18 h. ago BTS’ comeback concert sees South Korean city’s hotel prices soar by up to 10 times

BTS’ long-awaited full-group comeback concert in Busan is still months away, but hotel prices in the South Korean southeastern port city have already hit exorbitant levels, rekindling anger over “rip-off” room rates whenever mega-events come to town. Some properties have reportedly hiked prices by up to 10 times and even asked guests with existing bookings to cancel so they could resell at higher prices. The K-pop group is returning as a full act for the first time since all members completed...

Politics

37 h. ago South Korean church’s ‘special force’ targets young Australians amid crackdown at home

A controversial church facing possible disbandment over religious-political collusion in South Korea is aggressively expanding its presence across Australia by targeting young people at universities and shopping centres, according to a former member who has accused the group of weaponising fear to shield it from criticism. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee, who claims to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, has an estimated 200,000 followers in the East Asian...

Events

40 h. ago South Korea’s Yoon gets 5 years in prison for obstructing justice during martial law bid

A South Korean judge sentenced former president Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday to five years in prison for obstructing justice and other charges linked to his disastrous martial law declaration and its chaotic aftermath. It is the first in a series of verdicts for the disgraced ex-leader, whose brief suspension of civilian rule in South Korea on December 3, 2024, prompted massive protests and a showdown in parliament. Now ousted from power, Yoon faces multiple trials for actions taken during that...

Events

40 h. ago South Korea’s Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison over martial law charges

Impeached former South Korean president Yoon Seok-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison after being found guilty of resisting arrest and other offences linked to his botched martial law declaration in 2024. The ruling marks the first conviction among eight criminal trials Yoon is facing, including a case in which prosecutors demanded he be sentenced to death for his role as the “ringleader” of an insurrection in imposing the ill-fated decree that plunged the country into political...

Events

62 h. ago South Korean leader Lee takes ‘pragmatic approach’ to reset ties with China, Japan

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s back-to-back visits to China and Japan suggest a “pragmatic approach” to reset ties with both countries as tensions soar between Beijing and Tokyo, analysts said. Lee met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday during a two-day trip to Japan. Speaking to reporters after their summit in Nara – Takaichi’s hometown – Lee said there was “unprecedented turmoil” in the global political landscape and trade order. He stressed the need for South Korea and...

Politics

63 h. ago Nexperia and Chinese owner fight for control of chipmaker in Dutch court

The battle for control of Dutch chipmaker Nexperia entered a new phase on Wednesday, as lawyers representing the firm and its Chinese parent Wingtech Technology traded blows during a seven-hour court hearing in the Netherlands. The Enterprise Chamber – a special Dutch court handling corporate disputes – scheduled the hearing to determine whether it should order a formal investigation into alleged mismanagement at Nexperia or overturn its earlier ruling, with a verdict set to be issued by...

Events

67 h. ago BTS fans in Malaysia ecstatic over comeback concerts but fear scalpers

The announcement that BTS will return to Malaysia after more than a decade has sent K-pop fans into a frenzy, with many calling it a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The South Korean supergroup will stage two concerts in Kuala Lumpur on December 12 and 13, marking its first appearance in the country since 2015, when it performed its Red Bullet Tour at Mega Star Arena. This will also be BTS’ first-ever concert in Kuala Lumpur as its previous Malaysia performance was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. For...

Politics

3 d. ago Chipmaker Nexperia and Chinese owner Wingtech fight for control in Dutch court

Chipmaker Nexperia and Chinese owner Wingtech fight for control in Dutch court  Reuters

Events

4 d. ago Suspected scam boss linked to South Korean student’s brutal killing arrested in Thailand

A Chinese national suspected of running a Cambodia-based scam operation linked to the killing of a South Korean university student has been arrested during a raid on a luxury house in Thailand, authorities said. The suspect, identified by South Korean officials as Han Mo, was captured in Pattaya by a joint Thai–South Korean task force formed after the discovery of the student’s body last year sparked international outrage. “In close cooperation with Thai authorities, we arrested Han Mo, 42, a...

Events

4 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will push for closer ties with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a summit on Tuesday, as Tokyo struggles to draw a line under its widening diplomatic dispute with China. Both sides will focus on security challenges and Takaichi is expected to avoid “divisive” issues, while Lee, who last week met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, will try to achieve a “neutral” stance, analysts say. Lee’s two-day visit to Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, comes at a...

Events

6 d. ago How Hong Kong’s AI IPO surge supports China’s economic strategy

Hong Kong has started 2026 with a wave of IPOs driven by artificial intelligence (AI), led by the recent listing of Chinese chipmaker Biren Technology. Beyond the revival of market activity, the surge points to a clearer strategic direction. China is increasingly using Hong Kong as an offshore capital platform for funding priority technologies – at a time when geopolitics is reshaping where innovation can be financed and how international capital can be accessed. This repositioning aligns...

Economics

7 d. ago North Korea: the elephant in the room when Xi met Lee in Beijing

The leaders of South Korea and China wrapped up a summit this week with both underlining support for one of Beijing’s diplomatic priorities but making no tangible progress on North Korea, Seoul’s main concern. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday for a high-stakes summit held just over nine weeks after their first meeting. During the trip, Lee declared 2026 as the year for the “full restoration of South Korea-China relations” and Xi...

Politics

7 d. ago North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

North Korea’s latest accusations that South Korean drones violated its airspace appear aimed at painting Seoul as a permanent enemy ahead of a key party congress, rather than addressing an actual security breach, analysts say. By reviving claims of cross-border incursions and threatening retaliation, the North is reinforcing its portrayal of inter-Korean relations as irreversibly hostile – just as South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung seeks to reopen channels of communication. Lee, who took...

Events

8 d. ago Top South Korean official calls Trump’s Venezuela raid ‘violent atrocity’, stirring unease

Senior officials in South Korea’s Prime Minister’s Office are voicing concern over Park Seok-woon, a committee chairman under its authority, after he joined protests criticising US President Donald Trump and his administration over American military operations in Venezuela. Park, a long-time liberal activist, took part in a rally on Monday in front of the US embassy in Seoul, following an American military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013,...

Politics

9 d. ago South Korea’s proposed foreign crime bill sparks xenophobia fears over migration

Migrant rights and other civic groups have condemned a bill proposed by conservative South Korean lawmakers that would require immigration authorities to publish crime statistics on foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, warning that the measure could fuel xenophobia. Civic organisations said on Thursday that the proposal would stigmatise immigrants by singling them out as potential criminals, despite evidence showing that foreign residents are less likely to commit...

Events

1 week ago How will China react in 2026 as Korean peninsula arms race heats up?

How will China react in 2026 as Korean peninsula arms race heats up?  South China Morning Post

Politics

1 week ago China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves  South China Morning Post

Events

1 week ago Li Qiang and Lee Jae Myung back free trade and multilateralism during Beijing talks

Premier Li Qiang called for multilateralism and free trade in his meeting with visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday and said China would promote cooperation in emerging fields such as high-end manufacturing, new energy and artificial intelligence (AI). Li said China aimed to expand “the breadth and depth of cooperation” to achieve more practical outcomes and was willing to expand market access and integration, according to Beijing’s account of the meeting. “We stand ready to...

Politics

1 week ago South Korean Leader Visits Beijing to Reset Ties as Xi Calls for ‘Correct Strategic Choices’

South Korean Leader Visits Beijing to Reset Ties as Xi Calls for ‘Correct Strategic Choices’  kurdistan24.net

Politics

1 week ago South Koreans puzzled over Busan airport backdrop in US warning to Maduro

A blunt White House social media post following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has drawn unexpected attention among South Koreans online, where users quickly identified the photo’s background as a South Korean airport and began speculating about whether its use carried a hidden message. The post, uploaded on Saturday to the White House’s official social media accounts, featured a black-and-white image of US President Donald Trump walking up the stairs, stamped with the acronym...

Events