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North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il smiles as he inspects the Sinam cooperative farm in Ryongchon county in North Korea, in this undated file photo released by Korea News Service in Tokyo on June 8, 2007. Photo: Reuters
North Korea

Declassified 1994 files show how diplomats doubted North Korea’s ‘goofy’ Kim Jong-il

Newly released files show experts from the US and Russia were sceptical he could hold onto power in the wake of his father’s sudden death.

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South Korea

South Korean mayor sparks outrage by blaming female workers for wildfire woes

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North Korea

Is North Korea’s nuclear submarine a game changer or ‘vanity project’?

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Japan

Norovirus cases in Japan hit decade high amid ‘unseasonal’ outbreak

The spread of norovirus nationwide has prompted health warnings about hygiene and food safety.

Pedestrians walk down a shopping area in Japan, which is dealing with a nationwide rise in cases of norovirus. Photo: AFP
Pedestrians walk down a shopping area in Japan, which is dealing with a nationwide rise in cases of norovirus. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Name your ‘wish’: Johor-Singapore special zone dangles more investor perks

Malaysian official reveals more benefits on sidelines of Korea-Asean Business Forum in Seoul, as UOB bank rolls out support for Korean firms eyeing the region.

Japan

Japan braces for heavy blow from US car tariffs as Ishiba weighs response

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tokyo will consider the ‘most effective response’ to US levies on car imports.

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South Korea

‘Phoenix from the ashes’: South Korea opposition chief closer to presidency

A court ruling acquitting Lee Jae-myung of electoral breaches places him as a front runner to succeed embattled incumbent Yoon Suk-yeol.

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South Korea’s opposition chief Lee Jae-myung (centre) inspects a temple devastated by a wildfire in Uiseong on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea’s opposition chief Lee Jae-myung (centre) inspects a temple devastated by a wildfire in Uiseong on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Japan

‘Impossible to keep up’: Japan ‘stunned’ by Trump trade threats, false claims

Analysts fear this disinformation will strain the US-Japan alliance, risking economic uncertainty, especially in the auto sector.

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Japan

Japan police propose ATM curbs for elderly to combat fraud

The plan calls for a daily withdrawal or transfer limit of almost US$2,000 via ATMs for bank accounts belonging to those aged 75 and above.

Japan

Japan’s Kyoto approves higher lodging tax from March 2026 to curb overtourism

The city plans to use the additional revenue from the tax in areas such as improving infrastructure and repairing cultural sites.

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A crowd of tourists walk on a street near the Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

Court overturns South Korean opposition chief’s election law conviction

His supporters celebrated as a legal hurdle was cleared, but a Supreme Court appeal could change everything – and he still faces other cases.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, waves to his supporters as he leaves Seoul High Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, waves to his supporters as he leaves Seoul High Court on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

As South Korea burns, officials suspect human error to blame for wildfires

At least 24 people have died and a 1,300-year-old temple has been destroyed. Investigators say tomb clearing or welding may be the culprit.

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South Korea martial law 2024

South Koreans fear ‘judicial system may fail’ amid delayed verdict on Yoon

Observers warn the East Asian nation could be ‘engulfed’ by unrest if the Constitutional Court reinstates impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol.

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South Korea

From soju to noodles, South Korean food brands are targeted by copycats

If counterfeit products are left unchecked, South Korean food companies could suffer damage to their reputation, analysts say.

A fake version of the Buldak spicy chicken ramen. Photo: Facebook/Seo Kyoung-duk
South Korea

Sinkhole in Seoul claims motorcyclist’s life after he plunges into collapsing road

Subway construction work near the site is under scrutiny as officials probe the cause of the disaster.

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Dashcam footage capturing the moment when a sinkhole suddenly opened up in front of the motorcyclist. Photo: X/@Tedchangsigi
Dashcam footage capturing the moment when a sinkhole suddenly opened up in front of the motorcyclist. Photo: X/@Tedchangsigi
South Korea

Video | Motorcyclist in South Korea dies after plunging into massive sinkhole

The victim’s body was found 17 hours after he fell into the sinkhole.

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Japan

Japan welcomes cherry blossom season but China sands threaten to spoil views

The season began in Tokyo on Monday, while Nagasaki, Kochi and other prefectures have also reported their first sakura blossoms.

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Japan

Court orders dissolution of Unification Church in Japan after Abe killing probe

The man accused of killing former PM Shinzo Abe resented the South Korea-based sect, which had decades of cosy ties to Japan’s ruling party.

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The logo of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is seen at the entrance of the Japanese branch’s headquarters in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
The logo of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is seen at the entrance of the Japanese branch’s headquarters in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Japan

He was wrongly on Japan’s death row for 47 years. His payout? US$83 per day

Former boxer Iwao Hakamada, 89, was exonerated of a 1966 quadruple murder. He received US$1.45 million for his wrongful detention.

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South Korea

Explainer | South Korea’s No 2 leader is back in the top spot. What happens next?

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s reinstatement as acting president is just one front in the East Asian nation’s deepening political turmoil.

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Japan

What happens if Mount Fuji erupts? Japan lays out ‘major disaster’ action plan

An eruption of the iconic mountain could release 10 times the amount of debris generated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

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Cherry blossom trees at Lake Kawaguchiko with Mount Fuji in the background. Photo: Reuters
Japan

‘Two-faced diplomacy’: China pledges peace, then chases Japan’s fishing boat

The incident stirred online anger in Japan, with demands for stronger action against China’s ‘tyrannical violations of international law’.

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A Japanese fishing boat returns to port in Yonaguni, a tiny island on Japan’s western frontier near the Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AP
A Japanese fishing boat returns to port in Yonaguni, a tiny island on Japan’s western frontier near the Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AP
Hyundai

Hyundai announces new US$21 billion investment in US manufacturing

Plan includes US$5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana which will create 1,300 jobs, said Hyundai executive chairman Euisun Chung on Monday.

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South Korea

South Korean man jailed for rape after washing machine’s reflection captures assault

Forensic scientists were able to enhance video of the reflection enough that the man confessed to his crime upon seeing it.

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North Korea

Did negative online reviews prompt North Korea to stop foreign tours?

The measure for visits to the Rason special economic zone comes as North Korea aims to boost its tourism revenue.

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A tourist group visits Sahyangsan in Rason, North Korea. Photo: AP
Open Questions series

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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29
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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4
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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