North Korea

China-South Korea relations

South Korean ex-president Yoon appeals against ‘excessive’ life sentence

24 Feb 2026 - 4:37PMvideocam

Seoul’s protest seen as reluctance to let US Forces Korea confront China

24 Feb 2026 - 5:53PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un’s sister takes major step up in North Korean leadership

Kim Yo-jong, one of her brother’s closest lieutenants, has been promoted to full department director at the Workers’ Party congress.

24 Feb 2026 - 9:03AMvideocam

Kim Yo-jong delivers a speech during a national meeting in Pyongyang on August 10, 2022. Photo: KCNA/AP

China-North Korea relations

Why South Korea is risking a rare rift with US to slash joint military drills

Washington is reportedly pushing back on Seoul’s request for smaller drills, forcing the postponement of a major joint military briefing.

24 Feb 2026 - 9:25AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Opinion | Germany’s outreach to China signals a reckoning, rather than a shift

The German chancellor realises that while China poses a long-term economic challenge, the United States is currently the more disruptive partner.

23 Feb 2026 - 9:07PMvideocam

Xi Jinping hoping China can open ‘new chapter’ in relations with North Korea

Chinese leader sends message of ‘high trust and wholehearted support’ to Kim Jong-un after major party event.

23 Feb 2026 - 7:08PM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pictured at the party congress which concluded on Monday. Photo: AFP

South Korea protests Russian embassy ‘Victory’ banner as key war date looms

South Korea formally protests display in the heart of its capital as the Ukraine-Russia war enters its fifth year.

23 Feb 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Lessons from China's history

North Korea’s explosive thriller reveals assassination plot against Kim’s dad

‘Days and Nights of Confrontation’, which depicts a plot to kill Kim Jong-il, was released for the first time on state television last month.

22 Feb 2026 - 11:39AMvideocam

Reflections | As Kim Jong-un grooms daughter to rule, a Chinese princess’s fatal ambition

Princess Anle’s radical petition to inherit the throne set in motion a chain of events that would see her decapitated in her own boudoir.

21 Feb 2026 - 8:15AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sits next to his teenage daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who is thought to be his likely successor as the country’s supreme leader. In ancient China, one princess with ambitions of ruling the country became a cautionary tale. Photo: EPA-EFE/KCNA

China-South Korea relations

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

21 Feb 2026 - 2:01PM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae inspect a newly completed music shop in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

China scrambles fighters to confront US warplanes based in South Korea

The American warplanes made a rare approach towards China’s air defence identification zone over the Yellow Sea, local media reported.

20 Feb 2026 - 8:01PMvideocam

China-North Korea relations

North Korea’s Kim opens rare party congress with pledge to fix economy

North Korea’s economy has been languishing under heavy Western sanctions that aim to choke off funding for its nuclear weapons programme.

20 Feb 2026 - 6:28PMvideocam

China congratulates North Korea on party conclave, vows to work together: Xinhua

Message from Communist Party of China’s Central Committee lauds Workers’ Party for helping to develop North Korean economy, improving lives.

20 Feb 2026 - 7:27PMvideocam

China and Russia have congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Workers’ Party on the conclave that started on February 19. It will set policy direction for the next five years. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

Takaichi vows to make Japan ‘strong’, says no to ‘reckless’ fiscal policy

The prime minister said Tokyo was facing ‘the most severe and complex security environment’ since World War II, citing China and Russia.

20 Feb 2026 - 3:05PMvideocam

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives her policy speech during the special Diet session in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: AP

Munich Security Conference

‘Heroic era’: why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices

The new homes for families of fallen soldiers are part of a push to showcase tangible achievements before the party congress, analysts say.

17 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

16 Feb 2026 - 6:00AM

‘We don’t care’: North Korea threatens Seoul with dire consequences over drones

The warning from Kim Yo-jong could derail President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to mend ties with Pyongyang.

13 Feb 2026 - 12:40PMvideocam

Images taken on January 4 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency show wreckage of a drone that allegedly originated from South Korea. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

Why Takaichi’s landslide victory in Japan has North Korea on edge

North Korea has accused Japan of resurrecting its wartime ambitions by expanding its defence and pursuing security alliances.

13 Feb 2026 - 5:53PMvideocam

Kim’s daughter shaping North Korean policy as succession signals deepen

Citing a spy agency briefing, a South Korean lawmaker said Kim Ju-ae ‘was in the stage of being internally appointed successor’.

12 Feb 2026 - 1:33PMvideocam

Editorial | Takaichi’s election mandate won’t give her leverage with China

The Japanese prime minister’s hawkish stance will only further inflame tensions over Taiwan – and popularity at home won’t temper Beijing’s response.

12 Feb 2026 - 6:45AM

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on February 9. Photo: Pool / AFP

What Takaichi’s landslide victory could mean for Japan-South Korea ties

Japan’s conservative tilt has revived South Korean concerns of more nationalist policies that could reopen historical and security wounds.

11 Feb 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after their talk in Nara on January 13. Photo: AFP

Kim Jong-un vows ‘outstanding’ military role in new 5-year North Korea arms plan

The five-year defence plan will be aimed at bolstering North Korea’s strategic and tactical nuclear capabilities, analysts say.

10 Feb 2026 - 4:38PMvideocam

Hope for thaw? Seoul hints at ‘new progress’ in US-North Korea ties

The official’s remarks come amid speculation that US President Donald Trump could seek a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

7 Feb 2026 - 9:30AM

‘I won’t survive’: North Korean soldier caught by Ukraine dreads going home

Seoul faces a diplomatic tightrope as the captured soldiers plead for asylum in South Korea.

7 Feb 2026 - 7:21AMvideocam

A North Korean prisoner of war who was captured by Ukrainian forces in 2025. Photo: AFP

A new start for Pyongyang? Fears mount as US-Russia nuclear pact expires

The end of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will be a blow to efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear build-up, analysts say.

6 Feb 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

A test-fire of a large-calibre multiple-rocket launcher system at an unknown location in North Korea on January 27. Photo: EPA/KCNA