Top Asian News 3:36 a.m. GMT

South Korea requests to be excluded from Trump’s efforts to increase tariffs

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials have asked the Trump administration to exclude their country from U.S. plans to impose aggressive tariffs on trade partners, emphasizing that Seoul is already applying low duties on American products under the free trade agreement between the two nations. South Korea’s government on Friday said Deputy Trade Minister Park Jong-won made the request while traveling to Washington this week for meetings with unspecified officials from the White House, the Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The South Korean Trade Ministry didn’t say what Park heard from the Americans.

AP PHOTOS: Pilgrims make offerings to Hindu deities at a biennial festival in southern India

SURYAPET, India (AP) — Chants of “Om Linga, Om Linga” resonated as barefoot Hindu pilgrims, many balancing offering-filled baskets and clay pitchers on their heads, climbed more than 100 steps to a hilltop shrine in southern India. One family led a goat wearing a marigold garland around its neck. A burly man carrying two young children in his arms gripped a live chicken in his free hand while another man carried a goat across his shoulders. The animals were offered as sacrifices to Lingamanthula Swamy, believed to be a form of Lord Shiva, and his sister Choudamma, in return for prosperity and protection.

Yoon appears in 2 different South Korean courts while defending his martial law decree

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shuttled around Seoul in a prison transport vehicle, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in two different courts on Thursday, contesting his arrest on rebellion charges in one and fighting an effort to remove him from office in the other. Both cases — one on criminal charges, one an impeachment — are related to his brief imposition of martial law in December. Security was heightened at the Seoul Central District Court as the motorcade transporting Yoon arrived for a preliminary hearing that involved discussions of witnesses, proposed evidence and other preparations for his criminal trial.

Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party takes initial step toward disbanding

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party took an initial step toward dissolving Thursday, in the latest sign of the Chinese territory’s narrowing space for civil society groups following Beijng’s crackdown on dissent. The Democratic Party’s central committee decided to set up a task force to look into the procedures involved in dissolving the party. A final decision would require approval of the party’s members. Party Chairperson Lo Kin-hei said at a news conference late Thursday that party leaders made the decision based the current political situation and social climate, and said the party did not have any acute financial burdens.

Kim Sae-ron’s death underscores the huge pressure on South Korean celebrities

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In the about 1,000 days between her drunken-driving crash in May 2022 and her death, South Korean mainstream news organizations published at least around 2,000 stories on film actor Kim Sae-rom. A quick search in the country’s press database yields a wave of sensational headlines that illustrate how the local media often cover a celebrity’s fall from grace. Previously one of the brightest young stars in South Korean cinema, Kim was condemned and ridiculed for driving drunk; for talking about her financial struggles after losing roles; for taking a job at a coffee shop; for attempting a comeback in theater; for going out with friends instead of “showing remorse”; and for being seen smiling on set while shooting an indie movie.

As Melania Trump returns to the White House, she’s winning Chinese fans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joyce Yip, a 39-year-old entrepreneur in southern China’s Guangzhou, has a new celebrity crush: Melania Trump. The two-time first lady has become an online celebrity in China, especially among women. That may be surprising, given her husband’s hostility toward China, but social media posts reflect an admiration for her independence, her taste in fashion and how she’s raising her teenage son. And, perhaps most importantly, her stoic allegiance to President Donald Trump despite his misogynistic comments, allegations that he’s had extramarital affairs and his being found liable for sexual abuse in a civil suit brought by a New York advice columnist.

Trump’s freeze on foreign aid could give China an opening on the world stage

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s restrictions on foreign aid and targeting of a key agency funding programs around the world may be offering an opening to America’s biggest adversary — China. From the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development to quitting international groups, Trump’s drastic “America First” moves have raised concerns among some lawmakers and experts about whether the U.S. is ceding global influence to its rivals, especially at a time when Washington is fretting over Beijing’s growing clout at the cost to American interests. Foreign assistance offered the U.S. a source of “soft power” — allowing it to cultivate goodwill, build alliances and counter adversaries in a bid to shore up national security without having to dispatch troops, weapons or other more coercive measures.

China begins repatriation from Thailand of more than 1,000 online scam workers rescued from Myanmar

BANGKOK (AP) — An airlift carrying more than 1,000 Chinese nationals who had worked at online scam centers in eastern Myanmar began Thursday, after the rescued workers were taken across the border to Thailand and put on chartered flights to China. Thailand, China and Myanmar have coordinated efforts over the past month to shut down the scam centers that bilked victims around the world out of billions of dollars through false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. Hundreds of thousands of people from Southeast Asia and elsewhere are estimated to have worked at such centers in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, with many who were recruited under false pretenses for other jobs found themselves trapped in virtual slavery.

The Australian and New Zealand militaries are monitoring 3 Chinese warships off Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian and New Zealand militaries were monitoring three Chinese warships moving unusually far south along Australia’s east coast on an unknown mission, officials said Thursday. The Australian government revealed a week ago that the warships had traveled through Southeast Asia and the Coral Sea and were approaching northeast Australia. Defense Minister Richard Marles said Thursday that the Chinese ships — the naval frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu — were “off the east coast of Australia.” Defense officials did not respond to a request for comment on a Financial Times report that the task group from China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, was 150 nautical miles (278 kilometers) east of Sydney.

Outrage over Indian YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia raises social media regulation concerns

NEW DELHI (AP) — A famous YouTuber in India is facing public outrage and a police investigation after he made an allegedly obscene remark on a YouTube show, raising questions about freedom of speech in a country where digital creators in the past have come under fire for their content. The controversy began last week when social media influencer and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia made remarks to a participant on a comedy show about his parents’ personal relationship. The joke was quickly condemned by social media users, public figures and political leaders. Multiple police complaints were filed against Allahabadia and Samay Raina, who hosts the show “India’s Got Latent.” Both of them, along with some other participants on the show, were summoned by police for questioning and the issue was also raised in Parliament.