Asia - South China Morning Post

It began with a late-night declaration of martial law and has ended, for now, with a gavel. In the 443 days between those two moments, South Korea’s democracy was tested in ways most countries never experience.

Citizens formed human chains to block troops from reaching the National Assembly. Lawmakers rushed through corridors in the dead of night to kill the martial law decree by vote. The Constitutional Court upheld a president’s impeachment.

Millions took to the streets in protest. A new...

At a defining moment in human history, the world gathered at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. For us in India, welcoming heads of state, heads of government, delegates and innovators from across the world was a moment of immense pride and joy.

India brings scale and energy to everything it does and this summit was no exception. Representatives from over 100 nations came together. Innovators showcased cutting-edge AI products and services. Thousands of young people could be seen in the...

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing mounting pressure from within his own ruling coalition after a key partner called for an independent inquiry into allegations that a “corporate mafia” is operating within the country’s anti-corruption agency, placing his reform agenda under renewed scrutiny.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) – the largest party in Anwar’s uneasy alliance – said it would insist on a royal commission to investigate claims that senior figures in the Malaysian...

A confrontation between a foreign tourist and residents on a popular Indonesian holiday island has reignited debate over the regulation of mosque loudspeakers in the Muslim-majority country.

The dispute, involving a New Zealand national on Gili Trawangan, has drawn fresh attention to whether related government guidelines on the use of such speakers should instead become a binding law.

On February 18, the woman disrupted a Koran recitation night session at a musalla – a small prayer room – near...

Malaysia has blocked access to LGBTQ networking and dating sites Grindr and Blued, with authorities reviewing legal measures to curb their apps in the Muslim-majority nation.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country’s internet regulator, is “examining several legislative measures to curb these applications”, the communications ministry said in a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday.

The commission may also engage with Google and Apple, it said. Google and...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s coming trip to India is expected to further efforts for a diplomatic reset and strengthen Canada’s trade links with the world’s fourth biggest economy.

Carney arrives in New Delhi on Thursday, as part of a regional tour that also takes in Australia and Japan. Analysts see this as a clear signal of Ottawa and Delhi’s shared intent to prioritise economic ties.

Canada has positioned its talks with India as a key step in diversifying trade and reducing reliance...

South Korea unveiled an ambitious package of tourism measures on Wednesday, including looser visa rules, expanded regional airport routes and a crackdown on price gouging, as part of a government effort to attract 30 million inbound visitors.

The plan, which includes granting visa-free entry to Indonesian travellers and expanding automated entry processing to nationals from European Union member states, was announced at the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Kim...

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung marked Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s state visit with an AI-generated video animating their shared past as factory workers, before the two men embraced as heads of state.

Lula arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day trip – his first to South Korea in 21 years – with the two countries agreeing at a summit on Monday to elevate ties to a strategic partnership.

The 11-second clip, posted to Lee’s social media account on Monday, begins with...

Malaysia’s Communications Ministry has ordered an investigation and immediate action following a social media post showing the desecration of the Koran.

Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government strongly condemned the act, describing it as disrespectful, insulting to Islam and a challenge to the sensitivities of Malaysia’s multiracial society.

He said enforcement action had been directed under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has...

He called himself a spiritual guide. Prosecutors called him a fixer. This week, a court in Seoul called him something else: guilty of accepting bribes – a verdict that may yet determine the fate of South Korea’s disgraced former first lady Kim Keon-hee.

The man at the centre of it all is Jeon Seong-bae, a high-profile shaman better known as “Monk” Gunjin who was convicted on Tuesday of acting as a go-between for Kim and senior figures of the Unification Church – channelling luxury gifts, cash...