South Korea to pull more embassy staff from Ukraine after POW row
Earlier this month, South Korea recalled its ambassador from Kyiv after Zelenskyy disclosed the prisoner transfer.
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Earlier this month, South Korea recalled its ambassador from Kyiv after Zelenskyy disclosed the prisoner transfer.
Rio Times · Asia Intelligence Brief October 16, 2026 — Indonesia's Jakarta Composite fell more than 10% after MSCI warned its emerging-market status was no longer appropriate; South Korea's Kospi rose 2.1% and Japan's Nikkei rose 1.4% in partial recovery; China's Wang Yi told Israel to stop West Bank settlement expansion. The post Asia Intelligence Brief — Friday, October 16, 2026 appeared first on The Rio Times.
South Korea’s long-standing alliance with America is being tested by feuds spanning from investment deals to intelligence leaks, compromising Seoul’s ability to respond to North Korea. In a rare admission, Seoul’s top envoy to the US on Monday acknowledged an “issue” with Washington’s sharing of covert data. “There are limitations in our communication with the White House,” Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers. “I find it somewhat frustrating.” That follows reports earlier this year that a South Korean...
Rio Times · Asia Intelligence Brief October 12, 2026 — North Korea launches a suspected ballistic missile into the sea; Taiwan monitors Chinese live-fire drills along five coastal zones; South Korea orders action over workplace safety deception; China resumes Yellow Sea patrols with Seoul. The post Asia Intelligence Brief — Monday, October 12, 2026 appeared first on The Rio Times.
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is standing by its decision to screen South Korean political thriller The Assassin(s) as its opening film, despite calls from South Korea’s conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) to withdraw it over allegations of historical distortion. The film, directed by Hur Jin-ho and starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, has drawn criticism in South Korea over its fictionalised portrayal of a real-life 1974 assassination attempt on...
North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, denounced on Thursday South Korea’s plans to provide medical equipment aid to Pyongyang, calling it a “political provocation” and violation of its sovereignty. In a statement carried by state media KCNA, Kim criticised Seoul for publicising its efforts to obtain United Nations sanctions exemptions for a medical aid package, saying Seoul had “insulted” North Korea by referring to shortages of medicines and medical equipment...
South Korea’s military service exemption could be cut for athletes after backlash
A former South Korean lawmaker has called for the abolition of the military exemption system granted to outstanding national athletes, arguing that military service should not be used as an incentive for achievements in sports or the arts. Yoo Seong-min’s remarks came amid controversy over comments made by members of South Korea’s men’s football team, who recently won its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, regarding the military benefits they received. South Korea defeated host Japan 1-0 on...
Like many films released during Chuseok, South Korea’s national mid-autumn harvest festival, The Assassin(s) shot right to the top, selling more than a million tickets in its first four days. But the box-office success of the film about the 1974 assassination attempt on former president and military leader Park Chung-hee was quickly overshadowed by calls to halt screenings, as well as a police complaint against the film’s director and producers. Park loyalists and conservative politicians are...
Seoul says Kyiv agreed to a nondisclosure agreement over the prisoners but broke it.
Seoul demanded an official apology and explanation from Kyiv, accusing Ukraine of violating an agreement to keep confidential the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and then falsely denying that the two sides had agreed to keep the move confidential. “The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,” Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for a phased approach to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes is a pragmatic response, analysts say, but prospects for gaining its arch-rival’s acceptance remain uncertain. In a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee laid out a long-term, step-by-step sequence for pursuing the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation. He had called for Washington to ease sanctions in return for North Korea stopping its nuclear...
The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed to resist “economic coercion” and emphasised the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait, taking an implicit shot at China just days before President Xi Jinping’s White House summit. The three countries plan new talks on economic security and enhancements to a trilateral supply chain early warning system, according to a statement issued after a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and counterparts Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan and Cho...