Kang Hoon-sik Meets Qatar Trade Minister to Expand Investment Cooperation in AI, Other High-Tech Sectors Kang Hoon-sik, the president’s chief of staff, met with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed to discuss ways to expand investment cooperation in advanced industries. Kang disclosed the meeting in a Facebook post on April 29, saying the two sides agreed to broaden ties beyond natural gas trade and orders for liquefied natural gas carriers to investment cooperation in high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and biotechnology. Kan April 30, 2026

Daol Investment Raises Doosan Bobcat Target Price 23% on U.S., Europe Growth Daol Investment & Securities said Wednesday it raised its target price for Doosan Bobcat to 100,000 won from 81,000 won, a 23% increase, citing simultaneous growth in the U.S. and European markets and improving earnings. It maintained a “buy” rating. Choi Kwang-sik, an analyst at Daol Investment & Securities, said the U.S. market was solid in the first quarter, as it was for peers, while Europe posted growth. He said the firm raised its fair value estimate after results beat guida April 30, 2026

Samsung Electronics posts record first-quarter operating profit of 57.2 trillion won Samsung Electronics posted its biggest quarterly results on record in the first quarter of 2026. The company said April 29 that, on a consolidated basis, it recorded revenue of 133.9 trillion won and operating profit of 57.2 trillion won. From the previous quarter, revenue rose 43% and operating profit jumped 185%. The semiconductor (DS) division led the gains, as stronger AI-related demand lifted sales of higher-value memory chips and prices rose. DS posted revenue of 81.7 trillion won April 30, 2026

Jipyeong Wins Constitutional Ruling Against Mandatory Patent Attorney Association Membership Law firm Jipyeong said on April 30 it helped secure a Constitutional Court ruling of constitutional nonconformity against a provision of the Patent Attorney Act that requires mandatory membership in the Korea Patent Attorneys Association. The petitioners were registered as patent attorneys based on their attorney licenses but did not join the association. In November 2018, the association disciplined them for violating the membership requirement. The petitioners then filed a lawsuit seekin April 30, 2026

Seoul Apartment Jeonse Deposits Rise 7.6% in Q1; Gangdong Up Nearly 20% Seoul apartment jeonse deposits rose 7.6% in the first quarter (January-March) from a year earlier, with increases in 24 of the city’s 25 districts, excluding Jongno, according to a report released by real estate information platform Dabang. Dabang said its Q1 2026 “Dabang Yeojido” data put the average jeonse deposit for an 84-square-meter apartment in Seoul at 710.68 million won, up from 660.64 million won in the first quarter of last year. The average sale price for an 84-square-met April 30, 2026

Actor Choi Jae-won Reflects on Finale of 'My Baby’s Romance 2' With Daughter Choi Yu-bin Actor Choi Jae-won shared his thoughts as tvN STORY and tcast’s E Channel wrapped up the variety series ‘My Baby’s Romance 2.’ The jointly produced program follows parents as they watch their children date, offering a relationship-observation format seen through a parent’s eyes. Choi appeared with his daughter, Choi Yu-bin, drawing viewer attention with candid, relatable reactions as a father. On the show, he openly showed emotions ranging from surprise to pride while watching his daught April 30, 2026

South Korea’s March Output, Spending and Investment Rise Together for First Time in Six Months In March, production, consumer spending and facility investment all rose, marking a “triple increase.” It was the first time the three indicators climbed together since September last year. According to the National Data Agency’s “March 2026 Industrial Activity Trends” released on the 30th, all-industry output rose 0.3% from the previous month, led by gains in services (up 1.4%) and mining and manufacturing (up 0.3%). All-industry output increased 1.2% in December, fell 0.8% in January, April 30, 2026

Bitcoin Slips to Mid-$75,000s as Rate-Cut Hopes Fade and Mideast Risks Weigh Virtual asset prices, led by bitcoin, weakened broadly after a short-term rise, as investors turned cautious amid fading expectations for interest-rate cuts and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. According to CoinMarketCap, bitcoin was trading at $75,912 as of 8 a.m. on the 30th, down 0.39% from the previous day. Ethereum fell 1.24% to $2,257. Binance Coin (BNB), Solana and XRP also slipped 0.82%, 0.71% and 0.65% to $617, $83 and $1.36, respectively. Market watchers cited profit-taking as April 30, 2026

Report: GM Korea-Built Chevrolet Trax Crossovers Ship From Changwon to North America Masan Gapo New Port on April 29 was packed with finished vehicles lined up for export, with a large car carrier preparing to load. The cars had been built at a domestic plant and were awaiting shipment overseas. Most of the vehicles carried the Chevrolet badge. They were largely the Chevrolet Trax Crossover, a small SUV produced at GM Korea’s Changwon plant. Since its 2023 launch, the model has sold about 1 million units cumulatively and ranked No. 1 in South Korea’s passenger-car expor April 30, 2026

NH Investment Raises EcoPro BM Target on Expected Hungary Plant Expansion NH Investment & Securities said April 30 it expects EcoPro BM to expand its second plant in Hungary in the second half of the year, raising its target price 14% to 280,000 won and maintaining its “buy” rating. In a report, NH analyst Joo Min-woo said customer strategies are being revised to reflect Europe’s IAA rules and the TCA (EU-U.K. trade agreement), which he said is increasing the likelihood of winning orders from new customers, including CATL. Joo said EcoPro BM is a key catho April 30, 2026