South Korea: Seoul offices and housing, and the funds and institutions active in the market.
A shophouse at Emerald Hill, originally transformed by architecture firm Woha in the late 1990s, has been restored and reimagined by its current owner in collaboration with designer Terence Chan. The project won a 1999 International Award from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and a 2004 Gold Award at the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture in the Conservation Projects category. Woha, founded in 1994 by Richard Hassell and Wong Mun Summ, gave the early 20th-century shophouse a facelift that was more architectural than decorative. Flooring in the historic front section was removed so the second storey reads as a crisp, modern white box.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for army companies to become elite, self-sufficient combat units during a two-day meeting in Pyongyang. The event, the first military-wide gathering since the Ninth Party Congress in February, underscores his priority of strengthening conventional forces. Kim a
Pyongyang test-fired two types of submarine-launched cruise missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday, state media said. The launches, described as a navy training exercise, came amid escalating tit-for-tat missile tests with Seoul following a landmine blast along the border.
Invesco Real Estate has launched a student housing platform in Seoul, seeded with five properties near Korea University that will deliver more than 400 beds. The platform targets a portfolio worth over US$500 million and will open in phases from Q1 2027.
US economic growth hit nearly 4 per cent in the third quarter of 2026, yet Donald Trump's approval rating is falling and his Republican party risks losing both houses of Congress. Voters cite soaring housing and energy costs, mortgage rates above 7 per cent, and widespread fear of AI-driven job loss
French auto parts supplier OPmobility has agreed to acquire Hyundai Mobis' lighting business for an enterprise value of 600 billion Korean won (S$443 million). The final agreement was announced on Wednesday (30 Sep 2026).
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has refused to allow any part of the planned 300-hectare Yongsan Park to be used for apartments, defying President Lee Jae Myung's push to build housing on the site to ease a national crisis. The standoff pits the president's slumping approval ratings against the mayor's green
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a new-type weapon system, state media reported on Tuesday, two days after South Korea and Japan condemned recent short-range missile launches. Pyongyang praised the test as a demonstration of ultra-modern defence technology.
Artificial intelligence will trigger a realignment in office space allocation in the Philippines, favouring specialised office laboratories over traditional back offices, according to JLL Philippines. Workers in routine roles such as call centre agents are expected to transition into tech-testing jo
North Korea has rejected new sanctions efforts, saying no measures can block its development or defense of core interests. The statement from a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, carried by state media KCNA, follows a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) accusing Pyongyang of send
The far-right AfD took first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's state election on 21 Sep 2026, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives crashed to 4.9%, below the threshold for parliament. The result, called a 'disaster' by Merz, follows the party's top finish in Saxony-Anhalt and its s
The newly elected parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) must focus on coalition-building after no single party secured a majority in the first parliamentary elections. Senator Francis Pangilinan said cooperation between parties is vital to form a government rooted
SK Hynix is in talks with Intel about a deal that would see it manufacture memory chips in the US for the first time, with scenarios including leasing part of Intel's Ohio facility or forming a venture with cloud firms. Potential opposition from Seoul over sensitive technology could be a major hurdl
ESR Kendall Square has sold Pyeongtaek Logistics Park in South Korea to a Samsung SRA Asset Management vehicle backed by the National Pension Service for KRW 343 billion ($252.6 million). The 190,000 sq m warehouse, fully pre-leased to e-commerce operator SSG.com, was developed with Canadian and Dut
Korea Post has selected Capstone Asset Management and IGIS Asset Management as preferred bidders for a KRW 500 billion ($368 million) domestic real estate loan strategy. The mandate marks the state-run postal agency's first domestic property debt programme since 2023, permitting development lending
Eight commercial tenants at The Animal Lodge in Sungei Tengah will lose their leases when they expire in December 2026 after failing to meet minimum requirements in a tender exercise. Seven are dog breeders and one operates a pet boarding facility. The remaining 27 tenants will be allowed to stay un
Tishman Speyer has made its first acquisition under its Korea Living Venture (KLV), buying the 411-unit Songdo CoStay in Incheon. The US developer is deploying S$300 million in equity commitments from Dutch pension investors APG and Bouwinvest into South Korea's rental housing sector.
Gaw Capital Partners and Petraville Asset Management have acquired City Center Tower in Seoul’s Jung district for KRW 292.7 billion ($211 million). South Korea’s National Pension Service backed the acquisition, which closed on 30 July 2026.