South Korea

Bribery retrial opens for Samsung’s heir

The heir to the Samsung empire appeared in court Friday for a retrial over a sprawling corruption scandal that threatens to disrupt management at the world's biggest smartphone and memory chip maker.Lee Jae-yong is vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics – where profits have been falling for months – and was jailed for five years in 2017 for bribery, embezzlement and other offences in connection with the scandal that brought down South Korean president Park Geun-hye.The 51-year-old was rele

25 October 2019
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Saving the Japan-South Korea relationship

Japan and South Korea have never been easy partners. Although both have long been well-consolidated democracies, historical and territorial disputes have consistently marred bilateral relations.

6 October 2019
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North Korea tests 'new weapon'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised a "new weapon" test, state media reported Sunday, the latest in a series of launches that United States (US) President Donald Trump has played down as Washington seeks to restart nuclear talks with Pyongyang.The report carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) followed Trump's comments that Kim had expressed a willingness to meet once the US-South Korean exercises are over and apologised for the slew of missile tests.Saturday&#0

12 August 2019
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Kim sends missile 'warning' as tensions rise

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un says the country's latest missile launches were a warning to Washington and Seoul over their joint war games, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday, as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula.The latest launch by the nuclear-armed North came after the South Korean and United States (US) militaries began mainly computer-simulated joint exercises on Monday to test Seoul's ability to take operational control in wartime.Those drills are taking

7 August 2019
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Moon-Kim diplomacy has failed

North and South Korea Saturday struck different notes as they marked the first anniversary of a summit between their leaders that fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid a deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearisation.Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in held their first meeting on 27 April last year in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) dividing the peninsula amid a rapid diplomatic thaw, paving the way for a historic summit between Kim and United States (US) President Donald

28 April 2019
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South Korea keen to invest in Thailand

In line with its Thailand 4.0 goals, the Land of Smiles has been on an active lookout for foreign investors willing to finance projects under this initiative. South Korea recently expressed keen interest in doing so during the 60th anniversary of South Korea-Thailand diplomatic relations late last year.Thailand and South Korea have plans to hold a joint trade committee meeting in the first half of this year to connect investors and to spur trade.

15 April 2019
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Chasing the Enchanting Cherry Blossoms in South Korea

Excited at the prospect of celebrating spring in South Korea, I flew to Busan with much hope of finding the perfect cherry blossom tree to photograph.Pink, delicate, and with a hint of magic that seem to escape the ordinary eyes. The sight of cherry blossoms would not disappoint even the grumpiest of people.

2 April 2019
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Female stars deny its them in K-pop sex videos

Female K-pop stars and actors have rushed to issue denials that they appear in sex videos secretly shot by male singers, illustrating women's fears about victim-blaming and stigma in the face of South Korea's enduring conservative social values.In three days no fewer than five male K-pop singers, including mega star Seungri, have been identified as recipients of illicit videos made by singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young of sexual acts with women, taken without their consent.Three are

17 March 2019
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Kim boosted by China talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came away from his fourth meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping with his hand strengthened in nuclear talks with the United States (US), analysts say, even as Seoul urged him to do more.Beijing is Pyongyang's sole major ally and key provider of trade and aid, their ties forged in the blood of the Korean War.The relationship had soured in recent years as China became frustrated with its neighbour's nuclear antics but warmed dramatically in 2018 as

12 January 2019
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Moon seeks to break nuclear deadlock

South Korean President Moon Jae-in travels to Pyongyang this week for his third summit with Kim Jong-un, looking to break the deadlock in nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States (US).Moon - whose own parents fled the North during the 1950-53 Korean War - flies north on Tuesday for a three-day trip, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and mentor Roh Moo-hyun in 2007.

17 September 2018
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