Economy

Taiwan's per capita gross domestic product is projected to grow 6.2% a year on average this decade.
Economy

Taiwan to surpass Japan in GDP per capita this year: JCER

South Korea to pull ahead in 2023 as weak yen compounds low productivity

15 December 2022
South Korean environmental activists like Kim Hoon (pictured) worry about the environmental impact of South Korea's chipmaking boom. In Pyeongtaek, hot wastewater from a nearby plant could alter ecosystems in local rivers. (Photo by Jean Chung)
The Big Story

South Korea's chip ambitions threaten big environmental toll

As chip giants like Samsung and SK Hynix expand production, locals fear water contamination

14 December 2022
Concrete mixer trucks are parked at a factory due to a strike by a truckers union in Anyang, South Korea, on Nov. 28.
Economy

South Korea orders striking cement truckers back to work

Union leaders shave heads in protest; talks continue with transport ministry

29 November 2022
The world's first hydrogen carrier arrives from Japan at the Port of Hastings in Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 20: Hydrogen is not a new source of energy but a form of energy storage. (Handout photo from HySTRA)
Opinion

Japan and South Korea must recognize blue hydrogen is not clean

Even direct use of fossil fuels can involve lower greenhouse emissions

28 November 2022
Hyundai Rotem has signed a deal to build 180 tanks for Poland. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

South Korea's defense industry doubles overseas orders

Government steps in to make 'high quality' arms competitive globally

27 November 2022
The logo of the Bank of Korea is seen on the top of its building in Seoul.
Economy

Bank of Korea slows tightening pace amid corporate credit stress

Central bank hikes key rate by quarter-point to 3.25%

24 November 2022
Demand for a wide range of semiconductors has dropped sharply after prolonged supply shortages. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Semiconductors

Intel, Samsung, Micron brace for slump as chip cycle tips downward

Economic slowdown chills tech demand, leaving semiconductor inventories glutted

29 October 2022
An employee leaves an SK Hynix office in Seongnam, South Korea. The company's operating profit totaled 1.7 trillion won ($1.2 billion) for the three months through September, down 60.3% from the year before, while revenue fell 7.0% to 11.0 trillion won year on year. 
Semiconductors

SK Hynix weighs future of China chip plant after U.S. tech curbs

South Korean chipmaker's situation 'very uncertain' due to export controls

26 October 2022
Commuters in Seoul in September 2021: Korean women remain constrained by deep-seated traditional values.
Opinion

Women, not robots, are the answer to South Korea's labor troubles

Transition to service-driven economy offers chance to improve gender balance

17 October 2022
Yoon Suk-yeol, now South Korea's president, announces a campaign pledge to resume nuclear power as he visits two reactors whose construction had been halted in the coastal county of Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Dec, 29, 2021. (Yonhap)
Energy

South Korea industry faces biggest electricity price hike since 1980

Economy at turning point as energy rally and weak won drive up cost of power

14 October 2022
The Bank of Korea began raising rates earlier than many of its regional peers. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara) 
Inflation

South Korea lifts rates again as board split on speed of easing

50 basis point hike is aimed at slowing inflation and currency slide against the dollar

12 October 2022
Japan will accept general travelers into the country from Tuesday for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, permitting visa-free entry for visitors from 68 countries and regions. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Your Week in Asia

China 20th Party Congress, Japan resumes visa-free travel, BTS concert

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

9 October 2022
For China, which maintains a zero-tolerance approach to containing COVID-19, AMRO slashed its growth forecast to 3.8% from 4.8%.
Economy

ASEAN+3 growth outlook dims as China's 2022 forecast cut to 3.8%

Think tank AMRO lifts overall inflation forecast for 13 economies to 6.2%

6 October 2022
A combination of post-pandemic debt, inflation and currency fluctuations has thrown central banks throughout Asia into chaos this year. 
The Big Story

The money blizzard: Asia's central banks reckon with the aftermath of COVID-19

Governments from Japan to Thailand grapple with inflation, currency chaos and 'zombie companies' after biggest-ever bailout

5 October 2022
The resilience displayed by Southeast Asian stocks contrasts sharply with North Asian peers, which are susceptible to trade and dependent on China.
Market Spotlight

ASEAN stocks calm investors despite turmoil in other regions

Emerging markets rebound as economies reopen, but China still weighs on Asia

3 October 2022
An anti-tank missile is fired during an exercise at the Defense Expo Korea on Sept. 20. South Korea exports tanks, howitzers and other conventional weaponry to countries like Poland.
Aerospace & Defense Industries

South Korea triples arms exports in 2 years on tailored sales pitches

Seoul's longtime push to curb dependence on U.S. bolsters defense industry

29 September 2022
The recently unveiled iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models. The sharp weakening of the yen and won has left Apple with little choice but to raise prices in the Japanese and and South Korean markets.
Inflation

Japan and South Korea face pricier iPhones as currencies slump

Pricing for China was unchanged from previous model as the economy slows

10 September 2022
BTS perform onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards on April 3 in Las Vegas.
Economy

Busan Expo 2030 bid pushes South Korea into PR overdrive

Organizers play up economic gains, but local understanding crucial: experts

7 September 2022
Typhoon Hinnamnor is expected to make landfall near South Korea's second-largest city Busan at around 7 a.m. on Sept. 6. (Screenshot from Japan Meteorological Agency)
Natural disasters

South Korea, Japan brace for 'super strong' Typhoon Hinnamnor

Heavy rains forecast as storm predicted to land near Busan on Tuesday morning

5 September 2022
Some potential Nusantara investors are holding onto their money until Indonesian President Joko Widodo paints a "big picture" of what he envisions.
Asia Insight

Jokowi struggles to drum up investors for new Indonesia capital

As SoftBank withdraws, Japan Inc. takes wait-and-see approach to $30bn project

30 August 2022
A man walks past an electronic board showing the Nikkei stock index outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Aug. 29. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)
Markets

Asia stocks tumble after U.S. signals prolonged monetary tightening

Nikkei index drops nearly 3% while yen weakens to one-month low

29 August 2022
President Yoon Suk-yeol has made nuclear power plant exports a major economic policy, leveraging the technological capabilities of domestic manufacturers.
Energy

South Korea wins $2.5bn order to build Egypt's first nuclear plant

Contract flags an acceleration of the Yoon government's export ambitions

25 August 2022
The Bank of Korea raised its key rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.5% on Thursday.
Inflation

South Korea raises key rate by quarter point as inflation soars

BOK under pressure to stabilize local currency amid slide verses greenback

25 August 2022
Bill Gates says South Korea can make an important contribution in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus

Bill Gates sees big pandemic-fighting role for South Korea

Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist says country can have 'incredible impact'

16 August 2022
Lee Jae-yong attends an inaugural dinner for President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul on May 10. Lee has been out of prison since last August.
Opinion

Pardon for Samsung's Lee is business as usual for South Korea

President Yoon has disappointed those expecting him to uphold equal justice

12 August 2022