12 h. ago Did South Korea’s Yoon order drones into Pyongyang to justify martial law?

A secret recording suggesting South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol may have ordered drone missions over Pyongyang in a bid to trigger a North Korean military response is now at the centre of the investigation into his December martial law debacle. Special prosecutors probing Yoon for insurrection and foreign aggression incitement believe the audio files could amount to a “smoking gun” – offering evidence he sought to manufacture a crisis to legitimise extending his presidency, observers...

Events

28 h. ago The world is going all in on stablecoins. Is China’s digital yuan any different?

When South Korea reportedly halted its digital currency pilot programme this week in favour of stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to a reference asset, typically a fiat currency – it sent shock waves through central banks across the world. It also left China – a pioneer in central bank-backed digital currencies with its digital yuan, or e-CNY – with an important question to answer, namely whether it should continue to explore such digital assets or revisit the possibility of adopting the...

Politics

36 h. ago Outrage as Korean cabby uses translate app to ask Thai tourist to ‘pay with body’

A South Korean taxi driver who harassed a tourist from Thailand by suggesting that she could “pay” the fare with her body has sparked anger online in both countries. A woman visitor posted a video clip on a social media on June 19, which shows an unidentified taxi driver communicating with her using a translation app while she was in his cab. He was asking her inappropriate personal questions, like whether she had a boyfriend and why was she not married. The driver also said that he could find...

Politics

49 h. ago Philippines eyes multirole fighter jets for ‘credible deterrence’ against China

The Philippines must acquire more advanced fighter jets – and soon – to build a “niche air force” capable of credible deterrence against Chinese intrusions, its air force chief has said, as Manila weighs whether to pursue US-made F-16s or Sweden’s Gripen. Manila last month signed a US$700 million deal to acquire 12 additional FA-50 light combat aircraft from South Korea, expanding the Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s fleet to 24 by the end of the decade. These upgraded models will come with enhanced...

Politics

51 h. ago Korean eatery’s sexy dance move for women staff ‘like working in a brothel’

A South Korean barbecue restaurant has sparked controversy after posting a video of women staff performing the provocative “Terminal Dance”. Eatery bosses also promised dancing staff a bonus if the clip reached 1 million views. Controversy surrounds Gopchang House in Seoul after asking its women employees to perform a suggestive “dance service” in front of customers by mimicking the viral, so-called Terminal Dance. The restaurant filmed their provocative moves and uploaded the video to social...

Politics

57 h. ago Annexing Germany, China, UK, Japan, South Korea, US, and Canada with Explosive Travel Technology Innovations Topping and Gyrating with Bomb

Annexing Germany, China, UK, Japan, South Korea, US, and Canada with Explosive Travel Technology Innovations Topping and Gyrating with Bomb-Sized High-Tech Breakthroughs in 2025  Travel And Tour World

Events

61 h. ago South Korea exports rebound on tech boost but US, China shipments extend losses

South Korea exports rebound on tech boost but US, China shipments extend losses  Reuters

Politics

4 d. ago China Beats Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Philippines to Lead South Korea’s Travel Market with Explosive Growth in Independent Travel and Flexible Visa Policy

China Beats Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Philippines to Lead South Korea’s Travel Market with Explosive Growth in Independent Travel and Flexible Visa Policy  Travel And Tour World

Events

5 d. ago Talks over threats: South Korea tries a new tack to sway its nuclear neighbour

On a day heavy with memory, South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung invoked the language of peace, urging restraint and dialogue even as the nuclear-armed North forges deeper ties with Russia and the Korean peninsula bristles with tension. “The surest way to secure our safety is to build peace – peace so strong that there is no need to fight,” Lee said in a solemn social media post, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the onset of the Korean war. The conflict from 1950–53 left millions dead and...

Events

6 d. ago 2 Chinese men arrested in South Korea for using drone to film naval base

Two Chinese men have been arrested in the South Korean city of Busan for using a drone to illegally film a naval base, including a visiting US aircraft carrier, amid fears of such incidents occurring more regularly and threatening national security. One of the men, in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of undertaking an action “benefiting an enemy by other methods”, South Korean police said on Thursday. It marked the first time that South Korea has arrested a foreigner on such a charge and...

Events

6 d. ago China concerns expose Nato divisions as Tokyo liaison office shelved

Nato has shelved plans to open a liaison office in Tokyo, dealing a symbolic blow to Japan’s hopes of cementing the alliance’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and exposing divisions among member states over how directly they should confront China’s rising power. The proposal had been strongly backed by former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s government, which viewed the planned office as a step towards closer coordination with Nato and its partners in the region, including Australia, South Korea and...

Politics

6 d. ago China’s concerns expose Nato divisions as Tokyo liaison office shelved

Nato has shelved plans to open a liaison office in Tokyo, dealing a symbolic blow to Japan’s hopes of cementing the alliance’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and exposing divisions among member states over how directly they should confront China’s rising power. The proposal had been strongly backed by former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s government, which viewed the planned office as a step towards closer coordination with Nato and its partners in the region, including Australia, South Korea and...

Politics

6 d. ago Nato shelves Tokyo office plan. Is China too powerful to provoke?

Nato has shelved plans to open a liaison office in Tokyo, dealing a symbolic blow to Japan’s hopes of cementing the alliance’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and exposing divisions among member states over how directly they should confront China’s rising power. The proposal had been strongly backed by former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s government, which viewed the planned office as a step towards closer coordination with Nato and its partners in the region, including Australia, South Korea and...

Politics

7 d. ago China Surpasses Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand as South Koreans’ Leading Travel Destination for 2025, Boosted by Impromptu Weekend Getaways

China Surpasses Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand as South Koreans’ Leading Travel Destination for 2025, Boosted by Impromptu Weekend Getaways  Travel And Tour World

Politics

8 d. ago South Korean student shares harrowing escape from Israel amid missile barrage

A South Korean college student has recounted her harrowing escape from Israel amid a barrage of Iranian missile strikes as a fragile ceasefire between the arch-foes takes hold following a 12-day conflict. The woman, who is studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, chronicled her June 13 evacuation during the aerial clash in a video posted to YouTube last Thursday. She said she was woken up by air raid sirens at 3am, forcing her to rush into a bomb shelter. “I initially thought the...

Events

8 d. ago South Korea’s next labour minister was driving a train when he got the call

South Korea is set to appoint a train driver as the first blue-collar worker to lead its employment and labour ministry, as critics have expressed concerns about the role being entangled by influence peddling from politicians and labour unions. Kim Young-hoon, 57, was in his driver’s seat operating a train between Busan and Gimcheon, southeast of Seoul, when the news broke of President Lee Jae-myung’s cabinet selections on Monday. With his phone turned off, Kim said he had not learned about the...

Politics

8 d. ago South Korea’s first lady problem: plagiarism, privilege and Kim Keon

When a top private university revoked the master’s degree of South Korea’s former first lady for plagiarism this week, it was more than just another routine academic scandal – it was a signal that the days of unchecked privilege for political spouses may be over. On Monday, Sookmyung Women’s University announced it had annulled the art education degree awarded to Kim Keon-hee in 1999 – submitted under her previous name, Kim Myung-shin – after its research ethics panel found the thesis was so...

Politics

8 d. ago From degrees to designer bags, scandals plague South Korea’s ex

When a top private university revoked the master’s degree of South Korea’s former first lady for plagiarism this week, it was more than just another routine academic scandal – it was a signal that the days of unchecked privilege for political spouses may be over. On Monday, Sookmyung Women’s University announced it had annulled the art education degree awarded to Kim Keon-hee in 1999 – submitted under her previous name, Kim Myung-shin – after its research ethics panel found the thesis was so...

Politics

9 d. ago South Korean students hire ‘digital undertakers’ amid US visa scrutiny

South Koreans looking to study in the United States are turning to “digital undertakers” to scrub their online footprint clean before applying for visas, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to significantly tighten its social media vetting. Last Friday, the US Embassy in Seoul said it would resume receiving visa applications for students and those on exchange programmes – but applicants would have to give it access to their social media accounts. “All applicants for F, M or J...

Politics

9 d. ago Lost futures: teen dancers’ deaths expose dark side of South Korean education

A suspected suicide pact among three teenage girls in Busan has reignited urgent calls for education reform, shining a harsh light on the crushing academic and career pressures faced by South Korea’s youth. Public criticism has centred on the country’s fiercely competitive university entrance system, widely blamed for thrusting children into a relentless academic race that begins as early as kindergarten. The latest tragedy unfolded early on Saturday, when the bodies of three second-year...

Events