6 h. ago US diplomat regrets raid, detention of Korean workers at Hyundai plant

A top US diplomat expressed regret on Sunday over an immigration raid in the state of Georgia that detained hundreds of South Korean workers and proposed making the event a turning point to strengthen bilateral relations, South Korea said. In a meeting in Seoul, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo urged Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to push forward bilateral discussions on follow-up measures, including a new visa category, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Some 300...

Politics

9 h. ago South Korea foreign minister to visit China this week, Yonhap reports

South Korea foreign minister to visit China this week, Yonhap reports  Reuters

Politics

14 h. ago South Korea’s ban on foreign homebuyers to cool Seoul prices, Chinese spending

South Korea’s new restrictions on foreign homebuyers are likely to cool housing prices in Seoul and neighbouring cities, according to property agents, following a surge in the number of buyers from mainland China and Hong Kong who bought homes in the middle and high-end segments of the market. Hongkongers and mainland Chinese had acquired 96,955 properties in South Korea as of May, a 78.5 per cent increase from the 54,320 real estate assets that they owned in 2020, according to a report by The...

Economics

5 d. ago Kim Jong Un likely demanded China drop nuke issue before visit: ROK minister

Kim Jong Un likely demanded China drop nuke issue before visit: ROK minister  NK News

Politics

1 week 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

2 w. ago China decries Taiwanese foreign minister’s visit to the Philippines

China decries Taiwanese foreign minister’s visit to the Philippines  PBS

Politics

2 w. ago China protests Taiwan foreign minister’s visit to the Philippines

China protests Taiwan foreign minister’s visit to the Philippines  The Seattle Times

Politics

2 w. ago Surge in foreign demand makes dermatology South Korea’s top medical tourism draw

Foreign patients are visiting South Korea’s dermatology clinics in unprecedented numbers, making skin treatments the leading driver of medical tourism and underscoring the global reach of the country’s beauty and wellness industry. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), 705,044 foreign nationals received dermatology treatments in 2024, a 117-fold surge compared with 2009 when just over 6,000 patients sought such care. Dermatology now accounts for 56.6 per cent of...

Politics

3 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

3 w. ago In Seoul, 73% of foreign home buyers are Chinese – but the rules just changed

South Korea has introduced new restrictions on foreign property purchases in the greater Seoul area, its latest effort to curb housing prices. The new measures unveiled by the government on Thursday will require foreigners to get prior approval to buy a property starting August 26. Those granted approval must move into the home within four months of receiving permission and live there for at least two years after the purchase, the land ministry said in a statement, adding that the policy will...

Politics

3 w. ago North Korea scorns South as ‘faithful dog’ of US, rejects reunification

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said her country would never see South Korea as a partner for diplomacy, state media reported on Wednesday in what was her latest taunt of Seoul’s new efforts to mend ties. Kim Yo-jong, who is one of her brother’s top foreign policy officials, denounced the ongoing South Korea-US military drills as a “reckless” invasion rehearsal and claimed Seoul’s peace gestures conceal a “sinister intention” against Pyongyang. Her comments came during a...

Politics

3 w. ago China confirms Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit at end of month

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China at the end of the month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. His comments, made during talks on the two countries’ border dispute with Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday, came in the wake of a series of reports in Indian media that the visit would go ahead. It will be Modi’s first trip to China in seven years and raises expectations he will meet Chinese...

Politics

4 w. ago Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to visit India from Monday, China's foreign ministry says

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to visit India from Monday, China's foreign ministry says  Reuters

Politics