Peace and War (Asia)
South Korea's new President likes a challege—and he's got a big one on his hands

Psst, Wanna Nuke? (Asia)
North Korea's economy is shored up by a range of dodgy trades

'I Will Do My Best to Remove the Differences' (Asia)
Read TIME's exclusive interview with South Korea's new President

A Turn of the Screw (Viewpoint)
How do you nix Kim Jong Il's atomic ambition? Squeeze him economically


Japan's Deflation Dogfight (Viewpoint)
Koizumi wants Japan's banking chief to fight deflation—but is that what the country needs?


A Dose of Reality
News Corp. brings cheesy TV to China but can't reach a mass audience—yet

Not a Happy Camper
Although some small companies have flourished, Chinese media is still dominated by giant state-run enterprises


The Week in Peace
While the world waits for bombs to start falling in Iraq, peace is getting a chance in some of Asia's perennial hot spots

Bird Flu Hatches in China
Hong Kong braces for viral onslaught—again

Verbatim
Quotes of the week

Milstones
Memorable moments from the week that was

Cool Jay (Music)
His teacher thought he was dumb. Idolmakers thought he was ugly. But Jay Chou has become Asia's hottest pop star

The Elvis Factor (Music)
Is Jay Chou the next Elvis Presley?

Back on Track? (Movies)
Gong Li returns to the screen in Zhou Yu's Train

Guilt Trippers (Movies)
The Thirteen Steps tackles un-Japanese issues of individual conscience


South Asia's Latest Boomtown
The peace dividend: Sri Lanka's real estate gets hot

Keeping Time
TIME's picks of things to do this month in Asia

Off the Shelf
Lonely Planet's A House Somewhere examines the expatriate life