South Korea’s Big 3 Shipbuilders Win $1.1B in Energy Vessel Orders in One Day South Korea’s three major shipbuilders won about 1.5 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in combined orders within a day, reflecting a broader mix of vessel types and customers, industry officials said. Analysts said the deals point to growth beyond ship orders into a wider market for energy transport and storage infrastructure. According to the industry on May 5, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries each secured orders a day earlier from ship May 5, 2026

Samsung Biologics union to shift from strike to open-ended work-to-rule campaign The Samsung Biologics labor union is ending a five-day, full-scale strike that began May 1 and will return to worksites on May 6, shifting to an open-ended work-to-rule campaign. The union is also said to be weighing an extension of the strike, raising the possibility of a prolonged dispute if an agreement is not reached soon. Industry officials said May 5 that labor and management plan to resume talks with a one-on-one meeting on May 6 between a human resources executiv May 5, 2026

Trump Warns Iran Over Strait of Hormuz Attacks, Urges South Korea to Join Maritime Operation The monthlong ceasefire between the United States and Iran is showing signs of strain as the two sides fail to narrow differences despite behind-the-scenes talks. With reports that a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz was hit in an Iranian attack, President Donald Trump publicly urged South Korea to join a U.S.-led maritime operation in the waterway. On May 4 (local time), The Guardian and other outlets reported that Trump, in an interview with Fox News, warned Iran over “Project F May 5, 2026

Special Prosecutor Bars Han Dong-hoon From Leaving South Korea in Probe of Alleged North Korea Remittance Case Manipulation A second comprehensive special prosecutor team led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young has barred Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, from leaving the country after he was accused in connection with allegations that an investigation into remittances to North Korea was manipulated. The team said on the 6th that it imposed a travel ban on Han. A special prosecutor official said the restriction followed the filing of a complaint naming Han as an accused party in a cas May 5, 2026

Fire on HMM Namu Ship in Strait of Hormuz Extinguished; Vessel Heads to Dubai for Checks A fire aboard the HMM Namu, a cargo ship that had been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control, has been extinguished, HMM said. No injuries were reported, and the vessel is expected to enter the nearby port of Dubai to assess damage. HMM said May 5 that the fire was fully put out after midnight May 5, Korea time. Because a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) was used to fight the fire, the company said it plans to enter the engine room later in the afternoon to confirm the May 5, 2026

Samsung TV Unit Faces Cost Pressures as Panel Prices Jump Nearly 36% in Two Years Samsung Electronics is moving to reshape its TV business, with a sharper focus on improving its cost structure and streamlining operations as profitability remains under pressure from higher input and shipping costs. On May 5, Samsung said it expects it will be difficult to secure strong results and profitability in the TV market this year due to rising raw material prices. The company expects second-quarter demand to grow as major sports events such as the World Cup increase, but it see May 5, 2026

Samsung Taps Software Veteran Lee Won-jin to Lead TV Push on AI and Platforms Samsung Electronics has put software and content specialist Lee Won-jin in charge of its Visual Display (VD) Business, which oversees the company’s TV operations. It is the first time in about 20 years that the VD unit has been led by someone without a hardware development background, since former vice chairman Choi Gee-sung in 2007. The move is widely seen as a bid to counter low-priced competition from Chinese brands by shifting from a hardware-centered approach to a strategy built on May 5, 2026

U.S. Raises Pressure on China Over Deportations and Iran Ahead of Trump’s Beijing Trip The United States is stepping up pressure on China over the return of Chinese nationals ordered deported from the U.S. and over Iran, ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing. A senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Monday that China has been reluctant to accept the return of Chinese nationals in the U.S. illegally and that Washington is prepared to tighten travel restrictions if Beijing does not change course. The official said China accepted about 3,00 May 5, 2026

KLPGA Winner Yoo Hyun-jo Climbs to No. 45 in Women’s World Golf Ranking Yoo Hyun-jo, who captured her first win of the 2026 season on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour at the DB Women’s Championship (total purse 1.2 billion won), moved back inside the top 50 in the women’s world golf rankings. In the rankings released May 5 (Korean time), Yoo rose eight spots from last week to No. 45. Her career-best ranking is No. 33, set after she finished tied for third at the Hana Financial Group Championship in September last year. Yoo won the DB Women May 5, 2026

Seoul Jeonse Crunch Deepens as ‘Two-Tier’ Deposits Split Even Within Same Complex As Seoul’s jeonse market tightens, a “two-tier pricing” pattern is spreading, with large gaps in deposits even for the same complex and the same size unit. The split is most pronounced in high-priced complexes where home prices have surged and in complexes with a large share of public rental units that anchor cheaper jeonse deals. According to the Transport Ministry’s real-transaction disclosure system, a new jeonse contract for an 84-square-meter unit in Eunpyeong New Town’s Gupabal 10 C May 5, 2026