18 h. ago South Korea’s AI revolution is forcing a US–China balancing act

South Korea’s AI revolution is forcing a US–China balancing act  East Asia Forum

Politics

21 h. ago Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – from the SCMP archive

This article was first published on December 15, 1969 Drama in HK’s first international marathon by Neil Perera Unheralded Kim Cha Hwan of South Korea yesterday (December 14, 1969) pulverised an international field of long distance runners to win the first Tin Tin international marathon in the New Territories. Kim, a 21-year-old electrician, overcame a determined challenge from Australia’s John Farrington to cover the gruelling 26 miles course in two hours 20 minutes 39 seconds. He immediately...

Events

44 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

46 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

46 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

48 h. ago Asia week ahead: Rate decisions in China, Japan, Indonesia and key data from China, Taiwan, and South Korea

Asia week ahead: Rate decisions in China, Japan, Indonesia and key data from China, Taiwan, and South Korea  ING THINK economic and financial analysis | ING Think

Politics

69 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

3 d. ago Why are Chinese tourists spending less overseas than before?

Chinese tourist numbers are recovering across Asia after a pandemic-era contraction, buoyed by the expansion of visa-free policies and a stronger yuan. But one thing has not returned: the spending sprees that used to boost duty-free retailers around the world. The trend can be clearly seen in South Korea, which relied on Chinese travellers for 70 per cent of its duty-free sales before Covid-19. Around 5 million visitors from China arrived in the country during the first 11 months of 2025, a...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less overseas than before?

Chinese tourist numbers are recovering across Asia after a pandemic-era contraction, buoyed by the expansion of visa-free policies and a stronger yuan. But one thing has not returned: the spending sprees that used to boost duty-free retailers around the world. The trend can be clearly seen in South Korea, which relied on Chinese travellers for 70 per cent of its duty-free sales before Covid-19. Around 5 million visitors from China arrived in the country during the first 11 months of 2025, a...

Politics

3 d. ago KPop Demon Hunters leads to record exports of Korean instant noodles in 2025

South Korea’s exports of food and agriculture-related products, referred to as “K-food Plus”, hit a record annual high of US$13.62 billion in 2025. The country’s Agriculture Ministry also reported on Monday that Korean ramyeon or instant noodles posted the largest export gains, surpassing US$1.5 billion. The surge came amid the runaway success of KPop Demon Hunters, which ended 2025 as the most-watched film ever for the Netflix streaming platform.

Politics

4 d. ago South Korea’s Yoon could become ‘martyr’ if given death penalty: observers

When prosecutors in South Korea demanded the death penalty for ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, he shook his head in disbelief and let out a contemptuous laugh – a moment that encapsulated his defiant posture throughout nine months of hearings. Yoon stands accused of being the “ringleader” of an insurrection stemming from his failed martial law bid in 2024 that plunged the country into political chaos. The public gallery, packed with Yoon’s supporters, erupted into protests, forcing the presiding...

Events

4 d. ago Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos

A former mayor who quit her job amid a scandal over an alleged affair with a married subordinate has staged a political comeback in Japan, in a result analysts say shows how attitudes towards women in public life are shifting. Akira Ogawa, 43, was re-elected as mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma prefecture, on Monday, mere months after resigning under intense public pressure. Running as an independent, Ogawa secured nearly 63,000 votes – around 10,000 more than her closest challenger –...

Politics

5 d. ago South Korea’s worst air disaster: fury erupts over ‘mound of death’

South Korea has belatedly acknowledged that a concrete structure built beyond a runway turned a routine emergency landing into the deadliest-ever domestic aviation disaster, in a reversal that has unleashed a furious debate over safety oversight and accountability. Newly disclosed findings based on computer simulations show the structure – originally constructed to support navigation equipment at Muan International Airport – acted as a deadly barrier. Without it, investigators concluded that all...

Events

5 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

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

Japan PM seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist  South China Morning Post

Events

5 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi Courts South Korea With China Rift Deepening

Japan’s Takaichi Courts South Korea With China Rift Deepening  Bloomberg.com

Events

5 d. ago Why timing may be right for China to press North Korea on denuclearisation

The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –...

Events

5 d. ago Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation  South China Morning Post

Events

5 d. ago South Korea’s Lee Heads to Japan Summit as Seoul Balances China and Tokyo

South Korea’s Lee Heads to Japan Summit as Seoul Balances China and Tokyo  Modern Diplomacy

Politics

5 d. ago South Koreans see joy in parenthood but fear economic strain, study reveals

Young people in South Korea are more likely than their peers in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden to agree that having children would bring great joy, but they also express far stronger concerns about the economic burden of childbirth, a study found. The findings, drawn from a survey of 2,500 adults aged 20 to 49 in each of the five countries, were published in a report titled “A Study on International Cases of Population Policies” by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on...

Economics