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South Korea

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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
US YouTuber Johnny Somali. Photo: TikTok/JohnnySomali
Icons and Influencers

South Korea jails influencer Johnny Somali for kissing ‘comfort women’ statue

The 2024 incident caused strong public backlash and the video was later removed.

Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korea’s former first couple endure a frosty courtroom reunion

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Korean drama reviews

Perfect Crown: IU, Byeon Woo-seok lead romance K-drama far from perfect

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US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

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A liquefied natural gas tanker is seen at a port in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, on April 8. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

China profits from US AI boom despite Washington’s tech curbs, research says

Country remains ‘enmeshed in Asian supply chains’ and is likely to benefit from US AI spending, report says.

Israel

What is really behind South Korea’s diplomatic row with Israel?

Lee Jae Myung’s clash was about more than human rights, analysts say – it was about energy security and sending a message to Donald Trump.

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China trade

Hungary’s PM-elect Magyar sends warm overture to China, vows fair play for firms

Peter Magyar pledges reforms to restore transparency and fiscal stability as Hungary shifts from Viktor Orban’s investment model.

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Peter Magyar speaks to the media in Budapest on Monday. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

South Korean president’s Holocaust remarks spark Israel outcry

Lee Jae Myung’s comparing military action against Palestinians to the Holocaust comes as Israel remembers the 6 million Jews killed by Nazis.

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Japan

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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Hong Kong economy

Middle East war tests Hong Kong aviation hub status as rivals feel the heat

Flight cuts due to rising fuel prices could affect transit traffic in short run, but impact will depend on duration of conflict, experts say.

Cathay Pacific and HK Express will cut some flights starting next month. Photo: May Tse
Seoul

Foreigners with ‘close ties’ to South Koreans will receive cash aid

The limited inclusion of non-citizens in state relief programmes has been a recurring source of controversy in the country.

Foreigners dressed in hanboks walk under lanterns displayed at Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, on April 7. Photo: AP
Japan

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese cars squeeze out Asian rivals in Europe as exports top 1 million

Surging EV shipments boost China’s market share at the expense of Japan and South Korea, while EU exports to China slump.

Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
TV shows and streaming video

Beef season 2 is ‘a bridge between West and East’, says director Lee Sung-jin

Lee Sung-jin shares how the new season of the hit drama, with Oscar Isaac and Charles Melton, explores a mixed-race character’s Korean roots.

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Beef director and screenwriter Lee Sung-Jin at the season two premiere at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, on April 8, 2026. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Hyundai spearheads foreign EV comeback push in China with Ioniq brand

South Korean carmaker bets on local partnerships and technology as global brands prepare fresh push into China’s fast-moving EV market.

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Food and Drinks

Why are young Koreans going crazy for Chinese restaurants?

Chinese food has become part of everyday life for South Koreans in their 20s and 30s thanks to viral trends and their own lived experiences.

A whole simmered fish is served at Bantianyao Kaoyu, a Chinese restaurant in the Myeongdong area of central Seoul. Dishes like spicy hotpot and candied fruits that went viral in South Korea in the 2010s introduced young people to powerful Chinese flavours, which has grown into an established love of Chinese cuisine for many in the country. Photo: The Korea Times
Israel

South Korea’s president hits back at Israel in row over ‘disturbing’ video

The video purportedly shows Israeli soldiers torturing and pushing a ‘Palestinian kid’ off a roof.

Semiconductors

Samsung weighs China overhaul as local rivals pile on the pressure

Reports of a potential pullback come as domestic competitors gain ground in China, forcing Samsung to reassess where it deploys resources.

North Korea

In South Korea, you can order online deliveries for almost anything – even drugs

The number of teenagers arrested for drug-related crimes in the country has surged from just 30 in 2005 to 1,477 in 2023.

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A delivery man makes his way on motorbike through Seoul’s busy Hongdae neighbourhood. Photo: Shutterstock
US, Israel war on Iran

Asian economies face ‘formidable test’ as Middle East conflict drags on: ADB

Even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, developing Asia-Pacific countries will still take years to recover, the bank says.

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A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

Trump lashed out at Seoul over Hormuz. Will it affect US-South Korea ties?

Strong security ties and other allies’ reluctance to support Washington’s ‘war of choice’ will help Seoul withstand the blow, analysts say.

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Japan

Japan seeks to take back control of the world’s shipbuilding sector. Here’s how

Analysts warn higher costs, labour shortages and lost capacity will affect Japan’s bid for control in a sector now dominated by China.

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China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China. Brazil’s beef exporters are rapidly filling their quota for China, leaving them now seeking new buyers. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

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Demonstrators against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, outside the White House in Washington on April 7. Photo: Reuters
North Korea

‘No one loses’: why North Korea’s Kim may shake hands with Trump again

At the US-China summit, Beijing may act as a go-between to bring Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table, analysts say.

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Seoul

South Korean activists howl with rage as escaped wolf faces death

The wolf, named Neukgu, tunnelled its way to freedom from a Daejeon zoo, triggering a school closure and search involving over 300 people.

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