Trump Highlights Trade Agreement with Xi During China Visit President Donald Trump concluded his visit to China by emphasizing the outcomes of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He highlighted a trade agreement and the expansion of U.S. agricultural product purchases, while also stressing China's alignment with the U.S. on issues related to the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz. On May 15, Trump told reporters in Beijing after a private meeting with Xi, "The visit was unbelievable," adding, "We reached a fantastic trade agreement fo May 15, 2026

Former Intelligence Chief Moon Sang-ho Faces Five-Year Sentence for Leaking Agent List The Insurrection Special Prosecutor's team, led by Cho Eun-seok, has requested a five-year prison sentence for former Intelligence Command Chief Moon Sang-ho for allegedly leaking the names of intelligence agents during the martial law declared on December 3. During a sentencing hearing on May 15 at the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Hyun-kyung, the prosecution argued for the sentence based on charges of military secret leakage and violations of the Personal Inf May 15, 2026

Government to Announce Employment Stability Plan Amid Industrial Transition The South Korean government plans to unveil a basic employment stability plan during the first half of the year in response to growing concerns about job disruptions caused by industrial changes, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and carbon neutrality. This initiative aims to proactively address the potential for large-scale job shifts resulting from these transitions. On May 15, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a meeting at the Seoul Business Center May 15, 2026

KOSPI Drops Over 4% After Briefly Surpassing 8000 Mark, Trading Curbs Activated The KOSPI index, which fluctuated around the 8000 mark throughout the week, briefly surpassed this threshold for the first time during trading but then plummeted by over 4% due to a surge in profit-taking sales. The index fell to the 7600 range, prompting the activation of a trading curb. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:30 PM, the KOSPI was trading at 7611.51, down 369.90 points (4.63%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 7951.75, down 29.66 points (0.37%) from May 15, 2026

Kim Jong Un Takes Commemorative Photo with Participants of the 9th Workers' Federation Congress Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, took a commemorative photo with participants of the 9th Congress of the Korean General Federation of Trade Unions on May 14.According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on May 15, Kim urged the entire working class and union members to lead the changes of the era under the banner of the three revolutions and to drive the country toward the achievement of the new five-year goals.He emphasized that the significant transitional period May 15, 2026

President Lee Emphasizes Innovation Growth in Meeting with Nobel Laureate Peter Howitt President Lee Jae-myung met with Peter Howitt, a professor at Brown University and last year's Nobel Prize winner in Economics, on May 15 at the Blue House. During the meeting, Lee credited Howitt's guidance through his former student, Chief Economic Advisor Ha Joon-kyung, for helping South Korea achieve the highest global growth rate in the first quarter of this year."Your mentorship has greatly benefited our national policies," Lee said, acknowledging Howitt's influence on Ha, who was advised May 15, 2026

Milk Production Costs Decrease 0.4% Last Year, Price Freeze Likely This Year As negotiations for raw milk prices approach, the likelihood of a price freeze is increasing. This is due to a decrease in production costs, which has reduced the pressure for price hikes compared to previous years. According to the National Data Agency's "2025 Livestock Production Cost Survey Results" released on May 15, the production cost of milk last year was 1,014 won per liter, a decrease of 0.4% (4 won) from the previous year. This reduction is attributed to a decline in the cost o May 15, 2026

Daewoo Engineering's CEO Visits Austria and Czech Republic to Enhance Nuclear Cooperation Daewoo Engineering has initiated extensive communication efforts with local communities to successfully advance new nuclear power projects in Europe. The company announced that CEO Kim Bohyun visited Austria and the Czech Republic from May 11 to 14 to assess collaboration frameworks for nuclear projects and engage in community development activities. On May 12, Kim met with key officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, where they discussed global trends in the nucle May 15, 2026

Korea-India Cultural Contest Highlights Language Barriers and Understanding There was no Hindi interpreter present. In a meeting with a country of 1.5 billion people, South Korea could not provide a single person fluent in that language. Instead, a double interpretation through English conveyed the words of both leaders.During a Cabinet meeting on April 28, President Lee Jae-myung directly reprimanded Foreign Minister Park Jin. "We need to ensure that we can avoid double interpretation in the future by training at least one person in special education," he said.While th May 15, 2026

Kumho Construction Reports 121 Billion Won Operating Profit in Q1, Up 112% Year-on-Year Kumho Construction has achieved a significant rebound in its financial performance for the first quarter of 2026 through improved profitability and solid management practices.In its quarterly report released on May 15, Kumho Construction announced that its consolidated revenue for the first quarter reached 453.4 billion won, with an operating profit of 12.1 billion won and a net profit of 10.8 billion won. While revenue saw a slight decline compared to the same period last year, operating profit May 15, 2026