Yoon Suk Yeol Gets 7 Years in Appeal Ruling; Lee Reviews Fuel Aid Use; Trump Pressures Iran; Coupang, Unification Minister Updates Yoon sentenced to 7 years in arrest-obstruction appeal Yoon Suk Yeol, a former president, was sentenced to seven years in prison on appeal for charges including obstructing an arrest. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 1, which handles insurrection-related cases and is led by Presiding Judge Yoon Sung-sik, handed down the seven-year term on April 29 for charges including special obstruction of official duties and abuse of authority to interfere with the exercise of rights. The s April 29, 2026

Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young Slams Ruling Party’s Push to Oust Him Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young on Tuesday criticized the People Power Party for filing a motion calling for his dismissal, saying its “pro-American stance has gone too far.” Jeong made the remarks after attending the launch ceremony for the third 2030 Youth Advisory Group and a minister-youth dialogue at the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. He told reporters the opposition party should act as South Korean lawmakers, not U.S. lawmakers, and represent the na April 29, 2026

Democratic Party’s Ha Jung-woo Launches Campaign at Busan Market, Meets Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jun-seok Ha Jung-woo, a former senior presidential secretary for AI future planning, began full-scale political activity on April 29 by joining the Democratic Party and making his first field visit to Gupo Market in Busan, where he had brief encounters with Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jun-seok. Ha visited the market starting at 5:20 p.m. to hear from voters. He is widely expected to win the party’s nomination for the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district. The seat was held by April 29, 2026

Fire Breaks Out at Insulation Factory in Namyangju; Level 1 Response Issued A fire broke out at an insulation manufacturing plant in Namyangju, south of Seoul, prompting fire authorities to issue a Level 1 response and begin firefighting operations. The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters said the fire was reported at about 7:27 p.m. Tuesday at a factory in Yeonpyeong-ri, Jinjeop-eup, Namyangju. Authorities deployed equipment and personnel and issued a Level 1 response at about 7:49 p.m. A Level 1 response mobilizes crews and gear from up to four ne April 29, 2026

S&P Affirms South Korea’s AA Sovereign Credit Rating, Citing Electronics Strength Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday affirmed South Korea’s long-term sovereign credit rating at AA. Yonhap News Agency reported that S&P also kept the country’s short-term rating unchanged at A-1+ and maintained its outlook at “stable.” S&P said volatility in global energy markets had posed a risk to the South Korean economy, but that the country’s strong competitiveness in the electronics sector and supportive fiscal policy helped cushion the headwinds. The agency said South Korea April 29, 2026

Trump Says Iran 'Hasn't Come to Its Senses,' Presses for End-of-War Talks President Donald Trump pressed Iran over end-of-war negotiations, saying the country "hasn't come to its senses." Trump posted the remarks on Truth Social at about 4 a.m. Eastern on April 29 (local time). "They'd better figure it out fast," he wrote, adding, "They (Iran) don't even know how to make a denuclearization deal." He also posted an image titled "No More Mr. Nice Guy." The picture shows Trump wearing sunglasses with bombing in the background. AFP said it believed Trump posted April 29, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun Returns to Beijing Auto Show After 8 Years Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun visited the Beijing motor show, the world’s largest auto exhibition, for the first time in eight years, a move seen as reinforcing the group’s push in China. According to industry officials on Tuesday, Chung visited Auto China 2026 at the Beijing International Exhibition Center and checked the show floor. He toured booths of major Chinese electric-vehicle makers, including BYD, and was said to have reviewed their growing competitiveness in EVs, ba April 29, 2026

Busan mayoral race tight as voters weigh change vs conservative unity "For 75 years we’ve picked conservatives, but I think it may be time to change. The People Power Party doesn’t even seem sorry to the public. They say Jeon Jae-soo gets things done." Bae, a 75-year-old taxi driver in Busan, said he plans to vote for Jeon Jae-soo of the Democratic Party in the June 3 local elections, saying he has little expectation of the conservative bloc or incumbent Mayor Park Hyung-joon of the People Power Party. In interviews across Busanjin, Haeundae and Buk April 29, 2026

Seoul mayoral rivals trade barbs over redevelopment speed and housing pledges With the Seoul mayoral election set for June 3, Democratic Party candidate Jeong Won-oh and People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon have escalated a daily war of words over real estate. After Jeong on April 29 unveiled a housing platform centered on shortening redevelopment timelines, Oh’s camp countered that Jeong was repackaging policies already underway. Jeong announced what he called the “Chakchak Development” real estate plan from the rooftop of Sinjangwi Apartment in Seongbuk-gu, S April 29, 2026

Korea’s ETF Copycat Problem Persists as New-Product Protections Go Unused Exchange-traded fund (ETF) protections designed to curb a flood of look-alike products are effectively not working, with usage either extremely limited or nonexistent for years, according to the financial investment industry. Critics say the lack of effective safeguards has helped fuel the spread of so-called “copycat” products in the ETF market. <Related article, Page 4> As of Tuesday, South Korea operates three index and product protection programs, but their use is virtually nil, April 29, 2026