Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative on historical issues, indicated she plans to avoid a deterioration in relations with South Korea but may take a more assertive posture toward China.

When asked about the Chinese side's expectations on developing China-South Korea relations as Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press conference on Friday that China and South Korea are close neighbors and partners.

Hackers have pilfered billions of dollars by breaking into cryptocurrency exchanges and creating fake identities to get remote tech jobs at foreign companies, the report found.

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo asked for a swift removal of sanctions against South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean's U.S. subsidiaries in a phone call with Chinese counterpart Li Chenggang on Wednesday,

Meanwhile, North Korean authorities are exporting various minerals to China, the source said, including coal, iron ore, molybdenum, zinc, copper and gold. Trading companies that export minerals are mostly large entities under powerful agencies such as the party’s Central Committee or the military.

U.S. President Donald Trump will test his deal-making prowess in a region battered by his hardball trade policies on a trip to Asia next week, as doubts hang over his highly anticipated meeting with China's Xi Jinping.