36 h. ago Shared threats push Japan, South Korea to temper Sado mine tensions

South Korea’s decision to not attend a memorial event at the Sado Island gold mines in Japan underscores how bilateral ties are still strained by historical grievances, but analysts say both sides are mindful not to escalate tensions in the face of shared regional threats. Seoul informed Tokyo on Thursday it would not send representatives to the September 13 ceremony honouring wartime workers at the disputed Unesco World Heritage site, citing a failure to agree on language acknowledging Korean...

Events

36 h. ago Japan, South Korea show restraint on Sado mine row amid shared regional threats

South Korea’s decision to not attend a memorial event at the Sado Island gold mines in Japan underscores how bilateral ties are still strained by historical grievances, but analysts say both sides are mindful not to escalate tensions in the face of shared regional threats. Seoul informed Tokyo on Thursday that it would not send representatives to the September 13 ceremony honouring wartime workers at the disputed Unesco World Heritage site, citing a failure to agree on language acknowledging...

Events

36 h. ago Japan, South Korea lock horns over a memorial at a controversial mine

South Korea’s decision to not attend a memorial event at the Sado Island gold mines in Japan underscores how bilateral ties are still strained by historical grievances, but analysts say both sides are mindful not to escalate tensions in the face of shared regional threats. Seoul informed Tokyo on Thursday that it would not send representatives to the September 13 ceremony honouring wartime workers at the disputed Unesco World Heritage site, citing a failure to agree on language acknowledging...

Politics

4 d. ago Asia week ahead: Key data on China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

Asia week ahead: Key data on China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan  ING THINK economic and financial analysis | ING Think

Politics

4 d. ago South Korea, Japan and US to hold defence drills on heels of China parade joined by North Korea

South Korea, Japan and US to hold defence drills on heels of China parade joined by North Korea  Reuters

Politics

8 d. ago Japan and South Korea face record heat as climate change bites

Japan and South Korea sweltered this year through the hottest summers since records began, their weather agencies said on Monday. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as climate change creates ever more erratic weather patterns. Japan’s average temperature between June and August “was 2.36 degrees Celsius above the standard value, which marked the hottest summer since records began in 1898”, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency did not disclose what the new...

Society

8 d. ago Why South Korea and Japan are turning against foreign homebuyers

Government measures to deter foreign buyers from purchasing residential properties are by no means the preserve of Asian economies. In February 2024, Canada extended a nationwide ban on most foreign buyers until 2027 in an effort to curb speculation and improve affordability. In the US, a growing number of states, including Texas and Florida, have passed laws barring nationals from several countries, notably China and Russia, from acquiring land and property. Yet in the most liveable cities in...

Economics

8 d. ago Life expectancy for Hong Kong women hits record, while men also get a lift

Hongkongers’ already impressive life expectancies rose further in 2024 after falling during the pandemic, with women living on average for a record 88.4 years and men for 82.8 years, census figures show. But a Census and Statistics Department report also underscored the increasing strain on the city’s public healthcare system, with the number of inpatient and day inpatient discharges and deaths in hospitals increasing by 5.8 per cent in a year. Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have the longest...

Events

1 week ago US, Japan look to halt the unstoppable rise of North Korea’s fake IT workers

The US, Japan and South Korea pledged to intensify efforts to block North Korea’s use of overseas IT workers to raise money for its weapons programmes, warning that Pyongyang’s operatives are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to evade detection. North Korean programmers, often posing as non-North Korean freelancers with fake identities and locations, are winning contracts worldwide, including in North America, Europe and East Asia, according to a joint statement issued by the three...

Politics

2 w. ago Why US allies are resisting China’s charm offensive on trade

Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats. Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s trade charm offensive falls on deaf ears among US security allies

Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats. Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the...

Events

2 w. ago South Korea’s Lee makes Japan first foreign visit before Trump summit

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung agreed on Saturday to closer security and economic ties ahead of Lee’s planned summit with US President Donald Trump on Monday. On his first official visit since taking office in June, Lee met Ishiba at the premier’s residence in Tokyo to discuss bilateral ties between the East Asian neighbours, including closer security coordination with the United States under a trilateral pact signed by their predecessors. “As the...

Politics

4 w. ago Why Japan, South Korea and EU couldn’t join forces against Trump

Before the Trump administration’s August 1 deadline, Japan, South Korea and the European Union struck agreements with the United States, accepting American tariffs of 15 per cent on their exports. They all came with strings of promised investments in the US attached. While the agreements looked like capitulation at the time, these governments may be breathing sighs of relief in light of the latest tariffs US President Donald Trump has imposed on Canada, Brazil and India. But 15 per cent is still...

Politics