Lee Jae Myung

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi avoided the controversial Yasukuni Shrine during the 81st anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender, reportedly to prioritize diplomatic relations with China and South Korea. However, she did not mention or express remorse for Japan’s wartime past in her address. The subsequent shrine visits by other Japanese officials led to protests from China, who accused them of attempting to cover up war crimes.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi skipped a visit to Yasukuni Shrine while marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender; in her address, she emphasized global peace without mentioning Japanese atrocities or offering an apology. China protested these visits, claiming they were attempts to cover up war crimes and accelerate militarization. Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation between Korea and Japan.

South Korea increased its efforts to contain a relentless housing rally by raising the cap on household debt growth and pledging more homes in the Greater Seoul area. These actions aim to address a situation that is becoming a political liability for President Lee Jae Myung.

A record heat wave has caused severe impacts across South Korea, North Korea, and Japan, including heat-related deaths, livestock and fish deaths, and advisories from authorities. North Korean officials recommended eating dog meat and cooling foods to combat the heat, while South Korea declared the crisis a 'national disaster.'

Record-breaking heat in North Korea, South Korea, and Japan caused deaths, illnesses, and disrupted daily life. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung declared the heat wave a 'national disaster.'

A record heat wave has caused heat-related illnesses, deaths, and livestock losses across South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. South Korea declared the heat a 'national disaster,' while North Korea advised eating dog meat to combat the heat. Over 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms were hospitalized in Japan during one week.

A record heat wave in Northeast Asia has caused extreme temperatures in South Korea, North Korea, and Japan, leading to heat-related illnesses, deaths, and animal fatalities. Over 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms were hospitalized in Japan, while South Korea reported 19 heat-related deaths and livestock losses. North Korea advised eating dog meat to combat the heat, and a baseball fan collapsed during a game in South Korea.

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung declared a record heatwave a national disaster after it caused 19 deaths, urging authorities to support affected people and inspect power systems. Lee emphasized measures to protect daily life and address surging air conditioning demand.

South Korea is experiencing a record heat wave that has resulted in 16 deaths. President Lee Jae Myung has urged officials to act quickly as extreme weather becomes 'normal,' and authorities issued an extended heat wave warning for Seoul.

South Korea's stock market surge led authorities to introduce high-risk products to attract retail investors, but the strategy is now backfiring on President Lee Jae Myung as market volatility intensifies. Critics argue the move risks destabilizing the economy.

South Korea's Kospi market suffered a 22% monthly loss in July, leading retail investors to blame government policies and leveraged ETFs for amplified volatility. Retail traders sold record shares despite a rebound, with many vowing to avoid the market, citing frustration over risks and perceived manipulation.

An engineer in Hwaseong, South Korea, uses AI to detect defects in semiconductor production but must leave work due to labor laws. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung leaders are highlighted in the context of AI's impact on work practices.

South Korean court convicted ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol of making false statements during his 2022 campaign, sentencing him to 18 months in prison suspended for three years. The ruling could require his party to return 40 billion won in election expenses if upheld, and Yoon has appealed the decision.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visited San Francisco and secured a $500 billion partnership with a Silicon Valley tech giant during an AI summit organized by NVIDIA, bringing together global tech leaders to discuss AI innovation.

Samsung Electronics Co. secured a $200 billion, five-year contract to manufacture chips for Broadcom Inc. using its 2-nanometer and below process technologies. The deal expands their strategic collaboration on AI infrastructure, with South Korea aiming to double its memory production capacity. President Lee Jae Myung’s Silicon Valley visit coincides with multiple tech partnerships, including deals involving Nvidia and SK Hynix.

Anthropic PBC requested supplies from SK Hynix Inc. to manufacture its own semiconductors, according to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae Won. The announcement occurred during an AI event in San Francisco, coinciding with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's Silicon Valley trip and AI summit, where multiple tech partnerships were revealed.

South Korea has abandoned its policy of prioritizing pressure on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a shift led by President Lee Jae Myung, who reversed the stance of his predecessor. North Korea has not yet responded to repeated offers for unconditional talks.

South Korean prosecutors charged Korean-American professor Morse Tan with criminal defamation over false claims targeting President Lee Jae Myung. Tan was indicted without detention by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for allegations made during a press conference in Washington last year.

South Korea’s most closely watched stock-market innovation is becoming a problem for President Lee Jae Myung due to backlash against leveraged ETFs. The innovation, initially seen as a positive development, now poses challenges for the president.

South Korea is developing a security-focused AI model to rival Anthropic's Mythos, aiming for sovereign bug-finding capabilities by 2026. This follows U.S. government actions blocking access to Mythos, prompting global interest in independent AI development. The model will be trained with security-related data, and the government also plans to create a free public chatbot and an agentic application for government services.

Memory makers SK Hynix, Micron, and Samsung are experiencing revenue growth due to the AI boom, but face potential shortages and high prices as new semiconductor manufacturing facilities take years to become operational. Investments in new fabs by these companies and governments, including a $576 billion initiative in South Korea, highlight the industry's complexity and long lead times.

South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in a case related to his 2024 martial law declaration. The ruling confirmed his guilt for infringing on Cabinet members’ rights, falsifying documents, and using security forces to resist arrest, aligning with earlier decisions by the Constitutional Court.

South Korea's Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in a martial law case, finding him guilty of infringing on Cabinet members’ rights, falsifying documents, and illegally deploying security forces. Martial law was repealed hours after lawmakers broke a military blockade, and Yoon remains in detention while appealing other convictions, including a life sentence for rebellion and a 30-year term linked to drone flights aimed at heightening tensions with North Korea.

South Korea's Supreme Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in a case related to his 2024 martial law declaration. The court found him guilty of infringing on Cabinet members’ rights, falsifying documents, and deploying security forces to resist arrest. Yoon remains in detention and is appealing other convictions, including a life sentence for rebellion and a 30-year term for alleged drone flights to provoke tensions with North Korea.

South Korea enforced a law allowing steep punitive damages against media and social media influencers for spreading false information. Journalists' groups warn the law could suppress public discourse and enable censorship due to vague definitions and lack of safeguards.

South Korea enforced a law allowing punitive damages against news outlets and social media influencers for spreading false information, prompting concerns from journalists and civil liberties groups about self-censorship and restricted critical reporting. The law permits fines of up to 1 billion won for repeat violations and mandates content removal by large social media platforms upon reporting false information.

South Korea enforced a law allowing steep punitive damages against news outlets and social media influencers for spreading false information. Journalists' groups warned the law could chill public discourse and invite censorship due to vague definitions and lack of safeguards.

South Korea began enforcing a law allowing steep punitive damages against news outlets and social media influencers for spreading false information, as journalist groups warned it could suppress free discourse and invite censorship. The law permits courts to award damages up to five times proven losses and fines for repeated dissemination of false content, sparking concerns about its vague language and potential impact on critical reporting.

South Korea enforced a new law allowing punitive damages against news outlets and social media influencers for spreading false information, prompting concerns from journalist groups about censorship and chilling public discourse. The law permits fines of up to 1 billion won for repeated distribution of false content and requires social media platforms to remove reported false information.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will attend a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, from July 7 to 8 to build defense industry cooperation with NATO members. He will meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and participate in a group summit with leaders from Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.

South Korea's $518 billion semiconductor initiative seeks to leverage the AI boom for industrial advantage and compete with China. The plan focuses on securing advanced memory chips for AI data centers and establishing a second chipmaking hub in the southwest to reduce reliance on the Seoul metropolitan area.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will invest $518 billion in a new chipmaking hub in South Korea's southwest region to meet rising AI demand. The project aligns with government efforts to expand semiconductor manufacturing beyond the Seoul area and boost regional economic development.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will invest $518 billion to build a chipmaking hub in South Korea's southwest region, driven by rising AI demand. The project, supported by President Lee Jae Myung, aims to expand semiconductor production beyond the Seoul area, with fabrication plants in Gwangju and plans for a nationwide semiconductor ecosystem.

Korean stocks rebounded as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. announced large-scale investments in memory chips, data centers, and robotics. The plan was unveiled alongside South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung during a news conference at the presidential Blue House.

South Korea announced a $650 billion investment in AI and chip industries to strengthen global leadership, with President Lee Jae Myung emphasizing regional economic revitalization. The initiative involves collaborations with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, key players in the semiconductor sector.

Samsung Group and SK Group plan to invest up to 2,000 trillion won ($1.3 trillion) over 10 years in sectors like semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI as part of South Korea’s 'Three Mega Projects for the Great Leap Forward' initiative. Investments include building semiconductor fabrication plants in Gwangju and expanding chip production facilities in Chungcheong provinces.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced that three more ships will leave the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, reducing the number of trapped South Korean cargo ships to five. The ships were detained after Iran closed the strait following the US-Israel war with Iran. The president credited government agencies for their efforts in securing the ships' release.

The leader of South Korea's Shincheonji Church, Lee Man-hee, was arrested over allegations of recruiting followers to join the People Power Party to influence elections. The investigation, part of broader inquiries into ties between religious groups and politicians, follows similar probes into the Unification Church and former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition.

The leader of the Shincheonji Church in South Korea was arrested over allegations of recruiting followers to join the conservative People Power Party to influence elections. The investigation involves ties between religious groups and politicians, including the Unification Church, as part of broader probes under South Korea’s current government.

The leader of a secretive South Korean church, Lee Man-hee, was arrested over allegations of recruiting followers into the conservative People Power Party to influence elections. The Shincheonji Church denies the accusations, and the investigation is part of broader probes into the presidency of former conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol.