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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
Fireworks explode as North Koreans usher in the new year at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Thursday. Photo: AP
North Korea

Ramen, drinks, fan zones: how North Korea clones K-culture while hating Seoul

From food to photo booths, Pyongyang is imitating South Korean culture through what analysts call ‘subjective adaptation’.

Defence

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

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Croatia

World welcomes 2026 with fireworks, lightshows and hopes for peace

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Australia

‘Not cowed’: Australia sees defiant start to 2026 after mass shooting

Many police officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the popular annual fireworks display over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.

Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year. Photo: Reuters
Lee Jae-myung

South Korea ends bear bile industry, but 200 moon bears in limbo

As the ban takes effect January 1, disputes over farmer compensation and limited shelter space leave hundreds of captive bears with nowhere to go.

China-South Korea relations

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung to visit China on economic and nuclear mission

The pragmatic president is seeking to balance relations with Beijing while keeping Washington onside.

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Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks edge higher on last full trading day of year

Hang Seng Index edges higher as Chinese yuan surpasses 7 against US dollar for first time since May 2023.

People walk past Exchange Square in Central, home of Hong Kong’s bourse operator, on March 28, 2025. Photo: Matthew Miller
Yoon Suk-yeol

Probe into South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee ends with ‘unresolved issues’

Analysts say the findings have raised questions about whether South Korea’s laws can deal with alleged abuses of power by a president’s spouse.

Asia housing and property

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

While multiple factors are at play, this year’s tech exuberance helped the region’s property markets stay afloat.

North Korea

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

A North Korean long-range strategic cruise missile hitting its target on Sunday. Photo: KCNA via AFP
Ageing society

South Korea’s record low birth rate leads to mass school closures

With student counts half of 1980 levels, South Korea confronts a crisis of empty classrooms and abandoned sites, raising worry over wasted assets.

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An empty classroom in a South Korean high school, with rows of desks and a blackboard. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and Drinks

How Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 stays ‘true to the original essence’

Amid off-screen scrutiny on one of the show’s judges, season two of Culinary Class Wars returns with a focus on its intense cooking battles.

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Hong Kong society

Letters | Why lapses in the Tai Po tragedy are both shocking and familiar

Readers discuss Hong Kong’s light-touch culture, the city’s struggling retail sector, and meeting the emotional needs of men.

China-South Korea relations

South Korean president set to visit China next month, with North Korea on agenda

Exchange of visits by two countries’ leaders within months underscores their commitment to deepening ties, analysts say.

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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is expected to engage Beijing on security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Photo: Reuters
Semiconductors

China’s CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak

Prosecutors in Seoul indict 10 people, including ex-Samsung executives, for allegedly leaking the firm’s technology to memory chipmaker CXMT.

Seoul prosecutors say the leak of Samsung’s proprietary DRAM technology benefited Chinese memory chip rival CXMT. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Deal breaker? Record Taiwan arms deal complicates Trump’s 2026 Beijing visit

The US defends new arms sales and urges ‘meaningful’ dialogue, but analysts warn the deepening rift risks hollowing out the agenda for the Trump-Xi summit next year.

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Outside In | As the US pursues unilateralism, China faces challenging task as Apec host

China’s return as Apec chair is an opportunity to show that both the organisation and its message of multilateralism are as relevant as ever.

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Regulation

In South Korea, vouchers to curb county’s falling population draw new residents

Officials in Okcheon, however, are looking to identify fake residents who change addresses without moving in.

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An angler fishing with the background of Sangchunjeong pavilion in Okcheon in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Photo: Shutterstock
Yoon Suk-yeol

Yoon faces 10-year jail term in South Korea over first of 4 failed coup trials

During a hearing, Yoon appears tense and laughs in disbelief as special prosecutors present the charges in his first trial.

North Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

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Hong Kong tourism

Japan popular with Hong Kong travellers over Christmas, Harbin gaining appeal

Despite row with China, Japan remains popular with Hongkongers, with mainland cities such as Harbin and Yunnan gaining appeal.

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A street in Kamakura, in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, packed with tourists on December 17. Photo: Kyodo
United States

Coupang’s massive data leak probe ignites US-Seoul diplomatic firestorm

Some Republicans said Seoul’s investigation into the e-commerce firm was an attempt to favour China.

A worker drives a delivery truck of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang in Seoul. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

South Korea is taking steps to cool tensions – from moving to opening joint military drills to consultations to easing up on immediate denuclearisation demands.

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North Korea

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

North Korea

South Korean webtoon slammed for heroine resembling Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae

Critics say the romantic comedy ‘Princess Goes to School’ risks softening perceptions of North Korea’s regime.

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Left: The cover image for Princess Goes to School, a South Korean webtoon on Naver. Right: Kim Jong-un walks with his daughter Kim Ju-ae in April. Photos: Naver, EPA-EFE
World of performing arts

Meet the Korean viral ‘dancing conductor’ who says he’s not actually dancing

Some conductors are visibly moved by the music, but Korean maestro Baek Yoon-hak takes that concept a step or two further.

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South Korea’s “dancing conductor” Baek Yoon-hak uses his energy-filled moves to get the whole audience joining in.
Hong Kong tourism

Japan loses out as Hongkongers pick South Korea, mainland China this Christmas

‘The main reason is that Japan has experienced several incidents … including bear attacks and earthquakes,’ Travel Industry Council says.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

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