Rising criticism directed against South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is causing his approval ratings to reach historic lows. Public discontent is mostly related to what many consider as his poor political handling, high inflation, and continuous scandals surrounding his wife, Kim Keon-hee. Since his inauguration in May 2022, Yoon’s approval rating has now dropped to just 20 percent, the lowest …

Asean – Official results indicated Thursday that South Korea’s governing party achieved a landslide win in local elections for mayors and governors of key cities and provinces, giving newly elected President Yoon Suk-yeol a considerable boost. Yoon, an outspoken anti-feminist and political newcomer, won the March presidential election by only 0.7 percent — the smallest margin ever — and now …

South Korea – As worry about a North Korean nuclear test rises, US President Joe Biden landed in South Korea on May 20 for his first Asia tour as US leader, with the goal of strengthening relations with regional security partners. Biden wants the visit to draw on recent actions that have accelerated the US‘s years-long pivot to Asia, where …

Korea – Following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration on Tuesday, President Halimah Yacob of Singapore and President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea have reached an agreement to boost the level of bilateral cooperation between their respective countries (May 10). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Singapore released a statement on Tuesday evening saying that the leaders of the two nations …

ASEAN – Officials said a group of foreign policy advisers to South Korea’s president-elect met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday in an effort to restore long-strained relations between the two US allies. At a time when both countries confront dangers from North Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, who took over as South Korea’s president on May 10, has announced …

North Korea – North Korea may have launched a ballistic missile, according to Japan’s coast guard, in the first test since the nuclear-armed nation set a new record for launches in January. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea also said that North Korea had shot at least one “unidentified missile” eastward, without providing any other details. The launch …