On Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea (ROK, commonly South Korea) announced that it had rejected applications for refugee status from over 500 Yemeni asylum seekers who had arrived at the southern resort island of Jeju earlier this year. The government instead granted a majority of applicants “humanitarian stay” permits, which are issued when the government determines that applicants do not qualify for full refugee status but still allows for applicants to temporarily stay in South Korea for a year on the basis of “other reasons.”

Meng Hongwei, president of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was reported missing by his wife after he left his residence in France on a trip back to his home country of China in the last week of September. Rumors that swirled about his whereabouts were put to rest last Sunday when the Chinese government confirmed that Meng had been detained for “suspected violations of unspecified state law.” Interpol reported that it had received Meng’s resignation the same day, which was to have immediate effect.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) this weekend. The trip comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Pyongyang and the joint call by the two rival Korean governments last month for the US to join a declaration officially ending the Korean War — which Washington has continued to decline.

A typhoon is predicted to approach the main island of the Okinawa island chain on Sunday when residents are slated to head to the polls to elect the next governor of Okinawa Prefecture. A key issue is the possible relocation of United States Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko, a hotly debated subject related to continued US military presence in Japan under the longstanding Japan-US Security Treaty. Two candidates, Denny Tamaki, and Atsushi Sakima are the major candidates for Okinawa governor.

On Thursday, Sept. 20, President Moon Jae-in of Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Chairman Kim Jong-un of Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) urged the United States to join talks on declaring an end to the Korean War. While the prospect of a declaration was lauded across the globe, experts expressed doubts if the declaration will actually lead to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Alleged state-run mass detention camps for Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region has recently gained international attention, with numerous critics calling Beijing’s recent efforts a “high-pressure indoctrination program.”