South Korea seeks ways for its ships to transit Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Ministry says South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it is working to find ways for South Korean ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including through consultations between the South Korean and Iranian governments, after a Japanese oil tanker made the passage for the first time with Iranian approval. A ministry official said the government’s position is that, under relevant international norms, freedom of navigation and safety should be ensured as soon as possible for all vesse April 29, 2026

Korea FTC Names Coupang Chair Kim Beom-seok as Group Head, Raising Regulatory Stakes South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has designated Coupang’s “same person” — the group head for oversight purposes — as Kim Beom-seok, chair of Coupang Inc., replacing the current designation of the company as a corporate entity. The FTC said its assessment that Kim’s younger brother, Kim Yu-seok, is involved in management was a decisive factor. The change is expected to tighten governance scrutiny as Coupang also faces multiple pending FTC investigations. According to industry April 29, 2026

Shinsegae Group Overhauls Strategy Office, Puts Unit Under Chairman Chung Yong-jin Shinsegae Group said it is moving to overhaul its Management Strategy Office, the group’s control tower, as it seeks faster and bolder innovation amid rapid changes in the retail environment. The company said on the 29th that it has begun practical procedures for a broad reorganization of the office to turn it into an innovation unit with stronger execution and a focus on identifying future growth engines. It said the central aim is to deliver “faster and more accurate innovation.” April 29, 2026

Korea Zinc, Tennessee Step Up Cooperation on U.S. Smelter Project Crucible Korea Zinc said cooperation with the state of Tennessee is accelerating as the company moves ahead with “Project Crucible,” its plan to build an integrated smelter in the United States. The company said Tennessee officials, including Lt. Gov. Stuart McWhorter, visited Korea Zinc’s Onsan smelter on April 28 and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation. Korea Zinc described the Onsan facility as a model for the planned U.S. project. Korea Zinc said the visit was arranged to help state offic April 29, 2026

SKC Posts First Positive EBITDA in 10 Quarters as Semiconductor, Chemical Units Rebound SKC said it rebounded on improved results in its semiconductor and chemical businesses. The company said Tuesday that first-quarter consolidated revenue totaled 496.6 billion won, while it posted an operating loss of 28.7 billion won. The loss narrowed sharply from the previous quarter, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization came to 10 billion won, turning positive for the first time in 10 quarters. Kim Jong-woo, who took office in November, got off to a strong April 29, 2026

Indonesia’s Sinar Mas revises bid terms to buy Hyundai LNG Shipping as industry opposes sale Hyundai LNG Shipping’s long-stalled sale process has reached a turning point after Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group presented revised terms that reflect domestic concerns, according to the investment banking industry. Still, whether a deal can be completed remains unclear as the government and the shipping industry are moving to block an overseas sale of a Korean carrier, citing energy security. On 29, the investment banking industry said Sinar Mas recently reintroduced conditions in negotiati April 29, 2026

BMW M Sets 14th Straight Global Sales Record, Leads Korea’s Premium High-Performance Segment BMW’s high-performance brand BMW M set a global sales record for the 14th consecutive year, industry officials said. The brand also held onto the top spot in South Korea’s premium high-performance market, extending its position as a technology leader. According to the industry on Tuesday, BMW M sold 213,457 vehicles worldwide last year, up 3% from a year earlier. BMW M accounted for a record 9.8% of BMW’s total sales last year. BMW M’s best-selling model was the BMW X3 M50. Amo April 29, 2026

Hyundai Motor shifts robotics lab under AVP unit, steps up Nvidia physical AI push Hyundai Motor Group is reshuffling its organization to strengthen its competitiveness in physical artificial intelligence, while accelerating efforts to build a physical AI alliance with Nvidia. According to industry sources on April 29, Hyundai Motor will move its Robotics Lab — currently under the R&D division focused on vehicle hardware development — to the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division, which oversees future mobility technologies. The Robotics Lab will be led by Park M April 29, 2026

South Korea Forecast: Clouds in Central Regions; Rain Possible in Jeju and Parts of the South The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that Thursday the central region will see intermittent clouds, with rain possible in some areas. In a briefing Wednesday, the agency said the central region will be “cloudy at times,” while the southern region and Jeju Island will be mostly overcast. It said rain is expected in parts of Jeju from noon to 6 p.m. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., rain is forecast in southern North Chungcheong Province and in parts of eastern Jeolla and the Gyeongsang r April 29, 2026

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho Orders Panel to Review Prosecutors’ Human Rights Concerns Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho has instructed the Justice Ministry to set up a tentatively named “Prosecutors’ Human Rights Respect and Future Committee” to review cases that have sparked public suspicion of human rights violations or abuse of authority during prosecutorial investigations and indictments. The ministry said April 29 that Jung ordered the committee’s creation and explained the rationale. It said prosecutors established a human rights violation review task force at the Seoul April 29, 2026