Economy

1 November 2025
APEC leaders stand for a group photo in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Nov. 1.
U.S. President Donald Trump swept through Asia, with the region left to ponder the impact. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Trump tariffs

Trump's 5-day Asian trade tour: 5 things to know

President's emphasis on 'deals' yields results but leaves some wary

31 October 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meet for the first time on the red carpet in Gyeongju. (Yonhap)
International relations

South Korea's APEC: Xi makes 5 point proposal for inclusive globalization

Lee says that world order stands at 'turning point'; 'National interests may not always align'

31 October 2025
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Gyeongju, South Korea on Oct. 31.
Trade

APEC leaders seek consensus in Gyeongju amid US-China trade war truce

Differences remain over multilateralism among member economies

31 October 2025
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Photos

Through the Lens: Trump's Asia-Pacific tour

A selection of photos from across Asia

31 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping as they hold a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the APEC forum, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30.
Trade war

Trump cuts China fentanyl tariff to 10% as Xi delays rare-earth controls

At summit, Chinese president says 'reality demands' superpower friendship

30 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, stands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, South Korea on Oct. 29.
International relations

US and South Korea agree to trade deal at APEC summit

Seoul to provide $200 billion in cash investments for lower US tariffs

29 October 2025
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is hosting world leaders this week at the APEC forum, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump all due in Gyeongju. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yusuke Hinata, Ken Suzuki and Reuters) 
International relations

Trump and Xi supercharge South Korea's APEC: 5 things to watch

Lee Jae Myung faces diplomatic test as leaders gather in Gyeongju

29 October 2025
Kia vehicles waiting for export at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea on July 31. South Korean exports rose 1.5% in the third quarter as shipments of semiconductors and autos increased.
Economy

South Korea Q3 GDP grows 1.2% as consumption climbs

Uncertainty over US tariffs continues to cast shadow over economy

28 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet on Oct. 30 in South Korea, ahead of the APEC Economic Leader's Meeting. (Reuters) 
Your Week in Asia

Trump-Xi meeting, APEC leaders summit, Japan Mobility Show

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

26 October 2025
Just days after her election as Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, seen here at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, is expected to leverage her political affiliation with her late predecessor, Shinzo Abe, to build a relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Japan next week. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Policy Asia

Japan's Takaichi awaits Trump with economic security in spotlight

New PM to make her diplomatic debut with ASEAN trip; Abe 'lineage' seen strengthening US links

24 October 2025
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Aug. 25.
Trump tariffs

South Korea, US stuck on $350bn investment in tariff talks as APEC nears

Trump expects 'upfront' payment while Seoul eyes loan-based fund

24 October 2025
Economists' median expectation for the Bank of Korea's monetary policy is now for one more cut in November and then a prolonged pause. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Markets

Bank of Korea holds rates as hot housing market narrows scope for easing

Decision widely expected by economists as won keeps sliding against dollar

23 October 2025
South Korean Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, center, participates in a conversation with young people about finding work. (South Korean government)
Work

South Korea grapples with growing number of idle young adults

Government to combat record rise of NEETs with virtual employment experience

21 October 2025
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at the White House in Washington on Aug. 25. 
Opinion

Japan can learn from South Korea's defiance of Trump's $350bn shakedown

Seoul's counter punches expose limits of US president's economic coercion

17 October 2025
Ebara CEO Shugo Hosoda foresees strong growth in chip demand for AI sustaining earnings at the Japanese industrial equipment maker over the long term. (Photo by Manami Yamada)
Semiconductors

Japan's Ebara to raise chip plant pump output in China and South Korea

Client companies boosting chip production for generative AI

17 October 2025
South Korea has the lowest total fertility rate among all countries, with a steady rise in the share of births to unmarried parents. (Yonhap News Agency)
Demography

South Korean births to unmarried parents top 5% for first time

Shifting attitudes toward traditional family values seen driving trend

17 October 2025
A Korean Air jetliner takes off as the chartered plane that would bring back workers detained in the U.S. sits at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. state of Georgia on Sept. 10. 
Transportation

Korean Air explores Vietnam flights as Ho Chi Minh City readies new airport

Chips and phones drive cargo demand as carrier recovers from Trump tariffs

14 October 2025
Container vessels at the Port of Oakland on the U.S. West Coast. The U.S. and China are introducing new fees on each other's shipping.
Trade war

US and Chinese port fees kick in at fraught bilateral moment

Shipping sector faces new challenge, while Washington and Beijing spar over wider issues

14 October 2025
China has announced tighter restrictions on exports of rare-earth elements, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods.
US-China tensions

Trump on track to meet Xi in South Korea, Bessent says

Beijing says US 'cannot ask for talks' while 'threatening new restrictive measures'

14 October 2025
Sinan county is considered a prime location for South Korean offshore wind projects. (Sinan county)
Energy

South Korea's Lee doubles down on renewables, scraps 'nuclear zero'

Both energy sources deemed essential as electricity demand grows

3 October 2025
The main building of the Blue House complex in Seoul, which served as the president's official office and residence until it was turned into a public park in 2022.
Trump tariffs

South Korea cannot pay $350bn to US for tariff deal, top aide says

Trump suggested that Seoul provide the investment 'upfront'

27 September 2025
Asia's drugmakers are digesting the implications of the latest U.S. tariff announcement, a 100% duty on imports of branded pharmaceutical products.
Pharmaceuticals

Asian drugmakers' shares hit as Trump announces 100% tariff

Duty on branded medicines a blow for makers from Australia to Japan to South Korea

26 September 2025
Hyundai Motor is expanding its plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, as it works to increase the share of locally made cars sold in the U.S. (Hyundai Motor)
Automobiles

Hyundai Motor to invest $55bn, increase US production by 2030

South Korean automaker aims to produce 80% of its cars sold in America locally

19 September 2025
A street in the Namba shopping district of Osaka is packed with foreign tourists on Aug. 5. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

Foreign visitors to Japan hit August record despite summer heat

Monthly growth rate rebounds to double-digit after falling for three months

17 September 2025
The Hyundai Palisade SUV. Imports account for 70% of the vehicles that Hyundai sells in the U.S. (Photo by Azusa Kawakami)
Automobiles

Hyundai-GM partnership tested by EV slump, immigration raid

Initially wide-reaching collaboration now focused on gas-powered cars, hybrids

12 September 2025
Protesters gather in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 9 amid public outcry over the arrest of South Korean citizens in America. They hold a sign bearing a message that can be translated as "Condemning U.S. immigration enforcement."
11 September 2025
Former U.S. trade negotiator Wendy Cutler speaks at a forum in Seoul on Sept. 10. (Photo by Steven Borowiec)
Trade war

Tariffs to spur US partners to diversify, ex-negotiator says

South Korea CPTPP interest part of trend, according to Wendy Cutler

10 September 2025
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks with Nikkei in Seoul on Sept. 8. (Photo by Nikkei)
Interview

Seoul eyes CPTPP to bolster economic cooperation with Japan: PM

Kim Min-seok emphasizes importance of 'Asian sphere' amid US tariffs

10 September 2025
The arrest of hundreds of workers from South Korea during a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sept. 4 in the state of Georgia has sparked consternation in the East Asian nation.
International relations

South Korean concerns over US investments spike after immigration roundup

Arrests at Hyundai-LG site in Georgia 'contradictory' to Trump investment aims

8 September 2025