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  Samsung Biologics, Celltrion expand CDMO investment as labor and safety risks rise Samsung Biologics and Celltrion, after posting record results last year, are pressing ahead this year with multitrillion-won investments centered on contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) to expand capacity, industry officials said. Even with strong growth, both companies face rising internal and external risks, including labor friction, a factory safety incident and geopolitical uncertainty. Samsung Biologics reported 4.55 trillion won ($4.55 trillion won) in revenue and 2.0 March 26, 2026
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  Chong Kun Dang CEO Kim Young-joo Pledges Profit Growth, Higher Corporate Value in 2026 Major drugmakers including Chong Kun Dang, Dong-A ST and Ildong Pharmaceutical held annual shareholder meetings on March 26, approving agenda items as proposed, including new director appointments and cash dividends aimed at boosting shareholder value. According to the industry, Chong Kun Dang held its 13th annual general meeting that morning at its headquarters in Chungjeong-ro. Shareholders approved a cash dividend of 500 won per share, equal to 20% of par value. In opening remarks, C March 26, 2026
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  Online P2P lenders seek looser investment caps as cumulative loans near 20 trillion won Online investment-linked finance firms, known as on-tu-eop, are calling for deregulation — including higher investment caps for retail investors — to improve profitability and expand inclusive finance. With cumulative lending nearing 20 trillion won, the sector is increasingly seen as an alternative source of credit, drawing attention to whether talks on easing rules will gain momentum. According to the financial industry, the sector held a policy forum at the National Assembly on March March 26, 2026
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  Tongyeong, Seoul Launch Spring Classical Season With Major Music Festivals South Korea’s spring classical music season is opening with a run of major festivals, led by the Tongyeong International Music Festival and followed by the Seoul Arts Center Symphony Festival and the Seoul Spring Chamber Music Festival. Industry officials said Thursday that the three events will offer a wide range of programs, from large-scale orchestral concerts to chamber music. The Tongyeong International Music Festival runs March 27 to April 5 at Tongyeong Concert Hall under the t March 26, 2026
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  New Book Traces Tech Revolutions From the Industrial Age to the AI Era Sapiens’ Last Voyage in the Age of the AI Revolution=By Kim Do-yeol, Cheongnyeon Seogwan. The book reviews major technological upheavals from the 18th-century first Industrial Revolution to today’s AI revolution, tracing in chronological order the fear and resistance people have repeatedly shown when confronted with new technology. Organized in four parts, it frames the central question facing humanity in the AI era — “how” to respond — through a narrative history. Kim argues that toda March 26, 2026
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  Comedian Yoon Taek Says His Father Has Terminal Bile Duct Cancer Comedian Yoon Taek spoke about his father’s illness on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block.” The program aired on the 25th and featured “I Am a Natural Person” cast members Lee Seung-yoon and Yoon. Yoon said his father has end-stage bile duct cancer. “There isn’t much time left, so every time I face my father, it’s so hard that I can’t hold back my tears,” he said. “Nothing lasts forever, but he says he’ll go peacefully,” Yoon added. “It’s heartbreaking, but there’s nothing I can do.” Yoon als March 26, 2026
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  NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young Opens Pangyo Corporate Finance Center, Pledges Tailored Support Kang Tae-young, CEO of NH NongHyup Bank, has stepped up on-site management as the bank seeks to expand what it calls productive finance. The bank said on the 26th that Kang attended the opening ceremony the previous day for the Pangyo Corporate Finance Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The center is tasked with focusing support on future growth industries tied to the Pangyo area, including artificial intelligence, data, information technology and semiconductors. Kang said the bank w March 26, 2026
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  South Korea to Hold Forum on Adding Hangul Signboard at Gwanghwamun Gate The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday it will hold a public forum March 31 to hear views on whether to add a Hangul signboard at Gwanghwamun Gate. The “Gwanghwamun Signboard Forum” is scheduled for 2 p.m. at a sixth-floor conference room of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. At a Cabinet meeting on Jan. 20, Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young proposed keeping the existing signboard in Chinese characters while adding a Hangul version, aiming to respect the March 26, 2026
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  Seoul’s SPOEX sports industry expo opens at COEX with 300 companies The 2026 Seoul International Sports and Leisure Industry Show, known as SPOEX, will be held from March 26 to 29 at COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam district, organizers said. The event is co-hosted by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and the Korea International Trade Association, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Launched in 2001, SPOEX is South Korea’s largest sports industry exhibition and one of Asia’s three major March 26, 2026
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  Shinhan Bank, KODIT to Provide 123 Billion Won in Support for Non-Capital Firms Shinhan Bank said March 26 it signed an agreement with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund to expand “productive finance” and support growth recovery for companies outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The program targets firms with headquarters or business sites in non-capital regions, aiming to strengthen local industrial bases and help key regional companies recover and grow. Shinhan Bank plans to provide 123 billion won in guarantees and additional support for guarantee fees to reduce fin March 26, 2026