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South Korea

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South Korea
South Korea
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.
Capital
Seoul
Head of State
Lee Jae-myung
Lee Jae Myung
Head of Government
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok
Texture, not taste, is driving South Korea’s viral food trends. Think chewy, crispy snacks like butter rice cakes (pictured) and gelatinous ice goby sashimi. Photo: courtesy of Mond Cookie
Food and Drinks

Crispy, chewy, soft: why texture rules South Korea’s viral food trends

Korean food trends are prioritising texture over taste thanks to social media videos in which food can be experienced as a tactile sensation.

Indonesia

South Korea and Indonesia’s fighter jet is ready. But will it sell?

Diplomacy

Softly, softly: why South Korea, France prefer diplomacy over force in Hormuz

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Asean

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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Illustration: Mario Rivera
Scams and swindles

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Helium supply shock threatens Asian chipmakers as economic slowdown fears mount

Iranian attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities are curbing the supply of helium, a crucial gas used in chipmaking.

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Samsung Electronics’ products displayed at an exhibition hall for the Apec summit in Gyeongju, South Korea in October. Photo: AP
Indonesia

Indonesia rebalances energy policy as Iran war spurs new projects

As oil prices surge, Indonesia aims to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and intensify the use of crude palm oil for diesel blending.

China energy security

Strait of Hormuz crisis

China remains relatively sheltered by its strategic oil reserves and investment in clean energy, even as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz sparks a global energy crisis.

United States

‘I can’t breathe’: Korean Air sued over in-flight death of passenger

The lawsuit filed in the US alleged that the airline failed to provide oxygen to Porscha Tynisha Brown who died in 2024.

A Korean Air plane takes off from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

US President Donald Trump points after speaking in a televised address to the nation on the conflict in the Middle East from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Macron says military operation to ‘liberate’ Strait of Hormuz ‘unrealistic’

Such an operation would take excessive time and expose those crossing the strait to ‘coastal threats’.

War and conflict

Opinion | Iran war is changing East Asia’s energy and strategic plays

States like China and Russia that can provide energy, industrial inputs, strategic reassurance or room for manoeuvre are gaining weight.

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Central banks

Macroscope | Asian central banks largely powerless in face of Iran war energy shock

Central banks cannot pump oil into the global economy in the same way they can flood the financial system with liquidity.

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Workers change the price of fuel at a petrol station in Manila on March 17. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Letters | Hong Kong needs to start charging all bus passengers by distance

Readers discuss the decision to revise the HK$2 public transport fare scheme, and the potential of student clubs at universities.

A minibus sports a sticker advertising Hong Kong’s HK$2 transport subsidy scheme for elderly and disabled passengers, on March 23. An amended version of the scheme will be rolled out on April 3. Photo: Jelly Tse
China energy security

Australia and Japan face jet fuel supply crunch as China cuts exports

Both Australia and Japan are heavily reliant on Chinese jet fuel, but shipments have plunged in recent weeks amid the Iran war.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Video | Seoul residents hoard bin bags as oil shock deepens

Fears over supply disruptions tied to the Iran war have sent sales of Seoul’s mandatory trash bags soaring, prompting shops to ration sales.

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Business of climate change

Ganfeng Lithium sees surge in battery demand amid China-US energy rivalry

Executives project an ‘explosive growth’ in energy storage, with Chinese firms extending their lead amid AI and data centre demand.

AI computing and data centre demand are new power consumption drivers, according to Ganfeng Lithium. Photo: Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

No oil for BBQ: South Korean restaurants gasp for help amid fuel crisis

Prices for ingredients and packaging have risen by as much as 30 per cent since the start of the Iran war.

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Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong, mainland China join Asia stock rally amid Iran war optimism

Hang Seng Index caps its biggest gain in a week after Trump says US will end strikes on Iran, boosting hopes the conflict is close to ending.

Semiconductors

South Korea turns to Russia for naphtha as Asia’s chip industry feels squeeze

South Korea’s return to Russian naphtha – vital for semiconductor manufacturing – highlights Asia’s fragile supply chain amid Iran conflict.

South Korea relies on imports for about 45 per cent of its naphtha demand. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

What Macron’s Tokyo visit means for an anxious Japan and its ties with France

Japan is enlisting French support amid a global energy shock and a diplomatic rupture with Beijing.

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French President Emmanuel Macron waves to journalists in Paris last week. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Why are South Koreans hoarding rubbish bags from supermarkets?

The won is at a 17-year low, parliament is in damage control mode and shop shelves are being stripped clean of plastic bags.

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Taiwan

Names and games: Taipei hits back over ‘China’ label, but will it pay off?

Taiwan retaliates against countries that have changed its name in official systems, but analysts and lawmakers warn measures could backfire.

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Restriction on power banks on flights should not have come as a surprise

Limiting power banks to two in hand luggage comes after worrying fires on board. However, passengers would have benefited from more advance notice.

Airport Authority security check officers scan passenger baggage at Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok on March 29. Photo: Edmond So
China-North Korea relations

China steps up North Korea connections as regular Pyongyang flights resume

Air China flight arrives in North Korea days after passenger train services between the neighbours were restored.

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A flight route between Beijing and Pyongyang has resumed. An Air China flight leaves Beijing on Monday morning and returns from North Korea around noon the same day. Photo: Kyodo
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks fall with Asia as Iran conflict drives oil prices higher

Most Asian markets retreat as surging oil prices fuel concerns over the economic fallout, while aluminium producers rally on supply fears.

Art

South Korea’s first major LGBTQ exhibition gives voice to queer artists

‘Spectrosynthesis Seoul’ at Art Sonje Centre signals a step towards acceptance in South Korea’s traditionally rigid and conservative society.

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