Ecopro posts 602 billion won Q1 operating profit, up 42-fold Ecopro said in a regulatory filing on the 29th that it posted first-quarter 2026 consolidated revenue of 822.0 billion won and operating profit of 60.2 billion won. Revenue rose about 2% from a year earlier, while operating profit jumped 42-fold from 1.4 billion won. The company attributed the results to a rebound at its secondary-battery affiliates, the consolidation of the GEN (Green Eco Nickel) smelter in Indonesia, and higher metal prices. It said lithium hydroxide prices climbed about April 29, 2026

South Korea Variable-Rate Mortgages Near 40% as Borrowers Chase Lower Rates Variable-rate mortgages at South Korean banks climbed to nearly 40% last month, a shift that could leave more borrowers exposed as market rates rise. The jump is widely attributed to a widening gap between fixed and variable mortgage rates after market rates spiked in the short term amid tensions in the Middle East. With mortgage rates rising quickly, the growing share of variable-rate loans is also fueling concerns about a chain of financial stress among vulnerable borrowers and heavily April 29, 2026

India’s L&T Enters Industrial Electronics Manufacturing With Coimbatore Plant India’s construction and engineering company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said on the 24th it has entered industrial electronics manufacturing, with two production lines beginning trial operations at its plant in Coimbatore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The company plans to supply industrial electronic products in India and overseas. The business will be run through a newly established unit, L&T Electronic Products & Systems (LTEPS). Manufacturing will be based in Coimbato April 29, 2026

Aju Business Daily CEO urges new power supply strategy as energy security risks grow Lim Gyu-jin, CEO of Aju Business Daily, said securing a stable power supply has become “a core task for national competitiveness, no longer a matter of choice,” and called for a new strategy to manage energy supply and demand. Lim made the remarks in opening comments at the “2026 Aju Business Daily Energy Forum” on April 29 at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The forum was held under the theme “Reshaping the energy supply chain and redesigning South Korea’s energy strateg April 29, 2026

L&C Bio says Re2O skin booster uses acellular donated dermis, addresses ethics and oversight L&C Bio said its human tissue-based extracellular matrix (ECM) skin booster, Re2O, is made from acellular dermal matrix (ADM) derived from donated human tissue, pushing back against controversy over regulation and ethics. The company held a press briefing on the 29th at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, to explain ECM structure, Re2O’s characteristics and how human tissue is used. Re2O has recently faced claims and misunderstandings, including suggestions it involves injecting April 29, 2026

How ‘Super Shoes’ Helped Break the 2-Hour Marathon Barrier in Official Racing The men’s marathon “two-hour barrier,” long treated as a limit of human endurance over 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles), has been broken in an official race. The milestone has renewed attention on the rapid evolution of “super shoes,” a showcase of sports science designed to maximize performance. For decades, marathon running was seen as a test of the body with minimal help from equipment. A defining example was the late Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, who won the 1960 Rome Olympics marathon in a April 29, 2026

Energy Think Tank Chief Says Secure Energy Supply Is Key to National Competitiveness Kim Hyeon-je, president of the Korea Energy Economics Institute, said a stable energy supply is no longer just an issue for individual industries but a core task that affects national competitiveness and the broader economy. Speaking in opening remarks at the “2026 Aju Business Second Energy Forum” held April 29 at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim said the world is “creating a new energy order” as geopolitical conflict, supply-chain restructuring and the push toward carbon April 29, 2026

KOSME Chair Kang Seok-jin Visits Cheonan SMEs for Fifth On-Site Meeting This Year The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) said Tuesday it held an on-site meeting, billed as “KOSME that visits and solves problems,” at the Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, facility of KMF. KOSME said the session marked the fifth such visit this year by Chairman Kang Seok-jin. Since January, Kang has visited the Gwangju Regional Headquarters, the Western Gyeongnam Branch, the Overseas Expansion Division and the Seoul Western Branch, holding talks with companies in areas including t April 29, 2026

Ourhome to Launch New Buffet Brand TAKE With First Seoul Location Ourhome is entering the buffet market with a new brand built on nearly 30 years of food-service operating experience. The company said Tuesday it will open the first location of its new buffet brand, TAKE, on May 1 on the second basement level of the Youngpoong Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The restaurant has about 823 square meters (250 pyeong) of dedicated space and is connected to Jonggak Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. Ourhome said it expects demand from nearby office workers on weekd April 29, 2026

Foreigners Net Buy 10 Trillion Won in South Korean Treasuries After WGBI Entry Foreign investors have net purchased more than 10 trillion won in South Korean Treasury bonds in the month since the country’s inclusion in the World Government Bond Index, officials said. The government is watching May — when the index weight rises — as a potential turning point for inflows and market supply-demand conditions. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said it held the fifth meeting of its “WGBI standing inspection and investor outreach task force” on Tuesday at the Government April 29, 2026