ASEAN News

Japan has made history by becoming the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon, and the first to do so with pinpoint accuracy. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down on the lunar surface on Friday, January 19, 2024, after a four-month journey from Earth. What is SLIM and why is it important? SLIM is a …

Submarine-launched nuclear weapons are missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and can be fired from underwater by submarines. They are considered one of the most potent and survivable weapons in a nuclear arsenal, as they can evade detection and interception, and can strike targets from long distances and various directions. Why does North Korea want submarine-launched nuclear weapons? North Korea …

Taiwan is a self-ruled island that has its own government, military, and currency, but is claimed by China as part of its territory.  China considers Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. China has never renounced the use of military force to achieve this goal, and has repeatedly warned other countries …

Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, is facing a series of domestic troubles and challenges that threaten his grip on power and his legitimacy. Some of these troubles and challenges include: The economic crisis and the food shortage, caused by the international sanctions, the Covid-19 pandemic, the natural disasters, and the mismanagement of the regime. According to …

Japan is known for its culinary excellence and diversity, with more than 200 Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo alone. However, in recent years, many Japanese consumers, especially office workers, have been opting for ultra-cheap lunches that cost less than 500 yen ($4.30) as food prices continue to rise due to various factors, such as the war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, …

Kim Ju-ae is the daughter of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol-ju. She is believed to be about 10 years old and has two siblings, an older brother and a younger one of unknown sex. She is the granddaughter of Kim Jong Il and the great-granddaughter of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North …

Eating dog meat has been a part of South Korea’s culinary culture for centuries, dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD).  The practice was influenced by the belief that dog meat has medicinal and nutritional benefits, especially during the hot summer months. Dog meat dishes, such as bosintang (dog meat soup) and suyuk (boiled dog …

North Korea, the world’s most isolated and secretive country, has opened its doors to the first known tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.  A group of 20 Russians, accompanied by two guides from a Vladivostok-based agency, embarked on a four-day tour of Pyongyang and a ski resort on February 9, 2024. The trip was arranged by the …

South Korea is facing a demographic crisis, as there are far more young men than young women in the country. This is the result of a historic 30-year-long imbalance in the sex ratio at birth (SRB), which reached as high as 115 boys per 100 girls in 1990. The normal SRB is around 105 to 107 boys per 100 girls.  …

Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for January 13, 2024, are taking place amid heightened tensions with China, which claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification.  Beijing has increased its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Taipei, while also conducting a campaign of influence and interference …