Showing 1 - 10 of 390
'Artists of steel': Japanese swords forge new fanbase
AFP, Published on 11/02/2026
» MISATO, SAITAMA (JAPAN) - Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North
AFP, Published on 10/02/2026
» SEOUL - Investigators raided South Korea's spy agency on Tuesday as they probed possible government links to a drone shot down over North Korea earlier this year.
Sumo diplomacy: Japan's heavyweight 'soft power' ambassadors
AFP, Published on 30/01/2026
» TOKYO - Two giants stare each other down before colliding with a dull thud. After years on the sidelines, sumo is back centrestage as part of Japan's soft power arsenal overseas.
South Korea's ex-first lady jailed for 20 months for taking bribes
AFP, Published on 28/01/2026
» SEOUL — A South Korean judge handed the country's former first lady Kim Keon Hee 20 months in jail for accepting lavish gifts from a cult-like church on Wednesday, but acquitted her for alleged stock manipulation and other charges.
US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim: N. Korean ex-diplomat
AFP, Published on 28/01/2026
» SEOUL - The dramatic US operation that overthrew Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro this month may have left North Korean leader Kim Jong Un feeling he was also vulnerable to "decapitation", a former Pyongyang envoy to Havana told AFP.
South Korea's ex-leader Yoon faces first court verdict over martial law chaos
AFP, Published on 16/01/2026
» SEOUL - A South Korean court will rule Friday on whether former president Yoon Suk Yeol obstructed justice during his disastrous martial law declaration and in its chaotic aftermath, the first in a series of verdicts for the disgraced ex-leader.
Japan, South Korea leaders drum up viral moment with K-pop jam
AFP, Published on 14/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drumming session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who joked he felt "a little awkward" in front of the former heavy metal band member.
Leaders of Japan and South Korea meet as China flexes muscles
AFP, Published on 13/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung for talks on Tuesday aimed at demonstrating their cordial ties as Beijing pressures Tokyo over its stance on Taiwan.
South Korea's Lee snaps Xi selfie with Chinese 'backdoor' phone
AFP, Published on 06/01/2026
» BEIJING - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung snapped a selfie with Xi Jinping using a smartphone gifted to him by the Chinese leader, who had joked at their last meeting that the device might be capable of spying.
Myanmar junta stages election after five years of civil war
AFP, Published on 28/12/2025
» YANGON (MYANMAR) - A trickle of voters made their way to Myanmar's heavily restricted polls on Sunday, with the ruling junta touting the exercise as a return to democracy five years after it ousted the last elected government, triggering civil war.