Korea

[Big read] Shopping over politics: How Chinese goods are winning over South Koreans 

South Koreans youths are embracing Chinese brands — from bubble tea and electric cars to robot vacuums — separating politics from life products. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Kang Gwiyoung finds out why and if this could lead to improved China-South Korea relations.

Kang Gwiyoung

27 Jul 2026

Aircraft carriers cannot erase Asian civilisational memory

Military superiority can destroy infrastructure, but it cannot erase a people’s past. Historian Wu Guo takes a look at how centuries of collective identity have formed an unbreakable shield against American intervention.

Wu Guo

10 Jul 2026

China sidelines denuclearisation to strengthen ties with North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit signals a pragmatic shift in Beijing’s policy, tacitly accepting a nuclear-armed North Korea to counter shifting regional alliances. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong tells us more.

Han Yong Hong

12 Jun 2026

Is China giving up on denuclearising North Korea?

On his first visit to North Korea in seven years, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of strategic cooperation, without mentioning denuclearisation, which used to be part of the conversation. Is the topic now off the table, or merely put aside for the time being? Journalist Kang Gwiyoung finds out more.

Kang Gwiyoung

09 Jun 2026

Seoul’s Global South turn: A blueprint for a fractured world

As US-China tensions fracture the globe, South Korea is carving out a third way. By acting as a “bridge of trust”, South Korea aims to turn solidarity with the Global South into a vital survival strategy, opines South Korean academic Kang Jun-young.

Kang Jun-young

21 Apr 2026

China leads Northeast Asia’s nuclear buildout

Is Northeast Asia’s nuclear revival a response to the Iran war crisis, or the result of deeper forces already reshaping the region’s energy future? Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May ponders the question.

Genevieve Donnellon-May

16 Apr 2026

South Korea’s ‘pragmatic’ China policy in a vortex of uncertainty

Standing at the crossroads of intense great power politics, South Korea must guard its flanks in the Korea-US alliance, Seoul-Tokyo relations and most tricky of all, Seoul-Beijing relations — all against the background of volatile US-China relations. Can its “pragmatic diplomacy” stand the tests of these trials? South Korean academic Jae Ho Chung explores the issue.

Jae Ho Chung

11 Mar 2026

Should South Korea build the nuclear bomb?

As North Korea advances its nuclear arsenal, Seoul faces a stark choice: develop its own bomb, rely on US deterrence or adopt a nuclear-threshold strategy to safeguard the peninsula. South Korean academic Jaeho Hwang weighs the options.

Jaeho Hwang

10 Mar 2026

If China moves on Taiwan, Asia moves with it

US planners are preparing for a multi-theatre fight that would stretch China’s forces across land, sea and alliances — turning a Taiwan war into a regional one. Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia explains.

Emanuele Scimia

15 Jan 2026

South Korea’s US pivot raises alarm for Beijing

Under President Lee Jae-myung, South Korea is anchoring its future with the US, strengthening security and economic ties while limiting strategic depth with China. Beijing faces shrinking influence as Seoul’s long-term orientation shifts westward, says academic Jin Kai.

Jin Kai

10 Dec 2025

How Sanae Takaichi mastered the politics of popularity

In her first month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has gained popularity both at home and abroad, balancing conservative and middle class support. Academic Shin Kawashima explores how her diplomacy, Abe’s legacy, and policy choices drove her approval rating to 80%.

Shin Kawashima

14 Nov 2025

Vietnam’s quiet rise: The new diplomatic bridge to North Korea

Maintaining close ties with China and Russia has always been the cornerstone of North Korea’s diplomacy. However, relying solely on these two powers is not enough to lift the country out of international isolation. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes a look at the role ASEAN member states Vietnam and Laos can play.

Yu Zeyuan

10 Oct 2025