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Cambodia and Laos are not pawns in a Chinese encirclement
In late September, China and Laos opened a Beijing-funded training and support center and an aviation academy at Ban Keun airport, about 50 kilometers north of Vientiane. China’s Ministry of National Defense says the facility will train Lao Air Force pilots and is “not directed against any third party.” Even so, muc…
· Sereysovathana Mogn
Chinese star Fan Zhendong lashes out after fan’s posts videos of him on social media
Chinese table tennis star Fan Zhendong has again condemned secret filming after photos of a private trip were leaked online. On Tuesday, a self-proclaimed “superfan” uploaded two photo-slide show videos of Fan onto social media, captioning them: “No more hiding, let’s share.” The images showed Fan walking alone thro…
· Stephy Zhang
Japan's ruling LDP considers curbs on speculative condo trading
As property prices in Tokyo soar, party starts talks with eye on April elections
· Staff Writer
Former PBOC governor warns of potential crisis from AI investment, urging preparation
Former Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan has warned that failed artificial intelligence investments could trigger financial turbulence and urged preparations to mitigate risks amid concerns over a potential bust of the AI investment bubble. “Consider[ing]... such a large amount of the investment going to …
· Sylvia Ma
N. Korea threatens military retaliation, signals new firepower positions near border
North Korea is upping the tension along the inter-Korean border with talk of immediate military retaliation against any South Korean provocations and new firepower units taking up positions along the border. The warning came as senior North Korean party and military officials inspected ongoing border fortifications,…
· Jung Min-kyung
Can China turn national power into world leadership?
As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest th…
· Albert Bakhtizin
Top U.S. envoy cites 'turbulence' in S. Korea-U.S. alliance amid rift in security, trade priorities
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. envoy to South Korea on Wednesday descri...
· Kim Seung-yeon
Third attempt to save stranded shark in South Korea
It is thought the shark may have been drawn to the canal by unusually warm water and plenty of fish.
Boulter wins in under an hour to reach quarters
Katie Boulter moves into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open after she beat Viktorija Golubic in less than an hour.
· Bbcsport
Strongest storm of the year barrels towards Taiwan and mainland China
As Super Typhoon Champi – now the strongest storm of the year worldwide – barrels towards eastern China, authorities are planning evacuations and urging those in its path to prepare. Airports in major Chinese cities could be affected by the storm, including Wenzhou Longwan, Fuzhou Changle, Ningbo Lishe, Hangzhou Xia…
· Caroline Lin
(2nd LD) Seoul stocks rebound over 3 pct on eased AI spending woes
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rebounded Wednesday, recovering f...
· Kim Eun-jung
Alaska LNG project costs could far exceed estimates, report warns
A $44 billion-plus LNG project in Alaska that Washington is pressing South Korea to back could face sharply higher costs, a consulting report warns. The report, submitted to Alaska lawmakers in January, came under renewed scrutiny Wednesday as questions grow about the project’s financial viability and the risks it c…
· Ahn Sung-mi
A 2027 turning point? Goldman, Citi see stabilising signs in China’s housing market
As China’s housing market downturn enters its fifth year, global investment banks including Goldman Sachs and Citi say they expect the sector to pivot as soon as 2027, with expectations fuelled by signs of shrinking supply and robust sales over the National Day holiday in early October. Citi holds a positive view on…
· Zhu Wenqian
Anger builds as Indonesian wildfires burned nearly 2 million hectares and send toxic haze across region | South China Morning Post
Katingan, in Central Indonesia, has registered an air pollution index of 1,600, 5 times the limited considered ‘hazardous’.
2026 policy address measures tied to achieving goals set out in city’s first five-year plan | South China Morning Post
Chief Executive John Lee unveiled both documents in September, saying they are intrinsically linked.
Seoul eyes long-term digital infrastructure projects via sovereign wealth fund
SEJONG, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to provide patient capital for lon...
· Kang Yoon-seung
Budget minister vows to review vulnerabilities in funding for firefighters
SEJONG, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's budget minister on Wednesday vowed to ...
· Kang Yoon-seung
5 years on, Korea’s anti-stalking law confronts the violence it was meant to stop
Three recent killings, one in Songpa-gu in Seoul, another on Jeju Island, and third in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, have raised questions about the effectiveness of South Korea’s anti-stalking law and its victim-protection system. In each case, police had received prior reports about the suspect. “We cannot protec…
· Hwang Sun-jun
China sees surge in border crossings amid visa-free travel boom
China recorded a surge in border crossings by both mainland Chinese citizens and foreign nationals in the third quarter of this year, as Chinese companies expand overseas and Beijing steps up incentives to attract foreign tourists. The country logged a total of 192 million border crossings in the July-September peri…
· He Huifeng
De Lima, Diokno, 8 other House lawmakers want China envoy recalled
The lawmakers say the President must 'take decisive action in response to statements and conduct that undermine national sovereignty and threaten the country's security'
· Dwight de Leon
China talks up EUV progress, but gap with ASML remains wide
China is touting a breakthrough in one of the semiconductor industry's toughest technologies: extreme ultraviolet lithography. But how close is it really to challenging global chipmaking leaders? Chinese startup Langdao Silex recently unveiled a prototype EUV light source built with what it claims are 90 percent dom…
· Jo He-rim
South Korea rises to No. 17 in FIFA women's rankings
South Korea climbed to 17th in the FIFA women's world rankings, its highest position in 40 months, after winning bronze at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea moved up two places from June in the latest rankings released by FIFA on Tuesday. It is the team's highest ranking since it was also 17th in June 2…
· Edwin Choi
Terracotta Warriors could be mainly built by women and children, batch fingerprints show
Some 5 metres (16.4 feet) underground near one of China’s oldest cities lies the life-size army of thousands of terracotta warriors. The purpose of the army, located 35km (22 miles) northeast of historic Xian, was to protect China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in the afterlife. The Terracotta Army was buried with …
· Shi Huang
China eases uncertainty over offshore trust taxes before grace period ends
China’s tax authorities are accepting reasonable explanations when enforcing new rules on offshore trust gains, according to an executive who says their appeal was successful, offering some reassurance as a 90-day grace period expires on Thursday. The approach appears to be translating into greater clarity from regu…
· Themis Qi
Few foreign graduates take up Korea’s care worker visa as gov't eyes robots, youth
South Korea’s effort to recruit elderly care workers through a dedicated visa has so far yielded limited results, with only a fraction of the annual quota being filled, a lawmaker said. This comes as the government prepares for a surge in demand for long-term care as the population ages and more older people require…
· Lim Jae-seong
Seventh Satoyama Practitioners Networking Event in Uchiko, Ehime
The Japan Times Cube Inc. will co-host the seventh Satoyama Practitioners Networking Event with the Ehime town of Uchiko on Nov. 14 and 15.
· No Author
LIG D&A hit with 2-year bidding ban over bribery case
LIG D&A faces a major setback to its domestic defense business after South Korea's arms procurement agency imposed a two-year bidding ban over alleged bribery, prompting the company to prepare a legal challenge. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Tuesday that its contract review committee had approv…
· Byun Hye-jin
Apple to make Siri AI available in S. Korea this month: sources
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean customers will be able to use Apple Inc....
· Kang Jae-eun
USFK commander calls for more frequent combined drills with S. Korea throughout year
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. military commander in South Korea called...
· Kim Seung-yeon
China’s youth unemployment rate edges down slightly but jobseekers still doing it tough
China’s youth unemployment rate edged down slightly in September as some graduates secured jobs, but young jobseekers still face a tough market as employers increasingly look beyond academic qualifications for candidates with relevant work experience. The unemployment rate among people aged 16 to 24, excluding stude…
· Alice Li
Israel becomes Pacific Islands Forum partner in latest push for regional ties, Sa'ar announces
Before Israel's inclusion, the Forum had 21 dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union.
· REUTERS
'De-CATLization' tests China's battery king as share price falls 10%
New sourcing strategies reshape supply chains across the auto sector
· Staff Writer
Chinese AI powers half of Korea's new models: study
Nearly half of the artificial intelligence models released by South Korean developers this year were built on Chinese technology, led overwhelmingly by Alibaba's Qwen, according to a new study that raises questions about the country's efforts to develop its own AI models. The report, released Friday by private think…
· Moon Joon-hyun
Japan to drop term ‘abnormal delivery’ to ease emotional burden on parents
The move follows concerns that the wording could cause psychological distress to expectant parents.
· Jessica Speed
Korea Herald photographer wins photojournalism award
Yoon Chang-bin, a photojournalist for The Korea Herald, has won an award from the Korea Press Photographers' Association for his portrait of Korean American stand-up comedian Danny Cho. The association announced Tuesday that Yoon received an excellence award in the portrait category of its 284th Photo of the Month A…
· Kim Jae-heun
China builds the world’s smallest wearable brain monitor with a cortex-wide view
Chinese scientists have developed what they say is the world’s smallest wearable mini brain monitor that can track the activity of thousands of neurons at the same time. Weighing in at one gram (0.35 oz), the wireless “Airscope” is the lightest device of its kind and enables researchers to track a wider range of bra…
· Dannie Peng
Stinking rich: Malaysia eyes land routes to boost durian trade in China
Malaysia is negotiating with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to establish overland transit routes for fresh durian exports to China, according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu. The minister said the move would reduce transport costs and improve access to the lucrative Chinese market. “Duri…
· The Star
Japan win men's team gold at world gymnastics championships
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Japan won the men's team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam on Tuesday, with Daiki Hashimoto producing a standout display as he helped his country finish ahead of Russia and China.
· Agence France-Presse
National museum chief offers resignation
You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, offered his resignation on Wednesday, following controversy over the inclusion of a scroll from his private collection in the museum's recent exhibition, "The Korean Table: Food, Nature and Life." According to the National Museum of Korea, You announced his re…
· Cha Min-jung
China sends naval forces to monitor US warship near disputed shoal
China accused a US Navy warship of illegally entering disputed South China Sea waters, while Taiwan reported a separate confrontation with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel near the Pratas Islands.
· REUTERS
6-year-old Kyrgyz boy mauled by dogs returns home after surgery in Korea
A 6-year-old Kyrgyz boy who lost about 80 percent of his scalp after being mauled by three large dogs has returned home after receiving reconstructive surgery in South Korea, Asan Medical Center said Wednesday. The boy, identified by his first name Umar, was on his way home in April when he lost his balance and fell…
· Park Jun-hee
What’s brewing behind Mega Coffee’s deal rush?
In Korea’s food and beverage deal market these days, the most persistent bidder sells cheap coffee. Mega MGC Coffee, the country’s largest coffee chain with 4,500 bright-yellow storefronts, no longer seems content merely selling Americanos. It now harbors an appetite for a larger share of the retail landscape. "With…
· No Kyung-min
TheBorn Korea's Texas BBQ outlet sees 70% sales growth since opening
South Korean restaurant operator TheBorn Korea said Wednesday that average monthly sales at its Saemaeul Sikdang outlet in Carrollton, Texas, have risen about 70 percent since 2023. Known for its briquette-grilled bulgogi and seven-minute kimchi stew, Saemaeul Sikdang operates in the US, Thailand and Mongolia. TheBo…
· Lim Ye-jin
FTC chief acknowledges role of conglomerates in economic growth
The chief of South Korea's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday acknowledged conglomerates' contributions to the country's economic growth during a parliamentary audit, amid criticism of his earlier claim that chaebol have exploited the country. "I am not denying the role of conglomerates in South Korea's economic growth…
· Yonhap
KRX activates buy-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp rise
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's bourse operator on Wednesday activated ...
· Choi Kyong-ae
China university offers course pushing students to call strangers to build confidence, social skills
An unconventional course at prestigious Nanjing University encourages students to call strangers to hone their social skills, challenging the traditional value of “do more, speak less”. At the top-tier institution in Jiangsu province, eastern China, former television producer and director Xu Kai launched a course ca…
· Fran Lu
Shipping giant Cosco launches new routes to ride out Iran war, climate risks
China Cosco Shipping Holdings, the country’s largest ocean carrier, has prioritised resilience as it rolls out an emergency response system to cope with rising geopolitical conflicts, infrastructure bottlenecks and climate-related disruptions. The company is launching fresh capacity and new trade routes as part of t…
· Daniel Ren
FTC chief acknowledges role of conglomerates in economic growth
SEJONG, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The chief of South Korea's antitrust watchdog on Wed...
· Kang Yoon-seung