South Korea’s High-Risk Maternity Beds Vanish, Forcing Long-Distance Emergency Transfers A woman in Cheongju, North Chungcheong province, who was 29 weeks pregnant was transferred to Busan after failing to find a hospital able to perform an emergency delivery, and the fetus died. Several hospitals in the Chungcheong region could not accept her, citing a lack of specialists and insufficient beds. She ultimately had to travel more than 300 kilometers by helicopter. By the time surgery began, it was already too late. Another high-risk pregnant woman in Sejong was also reported May 4, 2026

Why Multigenerational Families Are Ditching Flag-Led Tours for Private Pool Villas With the May holiday period approaching, planning a family trip can feel like solving a high-level puzzle. Parents try to work around a second-year middle schooler’s packed after-school schedule while also mapping routes that won’t be too demanding for a grandmother who has difficulty walking. In the past, booking a single package tour could settle most of it. But the so-called “flag-led tour,” where large groups follow a fixed itinerary, is increasingly ill-suited to families spanning mu May 4, 2026

Iran Warns US Against Hormuz Shipping Escort Plan, Calls It Ceasefire Violation The United States said it would move to help ships transit the Strait of Hormuz, drawing an immediate warning from Iran that any U.S. involvement in a new maritime order there would be treated as a ceasefire violation. According to AFP on 4, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee, wrote on X that “any U.S. intervention in the new maritime order of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.” AFP said the comment came shortly afte May 4, 2026

Resident Says Family Lost Home of 20 Years in Uiwang Apartment Fire A resident who lived for more than 20 years in an apartment in Uiwang, south of Seoul, said the family lost everything after a fire that started in the unit below. A post circulating on social media on May 4 identified the writer, surnamed A, as a member of the family living directly above the unit where the fire began. A said the apartment was the first home the parents ever bought. “They lived there for more than 20 years, and overnight they lost everything,” A wrote. “We can’t even May 4, 2026

Trump Says U.S. Will Help Free Ships Stuck in Strait of Hormuz, Details Unclear 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령이 호르무즈 해협에 발이 묶인 선박을 빼내기 위한 미국의 조치를 시작하겠다고 직접 밝혔다. 트럼프 대통령은 이번 조치를 중립국을 위한 인도주의 대응이라고 설명했지만, 구체적인 실행 방식은 공개하지 않았다. 이번 조치는 미 해군이 선박을 직접 호위해 빼내는 방식보다 운항 재개 지원에 더 무게가 실린 것으로 보인다. 로이터에 따르면 트럼프 대통령은 3일(현지시간) 자신의 SNS 트루스소셜에 “미국이 월요일 아침부터 호르무즈에 갇힌 선박을 도와 자유롭게 하겠다”고 썼다. 다만 May 4, 2026

Actor Kim Soo-hyun Reportedly Seen Looking Gaunt in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong Actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has faced controversy over allegations tied to the late Kim Sae-ron, was recently spotted around Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, with an account saying he appeared noticeably thinner. In a video posted May 3 on the YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho,” former entertainment reporter Lee Jin-ho said an acquaintance saw Kim by chance while passing through Seongsu-dong a few days earlier. “He looked visibly gaunt and worn down,” Lee said, citing the acquaintance May 4, 2026

Intellivix to Unveil Autonomous Patrol Robot, AI Control Platform at AI Expo Korea 2026 Safety AI deep-tech firm Intellivix said it will showcase “physical AI” technology designed to move beyond video analytics and carry out tasks in real-world settings, as it targets the global safety market. The company said Monday it will take part in AI Expo Korea 2026, scheduled for May 6-8 at COEX in Seoul. The expo is billed as Asia’s largest AI-focused exhibition, featuring the latest technologies and industry trends in areas including generative AI, robotics, AI semiconductors, May 4, 2026

7 Free, No-Reservation Children’s Day Events in Seoul and Incheon on May 5 With Children’s Day on May 5 approaching, families are looking for outings that do not require advance reservations. This year, free viewing and walk-in events are scheduled across major central Seoul sites, including Gwanghwamun Square, Han River parks, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the National Museum of Korea and Seoul Children’s Grand Park. Not every program is fully open-access. Some hands-on activities have already closed reservations or will be run on a first-come, first-served b May 4, 2026

K-water to Step Up Pollution Checks Upstream of Dams, Weirs Ahead of Flood Season Ahead of the summer flood season and the peak period for algal blooms, Korea Water Resources Corp. said it will strengthen management of pollution sources in watersheds upstream of dams and weirs nationwide. The agency said it aims to block pollutants from flowing into waterways through advance inspections and follow-up measures. K-water said Monday it will conduct on-site checks, tailored to local conditions and risk levels, focusing on locations with a high likelihood of pollutant infl May 4, 2026

South Korea’s Kospi Jumps Past 6,700 at Open; Kosdaq Up More Than 2% South Korean stocks opened sharply higher on the 4th, with the Kospi breaking above 6,700 and the Kosdaq rising more than 2%. According to the Korea Exchange, the Kospi was at 6,765.11 as of 9:08 a.m., up 166.24 points, or 2.52%, from the previous session. The index opened at 6,782.93, up 184.06 points, or 2.79%. Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said upside drivers remain, including the possibility of upward revisions to the Kospi earnings consensus and the cha May 4, 2026