Simon Denyer

SEOUL — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned Tuesday that Pyongyang could move to bolster its nuclear and conventional weapons program in response to a major joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea…

TOKYO — South Korean President Moon Jae-in has scrapped a planned visit to Tokyo for the Olympics and to meet Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, his office said on Monday, shortly after lodging a protest over "unacceptable" remarks by a Japanese…

TOKYO — North Korea supreme leader Kim Jong Un has chastised ruling party officials for failures in their anti-virus work that created what he called a "grave incident" that caused a "huge crisis" in the country's battle against covid-19, state media…

SEOUL — The accusations are anonymous and surface on social media: alleging that a range of South Korean celebrities — sports heroes, K-pop stars and actors — engaged in bullying as teenagers or younger. The dozens of claims this year have brought…

TOKYO — As the Biden administration prepares to unveil a new strategy to deal with North Korea, the regime in Pyongyang is already pushing back, complaining on Sunday about continued U.S. hostility and threatening to respond. In his Wednesday address…

SEOUL — In the offices of Grand Plastic Surgery in Seoul's glitzy Gangnam district, Rhee Se-whan has been busy nipping, tucking and keeping up with clients who see the coronavirus pandemic health rules as the ideal time to tweak their looks. The…

President Biden was making a point as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday, using the first in-person visit by a foreign leader to emphasize that his administration sees Asia as its highest priority. The…

TOKYO — The Japanese government said Tuesday it had decided to release into the sea more than 1 million tons of water that has collected at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, despite opposition from local fishermen and nearby countries. The…

The Biden administration has opened the door to lifting Trump-imposed sanctions against Iran that are "inconsistent" with the 2015 nuclear deal, and also those that prevent Iran from accessing broader economic benefits under the agreement, according…

TOKYO — North Korea said Tuesday it will not send a team to the Tokyo Olympics, citing the need to protect its athletes from the coronavirus, as concerns about the viability and safety of the massive sporting event continue to grow. The Sports…

TOKYO — North Korea complained about ongoing U.S.-South Korea military exercises on Tuesday and warned the Biden administration that if it wanted peace for the next four years, it should refrain from "causing a stink." The complaint, issued by Kim Yo…

TOKYO — Beside the ruins of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, more than 1,000 huge metal tanks loom in silent testament to one of the worst nuclear disasters in history, the meltdown of three nuclear reactors 10 years ago this month. The tanks…

TOKYO — The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un resurfaced in public view this week after an unexplained absence of more than a year, joining her husband at a concert on an important national holiday. Ri Sol Ju’s absence had provoked speculation…

TOKYO — North Korea tried to hack into the servers of U.S. drugmaker Pfizer to steal coronavirus vaccine information, South Korean intelligence officials reported Tuesday, despite leader Kim Jong Un's professed view that his isolated dictatorship is…

TOKYO — President Biden has vowed to rally the United States' partners to respond to Myanmar's military coup. But persuading Asian allies to support sanctions or moves to isolate the regime will be no easy task, given extensive business interests, a…

TOKYO — North Korea appears to be taking steps toward a new test of a powerful submarine-launched missile, U.S. weapons experts said, as it steadily dials up the pressure on President-elect Joe Biden. Last week, a beaming Kim Jong Un presided over…

TOKYO — Japan's leaders believed they had found a way to live with the coronavirus and keep the economy open, relying on widespread mask-wearing and sensible precautions without resorting to mandatory lockdowns. On Thursday, with the limits of that…

TOKYO — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened a rare ruling party Congress this week with a frank admission that his country's economy had "immensely underachieved" in the past five years and said he had learned "painful lessons" from the…

TOKYO — Iran denied on Tuesday it had taken a South Korean tanker hostage after the ship was seized by armed guards in Persian Gulf waters, even as it complained that Seoul had frozen $7 billion of its assets. The U.S. State Department called the…