Economy

A nursing home in Japan: Social security outlays have ballooned over the past two decades, forcing the government to borrow to sustain the system. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Asia Insight

Asia's worst aging fears begin to come true

Policymakers in South Korea, China and Japan stare into demographic abyss

9 April 2019
Manufacturers in the emerging economies of Asia saw better operating conditions in March due to easing inflation.
Economy

Easing inflation helps Asian factories improve performance: March PMI

Signs of improving US-China ties provide relief but no turning point yet

9 April 2019
South Korean schools are advising students to wear masks when they go outdoors. On March 5, when this picture was taken, the country's average pollution reading hit three times the recommended level.
Asia Insight

'Killer dust' pollutes South Korea's relations with China

Beijing rebuffs Moon's attempt to share blame for deteriorating air

2 April 2019
Seoul's upscale Gangnam district has been a center of land speculation for the rich.
Opinion

South Korea -- beware the risk of housing turmoil

Seoul should rule out further rate cuts and instead follow global shift to monetary easing

2 April 2019
Stream article image
1 April 2019
South Korea's fertility rate fell below 1 in 2018.
Economy

South Korean population on cusp of steep decline

Nearly half of population will be elderly by 2065, statistics agency estimates

29 March 2019
A screen in Tokyo shows the falling Nikkei Stock Average on March 25. (Photo by Shihoko Nakaoka)
Markets

Asian stock markets sink as global growth fears spread

Investors rush to yen and bonds, driving Japan yields deep into negative territory

25 March 2019
Moon's window for action is closing.
Opinion

South Korea's Moon is waning

President needs reforms to revive economy and political rating

25 March 2019
Iris Ohyama has multiple factories in China, including this one in Dalian. (Photo by Manami Sakai)
Companies

Iris Ohyama to shift China fan production to South Korea

Trade war spurs Japanese company to protect US-bound shipments from higher tariffs

23 March 2019
A bus passenger tries out a virtual reality device to watch movies via a 5G network in China. The country has outspent the U.S. by approximately $24 billion in wireless infrastructure since 2015, according to a Deloitte report.
Economy

Asia leads global patent applications, with Huawei top

China closes in on US, while India and South Korea also boost filings

19 March 2019
Japanese manufacturers are shipping fewer goods to China, a trend that is weighing on Japan's economy.
Trade war

Taiwan and Malaysia likely biggest losers in US-China trade deal

Supply shift could hit chip exporters hardest says Goldman

14 March 2019
South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang compared Japan to a "brazen thief" amid a decay in bilateral relations.
International relations

Japan-Korea business talks postponed amid diplomatic spat

Annual meeting now set for late 2019 following Seoul court's wartime labor ruling

11 March 2019
Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra in February sold 52,915 cars in the domestic market, up 9% from a year ago.
Nikkei PMI

India defies Asia slump as manufacturing hits 14-month high

New orders propel surge while Japan, South Korea and Taiwan feel China chill

11 March 2019
Semiconductor sales have slowed since the second half of last year. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
8 March 2019
South Korea's births plummeted by over 30,000 to an all-time low of 327,000 in 2018, the national statistics office said.
Economy

South Korea fertility rate at new lows, dipping below 1.0 threshold

Economic strains on the young create a barrier to families

28 February 2019
Construction vehicles at the 2018 China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou. Exports to the country from the rest of Asia are declining as its economy slows and production shifts elsewhere.
Trade war

Asia's exports to China plunge as economy stumbles

Companies reshape supply chains to avoid trade war's impact

21 February 2019
South Korea relies on China as a buyer for about one-quarter of exports from major conglomerates like Hyundai Motor.
Trade war

South Korean blue chips bruised by Chinese slump

Profit down 23% at big exporters as Moon rushes to nurture startups

16 February 2019
As homes and workplaces typically use optical lines via wireless local area networks, these optical line networks need to be improved to make the best use of 5G. (Nikkei montage/AP)
Business trends

Japan and South Korea lag rivals in fiber-optic speeds as 5G nears

Weak investment for upgrades risks national competitiveness in new technologies

15 February 2019
A still from "Parasite." (Courtesy of NEON and CJ Entertainment)
Opinion

Behind 'Parasite' success is Korean film industry playing catch-up

Entertainment executive Miky Lee has been driving production since end of censorship

14 February 2019
Scandals are weakening South Korean President Moon Jae-in's economic and political agendas.
Politics

Scandals rock Moon's bid to clean up South Korea politics

Allegations against allies slow reforms, push president to turn up heat on Japan

12 February 2019
BYD's electric cars on display in Guangzhou. The producer of electric vehicles and batteries has led the pack of Chinese manufacturers reaping generous subsidies. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Economy

Brutal culling awaits China’s EV battery makers as support ends

Even top players like CATL and BYD are likely to feel the pain

9 February 2019
Slowing global demand, in part stemming from a slump in smartphone sales, weighed on Asia, as many economies are reliant on Chinese production.
Nikkei PMI

Asia’s manufacturing PMIs show clear sign of slowing global economy

Factory output contracts in most markets, clouding regional growth prospect

8 February 2019
China has become an unofficial 13th sphere of Fed responsibility. 
Opinion

Why Fed policy is made in Beijing

US central bank knows it cannot risk triggering shocks in China

7 February 2019
Stream article image
4 February 2019
Sinking exports led by semiconductors, petrochemicals and petroleum products will continue to plague South Korea for the foreseeable future.
Economy

South Korean exports slip for second month

January shipments fall 5.8% as trade war and China slowdown dim outlook

3 February 2019