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

LX Semicon Q1 Operating Profit Falls 65.5% to 20.6 Billion Won LX Semicon said in a regulatory filing on the 30th that its first-quarter consolidated revenue totaled 388.77 billion won and operating profit came to 20.594 billion won. Revenue fell 18.4% from a year earlier, while operating profit dropped 65.5%. From the previous quarter, revenue slipped 0.3% and operating profit declined 17.3%, which the company attributed to the impact of higher raw material prices. The company said the decline also reflected a base effect after customers increase April 30, 2026

Tariff Refunds, USMCA Review Roil U.S. Auto Market; Hyundai’s Response in Focus A U.S. Supreme Court ruling has set tariff refund procedures in motion, signaling shifts in profit expectations for U.S. automakers. For foreign brands operating in the United States, uncertainty is growing as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, heads toward a scheduled review. Attention is also on how Hyundai Motor Group, which has been posting strong U.S. results, will respond. Industry officials said April 30 that General Motors expects about $500 million (about 740 billion won) April 30, 2026

Busan Buk-gu Gap By-Election Emerges as Three-Way Fight, Poll Shows Tight Race “This time, people really want to pick someone who can get things done. If you show your face a lot and pay attention to the neighborhood, people’s hearts go to you,” a self-employed resident said in Busan’s Manduk-dong on April 29, describing sentiment ahead of the June 3 National Assembly by-election. Manduk-dong is part of Busan Buk-gu Gap, widely seen as the most competitive district among the upcoming by-elections. Han Dong-hoon, the former People Power Party leader, moved to Mand April 30, 2026