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· Carl Samson
Ex-Rep. Michelle Steel becomes 1st Korean American woman US ambassador to Seoul
The Senate confirmed former Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) as the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea on June 17, putting a Korean American woman in the post for the first time. How it happened President Donald Trump nominated Steel, 70, in April to fill the ambassadorship,…
· Ryan General
Starbucks Korea ‘Tank Day’ promotion draws outrage
A marketing campaign by Starbucks Korea has ignited public anger in South Korea after promotional slogans referencing “Tank Day” appeared on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, one of the country’s defining pro-democracy movements. The campaign quickly drew accusations…
· Ryan General
‘No Filipinos allowed’ sign in South Korea sparks debate
A TikTok video describing venues in South Korea that allegedly barred Filipinos and other Southeast Asians from entering has ignited renewed debate over discrimination in the country’s nightlife scene. Posted March 14 by creator @callmebelly, the clip has amassed more than…
· Ryan General
YouTuber sentenced to 6 months in South Korea prison over repeated livestream harassment
A South Korean court sentenced American YouTuber Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, to six months in prison after documenting a pattern of disruptive livestream stunts across Seoul. Prosecutors presented footage showing him harassing workers, making explicit…
· Carl Samson
Asia worries, hedges as US-Iran War reshapes the world order
As U.S. and Israeli forces wage war against Iran, Asian governments are racing to protect their citizens, secure energy supplies and navigate a conflict none of them asked for or wanted. State of play: U.S. and Israeli forces began striking Iran at the end of February, killing…
· Carl Samson
Asian American homeowners targeted in Fairfax County burglary spree
Eight Asian American households in Fairfax County, Virginia, have been burglarized since early January, with thieves stealing approximately half a million dollars in cash, jewelry and other valuables. What they took: The Fairfax County Police Department broke the news on Feb.…
· Carl Samson
Former South Korean president sentenced to life in prison for insurrection
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received a life sentence Thursday following his conviction on insurrection charges stemming from a failed martial law decree he imposed in December 2024. State of play: Yoon, 65, was found guilty of rebellion by Judge Jee Kui-youn of…
· Ryan General
The geometry problem behind ‘Friends’ famous couch scene may finally be solved
The “moving sofa problem,” a puzzle that has remained unresolved since it was introduced in 1966 and memorably illustrated in the sitcom Friends, may finally have an answer. Baek Jin-eon, a 31-year-old research fellow at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study, has produced a…
· Carl Samson
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gets five years in prison
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison last week, the first of eight criminal verdicts stemming from his 2024 martial law crisis. Catch up: Yoon abruptly declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, sending troops to surround the National Assembly before…
· Ryan General
South Korea and Japan leaders end Nara summit with K-pop drum performance
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded a two-day bilateral summit in Nara on Jan. 14 with a closing moment few observers would have predicted. The two leaders, wearing matching blue uniforms, sat behind drum kits and performed…
· Carl Samson
GOP senator pushes bill to end dual citizenship
Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno introduced legislation earlier this month that would require Americans to hold only U.S. citizenship, forcing potentially millions to choose between their citizenship and connections to heritage countries. What you need to know: Under the…
· Ryan General
Vietnamese nationals lead record growth in South Korea’s foreign population
Vietnamese residents have become the fastest-growing foreign community in South Korea, with 270,000 living in the country. Recent official data shows that this rise contributes to a total foreign resident population of 1.69 million, with growth concentrated among people aged 15…
· Ryan General
Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years over Terra collapse
A Manhattan federal judge sentenced Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon to 15 years in prison on Dec. 11 following his guilty plea in the collapse of the Terra cryptocurrency ecosystem. The court cited widespread investor harm tied to the failure of TerraUSD and related tokens in…
· Carl Samson
South Korean man detained at green card interview remains in ICE custody
A South Korean man who has lived in the U.S. since infancy was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine green card interview in Los Angeles in October and has remained in custody for more than 40 days. What happened: Taeha Hwang, 39, and his wife…
· Carl Samson
US and South Korea move to repair relations after Georgia raid
Washington and Seoul are taking steps to mend diplomatic and economic relations after September’s immigration raid that detained hundreds of South Korean workers at a battery plant in Georgia. State of play: The State Department announced Friday that it has expanded visa…
· Editorial Staff
Westminster to rename street for Charlie Kirk amid community opposition
The City Council of Westminster, California — home to the nation’s largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans — voted 4-1 last Wednesday to partially rename a street after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, sparking heated debate over political priorities in the heart…
· Carl Samson
South Korean workers prepare class action suit after Georgia ICE raid
Nearly 200 South Korean engineers detained at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia in September intend to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over claims of wrongful arrest, racial profiling and human rights abuses. Latest developments: The legal…
· Carl Samson
Second racially motivated sexual assault of Sikh woman shakes UK community
U.K. authorities have charged a 32-year-old Birmingham man with rape and other offenses following what police describe as a racially aggravated attack on a Sikh woman in her 20s in Walsall, the second such incident targeting Sikh women in the region in less than two months. What…
· Carl Samson
Trump claims he ‘very much opposed’ Hyundai raid amid South Korean warning
President Donald Trump said he was “very much opposed” to last month’s controversial immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned the incident may hinder future U.S. factory construction. Catch up: Immigration and Customs…
· Carl Samson
GOP lawmakers push to strip Mamdani of US citizenship ahead of election
With New York City’s mayoral election set for Tuesday, Republican legislators are pressing federal authorities to investigate Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani’s path to citizenship and potentially revoke it. State of play: Two GOP representatives have spearheaded the campaign…