Twenty years after the Asian financial crisis, South Korea seems to have learned its lesson, having taken great pains to strengthen its economic resilience. But now the country is confronting a new set of internal and external risks, which may foreshadow another major economic crisis – or worse.

The RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) rose to prominence soon after US President Donald Trump rescinded his commitment to the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade deal earlier this year.The TPP aimed to establish a regional FTA (Free Trade Agreement) and focussed on liberalising trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights, environmental protection, labour, financial services, technical barriers to trade and other regulatory issues.

Donald Trump on Tuesday accused North Korea of torturing a captive US student "beyond belief," spurning pleas from allies and foes in east Asia to tone down his warlike rhetoric.Trump urged nations to "isolate the North Korean menace" as his administration introduced new sanctions and warned that its "nuclear weapons and missile development threaten the entire word with unthinkable loss of life." The comments, in the White House Rose Garden, came after the US Tre

South Korea’s biggest cosmetics maker is revamping its products to suit Muslims and darker-skinned women in Southeast Asia as it tries to make up business lost because of political tensions with China over a missile-defence system.Amorepacific is pushing harder into Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam with a lineup that takes into account skin tones, the region’s humidity and the need for Muslim women to wash their faces five times a day before prayers.

Donald Trump's administration ramped up the pressure on North Korea on Sunday ahead of a week of high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations, warning Pyongyang will be "destroyed" if it refuses to end its "reckless" nuclear and ballistic missile drive.With US officials and their allies scrambling to find ways to contain an increasingly belligerent Pyongyang, the US president will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday and then confer Thursday with his Japanese and

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Friday, responding to new UN sanctions with what appeared to be its furthest-ever missile flight amid high tensions over its weapons programmes.The launch, from near Pyongyang, came after the United Nations Security Council imposed an eighth set of measures on the isolated country over its ballistic missile and atomic weapons programmes.That followed its sixth nuclear test – by far its largest yet – earlier this month, whic

Speaking off the cuff to his audience during the taping of his late night political and social satire show, comedian, Trevor Noah provided an interesting analogy of the tense situation unfolding between the US (United States) and North Korea.“North Korea is like a hot potato. The skill is to keep the hot potato bouncing so that you don’t get burnt. Then you pass it on to the next person. That’s what every smart president does.

Across much of Asia, foreign currency reserves have never been stronger.India’s foreign currency reserves are set to hit a new high of 400 billion dollars, enough to cover a year of imports, while holdings of international currencies in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia are all at record levels.

Stocks in Asia touched a level not seen since December 2007 as a rally in Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies offset weakness in South Korea and Japan amid speculation of a Saturday missile launch by Pyongyang.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.4 percent to 161.81 as of 4:33 p.m. in Hong Kong, led by China Gas Holdings, which extended gains from a record yesterday after bullish growth forecasts.

North Korea said the US will “pay dearly” after its UN (United Nations) Ambassador Nikki Haley said the isolated nation was “begging for war,” again ratcheting up tensions as world leaders consider a fresh round of sanctions.Describing Haley’s comments to the UN this week as a “hysteric fit,” a commentary by the state-run KCNA (Korean Central News Agency) on Friday warned the US of unspecified retribution.