Economy

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3 September 2018
RCEP comprises the 10 members of ASEAN, plus Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Together they account for a third of the world's GDP.
Economy

Asia advances RCEP talks as Trump's trade policy unites members

Ministers aim to conclude negotiations by year-end but gaps remain

1 September 2018
Moon Jae-in 
Economy

South Korean leader seeks to regain support with huge spending boost

Slumping approval rating pushes Moon to sharply increase budget for job creation

30 August 2018
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at the opening of ASEAN meetings on Aug. 29.
International relations

Conclusion to RCEP talks 'finally in sight,' Singapore PM says

Members seek harmony in two-day gathering amid escalating US-China trade war

29 August 2018
A number of Asian countries are setting up projects to attract fintech and cryptocurrency startups.
Cryptocurrencies

Asian countries vie to set up region's 'crypto valleys'

Philippines, South Korea and Thailand ease regulations to lure fintech investment

20 August 2018
A KTX bullet train connecting Seoul to Gangneung undergoes a test run in November 2017, shortly before beginning service ahead of the Winter Olympics. (Photo by Kenichi Yamada)
Most read in 2018

South Korea to shut down Incheon Airport high-speed rail

Four years into operation, KTX loses to buses in convenience and price

16 August 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the country would "not fall into the interest-rate trap," despite the fall in value of the lira.
Economy

Asia braces for impact of Turkey crisis

Japanese banks have largest exposure in Asia

14 August 2018
A man walks on a street during the flood after the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam collapsed in Attapeu province, Laos on July 26, 2018.
Economy

Laos dam builders under scrutiny for rushing project

Civil society groups urge Korean and Thai investors to take responsibility

10 August 2018
Construction workers demanding job security at a rally in Seoul on July 12. President Moon Jae-in has warmed to business-friendly policies like deregulation as his income-led growth strategy sputters.
Economy

South Korea adviser vows growth through 'bold' deregulation

Presidential aide Yoon Jong-won signals shift away from 'wages first' stance

7 August 2018
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1 August 2018
A Vietnamese man surveys the damage to his home caused by tropical storm Son Tinh at a village outside Hanoi on July 24.
Economy

Asian economies feel the heat from extreme weather

Region faces brewing crisis as costs from damage continue to mount

27 July 2018
Restaurants in Seoul are noticeably empty on weekdays at 7 p.m., what used to be prime hours for colleagues to eat out together before the government moved to reduce overtime.
Economy

Shorter office hours push South Koreans to home cooking

Restaurants suffer from new law reforming the country's work culture

19 July 2018
Some small restaurants and shops in South Korea are losing workers as they struggle to afford employees' salaries. 
Economy

Moon's minimum wage policy inflames small businesses

South Korean analysts, mom-and-pop store owners attack pace of pay rises

18 July 2018
The yuan continues to weaken, suggesting China is content to let it slide for now. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Trade war

Trade headwinds roil Asian currencies

Yuan, won and Australian dollar suffer as investors shelter in the dollar

13 July 2018
Staff work behind a robot at iCarbonX, a start up company in Shenzhen, China.
Technology

China and Thailand leap up in innovation capability ranking

Asia's improvements reflect government efforts and socio-economic development

11 July 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hope to boost trade independent of neighboring China. 
International relations

South Korea and India to double trade by 2030

Seoul sees vast market as a counterbalance to China

11 July 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is pushing the "New Southern Policy" to deepen ties with southeast Asia and reduce dependence on China and the U.S. 
Economy

Moon heads for India to cultivate markets beyond China, US

South Korean President to drop by Samsung's new smartphone factory

7 July 2018
Employees going home after after 5 p.m. in Seoul.
Economy

South Korea tackles workaholic culture with new labor law

Companies shut off computers and send bosses warnings to avoid overtime

6 July 2018
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2 July 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in's headache under U.S. trade policies is an indication of what other countries should prepare for.
Opinion

South Korea's weather vane points to global troubles ahead

Export data shows early impact of Trump's trade battles

28 June 2018
Soybeans being loaded at a port in China's Jiangsu Province. China, the world's largest consumer of soybeans, relies on U.S. imports for up to 30% of its needs.
Trade war

Soybean showdown: China removes tariffs in Asia

Beijing touts alternatives to US, but effect may be limited

27 June 2018
North Korean Vice Railroad Minister Kim Yun Hyok, left, with his South Korean counterpart Vice Transport Minister Kim Jeong-ryeol at a meeting at the border village of Panmunjom in South Korea on June 26.
N Korea at crossroads

Two Koreas agree to modernize North Korean railways

Seoul's Eurasian railroad dream comes one step closer

26 June 2018
Nissan's plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, came online in 2013. The automaker regards its Mexican operations as some of its most cost efficient.
Trade war

Trump car tariff threat sends Japan on search for escape route

A 25% levy could mean $21bn in lost earnings for Toyota, Nissan and peers

25 June 2018
A job board at an employment office in Seoul. Unemployment in South Korea rose to 4% in May.
Economy

Instead of spurring growth, Moon's wage hikes trigger layoffs

South Korean president's J-nomics has little to show after one year

19 June 2018
Reserve Bank of India Gov. Urjit Patel. His central bank raised rates for the first time since 2014 in June.
Economy

Asian central banks pressured to follow US rate hikes

Move to defend currencies would be burden on companies and households

15 June 2018