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Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on South Korea, covering politics, economy, society, K-pop and Seoul’s relationships with North Korea, Japan, China and the United States.
Capital
Seoul
Head of State
President Yoon Suk-yeol
Yoon Suk-yeol
Head of Government
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, have long been accused of using shamans for political reasons. Photo: EPA-EFE
Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korean shamans slam Yoon over his ‘sacrilegious’ abuse of their practice

Their criticisms follow the arrest of Jeon Seong-bae, a spiritual adviser linked to Yoon, as part of a corruption probe.

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Korean peninsula

South Korea’s sinkhole cases spark fears over safety of underground malls

North Korea

As the Pyongyang marathon returns, North Korea’s tourism remains frozen

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K-pop idols

‘Not an easy path’: K-pop’s Bain breaks taboos as ‘first’ openly gay idol

South Korea remains deeply divided over LGBTQ acceptance, with 50 per cent opposing same-sex marriage, according to a survey last year.

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Bain at the concert in Los Angeles where he came out as gay. Photo: Bluedot Entertainment
Sex and relationships

Opinion | ‘Think of your husband as a dog.’ A Korean monk’s wise marriage tip

Your husband ignores your complaint? Does a dog answer your questions? Zen Buddhist asks. He’s calling for us to manage our expectations.

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Korean peninsula

Korean bunker cafe near North-South border serves message of peace

At Daonsoop cafe in South Korea, patrons sip coffee with views of the North 2km away. Reunification-themed art hangs in its mandatory bunker.

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US-China relations

My Take | Forget Mao, Clausewitz is a better guide to the real US-Chinese trade war

Trade wars, like real wars, are an implicit bargaining tool before the start of formal negotiations.

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Street art by Berlin-based Eme Freethinker depicting the US-China fight over tariffs. Photo: EPA
United States

Macroscope | Trump’s tariffs are waking Asia up from the dream of export-led growth

Asian economies responded to Western exhortations to pursue export-led growth. The resulting ‘economic miracle’ now looks like a mistake.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

Netflix effect seen in Korean films’ absence from Cannes festival

This year’s official selection for the Cannes Film Festival has no Korean movies. Streaming platforms have lured talent away, observers say.

Yoon Suk-yeol

‘I stopped caring’: South Koreans frustrated with constant leadership churn

The country faces a leadership vacuum as Education Minister Lee Ju-ho becomes acting president, sparking public unease.

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Lawmakers of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea stage a rally in front of the Supreme Court in Seoul on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

Video | South Korean acting president announces bid for office

The Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of Lee Jae-myung which could dent the front runner’s support

South Korean acting president announces bid for office after Supreme Court overturns front runner’s
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Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korea presidential race heats up with Han’s entry, Lee’s retrial

Han Duck-soo joining the race to become the country’s next leader complicates the contest, and coincides with a retrial for rival Lee Jae-myung.

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Food and Drinks

On the Menu | How perilla seed oil, ‘Korea’s olive oil’, could become a global trend

Perilla oil, made from the seeds of the perilla or shiso plant, is a must-have in your pantry. Try it in noodles or over vanilla ice cream.

Beauty

Seoul’s plastic surgery clinics see surge in foreign medical tourists

Influenced by K-pop and social media, Chinese and Indonesians join Japanese, Americans, Russians seeking facelifts, skin tightening in Korea.

A rhinoplasty patient has a consultation with a surgeon in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Reuters
Yoon Suk-yeol

Front-runner Lee’s path to presidency hit by South Korea’s top court ruling

The ruling could sway moderate voters even if Lee stays on the ballot, experts say.

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South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung attends a ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on April 30. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap
Food and Drinks

Chefs share their passion for Korean ingredients, show how to use them

A tour of a Seoul market reveals a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs. Korean chefs demonstrate their uses in fusion and homestyle fare.

US-China trade war

Japan lawmakers warn US tariffs threaten security as China looms

Donald Trump’s policy called a national security challenge as trade negotiations continue between Tokyo and Washington.

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Books and literature

A peek inside Nobel Prize winner Han Kang’s new book, Light and Thread

Consisting of 12 essays and poems, Light and Thread is Han’s first book since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2024.

Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2024, is the author of a number of acclaimed books including The Vegetarian, Human Acts and We Do Not Part. Photo: AFP
Crime

Quick-thinking South Korean police rescue woman after silent 112 call for help

The wordless phone call received a rapid police response thanks to Senior Patrol Officer Kim Hye-jin’s instincts and training.

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Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korea conducts historic raid on ex-president Yoon’s home

Yoon Suk-yeol’s home was raided amid influence peddling allegations involving his wife and close aides.

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North Korea

North Korea test-fires missiles from its first-ever destroyer

The 5,000-tonne warship was launched off the country’s west coast last week. Experts say it was likely built with Russian help.

North Korea’s first destroyer, the Choe Hyon, conducts a test firing of its weapon systems at an undisclosed location on Monday. Photo: KCNA/EPA-EFE
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Mainland China to host first K-pop concert since ‘K-wave ban’ began in 2016

Epex’s concert in Fuzhou on May 31 is raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in mainland China.

Eight-member K-pop boy band Epex debuted on June 8, 2021 with the EP Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety. Photo: C9 Entertainment
Aviation

Air Busan passenger detained by Chinese police after latest emergency door scare

South Korean airlines have been urged to enhance their security measures following a spate of mid-flight incidents.

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Crime

Student in South Korea injures 7 during stabbing rampage at Cheongju high school

Police are investigating the motive behind the shocking attack that injured educators, staff and a parent.

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North Korea

Casualties and a Kremlin call: North Korea’s Ukraine war admission unpacked

Until recently, neither Moscow nor Pyongyang had admitted to North Korea’s involvement in the conflict.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attend a Gala concert in Pyongyang in June 2024. Photo: TNS
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

What Just B’s Bain coming out as gay shows about Korea’s progress on LGBTQ

With Bain the first active member of a K-pop boy group to publicly come out as gay, is Korean society beginning to shift towards acceptance?

Bain of Just B attends the release showcase event for the K-pop boy group’s first single album, Just Beat, at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul, South Korea, on October 27, 2021. Photo: Imazins via Getty Images
E-commerce

Labubu mania takes China’s Pop Mart to top of US App Store charts

Before the recent surge in interest in Chinese e-commerce platforms, Pop Mart’s business was already booming.

Diplomacy

Opinion | As Trump rides roughshod over trade, China is ready to pick up the pieces

China’s message of stable cooperation is resonating as Trump accelerates the birth of a post-US world with rising powers independent of US whims.

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