HMM Reaches Labor-Management Deal on Headquarters Move to Busan; Oceans Minister Pledges Support HMM’s labor-management dispute over relocating its headquarters to Busan ended with an agreement, prompting the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to pledge full support for the move. Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo attended the signing ceremony for the labor-management agreement on HMM’s headquarters relocation, held April 30 at the Kensington Hotel in Seoul’s Yeouido district. HMM and its union had been in talks since the second half of last year but failed to reach a deal, and tensions re April 30, 2026

Yen Breaks Past 160 per Dollar as Japan Holds Rates and Bond Yields Hit 29-Year High “You must not say that.” After an economic and fiscal advisory meeting at the prime minister’s office on the 13th, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi summoned Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa for a private reprimand. The day before, Akazawa told NHK that “a rate hike is also an option” to respond to the yen’s weakness. While the stated reason was the principle that monetary policy is the BOJ’s domain, markets took it as a signal that the government does not want higher rates April 30, 2026

South Korea culture minister urges faster guidance as game rules lag behind AI era “Companies need to see a guide to move, but we keep only reviewing things. Then game companies can only ask, ‘Are you telling us to market or not?’” (Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young) Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young on April 30 scolded the ministry’s game policy team, saying it must quickly provide the industry with clear guidance as rules and interpretations lag behind rapid change in gaming and AI. “We need to giv April 30, 2026

Naver Q1 revenue jumps 16.3% on commerce and AI growth; operating profit up 7.2% Naver posted double-digit first-quarter revenue growth on expanding commerce and artificial intelligence-driven businesses, and said it will move to strengthen its commerce competitiveness in the second half, including introducing membership-based unlimited free shipping. Naver said Wednesday that first-quarter consolidated revenue rose to 3.2411 trillion won and operating profit to 541.8 billion won. Revenue increased 16.3% from a year earlier and operating profit rose 7.2%. The company April 30, 2026

Sanil Electric shares jump more than 20% on $33.9 million U.S. data center transformer deal Sanil Electric shares surged more than 20% after the company disclosed a large transformer supply contract with U.S. energy company Bloom Energy for data centers. According to the Korea Exchange, Sanil Electric was trading at 275,000 won as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, up 54,000 won, or 24.43%, from the previous session. The stock rose as high as 281,500 won intraday, marking a record high. The rally followed a filing that Sanil Electric signed a 50.3 billion won contract at 12:50 p.m. to sup April 30, 2026

South Korea Expands High-Fuel-Price Relief to All Gas Stations, Regardless of Sales 행정안전부는 30일 '고유가 피해지원금 범정부 TF' 제3차 회의를 열어 연 매출액이 30억원을 초과하는 주유소를 고유가 지원금 사용처로 추가하기로 했다고 밝혔다. 이번 조치는 서민경제 지원 등을 위해 마련한 '고유가 지원금'이 사용처 제한으로 전국 주유소 상당수에서 쓸 수 없다는 지적이 나온 데 따른 것이다. 전국 주유소의 약 58%가 연매출 30억원을 넘는 것으로 파악된 바 있다. 개선 조치에 따라 주유소에서는 연 매출액과 관계없이 고유가 지원금을 사용할 수 있게 된다. 신용·체크카드 및 선불카드로 지원금을 받은 April 30, 2026

HappyTalk Named No. 1 AI Customer Service Platform for Brand Loyalty for Second Straight Year Blumn AI, an AI customer communications solutions company led by co-CEOs Kim Beom-su and Park Jin-young, said on the 30th that its AI chatbot and live-chat platform HappyTalk was selected No. 1 in the AI customer service platform category of the “2026 Brand Customer Loyalty Awards.” It ranked first in the same category for a second consecutive year. The Brand Customer Loyalty Awards are run jointly by the Korea Consumer Forum and U.S. brand evaluation firm Brand Keys. Winners are chosen b April 30, 2026

Seoul Apartment Prices Rise 0.14%; Seocho Joins Songpa in Turning Up High-end apartment districts in Seoul saw their declines ease, while gains also cooled in areas dominated by mid- to lower-priced homes. After Songpa-gu turned positive a week earlier, Seocho-gu also shifted to gains, as bargain listings dried up following the end of a suspension of heavier capital gains taxes on multiple-home sellers. According to the Korea Real Estate Board’s weekly apartment price trend report released Thursday for the fourth week of April, Seoul’s weekly apartment s April 30, 2026

Lee Jae-myung calls for tough punishment for fake news, abusive comments President Lee Jae-myung said on the 30th that “fake news that shows a complete lack of humanity, and insulting comments, deserve severe punishment.” Lee wrote the message on X (formerly Twitter) after linking a news report that police had arrested a man in his 50s accused of repeatedly posting online content that disparaged the Sewol ferry disaster, the Itaewon crowd crush and the victims’ families. He warned that “police task forces will respond strictly in the future as well to fake April 30, 2026

Apartment Fire in Uiwang Kills Couple, Injures 6 A fire broke out at an apartment building in Naeson-dong, Uiwang, south of Seoul, killing a couple in their 60s and injuring six other residents, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday. The fire started about 10:30 a.m. on the 14th floor of a 20-story building, officials said. A man in his 60s who lived in the unit where the fire began died after falling, and his wife, in her 50s, was found dead inside the apartment. Six residents suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation, and we April 30, 2026