Economy

Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, says an "economic cold war" has forced Southeast Asian companies to create "China and non-China" portfolios. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Interview

ASEAN caught in 'economic cold war' over China: business lobby head

Indonesian executive urges nimbler Japan Inc. to match other foreign investors

9 June 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has entered his second year as president. The question is whether he can spur growth in a sputtering economy.
Asia Insight

South Korea's weak growth tests Yoon's resolve to cut spending

Subsidy and patronage habits keep economy tied to inefficient old ways

16 May 2023
South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology wants to become a "metaversity" with digital classrooms.
Education

Metaverse education blossoms in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan

Teaching taps VR even as emerging tech's mass adoption remains in doubt

8 May 2023
Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa speaks on May 3 in Incheon, South Korea, at the bank's annual meeting.
Finance

Asian ministers warn on Western banking turmoil at ADB meeting

IMF Asia chief cites uncertainty over BOJ policy and risk of global spillovers

5 May 2023
South Korean Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho says U.S.-China tensions and North Korean aggression make close ties with Japan even more crucial.
Japan-South Korea ties

Seoul, Tokyo can cooperate on energy: South Korea finance minister

U.S. allies look for ways to team up now that diplomatic ties are on the mend

4 May 2023
President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022 pledging to reduce regulation, increase innovation and boost wages but has mostly leaned on the central bank to revive growth. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

With omens improving, Yoon should get serious about reform

South Korea cannot just rely on central bank to propel growth

3 May 2023
Tourists from South Korea buy duty-free goods at Fukuoka Airport in January. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Japan-South Korea ties

Japan-South Korea thaw spreads to economy as finance chiefs meet

Tourism and trade enjoy major windfall after years of tensions

3 May 2023
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is expected to announce soon that South Korea has been restored to the "Group A" list of countries eligible for preferential export treatment.
International relations

Japan to resume preferential trade status on exports to South Korea

Tokyo to put Seoul back on its 'Group A' list after 2019 downgrade

28 April 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks next to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos during a news conference in Washington.
Media & Entertainment

Netflix to invest $2.5bn in South Korean films, series programs

Streaming service bolsters ties with country's roaring entertainment sector

25 April 2023
South Korea's main port is at Busan, pictured here. Exports are the lifeblood of the South Korean economy. 
Economy

South Korea avoids recession as GDP grows 0.3% in Q1

Export-reliant economy faces sluggish chip demand in face of global slowdown

25 April 2023
After South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke of keeping electricity rate increases under control, KEPCO shelved a hike planned for April.
Energy

South Korean politics tie KEPCO's hands on electricity rate hikes

State-owned utility reported biggest loss in nation's business history last year

23 April 2023
Samsung Electronics CEO Kyung Kye-hyun, left, and Choo Kyung-ho, South Korea's finance minister, right, examine advanced semiconductor wafers in Pyeongtaek, South Korea on April 7. (Photo courtesy of South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance) 
Semiconductors

Samsung's profit woes cast shadow over South Korea's economy

Semiconductor downturn stokes calls to cut overreliance on single company

14 April 2023
Samsung gadgets for sale in Vietnam, the company's main phone manufacturing location. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Companies

Samsung meetings in Vietnam shine spotlight on global tax overhaul

Big Tech bracing for impact of OECD deal on minimum corporate levy

3 April 2023
South Korea has passed legislation called the K-Chips Act to expand incentives for chipmakers setting up new factories in the country. (Source photos by Reuters and AP) 
Semiconductors

South Korea chip output falls in February at fastest pace since 2008

Government, major producers continue to invest in semiconductor plants

31 March 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looks on during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on March 21.
Politics

Kishida's approval rating above water for first time in 7 months

Ukraine trip and summit with South Korea's Yoon receive high marks in Nikkei poll

27 March 2023
Stricter Japanese export controls on South Korea were imposed in 2019, covering materials used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan moves to ease export curbs on South Korea, eyes Yoon visit

Trade talks to resume as Kishida hails 'opportunity' to advance bilateral relations

7 March 2023
Yoo Choe-an crams himself into a steel cage in an attempt to win a pay raise from a South Korean shipyard in June 2022. The sign reads: "We can't live like this." (Photo by Byeon Baek-seon, Korean Metal Workers Union)
Asia Insight

South Korea cage match: President Yoon vs. the unions

Nation's leader pushes for drastic shake-up of the nation's labor system

7 February 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, center, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 15, with South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Courtesy of UAE presidential court/Reuters)
International relations

Yoon pursues commercial diplomacy as South Korea's top salesman

President spearheads drive to export more nuclear power facilities and arms

4 February 2023
Seoul's Myeong-dong district, known for international fashion brands and luxury department stores. High interest rates have become a significant burden on households. (Photo by Hiroshi Minegishi)
Economy

South Korea's mortgage rates balloon, dampening spending

Economy continues to slow as central bank focuses on protecting the won

27 January 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 19.
Davos 2023

Yoon calls for better supply chain with 'mutually trusted' countries

At Davos, South Korean leader walks a fine line in not alienating China

20 January 2023
Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul in November 2022: The South Korean president is likely to soon face hard choices with potentially bigger stakes.
Opinion

China will not be the answer to South Korea's economic troubles

Yoon Suk-yeol has been surprisingly soft toward Beijing, but faces new dilemmas

19 January 2023
The resumption of a large-scale, face-to-face congregation, where thousands convene from over 130 countries and regions, in its traditional January slot signals a return to normalcy, after the world was hit by the COVID pandemic.
Davos 2023

Davos returns to normal form for 1st time since COVID

South Korean and Philippine leaders to attend, China to send Liu He

16 January 2023
BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong during his inauguration in Seoul in April 2022: The central bank governor understands the costs of prioritizing free money.
Opinion

Now is not the time for the Bank of Korea to go soft

Gov. Rhee should keep up pressure on government to reform

11 January 2023
From China to Singapore, banks in Asia have had a tumultuous year, with some soaring and others under pressure. (Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Business Spotlight

Asia's rising interest rates boost banks -- but risks grow for 2023

Lenders in Japan and China lag peers enjoying fatter borrowing margins

23 December 2022
Tighter financial conditions are raising borrowing costs, which is starting to depress housing demand in Asia, according to a recent study by the International Monetary Fund.
Property

From Hong Kong to Malaysia, property markets set to decline: IMF

Shift in interest rate cycle creates 'downside risks', organization says

15 December 2022