Samsung faces intensifying competition from rivals across a wide range of products. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)
Electronics

Samsung falls behind rivals as leaders avoid risk

Innovation taking back seat to short-term results, employees say

14 April 2024
Shohei Ohtani bats against the San Diego Padres on March 20 in Seoul: Japan, South Korea and the U.S. used the game as a platform for public diplomacy.
Opinion

MLB Seoul Series shows promise of U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation

Sports diplomacy could be uniquely effective in bridging skeptical publics

14 April 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the 2023 Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan. (Pool/Kyodo)
Comment

South Korea-Japan thaw could backslide if ruling party turns on Yoon

President risks greater criticism, isolation after legislative election defeat

13 April 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been a strong advocate for closer ties with Japan.
South Korea election

South Korea ruling party's defeat casts shadow over Japan ties

President Yoon seen facing opposition pressure over wartime-labor compensation

12 April 2024
Changing taxes on inheritance, dividends and capital gains, is likely to prove difficult because it requires approval by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. 
Markets

South Korea election a minor setback for capital market reform

Opposition hold on National Assembly expected to hinder tax incentives

11 April 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed through to "humbly accept the public's will" after his party lost ground in legislative elections. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
South Korea election

South Korea ruling party, government reel after electoral drubbing

President Yoon vows to 'reform' handling of state affairs in wake of losses

11 April 2024
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, seated second from right, and candidates react as they watch TV exit polls for legislative elections on April 10 in Seoul.
South Korea election

South Korean election: Yoon's party suffers stinging defeat

Tally shows opposition surge in national legislature in blow to unpopular president

11 April 2024
The South Korean market has begun to benefit from the rise in semiconductor stocks. (Nikkei)
Markets

South Korea stocks see record foreign buying on appetite for chips

AI fever spurs investors toward Samsung and other 'Korea discount' names

11 April 2024
From left: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the ASEAN summit in Jakarta in 2023. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

India-U.S.-South Korea tech cooperation has strategic logic

By capitalizing on competitive advantages, trio can strengthen supply chains

10 April 2024
Unions representing Samsung Electronics workers have voted to strike after negotiations over working conditions failed to produce an agreement.  
Technology

Samsung Electronics unions vote to strike: 3 things to know

Thousand members set to hold rally next week for better working conditions

10 April 2024
Some 60% of Hyundai Ioniq 6 purchases in the U.S. are now in the form of lease contracts.
Automobiles

Non U.S.-made EVs secure tax credits via lease loophole

South Korean, European, Japanese models enjoy special provision incentives

10 April 2024
Chicken thigh sandwiches will be among the offerings available at Mom's Touch's new location in Tokyo's Shibuya district. (Photo by Yui Sato)
Food & Beverage

South Korean chicken joint Mom's Touch to make Japan debut in Shibuya

Restaurant chain seeks to win over young foodies in trendy Tokyo district

9 April 2024
Hankook Tire & Technology of South Korea expects 25% of its new tire sales this year will be to EV makers.
Automobiles

South Korean tiremakers eye EV market for new growth

Hankook expects a quarter of its original equipment sales to be EV tires

9 April 2024
The city of Gongju is part of a key swing constituency in South Korea. (Photo by Steven Borowiec)
South Korea election

South Korea's swing seats hold key to power in election showdown

Top parties address inflation angst as voters grow frustrated with political scandals

9 April 2024
Korean American author Frances Cha has released two very different books since 2020, but both offer enlightening looks at South Korean culture. (Source photos courtesy of Ballantine Books, Crown Books for Young Readers, Frances Cha)   
Books

Author delivers a South Korean education to the West

Frances Cha's novels penetrate the culture that lies behind K-pop and kimchi

7 April 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meet in Washington this week.
Your Week in Asia

Japan's Kishida visits Washington, Uniqlo parent earnings, China data

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

7 April 2024
Ateez is the only K-pop group not belonging to one of the Big Four agencies that has made it to No.1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, an achievement many have called "a miracle." (Photo by Yuji Ueno)
Media & Entertainment

K-pop's latest sensation Ateez harbors Super Bowl dreams

Called the next BTS, boy band rehearses to make its own name at Coachella in the U.S.

7 April 2024
The presence of semiconductor companies like Samsung Electronics have turned the area south of Seoul into a key electoral battleground. (Nikkei photo montage)
South Korea election

South Korean parties target 'semiconductor belt' ahead of election

Campaigns promise generous incentives to bolster critical industry

6 April 2024
Analysts say Samsung is bouncing back from a long slump in the chip sector, thanks to improvements in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips critical to artificial intelligence. 
Semiconductors

Samsung flags Q1 tenfold operating profit surge amid memory bounce

Analysts say picture improving for HBM chips critical for AI computing

5 April 2024
The Nikkei Stock Average has climbed 52% since the end of 2022. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Markets

Japan stocks boosted by $51bn in foreign cash, led by U.K.

Middle East oil money flowed in from London in fiscal 2023 as investors shunned China

5 April 2024
Kim Hyong-mo, the representative in Vietnam of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, speaks during an interview in Hanoi. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Business trends

South Korean firms in Vietnam face growing competition from China

Chamber of Commerce says minimum corporate tax rule also affects businesses

4 April 2024
South Korean semiconductor manufacturer SK Hynix is joining other Asian chipmakers investing in the U.S.
Semiconductors

South Korea's SK Hynix to build $3.9bn AI chip plant in U.S.

High-tech company picks Indiana to produce advanced memory components

4 April 2024
The new appliances include screens with floor plans that let users control other appliances in the house. (Samsung Electronics)
Technology

Samsung's new AI-equipped refrigerators offer up recipes

Home appliance line aims to fend off cheap Chinese competition

4 April 2024
HD Hyundai Marine Solution offers shipping repair and maintenance services. Pictured is a simulation system for testing a vessel's ability to handle big waves, inclement weather and other problems the company aims to offer to customers in the future. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
IPO

Hyundai Marine Solution targets South Korea's biggest IPO in 2 years

KKR-backed ship repair and maintenance company aims to raise up to $550 million

3 April 2024
Shares of South Korean companies have traded at a discounted valuation to those of regional peers for decades. 
Opinion

Seoul is finally getting serious about ending the 'Korea discount'

Momentum behind push for corporate governance reform can carry past election

3 April 2024