https://www.scmp.com/rss/523560/feed The latest news and top stories on Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister of South Korea. Appointed in July 2025 by President Lee Jae-myung, he is a seasoned politician, activist and educator. A four-time lawmaker for the Democratic Party, he previously served in the National Assembly from 1996 to 2002 and since 2020. His background includes student activism and degrees from prestigious universities. As Prime Minister, he oversees daily governance and is responsible for policies such as the temporary visa... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, has told the Boao Forum for Asia – a high-level gathering of governments and business leaders – that power politics should be rejected in favour of economic development and conflicts should be resolved through negotiations. “The people of Asia, having endured the scourge of war and chaos, deeply understand the value of peace and stability,” said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:39:36 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China’s national flag carrier is set to run direct passenger flights to North Korea for the first time in six years later this month, the latest sign of warming ties between the two neighbours. The official app of Air China, one of the country’s largest state-owned airlines, shows bookings have opened for direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang starting on March 30. The service appears to be weekly for now, with bookings available only on Mondays. Based on current listings, initial economy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346590/air-china-resume-north-korea-flights-after-6-years-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346590/air-china-resume-north-korea-flights-after-6-years-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:00:54 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and US President Donald Trump discussed the possible reopening of talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. Kim told Trump he was the only Western leader to have had dialogue with North Korea’s Kim and was currently the only person who could resolve issues on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap quoted Kim as telling reporters in Washington. “President Trump said he was curious if... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:15:08 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi The prime ministers of South Korea and Singapore will be among the world leaders attending this month’s Boao Forum for Asia, three sources said, adding to a growing string of leaders from developed economies who have visited China this year. The annual conference is scheduled to be held in Boao, Hainan province, from March 24 to 27, its organiser announced earlier. Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai’s most recent trip to China was in June, when he met President Xi Jinping and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345739/prime-ministers-singapore-south-korea-attend-months-boao-forum-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345739/prime-ministers-singapore-south-korea-attend-months-boao-forum-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea unveiled an ambitious package of tourism measures on Wednesday, including looser visa rules, expanded regional airport routes and a crackdown on price gouging, as part of a government effort to attract 30 million inbound visitors. The plan, which includes granting visa-free entry to Indonesian travellers and expanding automated entry processing to nationals from European Union member states, was announced at the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Kim... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344576/south-korea-axes-visa-barriers-indonesians-30-million-visitor-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344576/south-korea-axes-visa-barriers-indonesians-30-million-visitor-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:47:41 +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 The Korea Times The Korea Times Senior officials in South Korea’s Prime Minister’s Office are voicing concern over Park Seok-woon, a committee chairman under its authority, after he joined protests criticising US President Donald Trump and his administration over American military operations in Venezuela. Park, a long-time liberal activist, took part in a rally on Monday in front of the US embassy in Seoul, following an American military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339249/top-south-korean-official-calls-trumps-venezuela-raid-violent-atrocity-stirring-unease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339249/top-south-korean-official-calls-trumps-venezuela-raid-violent-atrocity-stirring-unease?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 01:08:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with AI technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deepfake videos and audio of celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media. Following a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, officials said they will ramp up screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing growing risks to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335915/south-korea-mandates-labels-ai-generated-adverts-curb-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335915/south-korea-mandates-labels-ai-generated-adverts-curb-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:12:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters All 267 people on board a South Korean passenger ferry that ran aground off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula on Wednesday were rescued, in an incident that revived memories of the major ferry disaster in 2014 in which 300 people died. Passengers and crew were taken from the stricken vessel, the coastguard said in a statement, and 27 sustained minor injuries. Most will be transported to the coastal city of Mokpo while 21 crew members will remain on the ship. A mistake by the captain... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333452/south-korean-ferry-runs-aground-sewol-ferry-disaster-memories-resurface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333452/south-korean-ferry-runs-aground-sewol-ferry-disaster-memories-resurface?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:00:10 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times After last month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) events in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province – which saw up to 19,000 police officers deployed daily from across South Korea – Kim Keon-pyo, director of the Korean National Police Workers Council, said the reports he received from officers on the ground were far from commendable. “They said they were treated like homeless people,” Kim said. Angered by their accounts, Kim began collecting photos of the poor working conditions officers... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332473/outcry-south-korean-police-officers-treated-homeless-people-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332473/outcry-south-korean-police-officers-treated-homeless-people-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:29:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s conservative opposition party is facing mounting backlash over a proposed bill that aims to tighten restrictions on Chinese nationals, with critics accusing it of stoking xenophobia to galvanise support ahead of next year’s local elections. The People Power Party (PPP) has unveiled legislation – dubbed the “Three Shopping Prevention Law” – targeted at Chinese citizens, claiming that they had been abusing the country’s national health insurance system and making speculative property... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328830/south-koreas-opposition-ppp-slammed-targeting-chinese-through-xenophobic-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328830/south-koreas-opposition-ppp-slammed-targeting-chinese-through-xenophobic-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China’s embassy in South Korea has warned its citizens to stay alert amid ongoing anti-Chinese protests in Seoul that it blamed on “far-right” forces. The demonstrations – involving hundreds of protesters and featuring slogans such as “China out” – have been taking place in the capital for months. In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the embassy warned that a rally was scheduled for an unspecified location in downtown Seoul on Friday. “We regretfully note that certain South Korean... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327677/tourists-warned-surge-far-right-anti-chinese-protests-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327677/tourists-warned-surge-far-right-anti-chinese-protests-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 04:30:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s prime minister has ordered a clampdown on anti-China demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy, amid warnings that such protests could derail Seoul’s efforts to reset ties with Beijing. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Friday directed law enforcement to “take strong action” against the increasingly disruptive rallies, which had led to merchants and residents complaining of noise, abuse and declining tourist traffic. Kim told police to “closely monitor the protests, and do everything... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326216/south-korea-vows-strong-action-against-anti-china-protests-amid-efforts-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326216/south-korea-vows-strong-action-against-anti-china-protests-amid-efforts-reset-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 02:00:38 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The daughter of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un could present a softer image for Pyongyang, away from her father’s sabre-rattling reputation as he continues to hint at his choice of successor by placing her under the glare of the world’s media. As Kim Ju-ae flanked her father at China’s Victory Day events on Wednesday, observers have drawn parallels to the precedent set by her paternal grandfather Kim Jong-il, who accompanied his own father – North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-sung – on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324230/why-daughter-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-has-inched-closer-becoming-next-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324230/why-daughter-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-has-inched-closer-becoming-next-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 01:30:24 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen South Korea has rolled out a temporary visa waiver programme for Chinese tour groups in the latest effort to help strengthen fragile ties. From September 29, members of Chinese tour groups will be allowed to enter South Korea without a visa until June 30 next year, the office of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on Wednesday. It is the first time that South Korea has allowed travel visa exemptions for Chinese tour groups, regardless of point of entry. Previously, only Jeju Island offered such... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320983/chinese-tourists-offered-visa-free-entry-south-korea-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320983/chinese-tourists-offered-visa-free-entry-south-korea-september?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:19:38 +0000