Economy

A taxi driver takes part in a protest against a carpool service application that will be launched by Kakao Corp later this year in Seoul on Oct. 18. The banners read, "Stop carpool service application, it is illegal business". 
Business trends

South Korean taxi drivers strike against ride-sharing

Kakao's latest service puts government under pressure to loosen regulations

18 October 2018
A man waves a European Union flag in London before the Brexit vote in 2016 (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
International relations

Asia-Europe trade talks eclipsed by Brexit and protectionism

51-leader summit in Brussels comes as the future of the UK is decided

18 October 2018
People walk in front of the Bank of Korea in Seoul
Economy

Bank of Korea signals November hike as capital flight risk grows

Governor Lee stresses need for financial stability after "hawkish hold" on Thursday

18 October 2018
A gas pump hangs from the ceiling at a gasoline stand in Seoul.
Economy

South Korea to cut gasoline tax to avert further spending slowdown

Latest measure expected to offset rising crude prices and help indebted households

17 October 2018
The Philippines moved up 12 rungs to 56th place in World Economic Forum's The Global Competitiveness Index 4.0. 
Economy

Philippines and India rise in global competitiveness

World Economic Forum evaluates improvements in infrastructure and innovation

17 October 2018
The Chinese government is cracking down on recyclers that inadequately process and sort miscellaneous scrap steel.
Commodities

Japan's steel scrap exports under pressure

Quality issues, tougher domestic rules and import restrictions in China eat into volume

16 October 2018
© Nikkei photo illustration/Source photo of Kim Jong Un by Getty Images
Asia Insight

South Korea's corporate giants tiptoe toward the North

Chaebol sound positive about entering the country but harbor private concerns

16 October 2018
A collision on a high-speed train in Wenzhou, China, in 2011 killed 40 people.
Business trends

Catalyst or catastrophe? Lessons from Asia's high-speed rail failures

Spurring growth with ambitious projects requires far more than financing

14 October 2018
Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao speaks at the IMF-World Bank forum in Bali on Oct. 10. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Economy

ADB chief says trade war has yet to hurt Asia

But escalation could have 'dire impact' on supply chains, warns Nakao

10 October 2018
An apartment complex in Seoul
Economy

Soaring house prices in Seoul force Moon to intervene in market

South Korea plans to provide 300,000 new homes in the metro area from 2021

3 October 2018
The revamped U.S. trade deal with Canada and Mexico came about thanks to tariffs, President Donald Trump told supporters on Monday.
Trade war

Trump barrels ahead with 'America first' trade

US shifts attention to China after deal with Mexico and Canada

3 October 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a revised free trade agreement in New York last week.
Trade war

Trump protectionism jolts South Korea's growth engine

12% fall in shipments to US pushes exports down the most in two years

1 October 2018
Stream article image
1 October 2018
The Beijing Capital International Airport is the annual gathering spot for millions of Chinese who travel overseas during a weeklong string of holidays that begins Oct. 1.
Economy

China's 7m Golden Week shoppers head to Japan, Thailand and Korea

US plunges in popularity, reflecting Beijing's relations with Washington

29 September 2018
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center, welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the inauguration of a smartphone plant in Noida, India in July. (courtesy of Samsung)
Business trends

Moon warms to Samsung for help on jobs and North Korea

South Korean prosecutors excuse Lee family from union sabotage indictment

28 September 2018
The South Korean government says it has not reached a deal with the U.S. on currency practices, contrary to an announcement by Washington.
Trade war

South Korea rejects US claims of a currency deal

Trade differences flare even after signing revised bilateral FTA

27 September 2018
China's Tsinghua University made a rapid ascent to become 22nd in the world, up from 30th last year. 
Economy

East Asian universities climb higher in global rankings

Investment in education creates 'rising tide' of quality in the region, says THE

26 September 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in gesture after signing the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreementon during a ceremony on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 24.
Trade war

South Korea gives Trump his first big trade deal

Second summit with Kim will be announced 'soon,' president says

25 September 2018
Over 200,000 South Koreans signed a petition to stop bitcoin regulation in January.
Business Insight

Cryptocurrencies: South Korea's winding regulatory path

Government's efforts to clamp down meet with resistance from investors and exchanges

24 September 2018
Simon Yang, CEO of Yangtze Memory Technologies, said his company is an innovation- and profit-driven company. 
Companies

China's rising memory chip leader won't try to 'crash the market'

State-backed Yangtze Memory at vanguard of Made in China 2025 says 'We are no copycat'

20 September 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on the phone in the Oval Office as he makes an announcement on the status of NAFTA on Aug 27.
Trade war

Trump's wave of import limits poses risk for Japan carmakers

Deals with Mexico and South Korea loom over coming high-level trade talks

17 September 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, is set to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Tuesday. Moon is to bring a business delegation with him. 
N Korea at crossroads

Moon to bring South Korean businesses to summit with Kim

Samsung subdued about projects in the North but KT and Lotte dive in

17 September 2018
Japan has increased imports of PET resin preforms, which are made into plastic bottles, from Thailand and Taiwan.
Economy

Asian makers of plastic bottle materials mount offensive in Japan

Anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports create business opportunities

13 September 2018
South Korea's New Export Orders Index hit a four-month low and could drop further if the U.S.-China trade standoff continues.
Trade war

Asian exports face headwinds from US-China trade war: PMI survey

Overseas demand weakens as August index for ASEAN falls to 20-month low

12 September 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Indonesian Presiden Joko Widodo walk at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia last year
Economy

South Korea and Indonesia seek tie-up to sidestep trade war fallout

Jokowi is in Seoul for talks with Moon as South Korea looks to ASEAN

10 September 2018