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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
Rescene members (from left) Zena, May, Minami, Woni and Liv. Photos: Instagram/rescene_official
K-pop idols

The underdog girl group putting the ‘K’ back in K-pop

While major labels chase global fame, Rescene won over South Korea by putting local culture front and centre.

South Korea martial law 2024

Video | Can South Korean conservatives escape Yoon’s shadow?

China trade

China energy giant expands Korean footprint, helps fuel Seoul’s AI ambitions

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United States

Outside In | Why Donald Trump may regret reheating his global trade war

Over the coming months, efforts to China-proof supply chains are likely to drive US foreign policy. Success, however, is unlikely to follow.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer departs following a Senate Finance Committee hearing on July 22, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
US-China trade war

Trump’s new tariffs, stock market intervention, mega IPOs

This week: Trump levies new tariffs against 60 US trading partners, China’s ‘national team’ investors prop up tumbling stock market, and Bessent threatens sanctions against Chinese AI developers. Next week: CXMT debuts in Shanghai followed by Zhongji Innolight in Hong Kong after blockbuster IPOs, China’s Politburo likely to discuss economy, ChinaJoy draws gamers in Shanghai, and more.

China-South Korea relations

South Korea returns looted Qing dynasty lions to China in cultural diplomacy win

Experts believe the marble sculptures guarded an imperial residence before they were taken by Japanese invaders in the early 20th century.

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Seoul

SK Group chief ordered to pay US$644 million in South Korea’s biggest divorce

If finalised, the High Court ruling means Chey Tae-won’s break from Roh Soh-yeong will be South Korea’s most expensive divorce ever.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won attends a retrial regarding the division of assets with his former wife, Roh Soh-yeong, on June 26. Photo: Yonhap/AFP
Samsung Electronics

South Korea rethinks Yellow Envelope Act as labour union demands mount

Without clearer boundaries, the revised act could fuel labour disputes and create uncertainty for businesses and the economy, critics warn.

Food and Drinks

The best guest shifts in Hong Kong and Macau amid Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026

As the top 50 list is unveiled in Macau next Tuesday, rare guest shifts bring the region’s finest mixologists to the Four Seasons’ Argo, Green Room at Upper House and more.

SCMP Highlights

Fresh US tariffs on 60 economies; first China duo win Fields Medal: 7 highlights

From a new Chinese AI model to a Singapore minister’s resignation, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

US President Donald Trump at a rally in Georgia on Wednesday, before the administration’s tariff announcement. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Hongkongers increase cross-border shopping splurges, spending data shows

Price differentials, changing consumer habits make mainland China a ‘major hotspot’ for Hongkongers’ spending, UnionPay International says.

Passengers cross the border via Shenzhen Bay Control Point in Hong Kong on June 17. Photo: Jelly Tse
US-China trade war

Liberation Day 2.0? US slaps fresh wave of tariffs on China, 50-plus economies

‘Forced labour’ duties replace Trump administration’s original sweeping levies but are unlikely to generate the same level of global shock.

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North Korea

Seoul drops ‘denuclearisation-first’ stance on Pyongyang

The long-term goal of denuclearisation remains unchanged but stymieing new developments will be South Korea’s focus.

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Korean drama reviews

A Shop for Killers season 2: Lee Dong-wook leads action-packed return

Lee is back alongside Kim Hye-jun to take on assassins in this new season that has so far prioritised narrative set-up over splashy violence.

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Lee Dong-wook as reclusive arms dealer Jeong Jin-man in a still from A Shop for Killers season 2, which has so far focused more on establishing a strong narrative than the splashy violence prioritised in season 1. Photo: Disney+
Stocks

Macroscope | Emerging markets have a concentration problem. Investors will have to live with it

Investors nervous about the dominance of South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers can’t afford to ignore them.

Currency traders pass by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index and the foreign exchange rate between US dollar and South Korean won at Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on June 5. Photo: AP
Artificial intelligence

South Korean unions push for higher payouts after Samsung’s US$400,000 bonus

What began with workers calling for Samsung and SK Hynix to share profits reaped from the AI boom is spilling over to other industries.

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Lee Jae Myung

South Korea charges former US diplomat with defaming Lee Jae Myung

Morse Tan, a former US ambassador-at-large, is accused of spreading false allegations about the president in Washington last year.

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Seoul

Guilty verdict leaves South Korea’s top conservative ‘a wounded lame duck’

A campaign finance conviction threatens to end Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s presidential ambitions, just weeks after winning a fifth term.

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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon leaves court after his trial on Wednesday. Photo: Yonhap/AFP
US-China relations

US Congress weighs new tariffs, sanctions to counter China’s shipbuilding threat

US lawmakers search for ways to tackle Beijing’s rapid rise in commercial shipbuilding and restore America’s diminished commercial fleet.

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Wealth management

DBS survey shows Chinese investors eye Hong Kong, US to weather volatility

Stocks in mainland markets have underperformed this year, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 3.9 per cent year to date as of Wednesday.

Asian cinema: Korean films

My Sassy Girl at 25: how Jun Ji-hyun’s star turn changed South Korean cinema

Jun Ji-hyun’s role as a brash young woman in the 2001 romcom subverted gender stereotypes, today inspiring actresses like Park Eun-bin.

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Jun Ji-hyun (left) and Cha Tae-hyun in a still from My Sassy Girl. Photo: Film Movement.
Asian Cuisine

Owner of Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea faces jail for ant-topped sorbet

Prosecutors demand prison term and fine for serving unapproved imported insects to diners.

Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption, excluding black ants. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Indonesia steps up market reforms to avert MSCI downgrade

Investment chief Rosan Roeslani says the overhaul is about building trust, not just pleasing index providers.

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Middle East

Trump approves Saudi nuclear deal that could allow uranium enrichment, AP sources say

Deal is expected to last 30 years, with US firms helping the kingdom develop a civil nuclear industry.

ETFs

Chinese brokerage quits South Korea ETF as Seoul stock volatility spills over

The Shenzhen-based brokerage’s retreat from Huatai-PineBridge semiconductor fund comes just weeks after stepping in as market maker.

The screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index is placed at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. Photo: AP
Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong retains 17th spot among top cities for students but high costs hurt

Quacquarelli Symonds also identifies limited global diversity and persistent shortage of student accommodation as key challenges for city.

The QS ranking says affordability remains Hong Kong’s weakest category, placing 86th out of 150. Photo: Karma Lo
Defence

Questions resurface over South Korea defence minister’s army service

Ahn Gyu-back’s accuser claims a gap in his military record reflected an absence without leave. Ahn has called it an ‘administrative error’.

Asia travel

Why are tourists flocking to South Korea’s pharmacies and wellness services?

Beauty and wellness tourism is booming in South Korea, with packages mixing medical technology, beauty services and lifestyle experiences.

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