Saudi Arabia Scales Back Sports Spending as Oil Revenue and Cash Tighten In recent years, one of the biggest storylines in global sports has been Saudi Arabia’s aggressive push, backed by vast oil wealth. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom has promoted its “Vision 2030” plan to transform the economy beyond oil, using sports as a pillar for diversification and image-building. The spending has drawn sustained criticism abroad as “sportswashing,” a term used for efforts to burnish a country’s reputation through high-profile events while obscuring May 6, 2026

Cravity’s Seongmin Makes Strawberry Mousse Bungeoppang as Fan Gift, Inspired by Anime Cravity member Seongmin put his affection for fans into dessert, preparing a handmade “fan gift in return” that included strawberry mousse bungeoppang and sweets cards modeled on an anime. A roundtable interview marking the release of Cravity’s eighth mini album, “ReDeFINE,” was held on the 23rd at Starship Entertainment’s headquarters in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. Seongmin drew attention by handing reporters strawberry mousse bungeoppang he made himself. He said it was also an item he pre May 6, 2026

U.S. Defense Secretary urges South Korea to step up in Hormuz 'Liberation Project' U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday urged South Korea to do more to help ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, including by joining the U.S. military’s “Liberation Project.” According to Yonhap News Agency, Hegseth made the remarks at a Pentagon news conference when asked whether South Korea showed signs of accepting President Donald Trump’s social media request to take part in the project. “I hope so,” he said, adding that he wants South Korea to “step up.” Hegseth said h May 5, 2026

MBC’s “PD Notebook” Probes Student Victims of Samcheong-Style ‘Reeducation’ in the 1980s MBC’s investigative program “PD Notebook” is tracing allegations of “Samcheong-style reeducation” carried out on middle and high school students during the Chun Doo-hwan military era. The episode airing May 5, titled “Forgotten Boys, 1981: Student Samcheong Reeducation,” examines how 4,701 students nationwide were mobilized for so-called “reeducation” from 1981 to 1988, according to the program. The reporting began with a handwritten tip letter that said, “I am a victim of the student Sa May 5, 2026

South Korea Weighs U.S. Call for Hormuz Mission as Trump Signals More Tariffs Blue House: Reviewing U.S. Hormuz proposal, weighing legal steps and readiness The government said May 5 it is reviewing President Donald Trump’s call for South Korea to join a military operation following an explosion and fire involving a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. It said it is considering South Korea’s readiness posture for the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures. The government also stressed it will quickly and accurately determine the cause of the in May 5, 2026

Jeonbuk Gov. Kim Kwan-young to Run as Independent, Plans Preliminary Filing Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Gov. Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the Democratic Party over allegations of handing out cash labeled as chauffeur fees, has decided to run as an independent. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim’s aides told reporters on May 5 that he will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on May 7 at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council to announce his independent bid. The event was initially planned for a lawn in front of the provincial government building bu May 5, 2026

Court Upholds Order to Disclose Yeongpoong-MBK Deal Papers in Korea Zinc Fight MBK Partners and Yeongpoong remain locked in a legal dispute over whether contract documents tied to their bid to take control of Korea Zinc must be disclosed. According to Yonhap News Agency on May 5, the Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 25-2 rejected an immediate appeal filed by Jang Hyeong-jin, an adviser at Yeongpoong, challenging a court order to submit documents related to a management cooperation agreement. Korea Zinc, through its affiliate KZ Precision, had asked the court t May 5, 2026

Iran Foreign Minister Heads to Beijing for Talks With China’s Wang Yi Amid Hormuz Tensions As the United States and Iran entered an armed standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on 5 (local time), Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. Yonhap News Agency reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing. The ministry said Araghchi plans to exchange views with China’s foreign minister on ways to develop bilateral relations and on rapidly changing regional and international devel May 5, 2026

South Korea to Probe HMM Ship Fire After Blast in Strait of Hormuz A process is expected to move forward to determine the cause of a fire that broke out with an explosion aboard the HMM Namu, a vessel operated by South Korean shipping company HMM in the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap reported on May 5 that the Cheong Wa Dae said it plans to tow the ship to a nearby port and then dispatch personnel from the Dubai office of the Korean Register, investigators from the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and forensic experts from the National Fire Agency to examin May 5, 2026

WHO Raises Concern of Possible Person-to-Person Hantavirus Spread on Atlantic Cruise Ship The World Health Organization said it suspects a hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship may have involved person-to-person transmission. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told reporters on May 5 (local time) that “we think there may have been human-to-human transmission among very close contacts,” adding that the first patient may have been infected before boarding. Hantavirus is typically spread through exposure to May 5, 2026