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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
A view of Exchange Square in Central on December 30, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks trade near 1-week low on China jitters, tariff dispute

Investors wait for more policy signals after reports showed fourth-quarter growth decelerated and property prices continued to slide.

Brazil

Brazilian beef exports seen as stable in 2026 ‘despite Chinese safeguards’

Semiconductors

Explainer | Global memory chip crunch set to intensify amid Trump’s new industrial policy

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US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

To win the geopolitical contest, a country needs ample resources, a self-sustaining production system – and the backing of a wider economic bloc.

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An activist, wearing a cutout mask depicting US President Donald Trump and tied with a rope, kneels next to a container with the words, “My Oil”, in an rally to condemn the US military action in Venezuela, in Seoul, South Korea, on January 5. Photo: Reuters
Pop culture in Asia

Language Matters | Senpai, bingsu, ramyeon: new Korean and Japanese words in the OED

The latest additions to the Oxford English Dictionary include many words and phrases from popular Korean and Japanese culture.

North Korea

Seoul takes aim at North Korea’s leadership bunkers with ‘monster missile’

The missile, capable of carrying a warhead of up to eight tonnes, has been deployed to frontline military units.

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China exports

Can China’s cosmetics brands rival K-beauty and refashion global markets?

Once the top export market for South Korean cosmetics, Chinese firms lead at home and have made headway overseas – but gaps remain.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
K-drama news

Profile | Who is Go Youn-jung, rising star of Netflix’s Can This Love Be Translated?

After starting out as a model, Go rose to K-drama stardom in series such as Alchemy of Souls and Moving. Now she leads her first romcom.

From our archives

On This Day | Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – SCMP archive

Ahead of Sunday’s Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, we look back at Hong Kong’s first international marathon, more than 55 years ago.

K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

BTS’ comeback concert sparks Dynamite price hikes in South Korea’s Busan

The K-pop group’s show in Busan is months away but already room prices have soared beyond the 1 million mark.

K-pop megastar group BTS performs onstage during the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong passport ranks 15th globally, rising 3 places in visa-free access index

Hongkongers improve in travel mobility, with visa-free access to 171 destinations, but still trail leader Singapore, as well as Japan and South Korea.

Hongkongers hold the world’s 15th most powerful passport, according to this year’s Henley Passport Index, which measures visa-free access. Photo: Fung Chang
China society

Outside In | Plight of Hebei’s freezing elderly shows urgent need for pension reform

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Australia

South Korean church deploys ‘special force’ to recruit Australian youths

The Shincheonji church compiles profiles of potential members to draw up personalised recruitment plans, according to a former member.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korea’s Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison over martial law charges

The ruling comes days after prosecutors in a separate case demanded Yoon Suk-yeol be sentenced to death for masterminding insurrection.

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Supporters of South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol gather in front of the Seoul Central District Court on Friday. Photo: AFP
Blackpink

Blackpink star Jennie’s 8 top brand collaborations as she turns 30

The K-pop singer has been a style icon for Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Calvin Klein, Jacquemus, Adidas and more.

Blackpink’s Jennie Kim models for Jean Paul Gaultier’s fall 2025 pre-collection last June. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram
Obituaries

Nie Weiping, Chinese Go master known for victory over Japanese rival, dies at 73

The win catapulted him to national icon status and sparked a fever for the board game across China.

China-South Korea relations

South Korean leader takes ‘pragmatic approach’ to reset ties with China, Japan

The president made back-to-back trips to the neighbouring countries as tensions are running high between Beijing and Tokyo.

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SCMP Highlights

China’s Ningbo cuisine; Hong Kong goes Back to the Past: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From the rise of Korean-style cafes in Hong Kong to dementia’s link to ‘brain drains’, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Ningbo-style marinated virgin crab is served at Zao Feng Lou in Cixi, Ningbo. The region’s unique cuisine, blending umami, salty and stinky flavours with innovative techniques, showcases its rich culinary heritage. Photo: Hei-kiu Au
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks snap 4-day winning streak as Chinese tech giants falter

Online travel-booking agency Trip.com slumps 19 per cent after China opens antitrust probe into the company.

Hong Kong

Legal Tales | Time to end bid-rigging in Hong Kong with criminalisation, tougher enforcement

In the wake of the Tai Po fire, an all-too-common practice in building management and maintenance comes under the spotlight – and must be redressed.

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IPO

Alibaba, JPMorgan said to back Chinese chip firm’s Hong Kong listing

Montage Technology could raise up to US$900 million in an IPO as soon as this month, sources say.

Bull statues sit in front of screens showing stock prices outside Exchange Square in Hong Kong on August 18, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Video | South Korea and Japan’s leaders jam to K-pop hits

South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung and Japan’s Sanae Takaichi played drums while covering two K-pop songs from the boy band BTS and the animated film Kpop Demon Hunters.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pose with autographed drumsticks after playing drums together post their meeting and exchanging them, in Nara, western Japan, January 13, 2026. Yonhap via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.
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Cambodia

‘Not the end’: Cambodia keeps up scam crackdown after Chen Zhi sent to China

Phnom Penh signals zero tolerance for scam centres following the deportation of the Prince Group tycoon.

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Japan

South Korea-Japan summit exposes ‘strategic’ divide amid great-power tensions

While Seoul urged broader regional cooperation that would include China, Tokyo emphasised closer alignment with Washington.

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China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

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Customers shop for skincare products at a duty-free shopping mall in China’s southern Hainan province. China has opened up to more duty-free retail in recent years, reducing the need for Chinese tourists to splash out while abroad. Photo: Getty Images
Netflix

Video | KPop Demon Hunters leads to record export of ramyeon

The surge in food exports from the country comes amid the popularity of Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.

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South Korean celebrities

Video | KPop Demon Hunters leads to record export of Korean instant noodles in 2025

The surge in food exports from the country comes amid the popularity of Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.

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Tourism

What’s fuelling South Korea’s running boom? A look at the fitness obsession

From office workers to ultra-marathoners, South Korea’s running boom is reshaping streets, travel and retail as millions hit the pavement.

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