South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the 25th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane on Oct. 10.
Economy

South Korea says it may consider 'additional reduction in fuel taxes'

President Yoon's office sees limited economic impact from Middle East crisis

27 October 2024
People walk though the Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul. Inflation has eased in recent months, paving the way for the central bank to pivot to a more dovish stance.
Economy

South Korea Q3 GDP expands 0.1% as consumption edges up

Export-led economy saw decline in shipments of autos, chemical products

24 October 2024
More people around the world are looking to courts to order governments and companies to take action against global warming, arguing they have a fundamental right to be protected from climate change. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Policy Asia

Japan group sues utilities, claiming climate inaction violates human rights

Country's first youth-led climate litigation comes as regional, global cases multiply

18 October 2024
Barricades are placed near the Unification Bridge, which leads to Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, South Korea, on Oct. 14.
International relations

North Korea set to destroy parts of inter-Korean roads, Seoul says

Pyongyang's Kim Jong Un has mines planted on his own side of the border

14 October 2024
Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, left, walks with President Joko Widodo as they leave the parliament building in Jakarta on Aug. 16.
Your Week in Asia

Indonesia's new leader, Hyundai launches $3.3bn India IPO, China GDP

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

13 October 2024
In a Reuters poll, 34 out of 37 economists predicted the Bank of Korea's 25 basis-point cut, with the rest expecting the bank to stand pat. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Economy

Bank of Korea cuts rate by 25 basis points amid slowing inflation

Central bank starts easing cycle following Fed's policy pivot

11 October 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's mid-20s approval rating is quite a climb down for a leader who took power with a 53% support rate.
Opinion

Yoon Suk Yeol's midterm report card: Talk less, do more

Bold actions needed to build competitive muscle in the globe's most dynamic neighborhood

10 October 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers his address during the 47th ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute Singapore Lecture in Singapore on Oct. 9.
Indo-Pacific

South Korea's Yoon offers $100m to 'promote democracy' in Indo-Pacific

President says his country will help digital development, education in ASEAN

9 October 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second from left, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., second from right, take part in a signing ceremony on Oct. 7 in Manila.
International relations

South Korea offers $1.9bn in loans to Philippines during Yoon visit

President touts nuclear energy cooperation at dormant Bataan plant

7 October 2024
Estimates indicate that by 2050, there will be one working-age adult for each retiree in South Korea. (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
Economy

South Korea pension fund in crisis as aging outpaces reform

New proposal by President Yoon faces backlash despite demographic woes

7 October 2024
The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome. Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) signed a preliminary agreement with Eni to cooperate on LNG procurement.
Energy

Japan expands LNG flexibility via ties with South Korea, Italy

Japan's JERA and Korea Gas collaborate; JOGMEC signs deal with Italian Eni

6 October 2024
Choi Soon-hwa became a runway model in her 70s and hopes her example can inspire other elderly people to pursue their passions, with the 65-and-over population set to rocket to 40% of all South Koreans by 2050. (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
Big in Asia

South Korea wakes up to the next K-wave: The 'silver economy'

After pop culture, goods and services for the elderly tipped to be next Korean big thing

5 October 2024
There were 9,954 South Koreans working in Japan’s information and communications industry as of October 2023, up 52% ​​from 2016. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
Work

South Korea's speedy software engineers in high demand in Japan

Japanese companies facing severe IT personnel shortage in 2030

2 October 2024
People use ropes to remove fallen trees following the impact of Typhoon Yagi, Hai Phong, Vietnam, Sept. 8. The deadly disaster is expected to have impacted the economy.
Your Week in Asia

Japan's new leader, Vietnam GDP, Samsung chairman fraud case

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

29 September 2024
A crowded shopping street in Seoul's Myeongdong district.
Opinion

Japan shouldn't care that South Korea has higher GDP per capita

Both countries have to learn from each other, and focus on quality of life and happiness

13 September 2024
Samsung Electronics union members shout slogans during a strike. South Korea is developing legislation to provide targeted support for workers who do not belong to labor unions.
Work

South Korea crafts legislation to support unorganized workers

Despite urgency, road to passage appears rocky amid political party divisions

13 September 2024
Emergency personnel carry the body of a person killed in a fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell, in Hwaseong, Jun. 24. The disaster was the latest in a long-running string of fatal business-related accidents in the country.
Business Spotlight

South Korea Inc. faces reckoning as company CEO awaits trial over factory fire

After battery plant disaster kills 23, campaigners seek justice, safety in workplace

6 September 2024
South Korea's Constitutional Court Chief Justice Lee Jong-seok, center, and other judges sit upon their arrival at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on  Aug. 29. 
Climate Change

Court orders South Korea to specify carbon emission cut plans through 2049

Decision hands partial victory to activists who say climate change affects 'fundamental rights'

30 August 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol discussed reworking the national pension system in a news conference on Aug. 29.
Politics

South Korea's Yoon vows to reform pension plan set to run dry in 2055

Facing aging population, government eyes benefit adjustments and higher premiums

30 August 2024
Food delivery service Yogiyo operates in South Korea's fiercely competitive market. 
Companies

South Korea delivery company Yogiyo to offer buyouts, media say

Competition in sector has grown in recent months as top players cut prices

29 August 2024
Children wait for a school bus in Seoul's Gangnam district. Parents with means are flocking to areas with strong educational opportunities, driving up property prices there. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Education

South Korea birth rate squeezed by entrance exam pressures: central bank

Bank of Korea urges reform of college admissions to ease burden on families

28 August 2024
Children wearing traditional clothing wave national flags in Seoul. South Korea is facing a "national demographic emergency."
Opinion

South Korea must learn from China's population long game

Seoul waking up to demographic crisis after long-term complacency

16 August 2024
A policeman stands guard in front of  the headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo. The LDP will select a new leader next month.
Japan's new PM

Japan's ruling LDP to vote on Kishida successor: 5 things to know

With prime minister stepping down, how will party select his replacement?

15 August 2024
Amid surging labor demand in an AI boom, Vietnam aims to train at least 50,000 chip engineers and designers by 2030 as industry giants look to offset severe staff shortages in their home markets. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
The Big Story

Vietnam turns chip sector magnet with affordable, quality talent pool

US, Taiwan, South Korean players beat path to Vietnam though boom strains resources

14 August 2024