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

South Korea to Select New Supply Chain Stabilization Lead Firms, Offer Fund Support The government will begin procedures to select new private-sector “lead firms” for 2026 that play a key role in stabilizing South Korea’s domestic supply chains. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said on the 29th that lead firms are companies or business groups recognized by relevant ministries as contributing to supply chain stability by introducing, producing or providing items and services tied to economic security under the Framework Act on Supporting Supply Chain Stabilization for E April 29, 2026

Iran’s Infighting Deepens Over Whether to Negotiate Nuclear Program With U.S. Iran’s internal rifts have flared again over whether to negotiate with the United States, including on its nuclear program, raising fresh signs of political division, the Financial Times reported. The newspaper said Iranian factions that had rallied around the government during airstrikes have begun to fracture again since a cease-fire, with disputes widening over whether to pursue talks with Washington. According to the report, political forces closed ranks during the strikes to confro April 29, 2026

UAE’s OPEC Exit May Not Break Supply Coordination, but Could Shift Oil Market After War The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC has exposed new strains inside the group, but it is too soon to read it as a sign of collapse or a wave of departures. The main force shaking the oil market is not output levels but war-related shipping disruptions and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In that sense, the UAE move points less to an immediate supply shock than to the risk that OPEC’s ability to steer the market could weaken after the war. According to Reuters, CN April 29, 2026