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South Korea
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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
ABC Touring Car Company, a non-franchised bus firm, continues to operate rides at a loss after the government rejected its application to reduce its services. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong economy

Failed bus cuts ‘tip of iceberg’ as fuel costs soar, Hong Kong lawmakers warn

Authorities urged to approve applications by non-franchised bus firms to increase fares, and provide subsidies to offset impact of oil shock.

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Asean

Most in Asean prefer China over US in survey, Trump cited as biggest concern

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North Korea

Hidden meaning behind North Korea’s warm response to South’s drone apology

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SCMP Highlights

UAE retaliates against Iran, Bali’s spate of murders: 7 Asia highlights

From how UAE is fighting Iran back to a series of murders in Bali, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from a fire near Dubai International Airport on March 16. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Filipino taxi driver suspended after overcharging K-pop star Soobin in Cebu

Footage from the TXT member shows the driver demanding more than triple the usual price of a trip from the airport.

US, Israel war on Iran

South Korea aims to send ships to Saudi port for oil to bypass Hormuz

Special envoys will also sail to Oman and Algeria to try to secure oil via other routes, said lawmaker Ahn Do-geol.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

‘Remorseless’ Yoon slammed for invoking Jesus in a note from South Korean prison

The ex-president may be a liability to his former People Power Party ahead of local elections on June 3 amid falling approval ratings.

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A news report on the sentencing trial of South Korean former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s insurrection case in February, stemming from his short-lived December 2024 declaration of martial law. Photo: Reuters
North Korea

North Korean silence on Iran signals openness to US talks: Seoul’s spy agency

Pyongyang has not sent weapons and supplies to its long-time ally , nor has it issued messages to mark Iranian leadership changes.

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North Korea

‘Irresponsible and reckless’: South Korea’s Lee regrets drones sent to North

The South Korean president said an investigation revealed that government officials were involved in the incursion earlier this year.

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China travel

South Korea opens door wider to Chinese travellers – but will they come?

Higher airfares and fierce regional competition may blunt impact of new policy, analysts say.

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Tourists walk around Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, South Korea, on March 15. Photo: EPA
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.

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
Indonesia

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

Only a handful of nations have ever built a supersonic fighter jet from the ground up.

Diplomacy

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

Presidents Lee and Macron have agreed to cooperate on safety in the strait but they are likely to wade in only after the war, analysts say.

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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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Illustration: Davies Christian
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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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.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Tokyo on Tuesday. Prabowo has invited Japan to develop Indonesia’s nuclear and renewable energy. Photo: Kyodo
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.

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’.

French President Emmanuel Macron leaves Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea on Thursday. Photo: via Reuters
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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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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Qantas is already raising airfares as Australia faces a jet fuel supply crunch amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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