China's top diplomat meets visiting N.K. party secretary
BEIJING/SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday m...
· Song Sang-ho
Follow the story
Asia
A focused view of neutral reporting on Asia, brought together across publishers.
Explore all topics →
Neutral reports only
Newest first · UTC+11:00
NBA legend Yao Ming leads rugby session with Hong Kong primary students to build confidence | South China Morning Post
The former Houston Rockets star was joined by Olympic gymnast champion Li Xiaopeng and table tennis legend Deng Yaping.
South Korea plans to expand anti-piracy operations closer to Hormuz Strait
Seoul proposes extending its Cheonghae unit’s patrols to waters near Oman’s Duqm amid US pressure over Iran war.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Korea seeks another delay to crypto tax until 2029
South Korea plans to push back cryptocurrency income taxation by another two years to 2029, the government said Thursday, responding to calls for more time to prepare time and proposing to let investors carry losses forward for up to three years. Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hyeong-il said the government would w…
· Choi Ji-won
(LEAD) Foreign ministry fails to take steps even after learning of job scam crimes in Cambodia: audit agency
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry failed to raise the travel alert ...
· Oh Seok-min
China says trade barriers block tech imports, fueling its surplus
As US midterms raise policy questions, Beijing defends own trade practices at import fair
· WATARU SUZUKI
North Korea digs in for US stand-off as Democratic midterm wins dim summit hopes
North Korea is bracing for a prolonged confrontation with the United States, analysts say, after sweeping Democratic gains in the US midterm elections diminished the likelihood of renewed diplomacy between Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump. As Americans cast their ballots on Tuesday, Pyongyang test-fired a new …
· Park Chan-kyong
(LEAD) S. Korea to seek 2-year delay in tax on cryptocurrency gains
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will seek to delay a planned tax on crypto...
· Kang Yoon-seung
(LEAD) S. Korea joins as co-sponsor of U.N. resolution on N. Korean human rights
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to co-sponsor this year's U.N....
· Oh Seok-min
South Korea investigates 580 finance firms over data leaks, issues warning
South Korea is investigating hundreds of financial institutions after more than 470,000 data records were leaked from 37 firms over the past month, according to the country’s financial regulator. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) revealed the scale of the breaches on Thursday as authorities vowed to strengthen…
· Jim Au Yeung
S. Korea to seek 2-year delay in tax on cryptocurrency gains
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will seek to delay a planned tax on crypto...
· Kang Yoon-seung
‘China-squeeze narrative’ on trade surplus belies reality, top official says
Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang pushed back against criticism of the country’s widening trade surplus while pledging to expand imports, as China faces growing international pressure to address global trade imbalances. Addressing the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on Thu…
· Sylvia Ma
Shin Sug-ok is always ready for a fight
Lately, Shin Sug-ok has found herself to be something of a social media star in Korea. In the short clip that has now drawn over 10 million views, a right-wing pundit on a late-’90s Japanese talk show argues that the “comfort women,” the women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, …
· Moon Ki-hoon
DP pushes for probe into prosecutors who targeted Lee, Moon
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is stepping up its push for a new special counsel probe into prosecutors' alleged power abuse concerning cases of President Lee Jae Myung and former President Moon Jae-in. The ruling party submitted the bill for a vote Thursday despite conservative opposition and will likely push…
· Son Ji-hyoung
What the Democratic midterms sweep changes for U.S.-China relations
Analysts note the growing risks around U.S. President Donald Trump's ability to maintain a fragile trade truce.
· Evelyn Cheng
(LEAD) No talks yet on sanctions over N. Korea's alleged Binance theft: unification ministry official
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- The government has not begun discussing sanctions on N...
· Oh Seok-min
Ex-Politburo member Ma Xingrui’s corruption charges extend to end of last century
Former Politburo member and Xinjiang Communist Party chief Ma Xingrui has been indicted on bribery charges dating back to the late 1990s, Chinese state media reported on Thursday. As one of the 24 members of one of the party’s innermost circles, the 67-year-old Ma is among the most senior Chinese officials investiga…
· Albee Zhang
S. Korea joins as co-sponsor of UN resolution on N. Korean human rights
South Korea has decided to co-sponsor this year's UN General Assembly resolution on North Korean human rights, which calls for an end to human rights violations in the reclusive country while stressing the importance of dialogue with Pyongyang, the foreign ministry said Thursday. The resolution, proposed by the Euro…
· Yonhap
[Exclusive] S. Korea scales back Aegis patrols in East Sea, raising concerns over North Korean missile analysis
South Korea suspended the continuous deployment of Aegis destroyers in the East Sea in September last year, raising concerns that the decision could limit the military's ability to gather detailed flight data on North Korean missiles as Pyongyang continues to test an increasingly diverse range of weapons. The milita…
· Hwang Joo-young
(News Focus) S. Korea signals Hormuz role with demining assets for anti-piracy unit
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's plan to deploy mine-clearing assets and ...
· Kim Seung-yeon
N. Korea signals openess to dialogue if talks serve its interests: unification minister
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is signaling that it is open to dialogue w...
· Song Sang-ho
BOK chief to attend BIS governors' meeting in Switzerland
Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Shin Hyun-song will depart for the Swiss city of Basel this week to attend meetings with central bank governors from member nations of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), his office said Thursday. During his six-day visit starting Friday, Shin is scheduled to join fellow central ba…
· Yonhap
Multicultural marriages in S. Korea edge down in 2025
The number of multicultural marriages in South Korea edged down in 2025 from a year earlier, data showed Thursday, taking up 8.9 percent of all marriages. The country recorded 21,399 multicultural marriages last year, down 0.2 percent, or 51, from 21,450 in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Stati…
· Yonhap
Weakened at home, ambitious abroad: Could Trump revive diplomacy with Kim Jong-un?
The heavy Republican defeat in the midterm elections could prompt opposing reactions from US President Donald Trump and North Korea, fanning eagerness from the former and reluctance in the latter to seek a breakthrough in top-level diplomacy, experts say. With Democrats having wrested control of both chambers of the…
· Jung Min-kyung
Korean traditional paper moves closer to UNESCO heritage recognition
South Korea's centuries-old papermaking tradition, known as hanji, is closer to UNESCO recognition after an evaluation body recommended its inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Thursday. The recommendation covers "Traditional knowledge and skills associated with t…
· Hwang Dong-hee
One Taekwondo, two Koreas: The irony of a heritage divided by politics
South Korea's efforts to secure a UNESCO inscription of taekwondo with North Korea appear to have effectively stalled, as Pyongyang moves closer to having the traditional martial art recognized under its name alone. North Korea is expected to have taekwondo inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list thi…
· Hwang Dong-hee
Ex-armed police chief Wang Ning ousted from China’s top advisory body
A former commander of China’s paramilitary force has been stripped of his senior political advisory roles, becoming the third consecutive head of the People’s Armed Police to fall from grace over the past 15 years. General Wang Ning, 71, was formally removed as a standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Pol…
· William Zheng
Korea prepares to host half a million young pilgrims in Seoul for World Youth Day
South Korea is preparing to welcome half a million young Catholics from around the world for World Youth Day Seoul 2027, a landmark gathering that will bring the global Catholic community to a non-Christian-majority country for the event for the first time, along with an expected visit by the pope. The organizing co…
· Park Ga-young
No talks yet on sanctions over N. Korea's alleged Binance theft
The government has not begun discussing sanctions on North Korea over its alleged theft of a massive amount of cryptocurrency, a unification ministry official said Thursday. "As of now, the government has not fully grasped the exact circumstances of the hacking case, so a discussion on how to respond to it has not e…
· Yonhap
S. Korea joins as co-sponsor of U.N. resolution on N. Korean human rights
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to co-sponsor this year's U.N....
· Oh Seok-min
Financial policymakers to monitor US AI, trade policies following election
South Korea's key financial policymakers on Thursday vowed to closely monitor potential changes in US policies on artificial intelligence (AI) and trade and their implications for the South Korean economy. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il discussed the issues with Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Shin Hyun-song, Financial Ser…
· Yonhap
Lee calls for crackdown on smart glasses cheating ahead of college entrance exam
President Lee Jae Myung has called for tougher measures to prevent cheating with smart glasses and other advanced electronic devices ahead of South Korea's annual college entrance exam. Lee stressed the need to ensure a fair testing environment for students preparing for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test, or …
· Ji Da-gyum
Basic pension recipients with multiple citizenships more than double
The number of recipients of South Korea’s basic pension who also hold foreign citizenship more than doubled in four years, topping 8,000 in 2025, according to a National Assembly Budget Office report. The budget office warned that gaps in verifying overseas income and assets could lead to unequal treatment. Under a …
· Lee Seung-ku
Posco, Korea University cut voltage loss in next-gen battery cathodes
Posco Holdings and Korea University have developed a new manufacturing method that could improve the performance and lifespan of next-generation lithium-ion batteries by adjusting heat-treatment temperatures without changing the materials' chemical composition. The research, conducted by a team led by Korea Universi…
· Byun Hye-jin
Financial policymakers to monitor U.S. AI, trade policies following election
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's key financial policymakers on Thursday v...
· Kang Yoon-seung
Merck bets on Asia growth with $338m Korea investment
German science and technology giant Merck is betting big on Korea as a manufacturing hub for Asia's booming biopharmaceutical industry, investing 300 million euros ($338 million) in a new production center in Daejeon. The facility, Merck's largest life science investment in Asia-Pacific to date, is central to its "i…
· Kan Hyeong-woo
Russia, China may be more aggressive if they feel Trump is on "his way out": Brookings
Russia and China may be more aggressive if they feel that U.S. President Donald Trump is on "his way out" after the Democratic Party flipped the midterms.
· Lim Hui Jie
No talks yet on sanctions over N. Korea's alleged Binance theft: unification ministry official
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- The government has not begun discussing sanctions on N...
· Woo Jae-yeon
K-water promotes Korean water tech at Asia Water Council
Korea Water Resources Corporation, also known as K-water, is stepping up efforts to bring Korean water management technologies to overseas markets as the Asia Water Council, which it chairs, marks its 10th anniversary. The state-run utility said Thursday that it is holding a series of council meetings in Bangkok, Th…
· Lim Ye-jin
Seoul moves to expand Cheonghae Unit mission despite fears of being drawn into Iran war
South Korea announced Thursday plans to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae naval unit to include waters near the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns that Seoul could become entangled in the US-Iran war. The Defense Ministry insisted the move would not constitute involvement in the conflict. A revised motion…
· Hwang Joo-young
Toyota raises profit forecast as strong hybrid sales defy China slump
Auto giant's sales diversification eases impact of sluggish China market
· RYOHTAROH SATOH
Foreign ministry looking to contractor over presidential personal info leak
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is investigating whether an outside cybersecurity contractor may have been behind the leak of a presidential delegation passenger list, as additional files believed to be ministry documents were found uploaded to the same overseas malware-scanning platform. The ministry said Thursday i…
· Choi He-suk
UK found to be ‘dangerously’ reliant on China for critical minerals needed for defence and AI
Delivering net zero also at risk, say MPs as they call for centralised policy and funding for mines and diversification The UK is “dangerously” dependent on China for critical raw materials needed for the military, renewable energy infrastructure and AI, a parliamentary investigation has found.MPs on the business se…
· Lisaocarroll
Foreign ministry fails to take steps even after learning of job scam crimes in Cambodia: audit agency
The foreign ministry failed to raise the travel alert for Cambodia or take other necessary measures in a timely manner, even though it had been aware that job scams targeting South Koreans were worsening in the Southeast Asian nation, the state audit agency said Thursday. Such crimes sparked public outrage last year…
· Yonhap
Soldiers on the runway? South Korean Army event sparks backlash
Soldiers in South Korea's elite special forces are expected to master combat tactics and high-risk missions. But in one unit, they found themselves practicing an unlikely skill: how to walk and pose like fashion models. The Republic of Korea Army's 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade has recently come under fire for…
· Choi Jae-hee
China’s amphibious surge confronts a Taiwan invasion’s hard math
China’s sudden surge in amphibious warship construction has thrust a foundational military question to the forefront: can sheer industrial mass and converted civilian shipping overcome the lethal tactical choke points of a cross-strait invasion? The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China is significantl…
· Gabriel Honrada
Asian stock markets drop as Democratic win stokes fears over AI scrutiny
US midterm results drag on tech shares in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
· JADA NAGUMO
South Korea says it will expand naval operations closer to strait of Hormuz
Seoul to seek parliamentary approval to extend anti-piracy Cheonghae unit’s area to about 650km from the vital strait after criticism from Donald Trump on Iran war supportSouth Korea plans to expand the operations of its anti-piracy unit to waters closer to the strait of Hormuz, its defence ministry has said, after…
· Agencies