1 August 2026
the news now

South Korea

South Korea and Argentina Strengthen Ties on Critical Minerals and Energy

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Argentine President Javier Milei met in Buenos Aires on Friday to establish a new era of bilateral cooperation focused on critical minerals and energy. The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance collaboration across…

development
3 sources across 2 countries · South Korea · Argentina · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • La Nacion Argentina · Centre-right · Saguier family

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

South Korean Forces Nearly Shoot Down U.S. Drone Due to Communication Failure

South Korean military forces nearly shot down a U.S. Marine Corps spy drone on Thursday after mistaking it for an enemy threat near the inter-Korean border. The drone was operating in the Civilian Control Line buffer zone south of the Military Demarcation Line as part of a…

5 sources across 3 countries · Japan · South Korea · Hong Kong · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Kyodo News Japan · Centre · Non-profit publisher cooperative
  • The Japan Times Japan · Centre · News2u Holdings
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

Extreme Heat Waves Trigger Record Temperatures and Emergencies Across Europe and Asia

Extreme heat waves are causing record breaking temperatures and emergency conditions across multiple continents. In South Korea, the city of Yangsan recorded a temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, marking the highest temperature since local weather observation began in…

development
3 sources across 3 countries · Germany · Italy · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

South Korean Stocks Post Record Gain as Microsoft Results Spark Global AI Rally

The South Korean benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surged by a record 17.91 percent on Friday, closing at 6,595.45 points. This represents the largest single day gain in the index's history, surpassing the previous record of 11.95 percent set in October 2008.…

development
8 sources across 5 countries · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • CNN Brasil Brazil · Centre · Rubens Menin (MRV)
  • Folha de S.Paulo Brazil · Centre · Grupo Folha (Frias family)
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Financial Times United Kingdom · Centre · Nikkei Inc.
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • Taipei Times Taiwan · Centre-left · Liberty Times Group
  • Bloomberg United States · Centre · Bloomberg L.P. (Michael Bloomberg)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

Japan and South Korea Suspected of Coordinated Currency Intervention to Support Yen and Won

Japanese and South Korean authorities likely conducted a coordinated intervention in the foreign exchange market on Thursday to stem the fall of the yen and the won against the U.S. dollar. The yen surged to the upper 157 range, its strongest level since mid May, while the South…

development
7 sources across 4 countries · Japan · United Kingdom · Indonesia · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Kyodo News Japan · Centre · Non-profit publisher cooperative
  • NHK Japan · Centre · Public · Statutory corporation, reception-fee funded
  • The Japan Times Japan · Centre · News2u Holdings
  • Financial Times United Kingdom · Centre · Nikkei Inc.
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

Vietnamese massacre victims file second petition with South Korea's truth commission

Victims and bereaved families of alleged massacres of Vietnamese civilians by the South Korean military during the Vietnam War filed a second petition for a truth investigation with South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on Thursday. The Korean-Vietnamese Peace…

2 sources · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

Every source for this story reports from South Korea.

· evening

BTS Boycotts 2027 Grammy Awards Over New Asian Pop Category

K-pop group BTS announced on Wednesday that they will not submit music for consideration at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027. The decision is a protest against the Recording Academy's introduction of a new category called "Best Asian Pop Music Performance." In…

development
5 sources across 4 countries · South Korea · Germany · India · Indonesia · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • The Indian Express India · Centre · Indian Express Group (Goenka family)
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· evening

New U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel Arrives in South Korea to Strengthen Alliance

Michelle Steel arrived at Incheon International Airport on Thursday to assume her post as the new United States Ambassador to South Korea. Upon her arrival, Steel described the bilateral alliance as one of the strongest in the world and a linchpin of regional peace and security.…

2 sources · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

Every source for this story reports from South Korea.

· evening

Former South Korean Football Officials Grilled in Parliamentary Hearing Over World Cup Failure and Management

Former Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-gyu and former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo were questioned during a South Korean parliamentary hearing on Thursday regarding the association's management and the national team's early exit from the FIFA…

3 sources across 2 countries · South Korea · Japan · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· evening

South Korean Won Hits Five Month High Amid Market Volatility

The South Korean won strengthened to its strongest level in five months on Thursday, closing at 1,437.4 per U.S. dollar. This represents an increase of 9.3 won from the previous day. The currency's gain followed a decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to hold benchmark interest…

development
2 sources · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

Every source for this story reports from South Korea.

· evening

South Korean Stocks Decline Amid AI Spending Concerns and Fed Uncertainty

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 5,593.56 on Thursday, representing a loss of 69.68 points or 1.23 percent. The market experienced significant volatility during the session, reaching an intraday high of 5,976.82 before plunging to a low of 5,547.41. This…

development
5 sources across 3 countries · South Korea · United Kingdom · Netherlands · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Financial Times United Kingdom · Centre · Nikkei Inc.
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • NRC Netherlands · Centre · Mediahuis

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· evening

BTS to Boycott 69th Grammy Awards Over New Asian Pop Category

K-pop group BTS announced on Wednesday, July 29, that they will not submit any music for consideration at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027. The group cited dissatisfaction with the Recording Academy's newly created category for best Asian pop music performance,…

5 sources across 4 countries · Philippines · Japan · South Africa · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Rappler Philippines · Centre-left · Rappler Inc, staff-held
  • Philippine Daily Inquirer Philippines · Centre · Prieto family
  • Kyodo News Japan · Centre · Non-profit publisher cooperative
  • Daily Maverick South Africa · Centre-left · Reader-funded
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

South Korea Eyes Power Plant Project as First Major US Strategic Investment

South Korea is nearing a decision to make its first investment in the United States under a bilateral trade deal through a power plant project, government and industry sources said Tuesday. The proposed project is likely to be a $19.8 billion gas-fired power plant located in…

2 sources · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

Every source for this story reports from South Korea.

· evening

Brief Evacuation Alert Issued After White Phosphorus Leak at U.S. Osan Air Base

A brief evacuation alert was issued in Pyeongtaek on Tuesday following a minor white phosphorus leak at the K-55 U.S. Osan Air Base, which officials stated posed a low risk to public health and the environment. Police and fire authorities received reports of the toxic chemical…

2 sources · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

Every source for this story reports from South Korea.

· evening

Global Semiconductor Sell-Off Triggered by AI Funding Concerns and Chinese Tech Advances

A global sell-off in semiconductor and artificial intelligence stocks has triggered a market correction, with the Nasdaq 100 dropping more than 10% from its June high and South Korea's Kospi index falling to its lowest level since mid-April. The decline has been widespread…

development
5 sources across 3 countries · United Kingdom · Chile · Switzerland

Who reported this

  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • Financial Times United Kingdom · Centre · Nikkei Inc.
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • Neue Zuercher Zeitung Switzerland · Centre-right · Dispersed shareholders, no controlling stake

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· evening

South Korean President Lee and Brazilian President Lula Agree to Boost Strategic Cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a summit in Brasilia on Monday, where they agreed to enhance their strategic partnership and resume negotiations for a free trade agreement between South Korea and the Mercosur trade…

2 sources across 2 countries · Brazil · South Korea · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Gazeta do Povo Brazil · Centre-right · Grupo Paranaense de Comunicacao
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

Asian Markets Plunge as AI Bubble Fears and Chinese Chip Progress Spark Tech Sell-off

Major Asian stock indices plummeted Tuesday, led by a collapse in semiconductor stocks driven by concerns over an artificial intelligence investment bubble and breakthroughs in China's chip industry. South Korea's KOSPI index fell between 7% and 10%, triggering a market-wide…

development
8 sources across 7 countries · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)
  • Kyodo News Japan · Centre · Non-profit publisher cooperative
  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • Focus Taiwan Taiwan · Centre · Public · Central News Agency, statutory funding
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· morning

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Convicted of Election Law Violations

The Seoul Central District Court has found former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of violating the Public Official Election Act by spreading false information during his 2022 presidential campaign. The court sentenced Yoon to 18 months in prison, suspended for three…

5 sources across 2 countries · South Korea · Japan · 1 state-linked

Who reported this

  • The Hankyoreh South Korea · Left · Reader-owned (60,000+ shareholders)
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)
  • The Japan Times Japan · Centre · News2u Holdings

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled

Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

Ownership is disclosed, never rated.

· evening