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Seoul’s deal with Trump now hinges on two powers in Washington

South Korea’s sweeping deal with US President Donald Trump was already under strain, with investment delays holding back progress on nuclear cooperation. Now, the Democrats’ midterm landslide has introduced another complication for Seoul: a divided Washington that could make both sides of the deal harder to deliver.…

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Why raising prices in Japan amid ‘insanely high’ inflation backfires on firms

When Japan’s “symbol of affordability” Uniqlo decided to increase the price of its basic socks last month, it sparked a backlash before the clothing titan made an immediate U-turn. That came after Italian-style family restaurant chain Saizeriya issued an almost grovelling apology as it decided to add 20 yen (US$0.13…

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Regular employment rises among older workers in Q3, falls among youth

More than 70 percent of the increase in regular employees in South Korea in the third quarter came from workers aged 60 and older, while the figure for workers in their 20s and 30s declined, the statistics ministry said Sunday. The number of regular workers came to 16.84 million in the July-September period, up 167,…

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Only a fraction of World Heritage sites are in Africa. China wants to fix that

Africa is home to ancient cities, rock art and striking natural landscapes, yet its sites are sorely under-represented on Unesco’s World Heritage List. According to data released by the UN body, of the 1,273 sites on the list – which are formally protected under the World Heritage Convention treaty – just 115 are in…

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What flawed Western assumptions about China teach us

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. For decades, not a few Western politicians and commentators have assumed that China’s integration…

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Seoul records first snowfall, 26 days earlier than last year

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season on Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The first snow was observed at 10 a.m. at a weather station in Songwol-dong, Jongno-gu, the weather agency said. It was 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. The offici…

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‘Possible Love’ tops Netflix in Korea through weekend

Korean Netflix viewers aren't exactly known for their taste for three-hour-long slow-burners. Lee Chang-dong is one filmmaker who can get them to watch one. The art house auteur's latest, "Possible Love," rose to No. 1 on the streamer's local movie chart within hours of its release at 5 p.m. Friday and has stayed th…

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Robots’ arrival set to give Chinese asparagus farmers a boost

In the flat, typhoon-prone fields of Lianshui county in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, a once-obscure vegetable has become a local economic engine. Greenhouses for growing asparagus now cover more than 1,333 hectares (3,294 acres), produce 50,000 tonnes (55,116 short tons) a year and generate over 1 billion yuan …

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Uyghurs facing deportation by Thailand say they will be ‘like slaves’ in China

Activists fear Bangkok will give in to pressure from Beijing despite reports of torture and human rights abuses against the mostly muslim ethnic minorityThe deportation of two more Uyghurs to China from Thailand would put their lives in grave danger, activists have said, with one of the men saying he would be “like …

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[World Class] Ewha seeks global edge through women’s leadership, research

Behind each university’s global ambitions are choices about what to preserve, what to develop and where to go next. In “World Class,” The Korea Herald interviews leaders of Korean universities about the strengths they are cultivating and the futures they envision. — Ed. For Ewha Womans University President Lee Hyang…

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Lee Hae-in wins bronze at season's first senior Grand Prix event with triple axel

South Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in of Korea University won the bronze medal in the women's singles competition at her first International Skating Union (ISU) senior Grand Prix event of the season. Lee earned 143.30 points in the free skate at the Cup of China, the third event of the 2026-27 ISU Grand Prix series,…

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China US$300 dating app ‘marriage-or-refund’ guarantee sparks intense online buzz

In China’s competitive dating market, a new matchmaking start-up is staking its revenue on a bold wager: find true love, or get every penny back. Launched in July, Liangpei AI charges an annual membership fee of 2,000 yuan (US$300), which is fully refundable if a user remains unmarried after three years. The offer i…

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US calls for coordinated action against N. Korean cyber threats following Binance hack

The United States on Saturday called for international cooperation to combat North Korea's illicit cyber activities following a massive cryptocurrency theft involving Binance. "Particularly in light of the recent hack of Binance, it is critical for governments to work together and do their own part to mitigate the D…

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New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

The number of children entering elementary schools in South Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday. The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,00…

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Japan rethinks its stalking laws after Pokemon store murder

Long before Moe Harukawa was killed, she lived in fear. The 21-year-old shop assistant had reported her ex-boyfriend to police and a court had ordered him to stay away from her. Yet weeks later, Taiki Hirokawa, 26, walked into Harukawa’s workplace – a packed Pokemon store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district – and stabbed …

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Grief in China as rare snow leopard cub Ling Xiaohan loses 26-day fight for life

Millions of Chinese internet users grieved after beloved snow leopard cub Ling Xiaohan died last Sunday, following 26 days of medical treatment after he was found weak, injured and unable to move in the Qinghai Lake reserve on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Despite intensive treatment efforts, the five-month-old cub die…

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Beijing’s latest property stimulus falls short in lower-tier-cities

Beijing’s latest property stimulus package has failed to stop a downward spiral in home transactions and prices in mainland China’s lower-tier cities, which could prompt top regulators to roll out stronger incentives to reinvigorate the weak market. According to data compiled by the China Real Estate Index System (C…

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In China’s fierce race for success, mental health struggles are starting earlier

Moon Chen stared down at her textbook, struggling to make sense of the words on the page. The 15-year-old felt a suffocating weight press into her chest, while her heart fluttered erratically. Chen’s mother rushed her to a cardiologist – only to be told that she should see a psychiatrist instead. Chen, now in higher…

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Louis Rees-Zammit helps edge Wales to unconvincing victory against Japan

Wales 28-21 JapanHead coach wants more in New Zealand TestSteve Tandy has admitted there is no hiding from his team’s below-par performance ⁠in their 28-21 home Nations Championship victory over Japan on Saturday where they looked flat at times and kept their ⁠opponents in the ⁠contest.Wales ran ​in four tries to co…

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History repeats in Shenzhen? China hosts another lame-duck US president

A decade after hosting a politically hobbled Barack Obama at a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hangzhou, China is preparing to welcome another “lame-duck” US president for a multilateral gathering: Donald Trump. Following the Republicans’ loss of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday – a d…

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Nvidia CEO's daughter cancels planned visit to S. Korea: sources

A planned visit to South Korea by Madison Huang, a senior director at Nvidia Corp. and the daughter of CEO Jensen Huang, has been abruptly canceled, sources said Saturday. The younger Huang had planned to visit South Korea on Sunday to attend the "Nvidia AI Day Seoul 2026" event, set for Monday and Tuesday at the CO…

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China’s Communist Party vows ‘zero tolerance’ for election meddling ahead of key congress

China’s ruling Communist Party has warned of “zero tolerance” for bribery and other attempts at election interference as delegate selection begins for next year’s national congress, which is expected to feature a major leadership reshuffle. The party issued guidelines on selecting the delegates, a process that would…

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China-Switzerland trade partnership offers a model amid fraught EU ties

China has framed its relationship with Switzerland as a model of practical, mutually beneficial cooperation at a time when its broader ties with the European Union remain more complicated and politically charged. Just before Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s recent visit to Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman…

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