Seoul Tourism Chief Gil Gi-yeon Pitches ‘Post-Hallyu’ Push for Arts Travel Seoul tourism is rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down international travel and hit airlines, travel agencies, hotels, duty-free shops, restaurants and performance venues. The disruption also accelerated a shift away from low-cost, shopping-focused group tours toward travel that blends hiking, Korean pop culture, arts, hands-on experiences, festivals and city lifestyle. At the center of that shift is Gil Gi-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, who took office during the pand May 2, 2026

Holiday Weekend Day 2: Mostly Cloudy Nationwide; Rain Overnight in Seoul Area Saturday the nation was expected to be mostly cloudy, with rain starting overnight mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area and inland Gangwon Province. The Korea Meteorological Administration said very dry conditions would persist around Seoul as well as inland parts of the Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang regions. Rain was forecast to begin in some areas overnight Saturday and spread nationwide between daytime Sunday and Monday. Forecast rainfall totals were 5-30 millimeters for May 2, 2026

No One Is Selling: Leverage Surges as South Korea’s KOSPI Rallies "Sell in May and go away." It is one of Wall Street’s oldest sayings, built on the idea that returns tend to lag from May through October. The phrase traces back to 19th-century London, when aristocrats left the market during the social season. In South Korea’s market in 2026, the saying lands differently: There is no one eager to leave, because many investors believe prices will keep rising. The KOSPI surged 30.61% in April, quickly recouping losses from an earlier drop tied to the May 2, 2026

As U.S. Links Iran War Response and Tariffs, South Korea Faces a Hard Choice The United States’ response to the war involving Iran and its tariff talks are increasingly converging into what amounts to a single front. The era when military, security and trade policy moved on separate tracks is ending. Washington is pressing allies on both security contributions and trade rules as it seeks to reshape the international order. After President Donald Trump appeared to target the European Union’s lack of cooperation on the Iran war by floating a review of withdrawing 5,000 U. May 2, 2026

How to Use Korea’s RIA Account as the Kospi Hits Record Highs Korea’s Domestic Market Return Account, known as the RIA, has marked its first month on the market, introduced to steer money back into local stocks. With the Kospi repeatedly setting record highs, investor interest in the account has also grown. Experts say investors should weigh the benefit structure, restrictions and the direction of the local market, rather than signing up solely for tax breaks. The RIA is a special account the government introduced on a limited-time basis this year t May 2, 2026

Theme Parks Roll Out Children’s Day Events With Safaris, MapleStory and Fireworks Major theme parks in South Korea are stepping up Children’s Day programming on May 5, offering expanded attractions, content tied to popular intellectual property and large-scale fireworks shows. ◆Everland targets families with revamped safari and kids club Everland is promoting an “Ever Kids Club” theme day aimed at children and parents. Across the park — including Panda World and Sky Garden Road — it is running 10 hands-on programs such as “Little Animal Explorers” and “French Little C May 2, 2026

Japan Steps In to Support Yen, Sending Dollar Rate From 160s to 155s Until the day before, many in the market had played down the likelihood of intervention. Within a day, that view flipped. Japan’s government and the Bank of Japan moved on April 30 to curb yen weakness, buying yen and selling dollars. The Nikkei newspaper reported the yen slid into the high 160s per dollar during trading, then fell to the 155 range within hours, a swing of about 5 yen. A Japanese government official also acknowledged the intervention to Nikkei. It was the first such act May 1, 2026

KT Wiz First to 20 Wins, Hold 1.5-Game Lead Over LG in KBO KT Wiz became the first team to reach 20 wins this season, beating the Kia Tigers 4-3 on Thursday in Gwangju. KT improved to 20-9 and maintained a 1.5-game lead over second-place LG Twins (18-10). KT led 2-0 after scoring in the third and fourth innings, then traded runs with Kia to go up 3-1. Kia tied it 3-3 on Kim Do-yeong’s RBI single in the sixth and a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. In the ninth, Jang Seong-woo delivered the go-ahead single to right with one out and runners on f May 1, 2026

Lee Jae-myung Marks Labor Day; Unions Rally, Exports Top $80B Again, PPP Picks By-Election Candidates 'Former child factory worker' Lee says growth without labor is only half a success Lee Jae-myung said Thursday, Labor Day, that “growth with labor is growth with a future.” Speaking at a Labor Day ceremony at the Blue House’s Yeongbin-gwan, Lee said respect for labor “is not simply a matter of consideration or charity.” “Growth without labor is only half a success and is not sustainable,” he said, pledging to build “a win-win ecosystem” where labor and management can “respect e May 1, 2026

Democratic Party’s Jeong tours sites as PPP’s Jang wages online fight on holiday Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, and Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, took sharply different approaches on May 1, the first day of the holiday period. Jeong spent the day on the ground, while Jang kept no public schedule and continued his attacks on the ruling camp through social media. Jeong visited the Pyeongtaek Port Vessel Traffic Service Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and encouraged staff on duty. He then traveled to South Chungcheong Pr May 1, 2026