South Korea Inflation Hits 19-Month High as Growth Picks Up, Raising Rate-Hike Talk Rising consumer prices and stronger-than-expected growth are fueling debate over whether the Bank of Korea may shift toward tighter monetary policy. While a hold in the benchmark rate is widely expected this month, markets are increasingly focused on when a hike could come. According to the National Data Agency on the 6th, consumer prices in April rose 2.6% from a year earlier, the highest increase since July 2024, when inflation was also 2.6%. The central bank expects upward pressur May 6, 2026

Dongbu Construction Expands Companywide Use of Generative AI Dongbu Construction is rolling out generative AI across the company, aiming to boost productivity and strengthen its digital competitiveness. The company said Tuesday it is expanding use of generative AI for everyday tasks including drafting documents, researching materials, summarizing meetings and organizing data. It plans to broaden applications to support on-site construction work and to build work systems based on internal data. After a pilot program last year, Dongbu Construction May 6, 2026

Why More Vietnamese Students Are Being Denied South Korea Study Visas Interest among Vietnamese students in studying in South Korea is rising, but tougher visa reviews are also increasing the number of applicants who fail financial screening, Vietnamese media reported. The trend is fueling calls for clearer, more accurate guidance on study requirements. Citing multiple Vietnamese outlets including VnExpress, reports on May 5 (local time) said statistics released in March by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice showed the numbe May 6, 2026

MachinaRocks Lays Out KOSDAQ IPO Plan, Pitches On-Site AI Operating System MachinaRocks, which is set to list on the KOSDAQ on the 20th, outlined a growth strategy centered on what it calls “on-site AI” at an IPO news conference. The company said it aims to expand its market with an AI operating system designed to run in industrial settings such as manufacturing and defense. CEO Yoon Sung-ho said the company’s core product, the AI operating system “Runway,” will serve as a platform to integrate and manage how companies use foundation models in their own environ May 6, 2026

Democratic Party Reelects Han Byung-do as Floor Leader, a First for the Party Democratic Party lawmaker Han Byung-do, who ran unopposed, was elected floor leader on May 6. He is the first floor leader in the party to win a second consecutive term. The party held a lawmakers’ meeting at the National Assembly and conducted a confidence vote on Han. He won a majority under the party’s rules, which combine 80% of lawmakers’ votes and 20% of votes from dues-paying party members. The exact vote totals were not released under election regulations. Party leader Jung Che May 6, 2026

Tea Brand T’ference Says Average Monthly Sales Quadrupled After OliveBetter Debut "We hope a cup of T’ference tea becomes an experience that lifts everyday life up a notch," said Choi Tae-sook, head of Naturian, in an interview May 4 at the brand’s Gangnam store in Seoul. Choi said she wants T’ference to establish itself as a wellness item that improves modern consumers’ quality of life. Naturian operates the natural cosmetics brand ISOI. After entering the natural cosmetics market in 2009, the company launched the tea-focused brand T’ference in 2021. Th May 6, 2026

Taihan targets North American grid investment with HVDC and subsea cables Taihan Electric Wire said it is stepping up its push into the North American power-infrastructure market, highlighting high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and subsea cable technologies. The company said Tuesday it is taking part in the 2026 IEEE PES T&D exhibition in Chicago from May 4 to 7. The event is the largest U.S. gathering in the transmission and distribution sector, bringing together power-equipment makers, utilities and related organizations. Taihan said it is featuring HVDC May 6, 2026

Innocean Opens Bengaluru Office to Expand in India’s Fast-Growing Ad Market Hyundai Motor Group affiliate Innocean said it is stepping up its push into the global advertising market by establishing a base in Bengaluru, India, as it looks for growth outside a shrinking domestic market. Innocean said May 6 it has opened a local office in Bengaluru — often called India’s Silicon Valley — and will expand its role into a tech-based business solutions hub that combines data, AI and content. Bengaluru is one of India’s key growth centers, home to tech companies, start May 6, 2026

South Korea launches joint task force to support victims of digital sex crimes The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korea Communications Commission and the National Police Agency have launched a joint government task force to strengthen a unified response to digital sex crimes. The ministry said it held a plaque-hanging ceremony on May 6 at the Government Complex Seoul, attended by Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyung, Korea Communications Commission Chairman Kim Jong-cheol, acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung and Jeong Je May 6, 2026

Korea Football Association to Appeal Ruling Upholding Ministry’s Call to Discipline Chung Mong-gyu The Korea Football Association has decided to appeal a court ruling that found the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s request to discipline KFA President Chung Mong-gyu was lawful. The KFA said it made the decision at its fourth board meeting of 2026, held Tuesday at the association’s headquarters in Seoul’s Jongno district, and will file an appeal of the first-instance administrative ruling tied to the ministry’s special audit. On April 23, the Seoul Administrative Court’s Adminis May 6, 2026