Won and yen: 2 currencies, 2 very different problems

OpinionSouth Korean companies no longer bring earnings home, while Japan is stuck with financial policiesKANG-KOOK LEEAugust 18, 2026 05:05 JSTJapan and South Korea have been struggling with weak currencies relative to the dollar. (Source photos by Reuters)Kang-Kook Lee is a professor at Ritsumeikan University's Graduate School of Economics in Japan.Read NextSportsHyrox fitness race bulks up Asia's workout sceneSemiconductorsSony, TSMC deal brings overseas investment in Japan chipmaking to $37bnCompaniesEx-wife of SK chief wins South Korean record $643m divorce settlementOpinionThe Grammys should not pigeonhole BTS as Asian popMarketsOptimism grows for broader Japanese stocks amid chip concernsEquitiesJapan dividends heading to record high on chip, AI gainsDatawatchTokyo, Seoul bucking tre