SK Biopharm Posts Record Q1 Profit on Xcopri, Accelerates TPD Drug Development SK Biopharm said it posted its best-ever first-quarter results, driven by strong sales of its epilepsy drug cenobamate, sold in the U.S. as Xcopri. The company said it plans to use the momentum and cash flow to speed research and development centered on targeted protein degradation, or TPD, along with next-generation pipeline and proprietary platform technologies. In a regulatory filing on 7일, SK Biopharm said its consolidated operating profit for the first quarter was 89.8 billion won, May 7, 2026

Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon vows faster redevelopment, expanded relocation loans Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, said May 7 he would introduce a “fast-track integrated” system and expand the city’s tailored consulting service known as “Shintong 120” to cut redevelopment and reconstruction timelines to within 10 years and broaden relocation-loan support for cooperative members. Oh announced the housing pledges at a rooftop event at the Shilla Building in the Daerim 1 redevelopment area in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo District. The plan followed May 7, 2026

Kang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo and Park Ji-hyun’s ‘Wild Thing’ Targets Summer Box Office "What on earth made you decide to do this?" The music video for “LOVE is,” an original song from the film “Wild Thing,” has stirred buzz online and off since its release. Actor Kang Dong-won, long known for his looks, appears performing flashy dance moves; Uhm Tae-goo, often described as introverted, delivers an unexpected rap; and Park Ji-hyun leads choreography at center. With Kang, Uhm, Park and Oh Jung-se embracing against-type roles, expectations are rising over whether “Wi May 7, 2026

Kakao CEO: Shift to Agent AI Platform Aims to Onboard 50 Million Users Kakao is accelerating a strategy to “onboard 50 million users” to AI services as it pivots toward an agent AI era. Rather than relying on a single, massive model, the company plans to combine a lightweight top-level orchestrator with domain-specific agents to improve cost efficiency and scalability. CEO Jeong Shin-a said on a conference call for Kakao’s 2026 first-quarter earnings that many agent AI services drawing attention today face limits, including excessive token consumption and pr May 7, 2026

Kakao CFO: Governance Simplification to Cut Affiliates to 87 After Kakao Games Restructuring Shin Jong-hwan, Kakao’s chief financial officer, said on a first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call on Wednesday that the company is carrying out a governance simplification plan that has reduced the number of consolidated subsidiaries to 93. He said the total number of affiliates is expected to fall to about 87 once procedures related to gaming unit Kakao Games are completed. Shin said the planned restructuring of Kakao Games this year, following the sale of a stake in Kakao Healthca May 7, 2026

South Korea fines 18 plastic pallet firms 11.7 billion won for bid-rigging Eighteen manufacturers and sellers of plastic pallets that allegedly coordinated bid winners and prices have been fined by South Korea’s antitrust watchdog.  The Fair Trade Commission said May 7 it will impose a combined 11.737 billion won ($11.7 billion won) in penalties and issue corrective orders against the 18 companies for avoiding competition and fixing prices.  Pallets are platforms used in logistics to bundle and move multiple items as a single load.  The companies took par May 7, 2026

Bank of Korea: Stock Wealth Effect Lags Advanced Economies, Could Grow as KOSPI Hits 7,000 South Korea’s stock market generates a much smaller “wealth effect” on household spending than major advanced economies, the Bank of Korea said, though the impact could grow as the KOSPI enters the 7,000 era and stock ownership broadens. In a report released Wednesday titled “BOK Issue Note: An Assessment of Korea’s Stock Wealth Effect,” the central bank estimated that when rising share prices increase household wealth, consumption rises by about 1.3% of capital gains. That implies t May 7, 2026

Kakao posts record first-quarter operating profit as platform, content revenue rises Kakao said it posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue and operating profit in the first quarter, with broad growth across its platform and content businesses. Advertising, commerce, mobility and payments led gains in its core platform operations. On a consolidated basis, Kakao said May 7 that first-quarter revenue rose 11% from a year earlier to 1.9421 trillion won, while operating profit jumped 66% to 211.4 billion won. Platform revenue increased 16% to 1.1827 trillion won. Within tha May 7, 2026

Ruling Party, Government Say 80% of High Oil Price Aid Paid Out; Price Cap Helped Curb Inflation The ruling party and the government said May 7 that relief payments aimed at easing household strain from high oil prices triggered by the Middle East war have been carried out at about the 80% level. They also said a price cap helped offset a significant share of inflation pressures. The Democratic Party’s special committee on economic responses to the Middle East war held its fifth meeting with the government at the National Assembly on May 7 to review measures including the high oil pr May 7, 2026

Trump Signals Iran Deal Could Be Reached Within a Week Ahead of China Trip U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the United States could wrap up negotiations with Iran to end the war before his planned trip to China, as reports said the two sides are discussing a memorandum of understanding. Trump also warned he would intensify military pressure if no deal is reached. According to The Wall Street Journal and other outlets, Trump told reporters at a White House event on Tuesday local time that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon and will not,” adding that Iran had May 7, 2026