Alessandra Tamponi

The northern route via China to Seoul via Mongolia or Southeast Asia has been the only possibility for thousands of asylum seekers. Since the late 1990s, 33,000 have managed to reach South Korea. But the pandemic has tightened the net. And tens of thousands of North Koreans on Chinese territory fear that the reopening of the borders with Beijing is the antechamber to repatriation.

Seventy years after the armistice that marked the separation Pyongyang is punishing the spread of Korean spoken in Seoul among the population of the Democratic People's Republic with harsh penalties. One way to limit the South's influence, but the popular culture of Hallyu is also increasingly present in the North and can play a key role among younger generations.

Speaking at the Sorbonne in Paris, the South Korean president calls for a global organisation under the UN, a proposal closely linked to South Korea’s bid for World Expo in a city, Busan, that is a leading centre of the digital transition. Technology for humanity would be one of its subthemes.

27% of the territory is now arid due to the worsening quality of the soil, with serious risks for food security. Sandstorms are also on the rise. At a recent forum held in Inner Mongolia, the president relaunched his commitment to the 'Great Green Wall' with the goal of increasing the forest area to 30%. A game that has repercussions outside China as well, intertwining with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The government wants to revise rules on permits for nikkei yonsei, foreign descendants up to the fourth generation. The first immigration incentives with the Abe government in 2018, albeit within strict labor, social and language terms. A revolution dictated by aging and declining population, collapsing consumers and active workers.

Proposal made in parliament to make military careers more attractive to young people. The stigma associating tattoos with organized crime remains in the country, but 60 percent of Japanese in their 20s believe the rules should change. Demographic crisis among obstacles to Kishida's desired military manpower expansion.

China's third-most populous province has launched a "100-day" plan to reduce youth employment, now at 20.4. Massive government intervention and sending graduates to rural areas are meant to overcome the crisis of the private sector, hit by the pandemic but also by measures against high-tech companies. This is unlikely to be effective while discontent grows in universities.

South Korea hosted the first Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, which provided an opportunity to discuss sustainable development and maritime affairs. Given its geopolitical and economic importance, the region is increasingly interesting to the Yoon administration.

The East Asian country is increasingly vulnerable to land degradation. According to government data, 76 per cent of the country's territory is affected. One of the factors is mining, which is growing to meet the demands for raw materials needed in the environmental transition. The UN Conference will be an opportunity to raise the issue of sustainability.

A pilot project supported by the Ministry of Labour includes the E-9 permit for foreign domestic workers. The measure is part of South Korea’s attempt to encourage couples to have more children and mitigate the effects of a declining birth rate. However, it also raises concerns about workers’ exploitation.