China elevates key military official as expulsions remove 'hidden dangers'
Fifth plenum concludes with pledge to implement 'Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building'
· WATARU SUZUKI
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China accuses Philippines of setting up ‘obstacles’ to attending Asean defence meeting
China has accused the Philippines of setting up “numerous obstacles” to attending a meeting with defence ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and of violating “basic diplomatic protocols”. The row, which follows years of tension over the two countries’ competing claims to the South China…
· Amber Wang
Rybakina secures year-end top rank with Tokyo win
TOKYO — World number one Elena Rybakina hailed her 'amazing achievement' after securing the year-end top ranking with a 6-2, 6-3 win over fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva in Japan on Thursday.
· Agence France-Presse
Hong Kong leader apologises for deadly Wang Fuk Court fire, announces housing chief’s resignation | South China Morning Post
John Lee and senior officials bow at start of press conference to outline follow-up actions and reforms following independent inquiry’s scathing report.
Robô guarda-costas da China levanta dúvidas sobre segurança
Humanoide da Unitree promete proteger pessoas e atuar em emergências. Porém, uma cena do vídeo promocional causa preocupação.
· Felipe Espinosa Wang
Why Japan is pushing for a more ‘proactive’ Southeast Asia amid great-power rivalry
Japan wants a more united and proactive Southeast Asia as it sees Asean as a bulwark against an intensifying great-power rivalry, analysts say, while uncertainty over Washington’s long-term Indo-Pacific strategy has deepened Tokyo’s concerns about the region’s future. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on We…
· Sam Beltran
(LEAD) S. Korea, Germany heighten ties, boost defense cooperation
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Germany agreed Thursday to upgrade th...
· Park Boram
(2nd LD) N. Korea appears to test propaganda loudspeakers along border
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have conducted a test broadcas...
· Chae Yun-hwan
Lee vows to strengthen S. Korea-U.S. alliance in ceremony marking Korean War battle
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung vowed Thursday to strengthen ...
· Chae Yun-hwan
South Korean prosecutor seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law debacle
SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean special prosecutor on Thursday demanded the death penalty for ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, ahead of an appeals court verdict on rebellion charges over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
· Associated Press
BYD, Geely lean on global growth as China market enters 'harshest winter'
Both automakers post 28% earnings gains despite intensifying competition
· GLORIA LI
(2nd LD) N.K. leader may have discussed potential talks with U.S. during China visit: spy agency
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have conveyed Pyo...
· Chae Yun-hwan
World’s first intergovernmental mediation organisation to ramp up outreach
Business disputes are expected to make up the bulk of cases at Hong Kong’s new International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), which plans to accelerate its outreach efforts entering its second year of operation, secretary general Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said in an interview. Commercial cases account for up to 95 pe…
· Xinmei Shen
China’s Belt and Road hasn’t lived up to Xi’s promise
Designed to dwarf even the Marshall Plan, the American program to rebuild Europe after World War II, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first unveiled by President Xi Jinping in a 2013 speech at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Beijing later pledged to invest US$1 trillion, and by some estimates as much …
· Bertil Lintner
(2nd LD) Lee says S. Korea-Germany cooperation more important than ever
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said cooperation between Sout...
· Park Boram
Japan's ANA Holdings to buy regional airlines to enhance domestic flights
Move accelerates mid-size carrier consolidation after government lifts restrictions
· MAYUKO KURIHARA
Why students in ancient China honoured teachers by gifting wild vegetables
While it is common for Chinese people to hold banquets for teachers upon graduation as a way of honouring them – a traditional value – in ancient China, students expressed their respect for teachers differently: by presenting them with vegetables. The tradition began in the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). On the first d…
· Fran Lu
[READOUT] How can businesses win back customers amid a weak peso and high inflation?
Businesses must balance rising costs against the dwindling purchasing power and growing frustration of cash-strapped consumers
· Paolo Cootauco
S. Korea, Germany heighten ties, boost defense cooperation
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Germany agreed Thursday to upgrade th...
· Park Boram
China promotes General Zhang Shengmin to Politburo
Beijing has promoted General Zhang Shengmin, the key player in the anti-corruption campaign that has cut deep into the military’s top leadership, to its top decision-making body, the Politburo. Zhang, who was last year promoted to vice-chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top command body, was the mil…
· Alcott Wei
Hegseth pitches new US-Asean defence framework, but doubts run deep
What are Southeast Asian nations doing to help the United States tackle its challenges? A reporter with the American right-wing organisation Turning Point USA put the question bluntly to US President Donald Trump’s defence chief this week in the Philippines. As US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth pitched closer naval …
· Khushboo Razdan
Korea, Germany forge ‘enhanced strategic partnership’ as global risks mount
South Korea and Germany agreed to elevate their ties to an "enhanced strategic partnership," pledging to expand the scope of cooperation to advanced industries and future growth sectors while strengthening defense and security ties. President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined the expanded p…
· Ji Da-gyum
China fans left stunned after Portland Trail Blazers demote Yang Hansen to NBA G League
The Portland Trail Blazers’ decision to assign centre Yang Hansen to their NBA G League affiliate has caught many Chinese basketball fans off guard, sparking a flurry of online debate over his current standing and future in the league. The Trail Blazers announced on social media early Thursday morning that the 21-ye…
· Stephy Zhang
Multicultural families struggle to see the perks under fire
For some marriage migrants in Korea, President Lee Jae Myung’s recent warnings about excessive benefits for multicultural families bear little resemblance to the lives they have led. Lee has posted several messages on X since Wednesday questioning whether certain benefits for such families go too far. Members of suc…
· Lim Jae-seong
Defense chief denounces N. Korea's missile launches as regional security threat at ASEAN defense forum
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul on Thursday denounced...
· Kim Hyun-soo
'Call of Duty' slammed for using real Seoul crowd crush footage
SEOUL — Families of victims of South Korea's deadly Halloween crowd crush have demanded that footage of the disaster used in the latest installment of 'Call of Duty' be removed, a representative told Agence France-Presse on Thursday, condemning its 'complete lack of sensitivity.'
· Agence France-Presse
Korea's battery rebound yet to reach suppliers: KBIA chief
South Korea's battery industry is showing early signs of recovery as stalled electric vehicle projects resume and growing demand for energy storage systems helps offset a slowdown in the US EV market, a leading industry executive said Thursday. Eom Ki-cheon, chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association and CEO…
· Byun Hye-jin
Alphabet spells out more AI capex, China+1 doesn't add up
The inside story on the Asia tech trends that matter, from Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times
· YIFAN YU
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank buys stake in Indian PE firm
The investment underscores Japanese institutional investor interest in Indian companies across financial services, manufacturing and real estate.
· No Author
(LEAD) N. Korea appears to test propaganda loudspeakers along border
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have conducted a test broadcas...
· Kim Seung-yeon
Seoul, US making progress on OPCON transfer talks despite concerns over delay: security chief
South Korea and the United States are making progress in discussions of wartime operational control, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday, amid concerns the postponement of a bilateral defense meeting and revised US military requirements could delay the transition. Speaking during a parliamentary audi…
· Jung Min-kyung
Tigers captain calls for early offense in pivotal KBO postseason game
With his Kia Tigers gearing up for a pivotal game in the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason series, captain Na Sung-bum said Thursday he hoped for some early offense against the Samsung Lions. The teams split the first two games of this best-of-five battle at the Lions' home in the southeastern cit…
· Yonhap
China’s industrial strength keeps it from ‘turning Japanese’
In November 2024, the yield on China’s 30-year government bond fell below its Japanese equivalent for the first time. This was a big deal in financial markets, fanning fears that China’s economy was vulnerable to the type of crisis that condemned Japan to decades of deflation and stagnant growth following the bursti…
· Nicholas Spiro
LDP, JIP and DPP plan to cut Lower House seats, ending standoff
The three parties plan to introduce and pass a related bill by the end of the current session to cut 31 proportional representation seats.
· Eric Johnston
China’s currency goes global
In a four-part series, the SCMP investigates Hong Kong’s greater role in Beijing’s efforts to make the yuan more widely used outside mainland China.
· SCMP Staff
[Contribution] From Seongsu to Jeju, Korean design is making its case
By Eleni Stefania Kalapoda On Oct. 22, at a ceremony in Eindhoven in the Netherlands during Dutch Design Week, Korea left the FRAME Awards 2026 with two of its most coveted titles. Mongtan Aewol, a restaurant on Jeju Island’s western shore designed by the Seoul studio Beodd, was named restaurant of the year with a s…
· Korea Herald
‘Economic incentives are limited’: What does Russia really offer Africa?
African nations weigh political incentives as Moscow offers limited economic benefits compared with China and the West.
· Nicolas Haque
Taiwan says Pakistan briefly closed airspace to Taiwanese flights
The island suspects China of being behind the unprecedented move.
· No Author
(2nd LD) KHNP ends talks with consortium on Czech nuclear plant construction contract
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), South Kor...
· Choi Kyong-ae
Katseye to hold first solo concert in Korea
Katseye will hold its first stand-alone concert in South Korea in February, as the group expands its “The Wildworld Tour” across Asia and Oceania. Katseye announced Thursday that it will perform at the Kspo Dome in southern Seoul on Feb. 4, marking the group’s first solo concert in Korea since debuting in 2024. The …
· Lee Jung-joo
Lula can’t decouple from China, whatever Trump may want
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election on October 25 may have frustrated Donald Trump’s ambitions in Latin America, but the more consequential story lies beyond the ballot box on China. Brazil’s relationship with Beijing is now so deeply embedded in its economy that even a president more sympathetic to Washington w…
· Ronny P Sasmita
Japan and US strike deal on missile assembly as Tokyo expands long-range arsenal
Tokyo has struck a deal to build an assembly line for advanced American air-to-air missiles, while simultaneously exploring missile testing in India and Australia, moves that further mark Japan’s shift away from its post-war pacifist defence posture. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on Wednesday …
· Alyssa Chen
Germany does not want China decoupling but must defend its interests, president warns
Germany is not seeking to decouple from China, but must defend its economic interests, visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Beijing on Thursday, echoing the line taken by Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his tour of neighbouring countries. Speaking at Peking University, Steinmeier insisted that …
· Carol Yang
Toyota's six-month sales in China sink to nine-year low as market slumps
Foreign brands face fierce competition with Chinese local low-priced EVs
· RYOHTAROH SATOH
(LEAD) N.K. leader may have discussed potential talks with U.S. during China visit: spy agency
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have conveyed Pyo...
· Yi Wonju
GMO cybersecurity team finds info critical to identifying hackers, CEO says
The hacker group has remained publicly silent since its website revealing GMO client personal data was taken down Wednesday.
· Spencer Landers
U.S. official says Washington sees scope for nuclear fuel-cycle cooperation with S. Korea
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- The United States sees potential for nuclear fuel-cyc...
· Oh Seok-min
North Korea fires 'around a dozen' ballistic missiles into East Sea
SEOUL — North Korea fired 'around a dozen' short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, Seoul's defense ministry said, less than a week after South Korea proposed talks over a growing border row.
· Agence France-Presse
KHNP-Daewoo deal derailed on W25tr Czech nuclear project
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has broken off construction contract talks with a Daewoo Engineering & Construction-led consortium for its $18.6 billion Czech nuclear project, exposing a major rift within the South Korean team behind one of the country's largest overseas nuclear deals. The state-run nuclear operator sai…
· Jo He-rim
South Korea says considering deployment options to Hormuz Strait
South Korea says considering deployment options to Hormuz Strait South Korea's National Security Adviser said on Thursday that Seoul was still considering numerous options regarding a possible deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, including sending a maritime patrol aircraft. Wi Sung-lac told a parliamentary audit tha…
· Middleeasteye