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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.

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Prime Minister Kim Min-seok

Illustration: Kevin Wong

Tourists stroll down Walking Street in Pattaya, Thailand, in August. Photo: AP

Foreign tourists visit Wat Pho Temple, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand, in August. Photo: EPA

Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly

Viral misbehaviour, crimes and foreign-ownership scandals are exhausting the patience of a country famous for its hospitality.

1 hour agovideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trade, Taiwan and ‘strategic stability’: key Xi-Trump takeaways overall

5 hours agovideocam

Ukraine’s POW transfer reveal deals propaganda blow to North Korea

25 Sep 2026 - 3:48PM

2026 Xi-Trump summits

In Focus | What Xi’s letter to old friends in Iowa means in an altered America

The personal thread may be intact, but the US agricultural partnership that once gave it weight is not.

25 Sep 2026 - 8:31AMvideocam

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s sulphur imports dive 65% as prices surge 3.5 times

Country pays more for less of the key fertiliser ingredient, potentially pressuring the spring planting season, analyst says.

24 Sep 2026 - 10:00PM

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Chinese CEOs fly to US on own, await invites to Trump’s state dinner for Xi

Sources say executives did not fly with Xi’s official party or aboard his aircraft, unlike Trump’s CEO-heavy entourage for May China visit.

24 Sep 2026 - 9:19PMvideocam

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

What a 2-month trade-truce extension reveals as US-China rifts persist

Analysts say that the relatively short window, while a positive sign, could also raise pressure on both Beijing and Washington.

24 Sep 2026 - 6:33PM

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice-Premier He Lifeng met in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: X/SecScottBessent

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, September 25-27

Lantern carnivals, fire dragon dances, a Korean food extravaganza and more await Hongkongers this Mid-Autumn Festival weekend.

24 Sep 2026 - 4:15PM

Next-level travel: how up to 13 days off could push China’s tourism to new highs

An alignment of Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays stretches time off for millions of Chinese, with breaks reaching up to 13 days.

24 Sep 2026 - 3:33PM

Banking & finance

Morgan Stanley leak of confidential deal pipeline alarms Hong Kong market

Morgan Stanley says it ‘promptly took steps to address this inadvertent sharing of information’ and that it is engaged with relevant parties.

24 Sep 2026 - 12:36PM

The US investment bank was the second largest bookrunner in IPOs and other equity fundraising in Hong Kong in the first half of this year. Photo: Shutterstock

South Korea has plan for phased denuclearisation. But will North bite?

The South Korean president’s proposal reflects the reality that North Korea already has significant nuclear capabilities, analysts say.

24 Sep 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

North Korea test-fires an upgraded 240mm guided rocket at an undisclosed location on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA / AFP

2026 Xi-Trump summits

‘Deep respect’: analysts weigh in on Trump’s red carpet welcome for Xi

Elaborate greeting ceremony immediately preceded by extension of tariff truce, both positive early signs for Chinese leader’s trip.

24 Sep 2026 - 10:41AMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Warm welcome, trade truce extended: the takeaways as Xi arrives in US

Donald Trump greets Chinese leader on the tarmac in rare gesture ahead of their summit.

24 Sep 2026 - 9:12AMvideocam

Can South Korea solve the US military’s ammunition shortage?

Depleted stockpiles from the Middle East and Ukraine wars are spurring South Korean arms makers to build US production hubs.

24 Sep 2026 - 8:00AM

South Korean K9 Thunder 155mm howitzers during a live-fire drill in Pocheon. South Korea’s leading defence company Hanwha Aerospace has announced a US$2.2 billion investment to make 155mm shells in the US. Photo: AFP

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Bessent announces 2-month extension of US-China trade truce

Scott Bessent and He Lifeng held an unscheduled meeting in Washington on Wednesday following Sunday’s productive trade talks.

24 Sep 2026 - 8:45AMvideocam

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice-Premier He Lifeng pose for a photograph at their meeting in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: @SecScottBessent/X

Trending in China

Korean dating show featuring AI and human contestants sparks China fascination

Some question if AI provides an almost perfect partner will people still be able to accept friends and family who have flaws.

23 Sep 2026 - 6:00PM

China stock market

AI trade rallies on falling oil and Meta’s Muse agent ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Nasdaq-100 hits record high while chip stocks in China and South Korea rebound, with investors betting that AI earnings can weather higher interest rates.

23 Sep 2026 - 2:24PM

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trump praises Takaichi for doing ‘tremendous job’ ahead of Xi’s visit to US

Two leaders hail their good working relationship, with Sanae Takaichi saying the United States and Japan can look forward to deepening ties.

23 Sep 2026 - 4:23PMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

South Korean graduates protected from deepfake abuse by new photo tech

The alumni-built technology embeds photos with signals that confuse AI generators to prevent images from being manipulated.

23 Sep 2026 - 9:55AM

2026 Xi-Trump summits

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington, the US underscored relations with Japan and South Korea.

22 Sep 2026 - 5:07PM

Big pay from chip boom shakes South Korea’s university-obsessed culture

‘When I think about the pay I’ll be getting at Samsung, I’m not worried at all,’ a student at a semiconductor school says.

22 Sep 2026 - 2:49PM

Students learn about the semiconductor manufacturing process at Chungbuk Semiconductor High School in South Korea in July. Photo: Kyodo

SCMP Highlights

South Korean killer’s escape foiled, Duterte trial looms: 7 Asia highlights

From Singaporean minister’s Mandarin diplomacy to Indonesia’s Whoosh debt burden, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

22 Sep 2026 - 12:30PM

A person dangles from a drone in this still from footage obtained by Korean broadcaster JTBC allegedly showing a practice run for Park Wang-yeol’s escape. Photo: YouTube/JTBC_News

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Rare earths friction threatens to stall trade truce extension ahead of Xi summit

US trade representative blames China for creating ‘uncertainty’ but observers point to benefits for both sides in delaying agreement.

22 Sep 2026 - 5:56PMvideocam

Style Edit: Fashion Asia Hong Kong 2026 explores the future of design

This year’s programme debuted the 10 Asian Designers to Watch runway, featuring labels from Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines.

22 Sep 2026 - 10:00AM

China technology

Consumer MLCC frenzy cools in China, but AI server demand remains high

Shenzhen distributors say speculative buying in consumer MLCCs is fading, but demand for AI server parts continues to strain supply.

22 Sep 2026 - 8:03AM

Shops inside a mall in the Huaqiangbei commercial district in Shenzhen. Photo: Getty Images

Bukhara Biennial spearheads cultural blossoming of the city as well as the wider Uzbekistan

With site-specific artwork displayed in restored or adapted historical structures, the inaugural Bukhara Biennial heralded the development of a cultural district designed for residents and visitors alike.

22 Sep 2026 - 8:00AM

Chef-nun Jeong Kwan at the Bukhara Biennale, in Uzbekistan, as part of a kimchi-fermentation collaboration with the Koryo-saram community. Photo: courtesy Andrey Arekelyan and Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | Why Trump-Xi summit must put Korean peninsula back on the agenda

US and Chinese indifference risks reinforcing North Korea’s calculation that the world will settle for merely managing its nuclear threat.

22 Sep 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summits

US, Japan and South Korea launch economic-security talks before Xi summit

Three allies target economic coercion and industrial overcapacity while reinforcing calls for stability across the Taiwan Strait.

22 Sep 2026 - 5:07AMvideocam

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