ASEAN News

The president of Japan’s largest oil company, ENEOS Holdings, has been dismissed from his post over allegations of sexual and power harassment, in a rare case of a top executive being held accountable for misconduct in the country’s conservative corporate culture. The company announced on Monday that Masashi Morimoto, who had been president since 2019, had resigned effective immediately, after …

A group of South Korean students have filed a lawsuit against the government, demanding compensation for the disruption caused by an early bell in their college entrance exam. The students claim that the bell rang 90 seconds earlier than scheduled at their test site, affecting their performance and results. The incident occurred on November 18, 2023, during the Suneung, the …

North Korea fired a new type of ballistic missile on Friday, in its first such launch since October, as it seeks to pressure the United States and its allies to resume dialogue and ease sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs. The missile was launched from a site near the capital Pyongyang and flew about 800 kilometers (500 miles) before …

A Singaporean man who ran a drug trafficking network in South Korea using Telegram has been sentenced to jail by a Seoul court and will be extradited to Singapore after serving his term. The 37-year-old man, whose identity has not been revealed, was arrested in Seoul on April 9, following a joint investigation by the Singapore Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) …

Singapore is facing a rapidly aging population, with the number of residents aged 65 and above expected to double by 2030. This poses various challenges for the healthcare system, especially in providing quality and affordable care for the elderly. One of the solutions that Singapore is exploring is the use of robots in elderly care. Robots can perform various tasks …

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday that he will replace four ministers in his Cabinet who are embroiled in a fundraising scandal that has eroded public trust in his government. The four ministers are: Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda, Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita, Agriculture Minister Kotaro Nogami, and Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba. All of them have been accused of …

A small town in Japan is trying to attract new residents by offering a cash incentive of one million yen ($10,000) to anyone with the surname Suzuki who is willing to relocate there. The town of Kainan in Wakayama prefecture has a population of about 33,000 people, but it is facing a demographic crisis as more young people move to …

Singapore has once again emerged as the best performer in international education tests, scoring the highest marks in maths, science and reading among primary and secondary students. The city-state was followed by other Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, which also ranked among the top five in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study …

Japan is planning to introduce an electronic system for issuing arrest warrants in 2024, as part of its efforts to streamline the criminal justice process and enhance its transparency.  The system will allow judges to issue warrants online, without having to meet with police or prosecutors in person, and will also enable the public to access information on the warrants …

In a significant transition for K-pop sensation BTS, members V, RM, Jungkook, and Jimin are gearing up to fulfill their mandatory military service obligations in South Korea. The impending enlistment has sparked widespread interest, particularly as details emerge about the enlistment date and the specific units the members will join. Notably, the focus is on Kim Taehyung, popularly known as …