Politics

A man looks at posters of presidential candidates on a street in Seoul on March 3: The winner will face problems ranging from U.S.-China tensions to soaring inflation.
South Korea election

South Koreans cast ballots in presidential election

Two outsiders, leftist Lee and conservative Yoon, lead field of 10 candidates

9 March 2022
Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential election candidate of main opposition People Power Party, pictured in Seoul on Mar. 1: Yoon appealed directly to young male voters.
Opinion

Can South Korea move beyond gender war politics?

The current presidential election campaign weaponized feminism

9 March 2022
Yoon Suk-yeol, center, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, poses with supporters during a presidential election campaign in Seoul on Feb. 15.
South Korea election

Gender politics: South Korea's presidential wedge issue

Conservative candidate Yoon woos angry young men while opponent remains vague

8 March 2022
The legacy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's nearly five years in power will go a long way to decide whether liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung or conservative Yoon Suk-yeol will win Wednesday's vote. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
South Korea election

South Korea's election set to be judgment on Moon's mixed record

Voters unhappy with rising cost of living and sluggish economy

8 March 2022
An affiliate of Cerberus, a U.S. fund, is about to get a 50-year lease on the 300-hectare shipyard at Subic Bay, the former U.S. naval base turned economic zone. (Photo courtesy of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)
Business deals

Cerberus to take over Subic Bay shipyard near South China Sea

US fund nears deal on strategic Philippine facility that stirred China interest

7 March 2022
Ukrainians protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside the Russian Embassy in Seoul on Feb. 28.
Comment

South Korea presidential hopefuls spar over Ukraine as poll nears

Main contenders criticize each other's phrasing while offering little relief

5 March 2022
U.S. trade restrictions covering products made with American technology could create pitfalls for Asian companies. (Source photo by AP and Ken Kobayashi)
Ukraine war

From Samsung to Sony, Asia tech grapples with Russia sanctions

Complying with U.S. clampdown now could invite China repercussions later

4 March 2022
Neither Lee Jae-myung of the governing Democratic Party, left, and Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party have offered solutions to prevent power abuses by South Korea's chaebol. (Source photos by AP, Reuters and Getty Images) 
South Korea election

South Korea's presidential hopefuls let chaebol off the hook

Front-runners have no plans to stop power abuse by the likes of Samsung and Hyundai

4 March 2022
 South Korean presidential candidates Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, left, and Ahn Cheol-soo of the opposition People's Party, are teaming up ahead of next Wednesday's election. 
South Korea election

Yoon teams up with Ahn to grab pole in Korean presidential race

With less than a week to go, partnership deals blow to ruling party's Lee

3 March 2022
America's long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber B-52H Stratofortress seen here in Nevada. South Korea's presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo questioned the effectiveness of U.S.-based weapons to deter nuclear threats from North Korea. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)
Ukraine war

From Manila to Tokyo, defense debate heats up amid Ukraine war

Call for nuclear-sharing emerges as countries revisit deterrence measures

1 March 2022
South Korean presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung, left, of the Democratic Party, and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party engage in a debate in mid-February.
South Korea election

Ukraine war creates pitfalls for South Korea presidential hopefuls

Ruling party's Lee backtracks on Zelenskyy blame; opposition tie-up talks collapse

28 February 2022
Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party, left, trails Yoon Suk Yeol of the main opposition People Power Party in opinion polls, but big data suggests he is catching up. (Source photos by Reuters and Kyodo) 
Comment

Big data on South Korea race shows Lee piques more voter interest

Opposition candidate Yoon leads in polls but increasingly trails on social media

23 February 2022
The two main presidential candidates -- Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, left, and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party -- are pledging to run the economy in a way that facilitates innovation while providing a safety net.
Asia Insight

Innovate or die: Korea Inc. faces harsh choice as election looms

Nation's next president tasked with reshaping export-oriented economy

22 February 2022
A view of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Japan's benchmark index closed lower on Feb. 21 as investors worried about the situation surrounding Ukraine.
Markets

Nikkei index closes down over fears Russia may invade Ukraine

Japanese benchmark recovers some losses as efforts ramp up to prevent conflict

21 February 2022
An Iranian flag waves at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
International relations

Prospect of revived Iran nuclear deal spurs diplomatic push

U.K. debt and assets in South Korea spotlighted with possible easing of sanctions

19 February 2022
The two main contenders in the South Korean presidential race kick off their official campaigns in the early hours of Tuesday. Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party speaks in Busan, left, and Yoon Suk-yeol, of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks in Seoul. (Source photos by Kyodo and AP) 
South Korea election

South Korea election kicks off as candidates make symbolic pitches

Ruling party's Lee goes to Busan port; PPP's Yoon visits Seoul National Cemetery

15 February 2022
Moon Jae-in exchanges gifts with Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican in October 2021: Moon believes a papal visit would be too good an opportunity for North Korea to pass up. (Handout photo from Vatican Media)
Opinion

Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea

Moon Jae-in's overtures are a symptom of a broader policy problem

14 February 2022
Philip Goldberg has served since 2019 as ambassador to Colombia and previously as charge d'affaires in Cuba. 
International relations

Biden picks former sanctions enforcer as ambassador to South Korea

Philip Goldberg has worked as coordinator of U.N. sanctions on North Korea

12 February 2022
Former medical doctor and entrepreneur Ahn Cheol-soo holds the balance of power in a tight presidential election.
South Korea election

Third candidate holds key to tight South Korean presidential race

Ahn Cheol-soo vows to reach finish line, but open to alliance with conservatives

11 February 2022
A performer, second from right, is clad in a traditional Korean hanbok during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 4. (Yonhap via AP)
Beijing Winter Olympics

Korean traditional dress at Beijing Olympics sparks outcry

Anti-Chinese sentiment stoked amid accusations of cultural appropriation

9 February 2022
Song Young-gil, the leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, has announced a number of decisions aimed at curbing criticism from younger generations.
South Korea election

South Korea ruling party offers humility before presidential vote

Voters have grown disillusioned with Democratic Party's double moral standards

7 February 2022
Workers in a semiconductor factory in South Korea, where chips are considered a pillar of the economy and accounted for about 20% of total exports in 2021.
Semiconductors

South Korea to track travel by chip engineers as tech leaks grow

New defenses against Chinese headhunting also cover batteries, OLEDs and more

5 February 2022
Single-person households are on the increase worldwide. In China, the number of solitary adults was expected to approach 100 million in 2021, up 30% from 2018.
Politics

Brave new world in which fewer people lead richer, lonelier lives

Policies must evolve if technology and digitalization are to sustain prosperity

5 February 2022
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has snagged the equivalent of a third of its orders from last year in just over a month in 2022. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Energy

Russia tensions spur LNG tanker orders for Korean shipbuilders

Demand soars to rarely seen high as Europe seeks alternate sources

4 February 2022
Japan and South Korea are at odds over Tokyo's nomination of former gold mines as a World Heritage site. (Nikkei montage)
International relations

Japan, South Korea spar over Sado gold mines' World Heritage bid

Seoul says Tokyo's move ignores historical link to wartime labor

4 February 2022