Asia News Wrap: Vietnam to cut size of government, and more

Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

Vietnam Assembly approves slashing of government

Vietnamese members of parliament attend the National Assembly's extraordinary session opening in Hanoi, February 12, 2025. /CFP

Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a bureaucratic reform plan on Tuesday that will slash up to a fifth of government bodies as the country tries to cut costs and improve administrative efficiency. The number of government ministries will be reduced to 14 from the current 18. The new plan will take effect from March 1, the assembly said in a statement. More than 97 percent of the lawmakers present approved the plan.

The move would "not only save money for the state budget but, more importantly, boost the system's efficiency," General Secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party To Lam told parliament.

The assembly also passed an amendment to a law on organizing government, paving the way for approval of the planned cut of the state apparatus, which includes four agencies and five state television channels.

South Korea's impeached president appears in court

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) attends the hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, February 20, 2025. /CFP

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at a Seoul court on Thursday for the first hearing of his criminal trial over insurrection charges, during which his lawyers demanded his release from jail. They argued that the investigation had been conducted illegally and that there was no risk of Yoon trying to destroy evidence. 

Prosecutors last month indicted Yoon after accusing him of leading an insurrection with his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024.

Thailand mulls law effectively blocking locals from casino