South Korea

Wang Yajun, the new Chinese ambassador to North Korea. (Source photos by AP and CNS/Kyodo) 
International relations

New Chinese ambassador demonstrates drive to deepen North Korea ties

Beijing and Pyongyang looking to counter U.S.-led security order in East Asia

4 April 2023
The U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz arrives at a port in the South Korean city of Busan in March.
Defense

Japan, U.S., South Korea conduct anti-sub drills with eye on North Korea

Pyongyang hints at nuclear retaliation in denouncing joint exercises

4 April 2023
Members of boy band NCT Dreams perform in Suwon, South Korea, last year. K-pop has gained global recognition in recent years, but has struggled to maintain momentum.
Media & Entertainment

SM Entertainment turns new page under Kakao amid K-pop headwinds

Agency tie-ups and technology seen as potential drivers for renewed growth

3 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
South Korean companies SM Entertainment and KT&G are among those that have drawn the attention of local activist investors. (Source photos by Reuters and AP) 
Companies

South Korean activist funds pick up steam on legal change

K-pop agency SM, other companies under pressure from homegrown investor groups

31 March 2023
A worker unloads a basket of fish in Soma, a city in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, on Jan. 19.
International relations

South Korea to continue ban on seafood from Fukushima

Trade and historical matters are complicating efforts to heal bilateral ties

30 March 2023
 The U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz arrives in Busan, South Korea, on March 28 following drills with the South Korean navy.
N Korea at crossroads

U.S. carrier arrives in South Korea as North unveils new warheads

Tensions rise in Sea of Japan with shows of force by Pyongyang, Moscow

29 March 2023
Yoon Jong-kyoo has served as CEO of KB Financial since 2014. (Photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi)
Finance

South Korea's biggest bank targets India and Indonesia for deals

Financial market turmoil creates opportunities for KB Financial, CEO says

29 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol would be the first leader from the country to address Congress in 10 years.
International relations

U.S. Congress to invite South Korea's Yoon for address with eye on China

Key lawmaker calls for more joint exercises to handle North Korea's provocations

28 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
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is keeping his predecessor's policies to promote domestic supply chains. (Photo courtesy of South Korea's Presidential Office)
Semiconductors

Japan export curbs pay off for South Korean chip materials makers

Profits double as Samsung and others pivot to domestic suppliers

26 March 2023
North Korea conducted nuclear-capable cruise missile and underwater drone attack tests this week. (KCNA via Kyodo)
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea seeks to add 'radioactive tsunami' to nuclear arsenal

Latest weapons tests show effort to broaden Pyongyang's attack options

25 March 2023
"Music lets us relate to other people at any time, under any circumstance, and reminds us of who we were in those moments. That's the biggest power music has," BTS member Jimin said in a recent written interview with Nikkei.
Interview

For BTS's Jimin, music transcends language barriers

South Korean singer releases solo album that peers deep into his soul

24 March 2023
Japan lifts export controls over three items to South Korea, as both sides move toward reconciliation. 
23 March 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio KIshida, left, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Tokyo on March 16. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Indo-Pacific

Bring South Korea into Quad to cement Japan ties, analysts say

Tokyo-Seoul reconciliation hailed as being as important as AUKUS

20 March 2023
South Korean civic groups rally against the government's proposal to compensate former wartime laborers at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 7. 
Japan-South Korea rift

What makes or breaks Seoul's gambit on wartime labor issue

Public sentiment toward Japan brightens in South Korea; will it last?

18 March 2023
President Joe Biden, center, is flanked by U.S. officials as he meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Cambodia on Nov. 13.
Biden's Asia policy

U.S. bets on next 4 years to cement ties between Japan, South Korea

Biden aims to build on rapprochement between allies under Yoon Suk Yeol

18 March 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will host Group of Seven leaders in May. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
International relations

Japan eyes inviting South Korea to G-7 summit in May

Asian neighbors just started to mend fences after years of strained ties

18 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on March 17 after the summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
International relations

Yoon returns to storm in South Korea after Japan breakthrough

President must overcome lack of support from public, political opposition

17 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks at a meeting of business leaders in Tokyo on March 17.
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korean president sees new era for business ties with Japan

Yoon identifies semiconductors, batteries and EVs as areas ripe for cooperation

17 March 2023
Diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the U.S. meet at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Dec. 13 to discuss North Korea.
Interview

South Korea less inclined to align with U.S., Japan on China: analyst

3-way partnership will work together better against North Korea, RAND's Hornung says

17 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend an honor guard ceremony ahead of their bilateral meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Toky on March 16. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) 
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan, South Korea rebuild defense ties, with U.S. backing

Yoon tells Kishida that Seoul will normalize intelligence-sharing pact

17 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, rear left, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, rear right, and their wives at the Yoshizawa sukiyaki restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Cabinet Office)
Japan-South Korea rift

Kishida and Yoon bond over sukiyaki, omurice and beer in Ginza

Jackets and ties come off during restaurant-hopping evening after summit

17 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on March 16. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) 
Japan-South Korea rift

Kishida, Yoon agree to boost Japan-South Korea trade, security ties

U.S. allies to normalize military info sharing, launch trade dialogue channel

16 March 2023