GC Green Cross Partners with Merck to Expand Biopharmaceutical Production and Supply Cooperation GC Green Cross, known for its blood product 'Aliglo,' announced on May 14 that it has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global science and technology company Merck Life Science to enhance cooperation in biopharmaceutical development and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production processes. The signing ceremony took place at Merck's headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul, attended by Kim Young-im, head of Merck Life Science Process Solutions Business, and Shin Woong, head May 15, 2026

Local Bookstores Struggle to Stock Popular Titles in Miryang "When author Han Kang won the Nobel Prize, our bookstore didn’t receive a single book for two weeks. Only now are we starting to see some titles come in. Customers were disappointed, saying, 'I came to support the local bookstore, but how can there be no books when they’re all available online?' It was embarrassing." Shin Chang-seob, the owner of Cheonghak Bookstore, which has been operating in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, for two generations, made these remarks during a meeting May 15, 2026

Trump and Xi Agree on Maintaining Hormuz Strait Access and Iran Nuclear Deal Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Xi Jinping, the President of China, agreed on the importance of maintaining access to the Strait of Hormuz and the principle that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, the White House announced on May 14. According to reports from Bloomberg and NBC, a White House official stated that Trump had a "good meeting" with Xi during their summit. The two leaders exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East. The White House of May 15, 2026

SK Square Reports Record Q1 Operating Profit of 8.28 Trillion Won SK Square achieved its highest quarterly performance to date, driven by profits from its stake in SK Hynix and improved profitability across its portfolio companies. On May 14, SK Square reported consolidated revenues of 3 trillion won, operating profit of 8.28 trillion won, and net profit of 8.37 trillion won for the first quarter of 2026. Compared to the same period last year, operating profit surged by 400%, while net profit increased by 419%. The company attributed its performance i May 15, 2026

Meritz Fire & Marine Reports Q1 Net Profit of 466.1 Billion Won, Up 0.8% Year-on-Year Meritz Fire & Marine announced on May 14 that it recorded a net profit of 466.1 billion won for the first quarter of this year, marking a 0.8% increase from 462.5 billion won in the same period last year. During the same period, the company reported revenues of 3.3079 trillion won and operating profit of 630.7 billion won, reflecting increases of 9.8% and 1.4%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Investment income rose to 296.2 billion won, a 13% increase from 262.1 billion w May 15, 2026

Canon Korea Launches Video-Focused Camera 'EOS R6 V' Canon Korea is accelerating its efforts to target the video creator market. As the one-person video creator market expands, the company is launching a full-frame mirrorless camera and a dedicated power zoom lens tailored for video content.On May 14, Canon Korea held a press conference at Studio 159 in COEX, Seoul, to unveil the video-focused full-frame mirrorless camera 'EOS R6 V' and the power zoom lens 'RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ.' Attendees included Park Jung-woo, CEO of Canon Korea, and Tokuur May 15, 2026

Korea's Rural Development Administration Shares Dairy and Rice Cultivation Techniques in Uzbekistan Lee Seung-don, head of South Korea's Rural Development Administration (RDA), visited Uzbekistan to promote K-dairy technology and rice cultivation techniques. According to the RDA, Lee's visit began on May 13, during which he attended field demonstrations, met with government officials, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). On the first day of his visit, Lee observed a field demonstration at Sultan Farm in the Syrdarya region. During this event, a letter of intent for th May 15, 2026

Adore and Daniel's $431 Million Lawsuit Faces Delays in First Hearing In the first hearing of a $431 million damages lawsuit filed by Adore against former NewJeans member Daniel and former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin, both sides clashed over delays in the proceedings. The court rejected Adore's request to change the hearing date and proceeded as scheduled. The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 31, presided over by Judge Nam In-soo, held the initial hearing on May 14. Neither Daniel nor Min attended, with only their legal representatives present in cou May 15, 2026

SK Hynix CEO Kwon No-jung Tops Semiconductor Non-Owner Stockholders Kwon No-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, has become the top non-owner stockholder in South Korea's semiconductor industry. This marks the first time that a SK Hynix executive has surpassed Samsung Electronics executives, who have traditionally dominated the semiconductor stock wealth rankings. The recent surge in SK Hynix's stock price, driven by enhanced competitiveness in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), has significantly increased the value of executives' stock holdings.According to a report released on Ma May 15, 2026

Candidates Register as Election Campaigns Heat Up Ahead of Local Elections The ruling and opposition parties officially kicked off their election campaigns on May 14, as candidates registered for the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections. The Democratic Party of Korea, which has formed a campaign committee for national normalization, and the People Power Party, which launched a campaign to prevent the cancellation of indictments, are expected to engage in fierce competition. The Democratic Party aims to reclaim local power and secure its posit May 14, 2026