Oil Prices Hit $100 as U.S. Inflation Concerns Rise, Threatening 1490 Won Exchange Rate The exchange rate of the won against the dollar has shown volatility, surpassing the 1490 won mark during trading, influenced by rising international oil prices and inflation concerns in the United States. As of 9:20 a.m. on May 14, the exchange rate was trading at 1489.2 won per dollar. The rate opened at 1489.8 won, down 0.8 won, and briefly crossed the 1490 won threshold shortly after the market opened before retracting some gains. With ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle Ea May 14, 2026

KOSPI Touches 7900 Amid Growing Hopes for 8000 KOSPI continued its strong performance early in the trading session, touching the 7900 mark. Following a record close the previous day, market attention is now focused on the possibility of KOSPI surpassing 8000. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 9:06 a.m., KOSPI was trading at 7877.59, up 33.58 points (0.43%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 7873.91, rising by 29.90 points (0.38%), and expanded its gains, reaching as high as 7909.47 shortly after the market opened May 14, 2026

Kakao Enhances AI National Assistant with Voice Feature for Public Service Reservations Kakao has enhanced its AI National Assistant service, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, by adding a voice feature to improve the convenience of public services via KakaoTalk. On May 14, Kakao announced the integration of a voice interface into its AI National Assistant pilot service. Launched in March, this service allows users to handle public tasks through a conversational AI agent within KakaoTalk. Users can access services such as issuing electr May 14, 2026

National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Under Investigation for Alleged Misuse of Funds Allegations surrounding the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) regarding the payment of legal fees for employees have led to a police investigation. The initiation of a search and seizure operation underscores the seriousness of the matter. This issue extends beyond mere personal misconduct, potentially affecting the trust in an organization that serves both public and private interests. The core of the allegations is that approximately 300 million won in public funds was May 14, 2026

Boston Fed President Calls for Interest Rate Hold Ahead of Wash's Appointment Susan Collins, President of the Boston Federal Reserve, stated that the benchmark interest rate should be maintained at its current level for the time being. As expectations for a rate cut grow ahead of Kevin Warsh's upcoming appointment as the new chair of the Federal Reserve, there is increasing support within the Fed for keeping rates steady. Some officials have not ruled out the possibility of further rate hikes. According to a speech released before an event at the Boston Economic Clu May 14, 2026

ABL Life Insurance Establishes New Sales Centers in Han River and Mapo to Enhance Competitiveness ABL Life Insurance, now part of Woori Financial Group, has added new sales centers to strengthen its competitive edge. The company aims to continue its growth by enhancing sales channels and expanding customer touchpoints. On May 13, ABL Life Insurance announced the opening of its "Han River Branch" and "Mapo Branch" in the Dohwa-dong area of Seoul. The new locations will bring the total number of ABL Life branches to 54 across the country, along with 4 training centers. The company plans May 14, 2026

Jung Won-o Leads with 44.9% Support, Oh Se-hoon Follows at 39.8% As the June 3 local elections approach, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is rapidly closing the gap with Jung Won-o, the Democratic Party candidate. A poll conducted by the Korea Social Opinion Institute (KSOI) for CBS from May 12 to 13 among 1,002 residents of Seoul aged 18 and older showed Jung's support at 44.9% and Oh's at 39.8%. The current gap of 5.1 percentage points is a significant narrowing compared to the previous poll conducted on April 22-23, wh May 14, 2026

LS Eco Energy Supplies Power Network for Vietnam's AI Data Center LS Eco Energy is accelerating its entry into the Southeast Asian AI infrastructure market by participating in a major power supply project for an AI data center in Vietnam. On May 14, LS Eco Energy announced that its Haiphong-based subsidiary, LS-VINA, will supply power cables for the construction of a large-scale AI data center by Viettel Group, Vietnam's largest telecommunications company. This project is one of the largest AI infrastructure initiatives in northern Vietnam, being devel May 14, 2026

Ok-soon Requests Editing Amid Controversy and Pregnancy Rumors on 'I Am Solo' Ok-soon, a participant in the 31st season of the ENA·SBS Plus dating program 'I Am SOLO', has reportedly requested edits to her broadcast appearances, sparking a flurry of speculation and rumors online. Recent posts on various online communities have circulated claims from an anonymous workplace forum. One post alleges that "Ok-soon is pregnant and has been diagnosed with a nervous breakdown, requiring complete rest." It further claims that she requested edits from the production team, s May 14, 2026

Labor Ministry to Combat Unpaid Labor by Monitoring Wage Practices The South Korean government is launching on-site inspections in industrial complexes where comprehensive wage practices are prevalent to eradicate unpaid labor. The first inspections will focus on businesses in the Guro and Gasan Digital Complexes.According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the "Relay Inspections on the Abuse of Comprehensive Wage Practices" will take place from today until the end of the year. This initiative aims to implement the guidelines issued on April 9 to eliminat May 14, 2026