South Korea

Samsung Electronics says the market for memory chips "is expected to gradually move toward stability considering increasing production cuts in the industry."
Semiconductors

Samsung expects chip demand rebound in second half

Improved outlook comes after quarterly operating profit plunged 95%

27 July 2023
Hyundai's new SUV is displayed at Auto Shanghai in April. The South Korean automaker is struggling in the Chinese market. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)
Automobiles

Hyundai Motor posts record profit despite slumping China sales

Flush with cash, automaker to expand in North America, Southeast Asia and India

27 July 2023
Visitors stand in front of a giant screen displaying Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military museum in Beijing. Some Japanese experts say a China-led international system is an unrealistic scenario.
Indo-Pacific

'China-led order won't materialize': Japan experts call for realism

Tokyo should team with 'middle powers' for more autonomy, new report says

25 July 2023
A truck moves a shipping container at South Korea's Pyeongtaek port in July 2020.
Economy

South Korea's GDP up 0.6% in Q2 despite export decline

Growth comes with imports down, as consumption remains weak

25 July 2023
Barricades are placed near the Unification Bridge, which leads to Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, on July 19 in Paju, South Korea.
N Korea at crossroads

U.N. Command has reached out to North Korea over U.S. soldier

Official says 'none of us know' how case of private who ran across border will end

24 July 2023
Gen. Mark Milley, U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with reporters while attending a NATO meeting in Brussels on June 15.
Interview

Japan 'key' in handling any Indo-Pacific contingency: top U.S. general

India is 'very important' strategic ally for free, open region, says Gen. Milley

22 July 2023
Moscow said the exercise will involve naval combat, ship escort drills and live artillery fire. (Photo courtesy of the Russian Defense Ministry via Reuters)
Indo-Pacific

China and Russia kick off military exercises in Sea of Japan

Drills aim to counter U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation, improve joint operations

21 July 2023
From left, Sung Kim, Takehiro Funakoshi and Kim Gunn, the top U.S., Japanese and South Korean representatives on North Korea, met on July 20 in Japan's Nagano prefecture. (Photo by Ryo Nemoto)
International relations

U.S., Japan, South Korea head into Camp David summit with fast-paced diplomacy

Pyongyang shrugs off 50-plus discussions in 2022 as missile launches continue

21 July 2023
The U.N. and others say stealing cryptocurrencies is North Korea's latest international criminal enterprise to support the hermit regime and facilitate its arms programs.  (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Cryptocurrencies

South Korea asks cyber firms for advice on North's crypto crimes

Pyongyang known for flashing sharp computer skills to boost weapons program

20 July 2023
Ordering on a touch panel at restaurants and stores has become more commonplace in South Korea as the minimum wage has gone up. (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
Economy

South Korea's minimum wage set to surpass Tokyo's

Agreed-on 2.5% hike is much smaller than 27% sought by labor

20 July 2023
The Wolseong nuclear power plant is one of eight nuclear power stations operating in South Korea. (Image courtesy of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power)
Energy

South Korea moves forward on reactor construction plans

Nation needs to think about new nuclear plants, says energy minister

19 July 2023
Naver is leveraging a massive database of Korean-language content to develop its generative AI technology. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Technology

South Korea's Naver bets on generative AI as Google encroaches

Partnership with Samsung to develop chips for data processing servers

17 July 2023
Foreign investors increased their holdings in "emerging" Asian bond markets outside China by over $20 billion in the first half of 2023. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Indonesia, South Korea bonds benefit from China turmoil

Foreign investors favor Asian debt markets where currency gains are expected

17 July 2023
Cho Joo-wan, CEO of LG Electronics, presents the company's long-term plan July 12 at LG's R&D campus in Seoul. (Photo courtesy of LG Electronics)
Electronics

LG Electronics aims to double automotive sales to $16bn by 2030

Vehicle components to become core segment alongside appliances, TVs

13 July 2023
Established in 2000 as Neoplux, Shinhan Venture Investment assumed its current name twhen it joined the Shinhan Financial Group in 2020.
DealStreetAsia

South Korea's Shinhan Venture Investment targets Southeast Asia

Seoul-based investor earmarks 50% of flagship global fund for region

12 July 2023
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Vilnius summit on July 11.
Indo-Pacific

NATO removes Tokyo office mention from joint communique

Alliance seeks to engage with Indo-Pacific, but differences remain over approach

11 July 2023
A South Korean instructor describes a facility where North Korean defectors learn IT skills in Anseong, South Korea, on July 10. (Provided by the Ministry of Unification)
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea defector tells of plight as Seoul gets tough on Pyongyang

Reporters given access to center for helping refugees adjust to life in South Korea

11 July 2023
Greenpeace activists confront a deep-sea mining vessel commissioned by a Canadian miner between Mexico and Hawaii last November.
Environment

China, South Korea push for deep-sea mining as global talks begin

Countries seek rule-making for critical metals amid criticism from activists

10 July 2023
The Asian financial flu of 1997, Japan's three decades with virtually no inflation and stronger capital markets in the region's emerging economies are helping Asian central banks break away from peers in the West.
Economy

Asia's central banks go easy as West ramps up inflation fight

Weak China demand triggers what some call a 'decoupling' in Asia monetary policy

10 July 2023
Japan's Aeon and other Asian retail companies see promise in Indonesia's young and growing population. (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Retail

Indonesia draws Asian mall operators targeting growth

Despite regulation, Japan's Aeon and others see promise in rising economy

10 July 2023
The return of cultural properties should be used as a catalyst for reconciliation, not as a spark for new conflict. Here, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, left, and Korean President Lee Myung-bak shake hands after signing an agreement returning Korean royal books in November 2010 in Yokohama.
Japan-South Korea ties

Cultural properties can be Japan-South Korea diplomatic opportunity

Tokyo should step up efforts to identify artifacts that ought to be returned

9 July 2023
The memoir "Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS" includes "personal, behind-the-scenes" details of the K-pop group's rise to global prominence, according to the publisher. (File photo by AP) 
Books

BTS memoir set for dynamite sales

Army of fans awaits 544-page tome due out on Sunday

9 July 2023
An aerial view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant: After the IAEA certified its safety, Japan plans to release treated wastewater into the Pacific later this summer.
Environment

On topic: Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant set to release treated water

A collection of stories to catch up on a recent hot topic

8 July 2023
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos speaks at an event explaining the company's growing ties with South Korean content producers. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Media & Entertainment

Netflix hunts for next big hit in South Korea, Japan and India

Asian markets in investment spotlight amid ruthless competition at home

8 July 2023
An official measures the radiation level of a fish imported from Japan at a wholesale market in Seoul on July 6.
International relations

South Korea signs off on Japan's Fukushima water release plan

Seoul to respect IAEA assessment, expects no significant ecological harm

7 July 2023