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Soo-hyang Choi
For Soo-hyang Choi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, arrives to a state dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington on April 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 16, 2024
U.S. envoy visits Korean border after Russian veto dents sanctions enforcement
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield's trip is the highest-profile visit by a U.S. official since Vice President Kamala Harris went there in 2022.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, attends an event in Seoul on Thursday. He is one of the most polarizing political figures in South Korea with a fervent base of supporters on the left and a large block of opponents in the conservative camp.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2024
Indicted opposition leader is South Korea’s top contender for president in 2027
The victory of his party in Wednesday's parliamentary elections was quite a turnaround for Lee Jae-myung.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol suffered a stinging defeat in Wednesday’s parliamentary election, hampering his conservative pro-business agenda.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 11, 2024
South Korea's Yoon becomes lame duck following election
The outcome at the polls effectively derailed Yoon Suk-yeol's pro-business goals for the next three years.
Gen. Charles Flynn at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, south of Seoul, on Saturday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 8, 2024
North Korea’s ballistic missiles are getting valuable battlefield testing in Ukraine
Pyongyang is gaining valuable information in technical matters, procedures and the munitions themselves, a top U.S. general has said.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (left), South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (center) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Busan, South Korea, in November
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2024
China, Japan and South Korea looking to hold summit in May, reports say
The three-way talks could follow a summit set for next week in Washington where Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is due to meet U.S. President Joe Biden.
People watch a news broadcast showing file footage of North Korea firing artillery, at a railway station in Seoul on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 5, 2024
South Korea evacuates islands after North fires artillery nearby
The firing by North Korea caused no civilian or military damage in the South, South Korea's military said.
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol arrives for a State Banquet at the Guildhall, in London on Nov. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 4, 2023
South Korea's Yoon picks Choi Sang-mok to spearhead economy
Choi will need to maintain economic momentum ahead of elections next April, which will determine the legislative support level for a number of bills.
Police officers examine a scene where several people were stabbed and others hurt by a car driven by the suspected attacker in Seongnam, South Korea, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 4, 2023
South Koreans shocked after back-to-back stabbing rampages
A man rammed his car into passers-by, then got out and stabbed multiple people in Seongnam on Thursday, leaving 14 people wounded, police said.
A general view inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. Tourists wishing to see the area should expect far stricter supervision if visits to the border resume.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 26, 2023
Travis King crossing puts North Korea border tours under scrutiny
Some predict changes could include making the tours smaller, keeping groups behind glass or back away from the border where troops from both sides stand almost face to face.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 12, 2023
South Korea indicts ex-Samsung Electronics executive for alleged data leak to China
Prosecutors said they have also indicted six other people for their involvement in the alleged crime, including an inspection company employee.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 26, 2023
South Korea says homegrown space rocket has put satellite into orbit
The Nuri rocket lifted off from Naro Space Center on Thursday in its third flight after technical glitches caused the launch to be cancelled a day earlier.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2023
Most Korean plaintiffs in Japan forced-labor cases accept compensation plan
Those who have agreed to accept the government plan are bereaved families of 10 deceased victims.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 22, 2023
North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea says
The incident is the latest in a series of tests of its weapons as North Korea's rivals, South Korea and the United States, conduct joint military exercises.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 21, 2023
South Korea's Yoon says Japan will be back on trade 'white list'
Yoon announced the decision at a cabinet meeting, saying South Korea and Japan should make efforts to remove obstacles that hinder developing bilateral ties.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2023
Yoon says Japan cooperation vital amid concerns on North Korea and supply chains
'There is an increasing need for Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time of a polycrisis,' Yoon said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 30, 2023
NATO chief urges South Korea to step up military support for Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is in Seoul, the first stop on a trip that will include Japan and is aimed at strengthening ties with U.S. allies.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 2, 2023
South Korea and U.S. discussing nuclear exercises as tensions flare with North, Yoon says
The comments come after he called for 'war preparation' with an 'overwhelming' capability, following a year marked by the North's record number of missile tests.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2022
North Korea tests high-thrust solid-fuel engine for apparent ICBM development
The country has been working to build more solid-fuel missiles, which are more stable and can be launched with almost no warning or preparation time.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 30, 2022
How Halloween parties turned deadly in a popular Seoul district
The intimacy of backstreets in the Itaewon district turned sinister this Halloween weekend, with a deadly crush killing at least 151 people.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 18, 2022
North Korea says it is nearing end of COVID crisis as Asian neighbors fight resurgence
Pyongyang is on the path to 'finally defuse' the crisis, the state news agency said Monday, while Asian neighbors battle a fresh wave of infections driven by omicron subvariants.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on