By David D. Lee In Seoul’s hip Hongdae neighbourhood, 19-year-old Choi Jae-eun is already deep in conversation with her friend about the latest anime drop on Netflix. The pair are making their way to Animate, a shop inside AK Plaza whose shelves overflow with Japanese manga, anime figurines and limited-edition merchandise. Pop-up stalls themed around […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong South Korea and Japan could use their coming bilateral summit to project stability to Washington, which was simultaneously imposing high tariffs on its allies while seeking their cooperation to counter China, analysts said. The summit, scheduled for August 23 in Tokyo, will be the first full bilateral meeting between South Korean President […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Vietnamese leader To Lam’s state visit to South Korea this week has offered a first glimpse of President Lee Jae-myung’s new foreign policy direction for Southeast Asia, as both countries seek to navigate US-China rivalry and Washington’s economic upheaval. The four-day visit began on Monday, with the two leaders pledging to deepen […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong A diamond pendant worth tens of thousands of dollars, once worn by former South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee on an official trip, has become the unlikely catalyst for her fall from grace. The luxury item, and its meticulously crafted fake, are now at the centre of a criminal case that saw […]
Read MoreSouth Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, appeared on Tuesday in court, where a judge will decide whether to approve a special prosecutor’s request for a warrant to arrest her on accusations of graft. If detained, she would be South Korea’s only former first lady to be arrested, joining her husband, ex-President Yoon Suk […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s scandal-plagued former first lady Kim Keon-hee walked into court on Tuesday, head bowed and looking visibly tense, for a hearing that could make her the first ex-presidential spouse in the country’s history to be jailed on criminal charges. Wearing a dark jacket and skirt with a white blouse, her hair […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol is framing himself as a victim of political persecution as he continues to defy investigators seeking to question him over his corruption allegations and aborted martial law bid, according to analysts. Prosecutors failed to bring Yoon out from his detention cell for questioning for a second […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong Wearing only an undershirt and boxer shorts, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol lay on the floor of his prison cell and refused to comply with a fresh arrest warrant on Friday – the latest twist in a deepening investigation into his alleged abuse of power. Although Yoon is already in custody […]
Read MoreBy Park Chan-kyong Investigators on Friday raided the headquarters of the Unification Church in South Korea as part of a widening corruption inquiry involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee, marking another setback for the controversial religious group following the assassination of Japan’s ex-leader Shinzo Abe in 2023. Armed with court-issued warrants, a special prosecutor’s team […]
Read MoreSouth Korea’s top trade envoy said on Monday it may be possible to strike an “in-principle” trade deal with the United States by an August 1 deadline and signalled Seoul may be open to allow greater access to its agriculture markets, local media reported. Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, who held high-level talks with US […]
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