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South Korea
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South Korea

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
Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan (right) chats over tea with Elke Budenbender in Beijing on October 30. Budenbender is accompanying her husband, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is on a state visit to China. Photo: Xinhua
China-Germany relations

Soft power on display as China’s first lady Peng Liyuan hosts German counterpart

Peng has tea with Elke Budenbender, wife of visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in bid to foster closer ties.

United States

US, South Korea and Japan reaffirm North Korea denuclearisation stance

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North Korea

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un calls for drone surge during dedicated arms exhibition

China-Germany relations

Xi tells German president China and EU must ‘stay anchored to their partnership’

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was visiting Beijing at a time of heightened concern in Brussels over the widening trade gap.

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Xi Jinping and Frank-Walter Steinmeier wave to children during a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: EPA
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong artist dismayed as works stolen hours before exhibition due to open

Local artist says the social media-inspired styrofoam sculptures are unlikely to fetch much money on the black market.

Artificial intelligence

South Korean students caught cheating with AI glasses to face prosecution

The proposed move comes after three students were caught wearing or possessing smart glasses during essay exams at universities in Seoul.

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Science

Exclusive | Asian scientists are looking to South Korea as it becomes harder to stay in the US

Seoul university says it’s luring researchers in energy, quantum materials and biomedicine while still working with US and Chinese partners.

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Yoo Ji-beom, president of Sungkyunkwan University, says tech rivalry and global talent mobility are “reshaping the knowledge ecosystem”. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Malaysia

Malaysia’s ageing fighters get some relief as South Korean jets arrive

The ordered planes mark the Malaysian air force’s first fleet renewal in 19 years since the delivery of Russian Sukhois in 2007.

China stock market

As Anthropic eyes a mega-IPO, why are Chinese tech valuations so far behind?

The firm’s fundraising ambitions highlight the gulf between investor enthusiasm for US AI companies and the lower valuations of Chinese counterparts.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korean prosecutor seeks death penalty for Yoon over martial law

The prosecution argues only the death penalty could hold the ex-president fully accountable for a crime as serious as planning a rebellion.

A protester wearing a mask of then South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol attends a rally demanding his impeachment outside the National Assembly in Seoul on December 8, 2024. Photo: AP
North Korea

North Korea fires missile barrage days after rejecting South’s border talks

Tensions between the Koreas have been growing since landmine explosions along the heavily fortified DMZ injured three South Korean soldiers.

A man walks past a screen showing news coverage of a North Korean missile launch at Seoul Station on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Samsung Electronics reportedly ending home appliance sales in Hong Kong

South Korean company to focus on TVs and mobile devices as fridges and washing machines listed as sold out on its Hong Kong online shop, amid reports of a withdrawal.

Tesla

Tesla owners in South Korea lose legal battle over full self-driving promises

A Seoul court ruled that the self-driving option did not promise no human intervention and that Tesla had already provided some functions.

Semiconductors

South Korea’s chip giants ride record AI windfall, but can China catch up?

SK Hynix and Samsung are riding the AI chip frenzy to record profits, but Chinese competitors are coming for their market share.

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South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has reported its sixth consecutive record quarter. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS
US-China relations

Hegseth pledges stronger military framework with Philippines, but lacks details

Defence secretary reaffirms US support without specifying how much more funding is involved and what procedures or timeline it will pay for.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jnr during the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
China-North Korea relations

Why Kim Jong-un’s border trip to China differs from past pre-summit playbooks

North Korean leader’s unannounced visit reveals a dramatic shift in strategic focus, analysts say, as the odds of a summit with Trump fade.

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China trade

How China’s ancient capital staked a claim to the nation’s fastest export growth

Exports jumped 142.1 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, with computing equipment and integrated circuits making up more than 76 per cent.

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Defence

Why is the US reluctant to give South Korea wartime control of its troops?

Seoul wants full military command returned by 2028, but Washington is holding back – and analysts say China is the reason.

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US soldiers hang a South Korean flag on the top of their tank during joint drills in the border country of Yeoncheon, near North Korea. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

5 things to watch out for in 2027 US defence bill aimed at countering China

Involving more than US$1 trillion in proposed defence spending, competition with Beijing looms large across its varied legislative span.

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China-EU relations

German leader’s China visit highlights foreign diplomatic pivot beyond Beijing

Dignitaries increasingly choosing China’s regional hubs to forge direct trade, technology and investment ties with local firms.

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Seoul

Video | South Korea bans fake police uniforms ahead of Halloween

During the Halloween disaster, party-goers in police costumes were reportedly mistaken for real officers.

Police officials stand guard in front of empty scene of a deadly accident that happened during Saturday night's Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
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Hong Kong transport

Delta Air Lines bets on premium travel to win share of Hong Kong market

US-based airline says strong corporate demand has helped its relaunched service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles exceed expectations.

Delta Air Lines says strong corporate demand has helped its relaunched service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles exceed expectations. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/TNS
Britain

1 in 6 Gen Z South Koreans took GLP-1 slimming drugs last year: survey

A new survey shows appearance drives slimming drug use among young South Koreans, while regulators battle scams and misinformation.

Lee Jae Myung

South Korea’s president urged to play new Call of Duty as war wake-up call

Opposition lawmakers have seized on the North Korean invasion depicted in Modern Warfare 4 to attack Lee Jae Myung’s dovish stance.

SCMP Highlights

Why paper straws are worse than plastic; haze in Indonesia: 7 Asia highlights

From Malaysian teen held after live-streaming axe attack to haze in Indonesia, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

A firefighter battles a fast-moving brush fire amid heavy smoke in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
South Korean celebrities

South Korean drama ‘Doctor X’ triggers fresh row over Gwangju Uprising depiction

The petition against the K-drama is the latest in a string of disputes over how fictional works portray history.

Kim Ji-won stars as a genius surgeon in "Doctor X: Mafia in White". A recent episode shows flashbacks to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising after a character suffers the effects of a gunshot wound to the head sustained during the movement. Photo: Netflix
Germany

AI chip surge lifts South Korea to record surplus, behind only China

Soaring memory prices pushed quarterly earnings past Germany and Japan combined for the first time.

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Semiconductors

As Chinese chipmakers close the tech gap, South Korea races to protect its lead

Report urges Samsung, SK Hynix to sharpen cost competitiveness in commodity memory while doubling down on cutting-edge sectors.

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