Asia Specific

Same-sex romance dramas are booming across Asia, but does that mean there’s growing tolerance towards LGBTQ communities? What began as a niche genre in Japan has become a regional phenomenon, with countries like Thailand producing hugely popular series that travel far beyond Asia. Streaming platforms and shows like The Boyfriend and Heated Rivalry have helped bring these stories to global audiences. But the rise of the “Boys’ Love”...

The Vice-President of the Philippines Sara Duterte has announced she will run for the Presidency, more than two years out from the next election. While long expected that she would seek the top job, why is she announcing her bid so early? Is a bitter feud with the current President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jnr a factor?

Four years ago she joined forces with Marcos and the pair won the Presidency and Vice-Presidency in a landslide. ...

Singapore has launched a crackdown on vapes, eight years after banning the product, moving in lockstep with several countries around the world in clamping down on e-cigarettes.

The campaign comes as a rising number of teenagers in the country are found to have been using k-pods - vapes that are laced with the drug etomidate, an anaesthetic agent used in hospitals. The new penalties include fines, mandatory rehab, and caning for sup...

Yoon Suk Yeol - former South Korean president - is sentenced to life in prison but avoids the death penalty, in an insurrection case that has gripped the nation. He was found guilty of leading an insurrection linked to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024.

Prosecutors called it an attempt to subvert the constitutional order by deploying troops around parliament and targeting political opponents.

In this bonus episod...

Chinese workers officially get nine days off for this Lunar New Year – the longest stretch of public holiday on record. But, as millions move around the country in the annual travel rush, they’ve found there’s a catch. Some of those days must be made up by working weekends. Many workers are guaranteed just five days of paid annual leave, far fewer than in other major economies. And the work culture has sparked debate around burnout...

Bodyweight influences in Asia - from fashion to K-pop to social media. We examine perceptions around thinness and why Asia didn’t follow the body positivity movement championed in Western countries.

The pressure to be thin shapes how many young people in Asia see their bodies, with extreme diets amplified on social media.

Host Mariko Oi is joined by Rachel Lee from the Asia Specific team and chef and food writer Jenny Dorsey. They di...

Voters in Thailand stick with the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, in a shock national election result. But why did Thais reject the opposition movement, after polls showed an appetite for change? The elected leaders – seen as part of the political establishment – now have the challenge of rebuilding Thailand’s struggling economy. A former fast-growing Southeast Asian powerhouse, Thailand now faces economic woes, falling birthrate a...

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi now has the mandate she's been seeking, after a record-breaking election win. But since becoming the nation’s first female leader in October, her time in office has been overshadowed by a bitter dispute with Beijing. Japanese tourism, seafood and entertainment businesses have taken the brunt of Chinese economic retaliation.

Beijing remains angry that Takaichi indirectly suggested Japan’s militar...

Fifa has accused Malaysia of trying to fast-track foreign football players into the men's national team. In one of the biggest scandals in the country’s football history, football's governing body alleges citizenship documents have been doctored.

Fifa launched an investigation after Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier last June, when seven new foreign-born players were in the team.

But FIFA later ruled that ...

Videos of strangers offering parental love are gaining traction in China. POV videos of parents doing everyday things - like telling you to wrap up when it’s cold outside or reminding you not to skip meals - are racking up millions of views. Fans leave lots of comments sending love to their digital mums and dads, but lots of the most popular accounts weren’t originally set up for this purpose. So - why are they so popular? The BBC’...

Will North Korea’s next leader be Kim Jong Un’s daughter? It’s time to meet Kim Ju Ae. For the past 15 years Kim Jong Un has been the face of North Korea, but now a new Kim is increasingly sharing the stage. Is Kim Ju Ae being prepared to become the first female leader in the country’s history? Or will North Korea's male-dominated political and dynastic culture prove too strong for that to happen? This episode was republished on 1 ...

China’s President Xi Jinping is overseeing an unprecedented purge of military generals. In late 2022, Xi Jinping appointed six men to serve under him at the top of China’s 2-million strong armed forces. Now, in just over three years, he has removed five out of six of the members of the Central Military Commission, or CMC. One by one, they have been placed under investigation for corruption and disciplinary breaches. The initial rem...

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest exporters of labour, sending millions of workers overseas each year - many of them women employed as domestic helpers in places like Singapore and Hong Kong. For families struggling with low wages and limited opportunities at home, overseas work can mean financial stability through remittances.

But that choice comes at a cost. Parents leave children behind, families are split for years a...

Just three months into the job, Japan’s first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election, betting that high approval ratings will give her a public mandate. Critics say it’s opportunistic and risky, especially as voters face rising prices and lingering political scandals.

In this episode, we look at why Takaichi is taking this gamble now, what she hopes to gain, and how her sudden burst of headline-grabbing dipl...

The former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been found guilty on multiple charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024 - he faces up to ten years in prison, and even the death penalty over charges of insurrection and abuse of power.

His prosecution has reopened a familiar question in South Korea: why do so many of its former leaders end up jailed, disgraced, or worse? Is this a sign of a system that holds th...

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City rank among the world’s most polluted cities. The millions of petrol motorbikes are huge contributors to the pollution. Vietnam’s government now says it has the answer: electric bikes.

Vietnam is betting on one of the boldest electric mobility plans, pushing more than 70 million riders to switch from petrol motorbikes to e-bikes, starting in the capital. The aim is to clear the air - but the transition rais...

Singapore doesn’t just have the best passport in Asia. By some metrics, it has the best passport in the world. What does that really mean though?

Singaporeans can travel to 193 countries without a visa. Chinese passport holders, in contrast, can travel to just over 80 countries visa-free. In fact, the top three countries with the strongest passport are all in Asia: Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

How did these countries rise to t...

Myanmar’s military is holding a stage-managed election, but will it change anything?

A raging civil war, a popular former leader detained, and an exodus of citizens abroad aren't ideal conditions for holding an election.

Yet Myanmar’s military junta government is pressing ahead with a three-stage vote that many outside observers say is being held in a climate of fear.

With early results confirming the military-backed party dominatin...

As South Korea's entertainment and cultural soft power surges abroad, the country's cosmetics industry is also riding the wave of growing popularity. South Korea's 'K-beauty' skincare and makeup brands have gone mainstream in the US and UK, with sales worth billions of dollars and social media platforms driving global demand.

But behind the glossy packaging and viral trends is a society long associated with intense, high pressure be...