Michelle Ye Hee Lee

New: Our deep-dive into life in Hyesan, a North Korean border city close to China, to learn how the few freedoms North Koreans enjoyed have vanished since the pandemic. The Post partnered with @API_official @ishimarujiro to reach three Hyesan residents. washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/…

So.. officially, I'm the last Black staff columnist left in the Washington Post's opinion section.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had cinched a trade deal with Japan, reducing the tax he had planned to levy on imports from a major trading partner as the deadline he has imposed for negotiations over tariffs nears. Our developing story: washingtonpost.com/business/2025/…

.@washingtonpost editorial board: Japan is a case study in how not to cultivate an ally washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/…

Japanese trade negotiator Akazawa poses inside the White House with a commemorative photo of Ishiba and Trump after trade talks Tuesday DC time: "I went to the White House today. The mission is complete. I sincerely thank all those involved.“

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has not yet specified details of the trade deal with the US. In press remarks this morning, he said: "Both sides have been negotiating to the very limit, with national interests on the line. I believe this outcome reflects those efforts."

Japan’s ruling coalition on Sunday lots its majority in the upper house of parliament, a bruising defeat that threatens the prime minister’s political future and destabilizes his government ahead of a key tariff deadline with the United States. washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/…

Polls close at 8pm Japan time today, in an election for the Upper House that could considerably alter the Japanese political landscape. japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/2…

Lovely tribute to the great @danbalz, who is the very best. I can’t imagine The Post or political journalism without him. What an extraordinary and legendary career. Congratulations on your retirement!

Japan, a security ally for seven decades and a key partner in U.S. efforts to counter an increasingly assertive China, is now finding that its security alliance counts for little as it struggles to cut a trade deal with Washington. Our latest: washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/…

The unfounded attacks by @DNIGabbard on @washingtonpost reporter @nakashimae demean the office she has been appointed to. We will continue to pursue transparency and report on the IC in service to our readers and the values on which this country was founded. Happy July 4th. 🇺🇸

Statement from Executive Editor Matt Murray: “For three decades, Ellen Nakashima has been one of the most careful, fair-minded, and highly regarded reporters covering national security. Reaching out to potential sources rather than relying solely on official government press…

At his first press conference marking his first month, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says he’s not sure if the tariff negotiations with the U.S. can be concluded by July 8, before deadline. Both sides are trying to figure out exactly they want and can agree to, he said.

North Korea’s state media broadcast footage of leader Kim Jong Un leaning over the coffins of soldiers who died in that fight, marking the first time Kim had openly displayed his regime’s role in aiding Russia’s war. washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/…

Excellent look inside the U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel sale process by @myhlee at @washingtonpost. Free link: washingtonpost.com/world/2025/06/…

Inside Nippon Steel’s bruising efforts that paved the way to buying U.S. Steel — my latest: washingtonpost.com/world/2025/06/…

Some parents in South Korea think it’s never too early to start preparing for college. Nearly half of children under 6 are now receiving some type of private education, most commonly English classes, according to a government survey. wapo.st/43RFLdN