10 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on...

Politics

10 h. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa signal a Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The “Will for Peace 2026” drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9...

Politics

54 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

54 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

3 d. 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

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

8 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

8 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

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 Chinese President Xi Jinping urges South Korea to ‘make correct strategic choices’

China and South Korea have a shared responsibility for regional stability and should make the “correct strategic choice”, President Xi Jinping told his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung on Monday, as Seoul seeks to turn the page on recent tensions in their relationship. Xi said the international landscape was becoming increasingly turbulent and complex as changes on a scale “unseen in a century are rapidly unfolding across the world”, according to state broadcaster CCTV. As beneficiaries of...

Politics

2 w. ago North Korea Conducts Missile Test As South Korean President Visits China

North Korea Conducts Missile Test As South Korean President Visits China  i24NEWS

Events

2 w. ago Pyongyang fires ballistic missiles as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung makes state visit to China

Pyongyang fires ballistic missiles as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung makes state visit to China  CNN

Events

2 w. ago South Korean president visits China following Beijing’s rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan

South Korean president visits China following Beijing’s rising tensions with Japan over Taiwan  The Hill

Politics

2 w. ago South Korean President says China has caught up or surpassed Korea in technology

South Korean President says China has caught up or surpassed Korea in technology  CarNewsChina.com

Politics

2 w. ago China conflict won’t benefit South Korea, Lee Jae Myung says ahead of state visit

Ahead of his state visit to China, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that while security cooperation with the US was an “unavoidable reality” for Seoul, its relations with Beijing should not move towards confrontation. In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday, Lee called for more frequent leader-level dialogues – at least annually – to explore mutually beneficial opportunities amid an increasingly complex global environment. His four-day trip to China, set to begin...

Events

2 w. ago China’s diplomatic divide: red carpet for South Korea, cold shoulder for Japanese firms

As a diplomatic row sees Japanese company executives put visits to China on hold, Beijing is preparing to roll out the red carpet for South Korean business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit starting Sunday. The contrasting receptions highlight how geopolitics is reshaping corporate ties in East Asia. Analysts expect continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo in 2026 to accelerate Japanese efforts to de-risk from the Chinese market. Conversely, Beijing’s warming...

Politics

2 w. ago China state visit by South Korea’s Lee will ‘push denuclearisation, end to culture ban’

President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea will seek Beijing’s support on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and press to lift an unofficial cultural content ban when he travels to China for a state visit next week, according to Seoul. Lee’s four-day trip from Sunday will make him the first sitting South Korean president to visit China since 2019. Lee will first travel to Beijing, where he is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon, their second summit in two months. They...

Events

2 w. ago South Korean President to Visit Beijing and Shanghai, Focus on Economic Cooperation

South Korean President to Visit Beijing and Shanghai, Focus on Economic Cooperation  The Diplomatic Insight

Politics

2 w. ago S.Korean president to visit Beijing, Shanghai in upcoming trip; NSA says ROK respects one

S.Korean president to visit Beijing, Shanghai in upcoming trip; NSA says ROK respects one-China policy: media report  Global Times

Politics

2 w. ago South Korean President Lee to visit Beijing for pivotal 2nd summit with Xi

South Korean President Lee to visit Beijing for pivotal 2nd summit with Xi  Al Jazeera

Politics