Reports describing a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, including the detention of President Nicolás Maduro, have sent shockwaves far beyond Latin America. Regardless of how final details are verified, the global response itself is revealing. Questions that once dominated international debate — legality, due process, sovereignty — have quickly given way to a more unsettling assumption: that such actions are now plausible. This shift marks a deeper transform

Japan’s long-term interest rates have returned to levels unseen in decades, marking a structural shift for an economy long defined by near-zero borrowing costs. Yields on newly issued 10-year Japanese government bonds (JGBs) climbed into the 2% range in December 2025, the highest level in 26 years and 10 months, extending a steady rise that began in 2023. The move has been broad-based. Two-year yields reached 1.12%, the highest since 1996; five-year yields hit 1.52%, th

South Korea speaks confidently of becoming an “AI powerhouse,” yet the foundation of that ambition — data governance — remains dangerously fragile. The reported leak of 33.7 million Coupang user records is not just another corporate security lapse. It exposes a deeper structural failure in how the country understands, designs and governs data itself. Each time a major breach occurs, authorities respond with familiar language: tougher oversight, stricter

By the end of 2025, South Korea’s financial markets offered a paradox. Prices moved sharply, yet the system did not break. Equity indices surged, bond yields rose and the won weakened — but none of this tipped into crisis. Beneath the surface, however, the numbers tell a more uneasy story: stability was preserved, but vulnerabilities quietly accumulated. The Bank of Korea’s semiannual Financial Stability Reports capture this duality well. The Financial Stress I

SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Japan often portrays itself as a paragon of modern civility - an orderly, technologically sophisticated society known for its consumer electronics, comics and clean toilets. However, that carefully cultivated image of

More operators are running virtual-asset businesses without reporting to South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit, in violation of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information, commonly known as the Specified Financial Information Act. Despite the FIU’s hard-line enforcement through ongoing monitoring, user tips and cooperation with related agencies, information encouraging use of unreported operators — including false or exaggera

The mission for next year is structural reform. If 2025 was the year to set the direction and strategy for change, the coming year must be about execution. Structural reform is often misunderstood as synonymous with layoffs or austerity, recalling the trauma of the Asian financial crisis. But its true meaning is different. At its core, structural reform concerns how an economy creates wealth — its mechanism of accumulation. For decades, South Korea’s accumulation m

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The achievements of the anniversary season set an ambitious benchmark for the years ahead. In 2026, the calendar of exhibitions will expand to 22 exhibitions and 5 conferences, alongside new initiatives designed to support the domestic manufacturers, promote investment and further strengthen the key sectors of the national economy Since its establishment in

SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Debate is intensifying over whether the National Museum of Korea should start charging admission fees. Proponents of free entry argue that public museums exist to serve everyone, while opponents point to chronic budget shortfalls that leave few viable alternatives. But this debate often fixates on price, overlooking a more fundamental issue: what, exactly, would visitors be paying for, and is the experience worth charging for? That question becomes clearer