Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech during a memorial in Tokyo on Aug. 15. marking the 75th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
Japan-South Korea rift

Abe pledges never to repeat tragedy of war at anniversary ceremony

South Korea's Moon says 'ready' for talks with Japan over wartime labor issues

15 August 2020
Japan's fractious relationship with South Korea has taken a clear turn for the worse over the past five years. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan-South Korea clash over war legacy eclipses shared interests

Analysts say only top-level dialogue will enable the two neighbors to move on

14 August 2020
Passengers have their documents checked before boarding flights at a Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta amid the coronavirus outbreak. 
International relations

Indonesia, South Korea reopen borders for business from Monday

Deal is Jakarta's first in Asia as talks continue with China, Singapore, and Australia

13 August 2020
South Korean police officers stand guard in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul.
Politics

South Korea revamps notorious spy agency for reconciliation

Police to track North's espionage as domestic intelligence operations end

12 August 2020
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 21st National Assembly, in Seoul on July 16.
Politics

Moon's support rate plummets as house prices keep soaring

South Korean leader has yet to cool market, while aides accused of speculation

11 August 2020
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern listens during a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Auckland in December 2018. 
Opinion

New Zealand says South Korean diplomat row separate from WTO chief pick

Country's ambassador to South Korea responds to Nikkei Asian Review article

8 August 2020
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak after a summit in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2018.
International relations

Diplomat sex scandal in New Zealand imperils South Korean WTO bid

Ardern has asked Moon to send suspect back to Wellington to face charges

6 August 2020
Nippon Steel says the wartime labor issue has already been resolved by the Japanese and the South Korean governments.
Japan-South Korea rift

Nippon Steel to immediately appeal South Korea's asset seizure

Ruling allows for confiscation of stocks to compensate for wartime labor

4 August 2020
From left, South Korean President Moon Jae-In, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a Group of 20 leaders' summit. The rift between Tokyo and Seoul is a headache for Washington.
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan-South Korea labor row muddles US plans on China

Tokyo weighs recalling ambassador if Nippon Steel asset sales proceed

4 August 2020
The WTO's Appellate Body is currently in limbo, with not enough members to issue final decisions on trade disputes.
30 July 2020
A statue of a man bowing in front of a figure depicting a wartime comfort woman victim is seen at the Korea Botanic Garden in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The operator of the park says the statue is not necessarily meant to depict Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan-South Korea rift

South Korea park cancels ceremony for statue resembling Abe

Head of botanical gardens says bilateral dispute led to scrapping of event

29 July 2020
A statue of a girl symbolizing wartime "comfort women" with another one of a man kneeling before it is shown on the grounds of the Korea Botanic Garden in Pyeongchang. (Photo courtesy of the Korea Botanic Garden/Jiji)
Japan-South Korea rift

Japan says South Korea kneeling statue 'unacceptable' if it's Abe

Top spokesman says move will have 'decisive effect' on ties

28 July 2020
South Korea's former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon is known to be knowledgable on Japan. 
Politics

South Korea's presidential favorite seeks crushing win in party poll

Former prime minister and Japan hand Lee Nak-yon faces a tough political battle

24 July 2020
Homeowners and buyers in Seoul are angry at South Korean President Moon Jae-in's attempts to fix the city's housing crisis.
Economy

Moon's bid to tame Seoul property prices backfires

Approval dives on boiling anger over officials' home ownership double standards

22 July 2020
Hong Kang-cheol, who arrived in South Korea in 2013, warns that Kim Jong Un's "god" status in North Korea means citizens see criticism of the leader as an attack on their beliefs. (Photo by Steven Borowiec)
Interview

North Korean defector takes contrarian stance against bashing Kim

Hong Kang-cheol's message resonates as Seoul scraps permits of anti-North groups

17 July 2020
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung speaks in a May 15 interview.
Politics

Korea's Trump: Acquitted governor presses ahead in post-Moon race

Lee Jae-myung exonerated of lying about putting brother in mental hospital

17 July 2020
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday the "K-New Deal" will be the starting point for the country to lead the post-coronavirus world.
Economy

K-New Deal: South Korea to invest $133bn in digital, green sectors

President Moon Jae-in aims to create 1.9 million jobs by 2025

14 July 2020
Police officers carry the body of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, which was found during a search operation in Seoul on Friday. 
Politics

Seoul mayor death deals blow to South Korea's embattled ruling party

Park is third Democratic Party member to be hit by sex scandal in two years

11 July 2020
Seoul is trying to expand homegrown supply of high-tech materials as Japan continues to limit exports of chipmaking materials bound for South Korea.
Japan-South Korea rift

A year on, Moon presses ahead with made-in-Korea drive

Seoul expands support for local production of high-tech materials

10 July 2020
Narita Airport near Tokyo and other Japanese flight hubs aim to nearly double coronavirus testing capacity by August. (Photo by Yo Inoue)
International relations

Japan looks to reopen business travel with 10 more Asian economies

China, South Korea and Singapore among candidates for new air bridges

9 July 2020
Since Chinese tourists contribute about A$12 billion to Australia's  economy each year, Beijing wants Canberra to pay a price for biting the hand that feeds it.
Opinion

China's economic bullying will never work

Beijing has threatened Australia, Japan and others with tariffs and tourism cuts

8 July 2020
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, right, greets South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young during a meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Wednesday.
N Korea at crossroads

US envoy urges North Korea to appoint counterpart for talks

Stephen Biegun says Trump supports efforts for peace on Korean Peninsula

8 July 2020
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon leads opinion polls of likely successors to President Moon Jae-in. (Photo by Yosuke Onchi)
Politics

South Korean ex-PM's bid for party post offers path to presidency

Lee Nak-yon, seen as possible successor to Moon, runs for chairman of Democrats

8 July 2020
After blowing up a joint liaison office with Seoul on June 16, Pyongyang then directed profanity at the South Korean president. (Source photos by Reuters)
N Korea at crossroads

Kim Jong Un's fury stems from his blaming Moon for Hanoi debacle

Lacking bargaining chips with US, North Korea turns aggressive toward South

5 July 2020
An Air France A380 plane sits on the tarmac at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The country now accepts travelers from Japan without a 14-day self-quarantine requirement.
International relations

France and Italy remove travel restrictions on Japan

Germany says acceptance hinges on reciprocal action by Tokyo

5 July 2020