Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Washington D.C.

Tokyo bureau chief for The Washington Post, covering Japan and the Koreas

Education: Emory University, BA in international studies and English

Michelle Ye Hee Lee is The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief, covering Japan and the Koreas. She is based in Tokyo. Previously, she covered money and influence in politics and voting access on the national political enterprise and accountability team and was a reporter for The Post's Fact Checker. Prior to joining The Post in 2014, she was a government accountability reporter at the Arizona Republic in Phoenix. She is serving her second term as the president of the Asian American Journalists Association, a non-profit founded in 1981 with more than 2,000 journalists across the U.S. and in As
Latest from Michelle Ye Hee Lee

DeSantis meets with Japanese leader on first stop of international trip

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Japan's prime minister, as the likely GOP presidential contender swings through four of the biggest U.S. allies.

April 24, 2023

Ukraine, China main focus as South Korean president visits White House

In an interview ahead of his trip to Washington, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke about his career, life and his country’s alliance with the U.S., which marks 70 years this year.

April 24, 2023

Japanese leader Kishida evacuated after apparent smoke bomb thrown at him

The incident, which happened while Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was at a campaign stop, comes after former leader Shinzo Abe was assassinated last year.

April 15, 2023

South Korea faces ‘Sophie’s choice’ over sending weapons to Ukraine

South Korea produces a huge amount of ammunition, a result of the Korean War, but is resisting growing pressure to export much-needed supplies to Ukraine.

April 13, 2023

Japan is hostile for LGBTQ people, but attitudes are shifting. Slowly.

Japan is the only G-7 country not to recognize same-sex marriage, and its government is facing calls for action before the group's meeting in Hiroshima in May.

April 12, 2023

North Korean hackers play the ‘long con’ by targeting experts

North Korea's cyberattack capabilities are becoming more sophisticated in the service of Kim Jong Un’s nuclear ambitions, according to a new report.

March 28, 2023

Visit by Japan’s Kishida to Kyiv gives sharp contrast to Xi in Russia

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in Kyiv to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as China's Xi Jinping meets Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

March 21, 2023

The aide who stayed: Walt Nauta, key witness in Trump documents case

How a Navy veteran and valet went from the White House to working at Trump's Mar-a-Lago, reaching the center of the special counsel's classified documents probe.

March 18, 2023

As Asian threats rise, Japan and South Korea hold first summit in 12 years

The United States’ closest allies in Asia are trying to overcome their historical differences and unite against growing threats from China and North Korea.

March 16, 2023

McCarthy’s California visit with Tsai an attempt to thread Taiwan needle

Kevin McCarthy, advised of political implications of a Taipei visit, plans to meet Taiwan’s president at a Reagan Library event in California.

March 11, 2023