Economy

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. (Source photo by AP)
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korea to retaliate over Japan's 'white list' removal

Tensions escalate as neighbors take away each other's preferential trade status

2 August 2019
A screen shows the Nikkei average plunging on Aug. 2. (Photo by Kai Fujii)
Markets

Asian stocks plummet as Trump steps up China trade war

Nikkei index drops 500 points while regional benchmarks fall across board

2 August 2019
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, right, and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, at an ASEAN meeting in Bangkok to discuss Japan's intended trade curbs.
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan and South Korea ministers make no progress on export curbs row

Tokyo set to remove its neighbor from 'white list' as tensions rise

1 August 2019
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Trade war

Samsung, Huawei, Apple battle politics as 5G challenge looms

World's three top smartphone makers bet big on next generation tech

1 August 2019
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31 July 2019
Workers at a garment factory in Bangladesh. South Korean companies, whose transfer of technical know-how helped Bangladesh become the world’s second-largest textiles exporter, are looking at the potential of other emerging sectors. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Economy

Bangladesh aims to leap beyond textiles with help from South Korea

Garment export leader expands into tech, energy and other emerging industries

31 July 2019
As Japan’s controls on chemical exports threaten South Korea’s high-tech sector, politicians and businesses are digging in for the long haul. (Montage by Michael Tsang)
The Big Story

Inside the lose-lose trade fight between Japan and South Korea

Samsung's chip business faces "burdens" from Tokyo's new export controls

31 July 2019
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be working overtime to try and persuade Japan not to remove his country from its preferential white list.
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korea's Moon cancels summer break to deal with Japan row

Foreign ministers plan meeting in Bangkok this week to defuse 'white list' issue

29 July 2019
A ship loaded with containers readies to depart Qingdao in China's Shandong Province.
Trade war

Trade war triggers Asia-wide exports slump

China slowdown ripples through supply chain, hurting Singapore and Thailand

26 July 2019
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Nikkei Markets

Asian equities rise amid bets of policy easing by ECB, Fed

South Korean stocks fall as North Korea tests missiles

25 July 2019
A tourist wearing a traditional Korean costume poses for photographs at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on February 11.
Economy

Chinese tourists return to South Korea as relations warm

Favorites Thailand and Vietnam see fewer faces from China in first half of 2019

24 July 2019
South Korean President Moon Jae-in needs to shake up his country's economy before investors lose interest in it. (Yonhap/Kyodo)
Comment

'Dr. Kospi' loses its sway to China

South Korea should dust off Itochu exec's 1973 plan for building trading houses

24 July 2019
Moon Jae-in is under public pressure to retaliate against Japan's restrictions on exports of semiconductor manufacturing materials.
Opinion

South Korea's panicky interest rate cut is a warning for Asia

Seoul needs to make itself resilient to global problems

22 July 2019
According to data released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the minimum wage in Japan rose 20% in the past decade.
Datawatch

Pay in Japan increasingly stuck to floor as productivity lags

Data suggests companies offering minimum wage too inefficient to go higher

21 July 2019
The Bank of Korea in Seoul. The central bank on Thursday shifted its direction in the eight months since November, when it raised the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 1.75%.
Japan-South Korea rift

Bank of Korea ready to act on fallout from Japan export curbs

Central bank lowers rate to 1.5%, joins global trend to ease monetary policy

18 July 2019
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a May Day rally in Seoul on May 1. The labor group plans to hold a one-day general strike on Thursday.
Economy

South Korea hit by strikes after minimum wage hike slowdown

Business owners have said they cannot cope with the higher labor costs

17 July 2019
The skyline of central Seoul: Many businesses in South Korea want the government to engage in dialogue with Japan.
International relations

South Korean companies urge diplomacy in Japan export dispute

Seoul seeks support from US and WTO to end Tokyo's curbs on chip materials

15 July 2019
A job fair in Seoul: Unemployment in South Korea worsened to 4.5% in January after the last minimum wage hike took effect.
Economy

South Korea's minimum wage hike campaign deflates

Third-smallest rise since 1988 leaves hourly pay at $7.30

13 July 2019
Weaker demand for servers and smartphones is expected to hinder spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment more than initially projected. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Electronics

Global chipmaking equipment sales seen shrinking 18% in 2019

Industry group cites investment pullback amid trade war and Huawei sanctions

11 July 2019
If forced, South Korea is likely to choose China.
Opinion

Japan drags business into politics with South Korea sanctions

The Tokyo-Seoul relationship stands to deteriorate further

9 July 2019
Cannabis legalization is slowly spreading from Western countries to Asia. Many Thai companies are seeking opportunities to enter related markets.
Asia Insight

Pot of gold? Thailand leads slow push to legalize weed in Asia

Potential $8.5bn market looks tempting but experts advise caution

9 July 2019
Japan has restricted exports of some critical chipmaking materials to South Korea.
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korea threatens retaliation over Japan export controls

Companies brace as Tokyo eyes sweeping curbs beyond chipmaking materials

5 July 2019
Abe's duplicitous approach -- free-trader extraordinaire one day, anti-Korean crusader the next -- is jarring.
Opinion

The danger of Abe's Trumpian turn against South Korea

By clamping down on chip material exports, Japan weakens global defense of free trade

4 July 2019
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Japan-South Korea rift

Japan says export curbs on South Korea do not violate WTO rules

Cabinet secretary argues Seoul's handling of wartime labor row 'damaged' trust

2 July 2019
The appreciation of Thai baht was largely supported by the opposing monetary stances of Thai and U.S. central banks.
Markets

Thai baht outperforms Asian currency peers on Fed's dovish turn

Shanghai leads stock index gainers during first half

2 July 2019