South Korea votes, Switch 2 launch, ispace's second moonshot

Welcome to Your Week in Asia.

After months of political upheaval, voters in South Korea will be looking ahead to a hopefully calmer era when they go to the polls in a presidential election on Tuesday, even as many issues and challenges remain.

Also this week, the stakes are high for video gaming giant Nintendo as it releases the long-awaited successor to its blockbuster Switch console.

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SUNDAY

Thailand begins Pride month

Bangkok will host its first Pride parade since Thailand's same-sex marriage law took effect on Jan. 23. The subsequent month of festivities in the capital and beyond is expected to boost both tourism and retail.

TUESDAY

South Korea chooses next president

South Koreans will vote in a snap election, hoping to settle a chaotic six months sparked by now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Polls show left-leaning candidate Lee Jae-myung has a comfortable lead in the race to become president. Voters are seeking a leader who can inject life into the sluggish economy and restore order to the nation's politics.

BOJ governor speaks amid bond market jitters

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda will speak at a meeting held by research institute Naigai Josei Chosa Kai, while his deputy, Shinichi Uchida, is set to address the Japan Society of Monetary Economics on Saturday. Market participants will be watching closely amid turbulence in the bond market, dissecting the officials' speeches for any policy hints ahead of the BOJ's next meeting, when it will release an interim assessment of a planned reduction in government bond purchases.

IPO: ICT Zone Asia

WEDNESDAY

Tiananmen Square protests anniversary

Wednesday marks 36 years since the deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989, with memorials expected in Taiwan and elsewhere. In Hong Kong, the candlelight vigil at the city's Victoria Park, which used to attract thousands of citizens before the imposition of a national security law in 2020, will not be held.

THURSDAY

Nintendo launches the Switch 2 

Japan's Nintendo launches the eagerly anticipated successor to the smash-hit Switch console, which started selling in 2017. The Switch 2 has a larger screen, a new controller and added features such as a voice chat function. Nintendo expects to shift 15 million units in the financial year ending next March.

U.S. trade figures

The United States will publish its foreign trade data for April, when U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on nearly all trading partners. Trade figures with Asian countries are expected to have slumped despite a 90-day pause on most tariff rates.

Data: Philippines inflation, Singapore retail sales index

IPO: Signature Alliance Group

FRIDAY

Japan's ispace makes second moon-landing attempt

Japanese startup ispace will make a second attempt at a soft landing on the moon, aiming to become the first Asian private company to achieve such a feat. Its first attempt, in April 2023, ended with the lander crashing into the lunar surface.

Reserve Bank of India meets

The Reserve Bank of India is expected to reduce interest rates for a third consecutive policy meeting, with inflation remaining below the central bank's target. Slowing economic growth is viewed as increasing the likelihood of a cut.

Data: Vietnam trade, foreign direct investment and inflation

SATURDAY

Prabowo heads to Russia

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit Moscow for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. He will also attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as a keynote speaker. Prior to taking office in October 2024, Prabowo visited the Russian capital as Indonesia's minister of defense and president-elect.