South Korea

In the wake of Washington DC and Seoul signing a joint factsheet meant to reset trade tensions and stop discriminatory treatment of U.S. tech companies in South Korea, a pair of powerful Korean officials are already signaling they may torpedo the entire agreement — all to advance burdensome, one-sided tech regulations that overwhelmingly target American firms while giving Korean and Chinese tech giants a free pass.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea revealed in a briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday that its evidence suggests North Korea is preparing for direct engagement with President Donald Trump, including a potential meeting in March.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday at the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

President Donald Trump met with China’s genocidal communist dictator, Xi Jinping, on Wednesday in Busan, South Korea, for talks focused heavily on lifting recent restrictions and tariffs on bilateral trade.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that dictator Xi Jinping will meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in South Korea on Thursday.

President Donald Trump said that he and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung have worked out most of the details of a bilateral trade deal.

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin hosted North Korea Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Moscow on Monday, a visit timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s whirlwind tour of Asia this week that he has expressed hope would include a meeting with dictator Kim Jong-un.

Chinese state media ran a few victory laps on Sunday and Monday over news that U.S. and Chinese negotiators reached a provisional trade agreement after two days of talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Japan’s new prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, plans to increase defense spending and accelerate Japan’s military buildup.

President Donald Trump will be conducting high-stakes diplomacy during his trip to Asia next week. Trump will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia on Sunday, followed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea, and possibly a bilateral meeting with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping on Thursday. 

President Donald Trump is set to depart for an action-packed trip to Asia, bookended by meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim on Sunday and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

U.S. Army Major General William “Hank” Taylor has alarmingly revealed his close collaboration with AI chatbots to sharpen his decision-making process. The General recently told an audience that he has become “really close lately” with AI chatbots.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday announced sanctions against five subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilding company Hanwha Ocean.

A popular Korean TikTok influencer has been murdered, and the alleged killer is one of her most dedicated supporters, a man in his 50’s who had donated more than $70,000 to the social media starlet.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s response to the Gaza ceasefire deal on Thursday was tepid and sour, expressing doubt that anything less than the creation of a Palestinian state would bring peace.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Thursday announced more restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, crucial for manufacturing semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs), green energy products, and other key technologies.

A court in Seoul ruled that a police attempt to silence a protest against the Chinese Communist Party was illegal.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that the eighty-year history of the Republic of Korea was proof that the United Nations can bring positive change to the world.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un says he has “good personal memories” of talks with President Trump, but will not discuss denuclearization.

South Korean Pastor Son Hyun-bo, a conservative activist in addition to religious leader, was arrested on September 8 for allegedly violating election law with a YouTube video and unauthorized prayer service.

South Korean artist Choi Siwon of the boy band Super Junior faced a torrent of anger and calls for his firing over the weekend after publishing an Instagram story featuring an image mourning American conservative commentator and organizer Charlie Kirk.

Conservative youth groups in Seoul, South Korea, organized memorial sites for mourners to honor the legacy of commentator and activist Charlie Kirk in the days following his assassination, assembling the largest one yet on Monday before the iconic Sungnyemun Gate.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed complaints by Korean companies about their workers getting caught at jobs in the United States without work permits.

The South Korean government is reportedly displeased by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Ellabell, Georgia last Thursday, in which 300 South Korean nationals were detained for working without proper immigration papers at a battery plant.

Democratic leaders are siding with illegal migrants and their Fortune 500 employers by condemning ICE’s detention of 475 suspected illegal workers at a Korean-run Hyundai worksite in Georgia.

South Korea has temporarily backed off on an anti-American regulation designed to discriminate against American companies after the Trump administration called out these policies while promoting America First trade priorities.

South Korea’s central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK), estimated on Friday that North Korea’s economy grew by 3.7 percent in 2024, its fastest rate of growth in eight years.

Police in Seoul confirmed on Thursday that they are investigating pop star Psy, best known in the United States for the 2012 hit “Gangnam Style,” for potential violations of prescription drug laws.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his staff was worried that his meeting with President Donald Trump might result in a “Zelensky moment,” adding that he studied Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, before the pair met Monday in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump said he wants to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un again during his second term.

President Donald Trump said Monday that his bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung would center around trade and shipbuilding.

President Donald Trump raised concerns Monday about ongoing political upheaval in South Korea, describing the situation as resembling a “purge or revolution” hours before his scheduled meeting with the country’s new president at the White House.

President Donald Trump meets with the president of South Korea in the Oval Office on Monday, August 25.