The latest trending Politics issues across Korea, the US, Japan, China and Europe, updated every day.
After the U.S. struck a diesel deal easing sanctions on Russian fuel, Ukraine broke the ‘energy truce’ on Oct. 15 and resumed attacks on Russian refineries. President Trump denounced it as a “disgrace,” while President Zelensky countered that the deal funds Putin’s war.
Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on Oct. 16 the party has begun discussing every option, including impeaching Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae. The opposition People Power Party countered that if an impeachment motion is filed, the public will cry ‘impeach Lee Jae-myung.’
President Trump said he will not use nuclear weapons against Iran and does not expect to send ground troops. The White House and Pentagon have reportedly drawn up plans to use the MOAB, the largest U.S. non-nuclear bomb, if ordered.
The 3,026-meter New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, opened on Oct. 15, state media in both countries reported. Premier Li Qiang delivered a video address, and trucks began crossing in both directions.
Student-led anti-government protests in the Albanian capital Tirana have entered a fourth day and are growing more heated. Protesters are denouncing corruption and neglect of education, opposing a coastal resort project backed by Jared Kushner, and calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Diet she spends three to four hours more than a male prime minister on things like makeup and morning chores, igniting a debate over gender roles. Opposition lawmakers criticized the answer as diminishing the status of women.
The Gulf Cooperation Council postponed the EU-GCC summit set for Oct. 24 in Riyadh, citing repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Houthis also attacked the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen, killing five people.
President Trump scrapped a plan pushed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan. Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s second plan to move central government bodies to Sejong includes 44 agencies in the Seoul metropolitan area, among them the Overseas Koreans Agency. Opposition is growing in Incheon after the agency, which opened in Songdo in 2023, was listed for priority relocation in the first half of 2027.
President Lee Jae-myung’s job approval rose 2 percentage points to 39% in Gallup Korea’s third-week October poll. Disapproval also rose 1 point to 52%, with real estate policy the most cited reason.
The Washington Post published a list of donors who gave about $330 million toward President Trump’s new White House ballroom. Nvidia and Apple each contributed $25 million, and Comcast gave $7.5 million.
Turkish police raided the Istanbul headquarters of Halk TV, one of the few broadcasters that has kept its distance from the government, and detained more than 10 people. Authorities appointed a trustee to run the station, and press freedom groups condemned the move as political repression.