South Korea Launches Broad AI Strategy to Upgrade Data, Manufacturing and Government South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT is moving ahead with a comprehensive strategy to respond to a sweeping shift driven by artificial intelligence, spanning data 확보, research and development, industrial deployment and global expansion. The government plans to invest more than 60 trillion won in national strategic technologies over the next five years and accelerate its push to become one of the world’s “top three AI powers” by expanding AI-based innovation across manufacturing, pu April 30, 2026

South Korea FTC to Base Fines on Last Full Year Before Violation Ends; Retaliation Penalty Up to 30% South Korea’s competition watchdog will change how it calculates administrative fines, shifting the sales base period from the business year immediately before a violation to the business year immediately before the violation ends. It will also raise penalties for retaliation in the agency and franchise sectors, allowing fines to be increased by up to 30% when businesses retaliate over reports to the Fair Trade Commission.  The Fair Trade Commission said April 30 it will seek public co April 30, 2026

Korea Fair Trade Commission Warns of Refund Delays as Prepaid Installment Firms Drop to 76 South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said Thursday the number of registered prepaid installment transaction companies fell to 76 in the first quarter, down from 77. The commission said two companies canceled their registrations during the quarter and one newly registered. Four companies reported changes to key information such as executives or addresses. A Plus Life and Baramil Good Life changed their representatives, The Better Life changed its address, and Utopia Future changed its em April 30, 2026

National Fire Agency, Pediatric Emergency Society to Upgrade 119 Child Emergency Response The National Fire Agency said April 30 it confirmed practical cooperation steps with the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine after holding a meeting the previous day to strengthen response systems for pediatric emergency patients and improve transport. The agency said the talks were arranged as hospitals face growing difficulty accepting pediatric emergency patients amid regional imbalances in pediatric medical resources and a shortage of residents. It said the goal is to combi April 30, 2026

Queen Camilla Meets Sarah Jessica Parker at New York Public Library Event After two days in Washington, King Charles III and Queen Camilla traveled to New York, drawing a lineup of public figures including New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. Local media including The New York Times reported that on April 29 (local time), Charles visited the 9·11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. At the memorial pools, the king and queen paid tribute to the victims and laid flowers. Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the memorial, stood with Charles during the wreath-laying. Charl April 30, 2026

Welcome, KB Savings Bank Receivables Loan Fraud Exposes Oversight Gaps The accounts receivable-backed loan fraud tied to auto parts transactions at Welcome Savings Bank and KB Savings Bank is difficult to dismiss as a routine financial incident. The cumulative volume handled reached 300 billion won, and estimated losses are around 100 billion won. More troubling, the case exposed weak links in the financial system, showing what can happen when regulatory loopholes and on-the-ground control failures collide. The causes should be stated clearly. The first responsib April 30, 2026

Villa Sales Jump in Seoul School Districts as Apartment Lease Listings Dry Up As apartment jeonse (lump-sum deposit leases) listings tighten in Seoul’s top school districts, more families are turning to villas — low-rise multi-family and row-house homes — in areas such as Mok-dong and Daechi-dong. Data from the Transport Ministry’s real estate transaction disclosure system showed that villa purchases and new lease contracts rose ahead of the new school term in key education hubs including Mok-dong, Daechi-dong and Junggye-dong in Nowon District. In Mok-dong, a m April 30, 2026

Star Alliance Opens New Lounge at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Terminal 3 Asiana Airlines said Thursday that Star Alliance, the airline group it belongs to, officially opened a dedicated lounge on April 28 at the new Terminal 3 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. The new facility is Star Alliance’s second lounge in Guangzhou, following its first location opened in 2024. The lounge covers about 1,400 square meters (about 15,070 square feet) and has 245 seats. It also includes a 700-square-meter (about 7,535-square-foot) outdoor garden, designed to April 30, 2026

HDC Labs Presents AI-Driven Golf Course Management Platform GDX at 2026 AI Service Trends Conference Space AIoT platform company HDC Labs, led by CEO Lee Jun-hyeong, presented a case study on AI-based service innovation. At the '2026 AI Service Trends Conference' held on April 29, HDC Labs introduced its GDX platform, describing how it has shifted golf course operations from experience-based decisions to a data-driven management system. The conference, themed "Digital transformation and innovation completed by AI services," was organized to share real-world operating cases and key AI April 30, 2026

Samsung Electronics Hits Intraday 230,000 Won, Sets 52-Week High on Strong Q1 Results Samsung Electronics climbed to a new 52-week high in intraday trading on strong semiconductor-driven earnings, while SK hynix also rose. According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics was trading at 229,000 won as of 9:33 a.m., up 3,000 won, or 1.33%, from the previous session. It briefly touched 230,000 won early in the session, setting a fresh 52-week high. The move followed the company’s earnings announcement, which lifted investor sentiment. At the same time, SK hynix was up 24 April 30, 2026