Barrel Signs China Distribution Deal With Tianma Sports to Expand Sales Watersports brand Barrel Co. said it is accelerating its push into China through a partnership with Chinese sports distributor Tianma Sports. Barrel, led by CEO Park Young-jun, said it signed an exclusive distribution and export agreement with Tianma Sports on the 24th. The deal reflects a minimum purchase target agreed by both sides and is valued at about 26 billion won based on export prices. Actual shipment volumes and timing will be set sequentially through individual orders, and the compan April 29, 2026

UAE’s ADNOC Plans Multibillion-Dollar Push Into U.S. Natural Gas The United Arab Emirates’ state oil company ADNOC plans to invest tens of billions of dollars to expand its U.S. natural gas business, seeking to diversify its commodities portfolio and build a global gas operation centered on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as energy-market volatility rises amid the Iran war. According to the Financial Times, ADNOC’s overseas investment platform, XRG, is reviewing 29 potential deals. The aim is to build a vertically integrated gas business spanning productio April 29, 2026

Kolon Spaceworks Expands North America Defense Push With Canada Submarine Teaming Deal Kolon Spaceworks said it is stepping up its push into the North American defense market through cooperation with Hanwha Ocean and Canadian firm Spartec. The company said it signed a teaming agreement, or TA, with Hanwha Ocean and Spartec at ‘CPSP Partners Day’ held April 28 (local time) in Montreal to strengthen competitiveness for Canada’s next-generation submarine program, known as CPSP. Kolon Spaceworks said the agreement establishes a cooperation framework with a loca April 29, 2026

CertiK report says 2026 digital-asset rules tighten AML and expand security-audit mandates Global Web3 security firm CertiK has released its “2026 Digital Asset Regulation Landscape” report, outlining regulatory trends and compliance challenges across major markets. The report said that as of April 2026, regulatory frameworks for digital assets are becoming more defined in key jurisdictions including the United States, the European Union, Hong Kong and Singapore. It said the industry is moving beyond early-stage self-regulation and reactive enforcement toward comprehensive compliance April 29, 2026

South Korea Labor Ministry Holds Forum With Industrial Accident Victims, Pledges to Close Coverage Gaps The government held a meeting to hear directly from workers injured in industrial accidents and their families during a memorial week for the Day of Workers Killed or Injured in Industrial Accidents. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Ryu Hyeon-cheol, head of its Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters, hosted a discussion forum on Tuesday afternoon with the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service under the theme “Listening to Injured Workers.” The event was organized April 29, 2026

LX International Q1 Operating Profit Falls 6.8% to 108.9 Billion Won LX International said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that its first-quarter operating profit on a consolidated basis totaled 108.9 billion won, down 6.8% from a year earlier. The company cited factors including a decline in the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI). First-quarter revenue rose 4% from a year earlier to 4.2113 trillion won, helped by higher output and sales at key assets including the AKP nickel mine in Indonesia and palm plantations. Operating profit, April 29, 2026

New Books Spotlight: 'The Market Was Never Cold' and 'To the Young Person Asking About Life' The Market Was Never Cold= Luigino Bruni, translated by Lee Garam and others, Bokdodum. Drawing on history, philosophy, biblical studies and anthropology, Bruni argues that mainstream economics — often symbolized by the “invisible hand” — has limits when it treats markets as purely cold and efficient. He challenges modern economic logic that prioritizes efficiency above all else and calls for restoring the market economy’s “human face.” Bruni, an economics professor at LUMSA University April 29, 2026

Salady App Membership Tops 510,000 as Pickup and Delivery Features Expand Salady, a leading salad franchise brand in South Korea, said sign-ups for its official app have surpassed 510,000. That is about a 27% increase from the first quarter of last year, the company said, extending steady growth. The rise is being read as more than a jump in registrations, reflecting that app-based ordering, payment and benefits are becoming established. As contactless ordering and mobile-first dining habits expand, company-run apps are increasingly used to strengthen customer e April 29, 2026

Seoul Area to Offer 13,400 Public Housing Units in First Half, Up 43% The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday it will sell a total of 13,400 public housing units in the Seoul metropolitan area in the first half of this year, up about 43% from 9,400 units a year earlier. Of the total, 5,700 units will come from third-phase new town developments. According to the ministry, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) and Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corp. (GH) will issue tenant recruitment notices on Wednesday for 3,100 units in major districts i April 29, 2026

Seoul to Host Free Palace Walk on May 31; 5,000 Spots Available First Come, First Served A global cultural walking event tracing Seoul’s palaces and traditional streets will be held in the heart of the city. Aju Media Group (Aju Business Daily, ABC and AJP) said on the 29th it will hold the “2026 Seoul Foreign Residents Palace Walk” on May 31 at the Gwanghwamun Square play yard. Registration opened on the 28th. Participation is free, and all participants will receive a summer T-shirt, a hat and a brunch set. The event is open to foreign residents in Korea, international st April 29, 2026