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

IBS Identifies Collagen Barrier Mechanism in Stroke, Proposes Drug Candidate South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science said it has identified what it called a root mechanism of brain damage in stroke and outlined a potential treatment approach, showing that blocking a “hydrogen peroxide–collagen production pathway” could suppress neuronal death. The research team led by IBS Center Director Lee Changjoon, working with Eulji University, said on April 28 that it found a mechanism in which rising hydrogen peroxide during stroke activates astrocytes, and type I collag April 29, 2026

Foreign Buying Lifts Korea ETFs as Asset Managers Push Global Expansion As the Kospi extends its gains, overseas investors are increasing demand for South Korea-listed exchange-traded funds.  According to the Korea Exchange on April 29, foreign investors bought about 510.1 billion won of the TIGER MSCI KOREA TR from March 27 through that day. They also posted net purchases of 91.2 billion won in the similarly structured KODEX MSCI KOREA TR.  Korean asset managers are moving beyond basic product management and accelerating efforts to tap overseas ETF markets April 29, 2026

Korea’s ETF Copycat Boom Grows Despite Index Priority Rules Since the second half of last year, exchange-traded funds have been one of the main drivers of the stock market’s rise, drawing heavy inflows from retail investors seeking returns with less single-stock risk. But many ETFs are increasingly hard to tell apart, with multiple products tracking the same index or using nearly identical structures. Market participants warn that “copycat” competition is becoming entrenched. A priority-rights system was introduced to curb the problem, but its effe April 29, 2026

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Makes 'Hope Cookies' With Children With Glycogen Storage Disease First Lady Kim Hye-kyung joined children with glycogen storage disease on April 29 to make cookies and deliver messages of encouragement. Kim, the wife of President Lee Jae-myung, visited Children’s Grand Park in Seoul’s Gwangjin District and took part in a “Hope Cookies” baking activity with children living with the rare disease. In a written briefing, presidential office deputy spokesperson Ahn Gui-ryeong said glycogen storage disease is a rare condition in which the body cannot April 29, 2026

South Korea court rules mandatory patent attorney bar membership unconstitutional A provision requiring all patent attorneys to join the Korean Patent Attorneys Association violates the Constitution, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday. In a constitutional complaint challenging Article 11 of the Patent Attorney Act, the court issued a ruling of “constitutional nonconformity” by a vote of 4-3-2, with four justices supporting nonconformity, three finding the provision unconstitutional and two upholding it. A ruling of constitutional nonconformity recogni April 29, 2026

Seoul Mayor Candidate Oh Se-hoon Unveils First Pledge to Cut Health Gaps Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, on Tuesday unveiled his first campaign pledge: “Iron stamina, vibrant Seoul.” He said he would build an environment where residents can manage their health anytime and anywhere, aiming to narrow health gaps tied to income and where people live. Speaking at the Dobong District Public Health Center in Ssangmun-dong, Seoul, Oh said, “A warmer city and a healthier quality of life in Seoul will be the most important policy in the April 29, 2026

Broadcast Media and Communications Commission Conditionally Renews 17 Radio Licenses; Allows Commercial Ads on tbs Traffic FM South Korea’s Broadcast Media and Communications Commission voted to grant conditional renewals to radio stations that fell short of the required score in license reviews, while also easing some rules to support management turnarounds. At its fifth plenary meeting of 2026, held April 29 at the Government Complex in Gwacheon, the commission approved three-year conditional renewals for 17 stations operated by three entities: 14 stations run by the Korean Broadcasting System, two stations r April 29, 2026

Samsung, LG bring Europe-tested heat pump boilers to South Korea market Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are moving into head-to-head competition in South Korea’s heating market, leaning on heat pump technology already proven in Europe.  Industry officials said Tuesday that LG Electronics plans to launch a new all-in-one heat pump system boiler in South Korea in May. With the outdoor unit integrated into the system, it can be installed without separate refrigerant piping work. The company said installation is also easier because it can use hot-water pi April 29, 2026