South Korea

South Korean protesters at an anti-Japan rally. Yoon Suk Yeol wants to move past domestic politics to improve ties with Japan. 
Comment

Can South Korea escape domestic politics to end wartime labor row?

Former newspaper editor argues for 'best possible' deal with Japan

5 March 2023
Starbucks spent two years renovating a forgotten movie house that showed its last film in 1992. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Food & Beverage

Starbucks in Seoul: An abandoned theater enjoys a caffeine buzz

Running out of location options, U.S. chain goes creative in historic market

4 March 2023
U.S. military spokesman Col. Isaac Taylor, left, shakes hands with South Korean counterpart Col. Lee Sung-jun during a March 3 briefing in Seoul.
Defense

U.S., South Korea to hold 11-day military exercises this month

Spring drills are biggest in 5 years, reflecting North Korean advances and Ukraine lessons

4 March 2023
Microsoft kicked off the ChatGPT boom by integrating the app into its search engine, and at the Mobile World Congress it promoted a cloud-based AI management system for telecom operators. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang) 
MWC 2023

Tech giants look for ways to cash in on ChatGPT boom

From Qualcomm to Microsoft to SK Telecom, ambitions high for AI-powered computing

2 March 2023
Robots pick and deliver items to be boxed at Coupang's Daegu fulfillment center. (Photo courtesy of Coupang)
Companies

Coupang, South Korea's Amazon, reaps rewards of robot investments

Warehouse automation drives profit streak, but share price still lags

2 March 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center left, stands next to his wife at an event to commemorate the 104th anniversary of a protest movement against Japan's 35-year occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korea's Yoon says Japan has transformed into a partner

President calls for cooperation with Tokyo, Washington in independence day speech

1 March 2023
Stream article image
The Big Story

South Korean football star Son Heung-min's journey to the top

Tottenham striker talks to Nikkei Asia about rise of Asian players in Europe

1 March 2023
Condominiums in central Seoul. Many South Koreans prefer to stay single due to higher housing costs and lack of job opportunities -- as well as angst about traditional role models.
Society

South Koreans' choice of staying single gains wider acceptance

Some companies offering perks to employees who opt out of marriage

26 February 2023
A TV screen shows Yoon Suk Yeol delivering his New Year's address on Jan. 1: Yoon's comments about having nuclear weapons provide an opportunity for Washington to refocus on the North Korean nuclear issue.
Opinion

Nuclear weapons would only bring South Korea more trouble

Pyongyang unlikely to sit still, while Japan and others would respond badly

24 February 2023
South Korean officials were scheduled to observe nuclear-powered submarines, a key element of U.S. deterrence, at the Kings Bay naval base in the state of Georgia. (Handout photo from the U.S. Navy)
N Korea at crossroads

U.S., South Korea hold wargame on North Korean nuclear strike

Tabletop drill comes amid threat of Pyongyang mass-producing tactical warheads

24 February 2023
A 100-meter-tall portal crane looms over Samsung Heavy Industries' Geoje shipyard. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Engineering & Construction

South Korean shipbuilders embrace foreign labor amid shortage

Industry hub of Geoje adjusting to influx of Southeast Asian workers

23 February 2023
The number of newborns in South Korea dropped 4.4% to 249,000 in 2022 from a year earlier.  The government is struggling to find ways to get young couples to have more children.
Society

South Korea's fertility rate hits new low; remains last in OECD

Young people reluctant to marry due to lack of quality jobs, housing costs

22 February 2023
The Hyundai Seoul department store in the central part of South Korea's capital has opened a special section for Slam Dunk-related goods such as T-shirts with illustrations printed on them. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Media & Entertainment

'Slam Dunk' anime movie makes waves across South Korea, Taiwan

Blockbuster based on 1990s manga lures tourists to Japan and 'sacred' places

19 February 2023
A missile is fired during joint U.S.-South Korea military drills at an undisclosed location in South Korea in May 2022. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
Defense

What makes South Koreans so eager for nuclear deterrent?

70% of public favor going nuclear to counter threats from Pyongyang, Beijing

19 February 2023
A missile is paraded in Pyongyang. North Korea is believed to have launched 11 intercontinental ballistic missile-class weapons since November. (KCNA via Reuters)
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea fires missile capable of reaching entire U.S.

American, Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers meet after launch

19 February 2023
A focus on cargo allowed Korean Air Lines to reap record profits amid the pandemic. (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
Transportation

Korean Air braces for turbulence as cargo rates sink

End of capacity squeeze set to weigh on profits in 2023

19 February 2023
Nguyen Thi Thanh speaks by video with supporters in Seoul on Feb. 7: The landmark ruling in her favor puts the South Korean government in a difficult position.
Opinion

Vietnam and South Korea have to address wartime legacy together

Landmark ruling for 1968 massacre survivor is awkward for both governments

17 February 2023
Armed martial law troops guard captured protesters in Gwangju in May 1980: Seoul's enforcement of an officially approved historical narrative has echoes of practices seen in autocratic states.
Opinion

South Koreans should be free to be 'wrong' about history

Criminalization of alternative views undermines public discourse and policymaking

15 February 2023
Ties between Japan and South Korea have chilled in recent years over the longstanding wartime labor issue. (Source photos by Shinya Sawai)
15 February 2023
Left: Police seal off an area around the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in Seoul on Jan. 18. Right: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stands for the national anthem at the presidential office on Jan. 11. (Source photos by Kyodo and South Korean presidential office)
Politics

Seoul intensifies crackdown on North Korea spy rings

Move reflects lingering feud between South Korea's conservatives and liberals

12 February 2023
Young customers flock to a bakery cafe at a site that was once a small handbag factory. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Retail

'Brooklyn of Seoul' attracts brands chasing the young and hip

Seongsu-dong industrial area emerges as 'MZ Gen' magnet after unaided revival

12 February 2023
Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential office in Seoul on Jan. 10: The South Korean leader has good reasons to proceed cautiously. 
Opinion

U.S. cannot count on South Korea's Yoon to line up against China

Despite tough campaign rhetoric, president wants country to be pivotal state

10 February 2023
Whoo is among the cosmetics brands LG Household sells in China. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)
Consumer

Cosmetics maker LG Household seeks fresh growth in North America

Core Chinese market gives South Korean company cold shoulder

9 February 2023
LG Energy Solution realized huge increases in sales and profit thanks to a surge in orders for batteries. (Photo courtesy of LG Energy Solution)
Electronics

South Korea's 3 battery giants supercharge revenue on order backlog

EV-related sales soar, but SK Innovation widens loss on capacity investment

9 February 2023
Hyundai Card and Apple Pay are poised to shake up South Korea's mobile payment sector. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) 
Finance

Apple Pay set to debut in South Korea with Hyundai Card

Collaboration is likely to challenge local dominance of Samsung Pay

8 February 2023