Stories about East Asia from February, 2014
GV Face: Beyond Gangnam Style – Censorship and Korean Pop Music
It has been called South Korea's “greatest export.” PSY's K-pop song Gangnam style is the most watched video on YouTube. But behind the glamorous facades and big paychecks, it's not all fun and romance until South Korea's censors have done their work. Our managing editor Solana Larsen talks to our...
Chinese Netizens React to Ukraine Revolution
While the current Ukraine revolution has many Chinese asking: “When are we going to take to the streets?”, netizens also learned from Ukraine that democracy isn’t the answer to all problems. Law professor Dong Zhiwei, a long-standing advocate of constitutionalism in China, called the anti-government protests in Ukraine a “coup” that is more...
NASA's New Photo of North Korea
Any international readers interested in North Korea would probably come across at least once this famous photo of Korean peninsula from NASA demonstrating a stark difference in the light emission of two Koreas at nighttime. NASA finally updated a new satellite image and it is ‘even more dramatic than the monochrome NASA satellite image of...
PHOTO: South Korean Labor and Civic Groups Stage Strike
Timed with the start of President Park Geun-hye's second year in office, about 40 thousand South Koreans (police estimate 15 thousand) held protests across the country. The demonstration, spearheaded by Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, calls halt to a clampdown on labor groups, the government's move towards privatization of public...
Praise for Southeast Asia’s Winter Olympians
There is no winter in their respective countries but it did not prevent two athletes from the Philippines and East Timor from joining the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
UNICEF Calls for “Child-Free” Protests in Thailand
After a grenade explosion killed three children in an anti-government protest site in Bangkok, the United Nations Children’s Fund urged government and protest leaders to protect children by keeping them away from protests. Bijaya Rajbhandari, the UNICEF Representative in Thailand, made this appeal: (The UNICEF) condemns the violence that resulted...
Myanmar's Last Remaining Synagogue
Built 120 years ago, the Musmeah Yeshua synagogue in Yangon is the last remaining Jewish synagogue in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar. Aside from being a tourist attraction, it is also listed as an archaeological heritage building in the city.
Not All Bad, Talking Korean Plastic Surgery from Biz Perspective
There have been mounting criticisms on both local and international media's coverage of rampant plastic surgeries in South Korea; many reports are highly sensational, describing how reckless and ignorant plastic surgery patients are (focused on females ones rather than male) and have successfully generated numerous crass jokes and harsh comments...
Could Questions on Ethnicity Stir Trouble in Myanmar?
Myanmar’s nationwide census next month threatens to inflame more ethnic and religious conflicts after 'divisive' questions on ethnicity and religion were included in the questionnaire.
China Internet Giant Tencent's New Acquisition Follows Online2Offline Trend
China is the fastest growing consumption market in the world and online to offline commerce has become a fierce battlefield.
South Korean Figure Skater Yuna Kim's ‘Robbed’ Sochi Gold Becomes Photoshop Meme
Russian figure skater Adelina Sotnikova took gold in the free skating event, but many, not limited to South Koreans, questioned the result.
Top Chinese Journalist Criticized for Giving Birth in the US
"...she only wants the child to have a more normal lifestyle, which has nothing to do with patriotism. Perhaps, this is the problem the government should reflect on."
Ethnic North Korean Schools in Japan Face Ever-Hostile Situation
‘Koreans living in Japan‘ is a vague word glueing very different groups together under the same umbrella term. Based on their affiliation to North/South Korea and the timing of diaspora (whether it happened before/after the Japanese imperial rule during the World War 2 ear), each sub-group goes by a different name,...
Searching for Blame in Deadly South Korean Building Collapse
Ten college students were killed and 105 injured in a building collapse during a university's orientation.
Hong Kong Protesters Target Shopping Mainland Chinese Tourists
Though the huge number of tourists has contributed to economic growth, it has generated a number of social problems.
Assessing Myanmar's Democratic Transition
Tomás Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, concluded his mission by assessing the country's democratic transition: For the time being, the military retains a prevailing role in the life and institutions of Myanmar. State institutions in general remain unaccountable and the judiciary is not...
China: A Survey of City Pollution
Greenpeace has released its 2013 survey on air pollution in China. Dan Harris suggested foreign corporates should consider the index before picking their offices’ locations. The summary of the Greenpeace report in English can be found in China Hush.
China: Protest to Call for Respect for Sex Workers
Female students from Wuhan University in Hubei province demonstrated on Valentine's Day, calling for respect for sex workers in China. Beijing Cream has the story.
Miss Online Award in Miss Indonesia Pageant
Aside from presenting their beauty, charm, talent, and intelligence, contestants of the Miss Indonesia 2014 beauty pageant also learned to be tech-savvy. Special tech-related awards were given during the contest such as Miss Chatting, Miss Social Media, and Miss Online.
VIDEO: UN Report on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea
Horrible stories about North Korea is nothing new. But this may be one of the most extensive reports worth-reading on the country's abysmal human rights condition. A new report by a UN Commission of Inquiry reveals unspeakable crimes against humanity carried out by the North Korean regime against its own...
Shadow of Olympics Evictions Looms Over Tokyo
Japan has already seen people evicted from their homes and homeless people evicted from parks for past mega-events.
About our East Asia coverage
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Nevin Thompson is the Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
