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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
President Yoon Suk-yeol
Yoon Suk-yeol
Head of Government
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
Pedestrians in Seoul. According to Statistics Korea, the number of Koreans neither working nor looking for a job exceeded 500,000 for the first time in February. Photo: AFP
Jobs

South Korea’s new visa to resolve labour shortage faces backlash

A popular petition to abolish a region-specific skilled worker visa reflects rising worries among citizens about competing with non-citizens.

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Banking & finance

Hong Kong banks face highest bad-loan risk in Asia-Pacific from US tariffs: Fitch

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Crime

South Korean man arrested for killing 5 family members due to fears over debt

Diplomacy

Opinion | As US retreats, Asian powers can reshape world order to meet their needs

Global South countries, tired of bearing the costs of globalisation, are asserting their economic visions.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Vietnam

South Korea and Vietnam huddle together against Trump’s tariff broadside

Vietnam wants South Korean companies to expand their operations. Samsung already produces more than 60 per cent of its phones in the country.

North Korea

North Korean phishing attack used K-pop and horoscope lures: South Korean police

The police said that over 120,000 emails laced with malware and links to spoofed websites were sent to nearly 18,000 individuals.

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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

K-pop songs with a ‘French touch’? Korean precision meets French flair

Korean and French music professionals collaborated in Seoul’s first Atelier K-pop songwriting camp, creating K-pop tracks with a French vibe.

French artist Poppy Fusée (left) and Un Plan Simple CEO Leslie Dubest at the inaugural Atelier K-pop conference at the French embassy in western Seoul. Korean and French music professionals collaborated in the songwriting camp.
Donald Trump

South Korea boosts chips support to US$23 billion ahead of more Trump tariffs

South Korea shipped US$10.7 billion in chips to the US last year. Trump is expected to announce tariffs on semiconductor imports this week.

South Korea’s Yoon denies leading ‘a coup’ on first day of insurrection trial

The former president claimed on Monday that his martial law declaration was a ‘peaceful message’, not an attempt to seize power.

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US-China relations

US looks to South Korea as it tries to revive shipbuilding and catch up to China

American and South Korean shipbuilders agree to cooperate in move analysts say could strengthen US power projection in the Indo-Pacific.

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Collaboration between South Korea’s HHI and American firm HII – both of which already build Aegis-capable destroyers – is seen as having “significant potential”. Photo: EPA-EFE/South Korean Defence Ministry
Donald Trump

‘I can’t go back to US sunscreens’: panicked Americans snap up items from Asia

Consumers are also stockpiling dried seaweed, hair bundles for wigs, cat food and wedding gowns.

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American consumers are snapping up South Korean sunscreen for its superior quality. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Japan wants to lead the VTuber craze as South Korea breathes down its neck

The virtual YouTubers are gaining worldwide fans, with sold-out concerts and a predicted US$4 billion market by 2030.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

‘Yoon again’: protesters call for ousted South Korean president’s return

Yoon Suk-yeol’s downfall seen among his supporters as not just a political misstep, but also a setback in country’s battle against communism.

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Artificial intelligence

In South Korea, digital sex crimes soar amid rise in AI, deepfake technology

Support centre for victims notes disturbing trend of young people using AI-generated deepfake images for entertainment.

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An activist holds an eye mask during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul in August 2024. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong stock market

Hang Seng Index trims some losses in worst week in years amid trade war

Traders are bracing for more trade hostility after the White House clarified that US tariffs on Chinese goods stood at 145 per cent.

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A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 9, 2025. Stocks fell again on Thursday as traders brace for more trade hostility. Photo: AFP

Video | South Korea’s opposition leader Lee Jae-myung runs for president

Lee has pledged to take a pragmatic approach to foreign policy and the economy in sharp contrast with impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol

Yoon Suk-yeol

Who is South Korea’s presidential front runner Lee Jae-myung?

Lee has pledged to take a pragmatic approach to foreign policy and the economy in sharp contrast with impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol.

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Human rights

Seoul palace restroom gets hi-tech spy-cam detector to combat ‘molka’ filming

The installation addresses South Korea’s struggle with illegal filming, driven by the ease of access to small, hidden cameras known as ‘molka’.

The Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, has taken steps to stop illegal filming in public restrooms. Shutterstock Images
Chinese tourists

South Korea probes claim teen caught filming F-16s is son of Chinese official

Authorities said the teen and another Chinese student were in possession of nearly 100 images of military aircraft taken at an airbase.

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Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong rises along with other Asia-Pacific stock markets as Trump pauses most tariffs

All but six of the Hang Seng Index’s 83 members strengthened, with exporters and manufacturers leading gainers.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s tariffs, China targeting in focus as House lawmakers fret over alliances

US defence officials pledge to deepen cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners while America’s top trade envoy faces pointed questions again.

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US President Donald Trump holds an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

South Korean man jailed for stabbing business partner after Chinese insult

The incident occurred when one business partner in Seoul called the other Chinese, reflecting ongoing national identity tensions.

A South Korean man has been jailed for attempted murder after stabbing his business partner for calling him Chinese. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and Drinks

There’s no Jollibee in Korea but this fried chicken joint is very close

Members of Seoul’s Filipino community are lauding FRYb’s chicken dishes for giving them a taste of Jollibee nostaglia. We paid it a visit.

Japan

‘Absolutely ridiculous’: Japan NHK apology over misleading footage sparks outcry

Fabricated footage the broadcaster aired was used by South Korean media to claim that Koreans were forced to work on Hashima Island.

Donald Trump

South Korea unveils emergency measures for car industry hit by Trump tariffs

The measures include financial support for vehicle makers as well as tax cuts and subsidies to boost domestic demand.

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Cars for export pack a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Korean peninsula

South Korea fires warning shots as North Korean soldiers cross DMZ border

South Korea’s military said about 10 North Korean soldiers returned to the North’s territory after the warning shots were fired.

South Korean howitzers participate in a defence exercise near the Demilitarized Zone/ Photo: EPA-EFE
Yoon Suk-yeol

Korean Air pilots fired after fighting over ex-president Yoon’s martial law call

The altercation is one of the more dramatic examples of the political polarisation triggered by Yoon’s impeachment, observers say.

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Asia travel

Church in Netflix hit When Life Gives You Tangerines draws K-drama fans

Gasil Cathedral, a historic Korean church, is the subject of renewed interest thanks to a scene with IU in When Life Gives You Tangerines.

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