· September, 2013

Stories about East Asia from September, 2013

South Korea: President's Failed Welfare Promise Sparks Criticism

  30 September 2013

President Park is under fire for her retreat on campaign promises of higher pension and tuition subsidies. Critics say her campaign pledges adopted against her own identity as a conservative candidate, helped Park to rake in more votes in the last presidential election. @metempirics gathered relevant links and web reactions [ko] in...

Why Indonesia Should Not Raise its Minimum Wage

  30 September 2013

Rocky Intan explains why a minimum wage hike in Indonesia will harm the country's economy: National and local leaders should resist pressure by some union leaders for an increase in the minimum wage. The increase has not been in line with inflation, unlike what the protesters claim. Moreover, the raise...

Phuket-themed Stamps in Thailand

  30 September 2013

Mark Jochim features Thailand stamps that showcase the beauty and culture of Phuket, a popular island tourism destination. Interestingly, he notes that Phuket-themed stamps do not include the famous beaches of Phuket.

Podcast: China's Big Internet Crackdown

  26 September 2013

Sinica podcast discusses China's recent crackdown on Big-Vs on Sina Weibo and poses questions about whether Sino Weibo will continue to be popular and if online discussions are already moving away from Sina Weibo towards mobile services like WeChat.

Why Laos Has High Maternal And Infant Mortality Rates

  26 September 2013

Dee Harlow cites several factors that explain why Laos has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Southeast Asia: Many factors contribute to the inaccessibility of the care expectant mothers need including, geographic remoteness, lack of infrastructure and seasonal limitations for travel on rough roads, lack of transport or...

Vietnamese Blogger Speaks Out Against Government Repression

  26 September 2013

Nguyen Bac Truyen gave a testimony in a human rights event in Geneva about the repression suffered by bloggers and activists in Vietnam: Since Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang came back from a visit to President Obama in the United States at the end of July, government repression has entered...

South Korea: ‘The Man Must Buy the House’

  25 September 2013

Although South Korea is still a male-dominated society that ranks toward the bottom of polls in gender equality, more men seem to feel they are losing ground. It is partly true when it comes to marriage where social pressure for young men to provide a house for their brides is enormous,...

China's Banned Websites to be Allowed in Shanghai

  25 September 2013

South China Morning Post reported that China will lift a ban on internet access within the Shanghai Free-trade Zone to websites that are currently banned in China, including Facebook, Twitter and The New York Times. In response to the news,Chinese netizens have made sarcastic comments online, although most of the comments...

Hong Kong: Typhoon Usagi Passed Nearby

  23 September 2013

The ‘storm of the century’, Typhoon Usagi, passed through southern China last night had only costed some inconvenience in Hong Kong, such as disrupted transportation service and panic buying in supermarket. Tom Grundy from Hong Wrong has a nice collection of photos and videos on the slightly disturbed city life.

About our East Asia coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Mong Palatino
Mong Palatino is the South East Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.