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South Korea

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South Korea
South Korea
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
Lee Jae-myung
Lee Jae Myung
Head of Government
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok
Containers at the Manila North Harbour Port in Manila, Philippines. Development of the Luzon Economic Corridor will involve eight more countries. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Western powers ramp up support for Philippines’ Luzon economic hub

Eight more countries will invest in the project as they accelerate regional trade diversification in sectors ranging from AI to energy.

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China-Latin America relations

China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exporters

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Crime in Hong Kong

Truck driver arrested after accident leaves 1 highway worker dead, 5 others hurt

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Macroscope | Trump-Xi summit puts US vulnerabilities on display

China weaponising rare earths turned the tables on Trump, showing how unprepared Western governments and firms were for a full trade war.

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Children greet Chinese President Xi Jinping (second right) and US President Donald Trump during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Reuters
Technology

Samsung union’s strike threat fuels fears of South Korea’s economic slowdown

The AI boom and SK Hynix’s profit-sharing arrangement with its workers have reportedly galvanised Samsung’s biggest union to take action.

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong parks as gyms, vegetarian omakase: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a Hong Kong coach turning parks into gyms to vegetarian omakase in Vancouver, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

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China stock market

AI | Chinese chip ETFs pause trading as they warn of soaring premium risks

With two funds trading at least 30 per cent above net asset values, the large premiums would trigger sell-offs when sentiment turns.

People cross the street beneath a large screen showing the latest stock exchange data in Shanghai. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ row stoked by statues abroad

The removal of wartime sex slave memorials in Germany and New Zealand has electrified certain LDP hardliners, risking a diplomatic rift.

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Semiconductors

Chinese memory module makers ramp up production with new CXMT DRAM

Founded in 2016, CXMT is widely regarded as China’s only domestic DRAM maker to have achieved mass production.

Diplomacy

Opinion | North Korea is not Iran. The same pressure tactics won’t work

North Korea’s nuclear reality and the overlapping interests of the US, China and Russia make tension reduction a prerequisite.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong transport

HK Express cuts surcharge by 12.8% as fuel prices ease amid Mideast war

Adjustment follows similar moves by Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines, which have both announced reductions in fuel surcharges.

Hong Kong Express counters at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Eugene Lee
War and conflict

‘Like whale bones’: South Korea’s war memorial sparks conflict over symbolism

Critics argue the Korean war memorial should not be in a space in Seoul long associated with pro-democracy protests and its imperial past.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Leaving so soon? US, China hold briefest trade talks yet before leaders’ summit

The two delegations met in Seoul’s Incheon Airport, spoke for a few hours and skipped the press conferences typically held after earlier sessions.

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Extreme weather

South Korea adds ‘extreme heat emergency’ to first major alert update in decades

Over the past five years, the average number of heatwave days and tropical nights has surged nearly threefold compared to the 1970s.

Children play in a fountain at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul on April 26. Photo: Yonhap/EPA
China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

Ahead of Trump’s China visit, experts at an RCEP forum discuss a supply-chain overhaul, looking to insulate the world’s biggest trading bloc.

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Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development, speaks at an RCEP forum in Hainan on Saturday. Photo: Handout
Defence

South Korea signals ‘phased’ support for US-led Hormuz mission after ship attack

Defence Minister Ahn said the support could include political backing, personnel dispatches and sharing of information and military assets.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

China and US teams race to find easy summit deliverables at meeting in Seoul

The two sides will seek to ‘iron out any last-minute issues’ in single day of talks, economist says.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

China-US trade talks kick off in Seoul ahead of high-profile leaders’ summit

Trade deals, export controls on critical minerals and the Iran war likely to be talking points as senior officials sit down for negotiations.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives at Incheon International Airport in Seoul on Wednesday, ahead of a scheduled meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and trade talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US confirms delegation to Apec meeting in China as Trump sets off for Beijing

US representatives to attend Apec trade and investment meetings in Shanghai and Suzhou this month as key Trump-Xi summit looms.

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China-EU relations

In a bind over rare earths, Europe watches US-China tussle from the sidelines

As Xi Jinping and Donald Trump prepare to meet in Beijing, one European diplomat says the bloc is aware ‘we have little leverage here’.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

How The King’s Warden sold 16 million tickets and saved the Korean box office

Producer Lim Eun-jung, director Jang Hang-jun and actor Yoo Hae-jin explain why the historical drama struck a chord with Korean audiences.

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Yoo Hae-jin in a still from The King’s Warden, which has revitalised a sluggish Korean film industry.
China stock market

Emerging markets rebound on inflows as Xi-Trump talks eyed for momentum

Mainland China, Hong Kong stock markets may benefit from Xi-Trump meeting as renewed interest in AI shows investors keen to re-engage, analysts say.

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People walk beneath a large screen showing stock exchange and economic data in Shanghai. Asia-Pacific markets have seen gains in recent months as geopolitical panic over the Iran war dissipates. Photo: EPA
SCMP Highlights

Philippine pageant debate, Chinese stealth jets in Pakistan: 7 Asia highlights

From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

US, Israel war on Iran

South Korea cautious on blaming Iran for ship strike ahead of US-China summit

Seoul has footage of the May 4 attack on the HMM Namu but analysts say it is biding its time, hoping ‘the dust will settle’.

Viral stories

‘Are you still hiring?’: K-pop king G-Dragon gifts flats to staff, sparks online buzz

Known for his exceptional loyalty, the pop icon has developed a strong bond with his long-term team.

K-pop superstar G-Dragon’s investment in gifting flats to long-serving staff has caused an online buzz, with many netizens asking to work for him. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/IG@xxxibgdrgn
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump taps Musk, Cook and other leaders for high-stakes China trade mission

Business delegation spanning tech, aviation and finance joins Beijing trip as trade, investment and supply chains top agenda.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and expected to join a delegation of US business leaders travelling with President Donald Trump to China this week. Photo: Getty Images
China shipbuilding

The US tried to rein in China’s shipyards. Now, they are even more dominant

China’s shipyards secured a staggering 85 per cent of global orders in the first quarter, as demand for oil tankers surges amid the Iran war.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

US-China negotiations seek a quick Seoul search for deals ahead of Trump’s visit

Setting stage for presidential summit with Xi in Beijing, Bessent and He to meet in South Korea, and the ‘3 Bs’ could be on the cards.

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