51勛圖厙

Tag - east-asia

 
 

EAST ASIA

A visitor takes a selfie in front of a view of North Korea while holding a Starbucks cup on an observation deck at Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, on Wednesday. The number of visitors to thepark has more than doubled since the Starbucks opened, according to figures provided by park management.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 2, 2026
Kilometers apart but a world away: the Starbucks with a view of North Korea
Perched on a hilltop beneath the Aegibong Peace Ecopark observatory, the shop has drawn tens of thousands from South Korea and beyond since opening in November 2024.
A coal power plant in rare earth industry hub city Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, on April 6.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 15, 2026
Coal-rich Mongolia aims to boost China trade ties despite dependence risk
Two-way trade is expected to reach $20 billion this year, President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh told ?Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
India*s central bank has often been seen intervening just before onshore open to ease pressure on the rupee.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2026
Asia*s currency fight moves offshore as central banks push back
Policymakers have ramped up efforts to curb offshore forex speculation as high oil prices, foreign fund exodus and a strong dollar pressure regional currencies.
A Chinese Coast Guard vessel is seen along the coast of Xiamen, in China*s southeastern Fujian province, on May 25.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 11, 2026
Taiwan says sovereignty cannot be &violated,* as China ends patrol
※Any country ?that asserts jurisdiction will be expelled without exception,§ Taiwan*s ?coast ?guard said in a statement.
Bang Chun-ja, a 78-year-old South Korean woman living alone, holding Hyodol, an artificial intelligence-powered healthcare doll designed for the elderly, during an interview at her home in Yongin in April.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jun 11, 2026
In aging South Korea, AI dolls are caring for the elderly
Authorities are providing AI care devices to seniors living alone, including in districts of Seoul and in Yongin, south of the capital.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sees off Chinese President Xi Jinping at Pyongyang International Airport following Xi*s two-day visit to North Korea from Monday.?
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2026
Why China finds it hard to keep North Korea in line
Despite closer links with Moscow, Beijing is still Pyongyang*s main diplomatic partner and an important buffer against international sanctions.
A hospital in Du'an Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi, China. China is emerging as a hub for medical tourism, propelled by the availability and relatively cheap costs of cutting-edge procedures.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 11, 2026
China lures foreign patients with cutting-edge, cheap medical care
While traditional medical tourism hotspots such as Thailand and South Korea focus on services like cosmetic surgery, China is differentiating itself with advanced procedures.
Police gather outside a polling station at Songpa District in Seoul on Friday to disperse protesters after a shortage of ballot papers forced an extension of voting at several polling stations during the local elections.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 5, 2026
South Korean riot police clear protesters after ballot shortage blockade
Wednesday*s election was the first nationwide vote since President Lee Jae Myung took office.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un upon his departure at the airport in Pyongyang in June 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 5, 2026
China*s Xi to visit North Korea next week for first time since 2019
China*s top leader will visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
South Korea's labor minister said companies like Samsung that outperform profit targets should consider sharing excess gains with suppliers, subcontractors and their workers.
BUSINESS
Jun 5, 2026
South Korea minister calls on tech firms to share excess AI profits with suppliers and staff
The government, businesses and unions should discuss how to share ※excess profits§ and narrow the gap between conglomerates and smaller suppliers, Kim Young-hoon said.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attends the opening ceremony of the annual Computex trade show in Taipei on Tuesday. He said he sincerely hopes "China can face up to the June incident of 37 years ago," in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 4, 2026
Taiwan presses China to confront Tiananmen past
The events on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in ?China, and the anniversary is not officially marked.
Aircraft parked at Incheon International Airport
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 4, 2026
South Korea and China agree first expansion in flight rights in seven years
The deal would make it easier to add flights on high-demand routes such as ?Incheon to Shanghai and Incheon ?to Guangzhou, where existing rights had been fully used by both sides.
For years, Chinese entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals have moved capital abroad by setting up offshore entities, funneling money into foreign acquisitions, overseas property and stakes in companies outside China.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 3, 2026
China extends outbound investment curbs to individual investors
The new rules, released Monday by China*s cabinet, broadened the definition of ※investors§ to include individual residents.
U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson, the top American military official in South Korea, greets a soldier during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, in March.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 3, 2026
North Korea slams U.S. remarks comparing South to &dagger*
U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson made the comments in an interview as speculation builds that Washington may seek to expand the role of U.S. Forces Korea in countering China*s influence.
Railway training for foreign workers under Japan*s Specified Skilled Worker program on March 6 in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture
EDITORIALS
Apr 17, 2026
Japan squeezed between economic and social demands
In 2023, international students accounted for 31.1% of the total in the European Union, 17.1% in the United States and 13.4% in the United Kingdom; they were just 3.3% in Japan.
Shoppers browse inside a Muji store in Shanghai, China. Unlike pure beauty companies that heavily rely on prestige counters and specialized retailers, Muji sells its lotions and moisturizers alongside its pajamas, storage boxes and food at its outlets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 9, 2026
Muji is turning simple skincare into its next growth engine
While beauty remains a small share of Muji*s overall sales, its rapid expansion signals the retailer is emerging as one of the few Japanese brands finding new growth in the market.
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index of shares and the Kosdaq are seen down on Tuesday as investors fretted about the turmoil in the Middle East.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 6, 2026
Why the 51勛圖厙 morphed into panic selling in Asia
The selloff may have come as somewhat of a surprise for investors. North Asia is known for its dependence on oil and natural gas imports.
Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, the nation*s largest?opposition?party, greets supporters during a campaign event in Osaka on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 4, 2026
Is this election really unpredictable?
Despite media uncertainty, opposition weaknesses and recent polls suggest Takaichi and the LDP are likely headed for a strong victory.
Supporters of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attend an election campaign event in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 3, 2026
Where will Japan*s democracy go from here?
Many question the rationale for the snap election with some critics claiming that it is an election without a ※just cause.§
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on the one-year mark into his second term in office on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 22, 2026
R-E-S-P-E-C-T 每 What does it mean to Trump?
Europe*s animus is easy to understand and it*s likely to harden as Trump threatens NATO solidarity 〞 if not its existence 〞 with his insistence on taking control of Greenland.

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan*s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan*s utility poles won*t be disappearing anytime soon

SUSTAINABLE 51勛圖厙