South Korea watchdog confirms 4.5-month business suspension for Lotte Card; FSC to decide Lotte Card, which suffered a large-scale customer data leak in a hacking incident last year, has been ordered by South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service to suspend business for 4.5 months. According to the financial industry on Wednesday, the FSS confirmed the 4.5-month suspension in a sanctions review committee meeting held that day. Lotte Card said about 2.97 million customers — roughly one-third of its total — had information exposed in a hack in September last year. Of th April 30, 2026

LG Chem narrows Q1 operating loss as petrochemicals rebound; targets 75% NCC run rate LG Chem said Thursday it posted first-quarter consolidated revenue of 12.2468 trillion won and an operating loss of 49.7 billion won. Revenue fell 6.2% from a year earlier, while the operating loss narrowed. By business, the petrochemicals division posted revenue of 4.4723 trillion won and operating profit of 164.8 billion won, which the company linked to the impact of the Middle East war. LG Chem said profitability improved from the previous quarter on a positive inventory lagging effect April 30, 2026

South Korean Won Weakens to 1,480s as Oil Surges and Fed Turns More Hawkish The won weakened against the U.S. dollar as international oil prices jumped on global supply-chain disruptions and expectations for U.S. rate cuts faded. In Seoul trading on April 30, the won closed at 1,483.3 per dollar in onshore trading at 3:30 p.m., up 4.3 won from the previous session. The currency opened at 1,486.5, up 7.5 won, and briefly climbed to 1,488.0 soon after the market opened before paring gains later in the day. A day earlier, the won ended at 1,488.5, up 9.5 won from th April 30, 2026

Why Not Having 100 Million Won in Your 30s Doesn’t Mean You’re Behind, Data Show “I’m in my 30s — if I still haven’t saved 100 million won, am I already behind?” Anxiety about building savings is growing among office workers. Personal-finance videos and online communities repeatedly cite “average assets for people in their 30s,” “saving 100 million won,” and “minimum money before marriage,” treating a certain level of financial assets as a yardstick for stability. The short answer is no: Not having 100 million won in financial assets in your 30s does not automatica April 30, 2026

Korea-China Forum Seeks Ways to Draw Young Talent to Aging Rural Communities Korean and Chinese agriculture experts met in Beijing to discuss policy directions for attracting more young people and skilled workers to rural areas in both countries, amid deepening rural aging and weak youth inflows. The discussion took place at the 33rd Korea-China Agriculture Forum, hosted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) China office. Zeng Junxia, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in a presentation that many young people in China April 30, 2026

Democratic Party Says ARS Outage Claim in Runoff Was Resolved by Candidate Agreement The Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday dismissed Jeonnam Gov. Kim Young-rok’s call for a reinvestigation into an alleged ARS phone-voting outage in the runoff for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor primary, saying the issue had already been addressed through an agreement among the candidates. Kim lost the race to Min Hyung-bae, a former lawmaker. Party Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae told reporters at the National Assembly after a party affairs committee meeting that Kim app April 30, 2026

South Korean Optical Communications Stocks Slide After AI-Fueled Rally Optical communications theme stocks that surged on expectations of expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure have quickly moved into a sharp correction, with volatility rising and investor sentiment cooling as recent gains are erased. According to the Korea Exchange on Wednesday, major optical communications-related shares have shown a clear downtrend since forming peaks in mid-April. Optical Electronics, which makes optical sensors and related products, jumped from 2,080 won on Ma April 30, 2026

NH NongHyup Bank Waives ATM Withdrawal and Transfer Fees Nationwide Through June NH NongHyup Bank said April 30 it will waive fees on automated teller machine transactions nationwide through June 30 to ease customers’ burden amid elevated oil prices. The waiver applies to ATMs operated by NH NongHyup Bank and local agricultural and livestock cooperatives across the country. Customers will not be charged fees for cash withdrawals and interbank transfers made through NH NongHyup Bank and cooperative accounts. A bank official said customers are facing higher costs due t April 30, 2026

L&F posts 118.9 billion won Q1 operating profit on higher high-nickel shipments L&F said in a regulatory filing on April 30 that it posted first-quarter 2026 revenue of 735.2 billion won and operating profit of 118.9 billion won. Revenue rose 19% from the previous quarter and 102% from a year earlier. Operating profit increased 44% from the prior quarter and swung to a profit from a year earlier. The company attributed the improvement to higher shipments of high-nickel products that lifted utilization, along with higher selling prices and a favorable exc April 30, 2026

Jeep Rubicon Tops 1 Million in Global Cumulative Sales Jeep said on the 30th that global cumulative sales of its Rubicon models have surpassed 1 million units. Rubicon is positioned as the top tier of Jeep’s off-road lineup and a benchmark for rough-terrain capability worldwide. In South Korea, Rubicon trims accounted for a growing share of Wrangler and Gladiator sales over the past three years, rising from 61% in 2023 to 72.4% in 2024 and more than 73.4% last year, reaching 78.7% as of March this year. The Rubicon name comes from the notorio April 30, 2026