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

Alleged drug supplier to Park Wang-yeol arrested after capture in Thailand Choi, 51, accused of supplying drugs worth about 10 billion won to Park Wang-yeol, who is known as a “drug kingpin,” has been arrested, Yonhap News Agency reported. On May 3, Suwon District Court Judge Park So-young, the duty judge for warrant matters, issued an arrest warrant for Choi after a pre-arrest hearing, citing concerns he could flee or destroy evidence. Choi did not answer reporters’ questions as he left the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency building to attend the hearin May 4, 2026

Why the Musical 'Billy Elliot' Still Resonates: Dreams, Love and Sacrifice “Rather than an optimistic message that ‘dreams come true,’ it’s a story about the process a person must go through to live as themselves.” (Lee Ji-young, domestic associate director) The musical “Billy Elliot” has remained popular 21 years after its premiere, drawing a cumulative global audience of 12 million. In South Korea, it returns for its fourth season, meeting audiences again after five years. What keeps the show enduring? Lee said at a press call on Apri May 4, 2026

South Korea to Halve Review Period for Employment Crisis Areas, Special Support Industries The review period used to determine whether to designate employment crisis areas and special employment support industries will be cut in half, and the count of unemployment benefit applicants — a key indicator of labor market conditions — will be expanded to include day workers. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said May 4 it will improve the criteria for designating employment crisis areas and special employment support industries. The designation system is intended to support job st May 4, 2026

Court Sentences Digital Sex Crime Ringleader to 11 Years in Case With 342 Victims A first-instance court has sentenced the leader of a digital sex-crime ring that sexually exploited and threatened 342 victims to 11 years in prison. The Seoul Central District Court found the so-called “Chameducation Group” ringleader guilty of organizing and operating a criminal group and of joint coercion, among other charges. The court also ordered completion of treatment programs for sexual violence and stalking and required registration of personal information. The court cited the organize May 4, 2026

Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating slips to 59.5% after two-week decline, Realmeter says President Lee Jae-myung’s job approval fell for a second straight week, slipping back into the 50% range for the first time in eight weeks, a Realmeter survey showed. Party support also shifted slightly, narrowing the gap between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party. In a poll commissioned by Energy Economic News, Realmeter surveyed 2,006 voters nationwide age 18 and older over four days from the 27th to the 30th. Positive evaluations of Lee’s performance came to 59.5% (46.6% May 4, 2026

Trump Signals Doubts About Iran’s New Peace Proposal, Says It Would Be Hard to Accept U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced skepticism about a new peace proposal from Iran, effectively rejecting Tehran’s idea of ending the war and resolving issues tied to the Strait of Hormuz first while postponing nuclear talks. According to Reuters, Trump said on May 3 local time that he would review the proposal Iran recently delivered, but added, “It’s hard to imagine it being acceptable.” He also said Iran “has not yet paid a big enough price.” Reuters reported that Trump had earli May 4, 2026

LS Cable & System to Showcase Next-Generation Offshore Infrastructure Tech at OTC 2026 LS Cable & System said Sunday it will take part in OTC 2026, to be held in Houston from May 4-7 (local time), where it will showcase products for offshore infrastructure. OTC is a large exhibition where global offshore energy and plant companies present key technologies across subsea infrastructure. This year’s event, themed “Steering Offshore Energy Innovation Toward the Future,” is expected to bring together energy experts from more than 100 countries and more than 1,000 companies, May 4, 2026

Democratic Party’s Jeong Cheong-rae, candidate Ha Jung-woo apologize after child harassment backlash Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, and Ha Jung-woo, the party’s candidate in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district, apologized after drawing criticism for urging a first-grade girl to call Ha “oppa,” a Korean term often used by younger females for an older male. The Democratic Party said May 3 that Jeong issued a statement saying he was “sorry to the child and the child’s parents, who may have been hurt as the child became the center of controversy” during a visit to Gupo Market. May 4, 2026

Shinhan Investment Raises DL E&C Target Price to 130,000 Won, Keeps Buy Rating Shinhan Investment said May 4 it raised its target price for DL E&C to 130,000 won from 120,000 won, citing profitability that outpaces peers and higher earnings estimates. It maintained its “buy” rating. Kim Seon-mi, an analyst at Shinhan Investment, said DL E&C’s first-quarter operating profit “far exceeded” the market consensus as profitability improved in its housing and plant businesses, despite a selective order-taking strategy. “A shift toward profitability over scale has b May 4, 2026