutors called him a fixer. This week, a court in Seoul called him something else: guilty of accepting bribes – a verdict that may yet determine the fate of South Korea’s disgraced former first lady Kim Keon-hee. The man at the centre of it all is Jeon Seong-bae, a high-profile shaman better known as “Monk” Gunjin who was convicted on Tuesday of acting as a go-between for Kim and senior figures of the Unification Church – channelling luxury gifts, cash... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344562/kim-keon-hee-shamans-bribery-verdict-strikes-legal-blow-south-koreas-ex-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344562/kim-keon-hee-shamans-bribery-verdict-strikes-legal-blow-south-koreas-ex-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:38:19 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s ruling party congress, convened only once every five years, opened in Pyongyang this weekend with supreme leader Kim Jong-un poised to formalise a military doctrine with far-reaching implications for security on the Korean peninsula and beyond. State media described the opening of the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea as unfolding “with splendour” in “the capital city of the revolution”, with 5,000 delegates and 2,000 observers in attendance. The carefully choreographed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344165/where-kim-ju-ae-succession-question-hangs-over-north-koreas-ruling-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344165/where-kim-ju-ae-succession-question-hangs-over-north-koreas-ruling-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean court on Thursday found former president Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of insurrection and sentenced him to life in prison over his short-lived martial law decree that plunged the country into its most serious constitutional crisis in decades. The verdict, delivered by a three-judge panel of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25, was the harshest and most consequential ruling yet stemming from Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024, and the events... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343989/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-found-guilty-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343989/south-koreas-ex-president-yoon-found-guilty-insurrection?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:58:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Two recent convictions tied to Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived 2024 martial law decree have effectively sealed his fate, some legal observers say, as judges prepare to rule on the insurrection charge against the former South Korean president. On Thursday, a three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25 is set to deliver its verdict and sentence on the 65-year-old, weighing the prosecution’s request for the death penalty and any mitigating factors. The ruling will test... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343837/south-koreas-yoon-awaits-verdict-insurrection-rulings-mount-game-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343837/south-koreas-yoon-awaits-verdict-insurrection-rulings-mount-game-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea appears to be recasting the human cost of its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine as a carefully staged display of loyalty and leadership, with analysts pointing in particular to the unveiling of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of fallen soldiers as a central part of that effort. Several observers argue that leader Kim Jong-un is seeking not only to recast battlefield losses as patriotic sacrifice but also to head off potential unease before a key party congress... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343750/why-north-koreas-kim-lauding-ukraine-war-sacrifices-key-party-congress-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343750/why-north-koreas-kim-lauding-ukraine-war-sacrifices-key-party-congress-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation after Japan’s ruling coalition secured a landslide victory in the lower house election, even as analysts warn that sharpening China-Japan rivalry and unresolved historical disputes could complicate Seoul’s regional diplomacy. The result, which consolidates the Liberal Democratic Party’s grip on power, has strengthened Takaichi’s political position – but also revived... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343056/south-korea-japan-eye-deeper-ties-after-takaichis-landslide-win-it-feasible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343056/south-korea-japan-eye-deeper-ties-after-takaichis-landslide-win-it-feasible?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +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 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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is bracing for prolonged US tariff pressure after last week’s emergency talks in Washington failed to yield a breakthrough, exposing the growing uncertainty that has come to define trade ties under US President Donald Trump. Korean Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan returned home empty-handed on Sunday after two rounds of meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, fuelling concern in Seoul that negotiations could drag on until the US midterm elections later this year. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342130/tariff-pain-looms-south-korea-after-us-talks-hit-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342130/tariff-pain-looms-south-korea-after-us-talks-hit-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A South Korean court sentenced former first lady Kim Keon-hee to 20 months in prison for corruption on Wednesday but acquitted her of alleged stock manipulation and other charges. While the ruling marked the first time that both members of a presidential couple were convicted of crimes in South Korea, analysts described Kim’s lighter punishment as a “courtroom victory” after prosecutors sought a 15-year jail term, a 2 billion won (US$1.4 million) fine and 948 million won in forfeiture for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341511/south-koreas-ex-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-gets-20-months-jail-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341511/south-koreas-ex-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-gets-20-months-jail-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:27:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will reinstate 25 per cent tariffs on South Korea is less indicative of a sudden rupture in relations but more an attempt to reassert leverage over an ally ahead of a critical US Supreme Court ruling, analysts say. Trump has accused South Korea of failing to follow through on a bilateral trade deal, reviving trade tensions between two close allies and prompting Seoul to seek urgent talks with Washington. The timing also reflected Trump’s mounting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341385/trump-pressuring-south-korea-lock-deal-us-court-can-strike-down-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341385/trump-pressuring-south-korea-lock-deal-us-court-can-strike-down-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:47:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo’s conviction and unexpectedly harsh prison sentence have sent shock waves through the political establishment and darkened the outlook for impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, who faces his own insurrection verdict next month. Analysts say the ruling dismantles Yoon’s legal narrative that his short-lived martial law decree was a legitimate exercise of presidential authority and signals that the courts are prepared to impose heavy penalties for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340769/fate-south-koreas-yoon-almost-foregone-conclusion-after-hans-shock-prison-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340769/fate-south-koreas-yoon-almost-foregone-conclusion-after-hans-shock-prison-term?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:00:18 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea. The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew drones into North Korea three times since September last year. He previously worked in ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s office and allegedly received – according to local... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:27:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Impeached former South Korean president Yoon Seok-yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of resisting arrest and other offences linked to his attempted imposition of martial law in 2024. The verdict marks Yoon’s first conviction among eight ongoing criminal trials, in one of which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for his alleged role as the “ringleader” of an attempted insurrection. The 2024 decree unleashed a wave of political unrest, triggering... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340120/south-koreas-yoon-gets-5-years-prison-obstructing-justice-during-martial-law-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340120/south-koreas-yoon-gets-5-years-prison-obstructing-justice-during-martial-law-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:08:56 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong When prosecutors in South Korea demanded the death penalty for ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, he shook his head in disbelief and let out a contemptuous laugh – a moment that encapsulated his defiant posture throughout nine months of hearings. Yoon stands accused of being the “ringleader” of an insurrection stemming from his failed martial law bid in 2024 that plunged the country into political chaos. The public gallery, packed with Yoon’s supporters, erupted into protests, forcing the presiding... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339807/south-koreas-yoon-could-become-martyr-if-given-death-penalty-observers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339807/south-koreas-yoon-could-become-martyr-if-given-death-penalty-observers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:58:49 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea has belatedly acknowledged that a concrete structure built beyond a runway turned a routine emergency landing into the deadliest-ever domestic aviation disaster, in a reversal that has unleashed a furious debate over safety oversight and accountability. Newly disclosed findings based on computer simulations show the structure – originally constructed to support navigation equipment at Muan International Airport – acted as a deadly barrier. Without it, investigators concluded that all... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339677/south-koreas-worst-air-disaster-fury-erupts-over-mound-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339677/south-koreas-worst-air-disaster-fury-erupts-over-mound-death?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:30:09 +0000