- Seoul’s involvement in Indo-Pacific policy is expected to increase the US’ capacity for operations in the contentious South China Sea
- South Korea is caught in the quandary of trying to placate both its security ally, the US, and top trading partner, China
Teenage male model Han Hyun-min’s long legs and powerful strut have made him a rising star on South Korean catwalks, but his agent knew there would be a problem in the ethnically homogenous country: he is half black. Photo: AFP
South Korea’s first black model faces racism in a nation where white people are ‘welcomed with open arms’
Behind the facade of South Korea’s being a modern, sophisticated and tech-savvy nation lies deeply rooted racism
Topic | South Korea
Teenage male model Han Hyun-min’s long legs and powerful strut have made him a rising star on South Korean catwalks, but his agent knew there would be a problem in the ethnically homogenous country: he is half black. Photo: AFP
Tourists in Bangkok. Cities around the world are struggling to deal with overtourism and a new report lists 20 destinations that could be the next to suffer. Photo: Alamy
Overtourism: 20 cities that could be the next to suffer – will they cope with rise in visitors, or struggle?
- As tourism increases year by year, many destinations find themselves struggling to cope with the impact of rising numbers of visitors
- Will tourism infrastructure in cities such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul, Auckland, and Ho Chi Minh City grow fast enough to meet growth in tourism?
Topic | Travel news and advice
Tourists in Bangkok. Cities around the world are struggling to deal with overtourism and a new report lists 20 destinations that could be the next to suffer. Photo: Alamy
The Hong Kong protesters’ audacity – in particular their open defiance of the city’s ultimate political masters in Beijing – has gained them widespread praise. Photo: Dickson Lee
Scoffing in Singapore, praise in Philippines: how Asia sees Hong Kong’s extradition bill protests
- The mammoth marches that involved an estimated 2 million people have inspired a range of views from the region’s citizens and direct action veterans
- Some are in favour, and see hope in Hongkongers’ audacity – while others run the gamut from shrill condemnation to ambivalence
Topic | Hong Kong extradition law
The Hong Kong protesters’ audacity – in particular their open defiance of the city’s ultimate political masters in Beijing – has gained them widespread praise. Photo: Dickson Lee
North Koreans who defected to the South tear pictures of Kim Jong-un in Seoul. Photo: AFP
Pyongyang calling: how North Korea pressures defectors to the South
- Ju Gyung-bae’s sister defected to South Korea but was pressured to return. She turned herself in at the North Korean embassy in Beijing
- Defectors who reached the South have been contacted more often since Kim Jong-un came to power in 2011. They are now being strong-armed in organising delivery of items banned under UN sanctions to the North
Topic | North Korea
North Koreans who defected to the South tear pictures of Kim Jong-un in Seoul. Photo: AFP
A labour shortage has allowed workers from countries in Southeast Asia to find jobs in South Korea’s auto-parts factories. Photo: AFP
Thailand’s ‘little ghosts’ in South Korea use Facebook to find jobs and work there illegally
- Lured by higher wages, tens of thousands of Thais are flocking to South Korea to take up manual work in farms and factories
- They share tips online on how to get jobs in the country, where 143,000 out of 165,000 Thais work illegally
Topic | Thailand
A labour shortage has allowed workers from countries in Southeast Asia to find jobs in South Korea’s auto-parts factories. Photo: AFP
South Korean students protest near the Japanese embassy in Seoul after Japanese officials questioned the credibility of Seoul’s sanctions against North Korea while justifying Tokyo’s stricter controls on hi-tech exports to South Korea. Photo: AP
South Korea seeks US intervention to heal deepening rift with Japan over hi-tech export restrictions
- Seoul has warned the dispute could have negative consequences for the South Korea-US-Japan trilateral alliance
- Stand-off has been exacerbated by suggestions in Japan that South Korea failed to prevent exports of dangerous material to North Korea
Topic | Trade
South Korean students protest near the Japanese embassy in Seoul after Japanese officials questioned the credibility of Seoul’s sanctions against North Korea while justifying Tokyo’s stricter controls on hi-tech exports to South Korea. Photo: AP
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo: Bloomberg
Trump’s luxury resorts in Indonesia collide with diplomacy in South Korea
- The US president’s recent meeting with the South Korean leader is the latest example of blurred lines between his official work and business interests
- His ongoing deals, such as those in Indonesia, have spurred questions about whether his actions are based on what’s best for the country or what’s best for his company
Topic | POLITICO
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. Photo: Bloomberg
North Koreans visit Mansu Hill to pay tribute to the late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Photo: AP
Son of South Korea’s former foreign minister defects to the North, state media reports
- Choe In-guk is the son of Choe Dok-shin, who defected to the North in 1986 with his wife after political disputes with then-president Park Chung-hee
- Since the Korean war, more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea but it’s highly unusual for South Koreans to go north
Topic | North Korea
North Koreans visit Mansu Hill to pay tribute to the late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Photo: AP
