South Korea – As worry grows over the development of the extremely contagious Omicron variant, South Korea will begin treating coronavirus patients with Pfizer‘s antiviral medicines on Friday, according to health officials. As stated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), at least 21,000 Paxlovid pills will be arriving on Thursday and to be distributed to a total of 280 pharmacies and 90 residential …

Japan – Japan’s ambassador to Indonesia has urged Jakarta to lift its recent coal export restriction, which he claims has had a “significant effect” on the world’s third-largest economy. Indonesia exports almost three-quarters of its coal production, with the primary customers being Asia’s economic powerhouses China, Japan, South Korea, and India. However, on January 1, it barred coal exports, citing …

ASEAN – In a record-breaking sixth time, Thailand has won the ASEAN Football Federation Championship or AFF Cup. Indonesia held ‘The Elephants’ to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Asian Cup finals at the Singapore National Stadium tonight, but the team from Malaysia, who smashed ‘The Garuda’ 4-0 in the first leg on Wednesday (Dec 29), won …

ASEAN – Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Friday that Asia-Pacific nations should increase their healthcare capacity and completely vaccinate their citizens in order to prepare for a spike in Covid-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant, which has been identified in the region. Scientists are still collecting data to determine how infectious Omicron is, as well …

Korea – Kim Seon Ho’s ex-girlfriend, who publicly discussed their relationship on the internet, has chosen to file a lawsuit against him for death threats and personal attacks. She posted anonymously to an online forum last week, accusing an actor she had previously dated of coercing her into having an abortion. She claimed the actor deceived her about the penalty …

ASEAN – Singapore Samsung CEO Jay Y. Lee pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday to a charge of illegal use of a controlled drug, as legal problems continue to plague the executive despite his August parole release after a bribery conviction. Market observers anticipated a rush of significant choices at Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and its affiliates after Lee’s announcement, …

Surprisingly, San Miguel Corporation is hoping to take conveyance of four additional trainsets for the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project inside the year. The SMC introduced the first trainset last Saturday and the second mentor yesterday on the MRT-7 tracks between University Avenue and Tandang Sora in Quezon City, in the wake of getting customs at the Port …

The recent elected President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in made the unprecedented move to enhance his country’s relationship with countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017 by presenting the “New Southern Policy” (NSP) while having a state visit in Indonesia. Creating diplomatic and multilateral economic platforms amid unpredictable geopolitics caused by the mercurial Trump administration back …

In order to strengthen the economy, The Indonesian-South Korean Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA) was signed in Seoul by Indonesian Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto and South Korean Trade, Industry, and Energy Minister Sung Yun-mo. The partnership happened during the COVID-19 pandemic only shows the willingness of both nations to jointly forge trade ties in the light of the global economic …

Asian climate leadership is rising, with three major economies, Japan and South Korea by 2050, and China by 2060, recently promising to decarbonize their economies towards net-zero targets. In particular, our area is exposed to threats from climate change, including increasing sea levels and weather changes that can affect agriculture and food production. One reminder of the vulnerabilities is the …