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

Climate Ministry to Step Up Ozone Controls, Inspect 643 Emission Sites May-August The government will begin an intensive effort from May through August to cut ozone-forming pollutants and protect public health ahead of the season when high ozone levels are most likely. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Tuesday it will push an “intensive management plan for the high-ozone period (May-August),” focusing on reducing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds — key precursors of ozone — and strengthening public guidance on how to respond. Ozone for April 29, 2026

Samsung’s SSAFY Program Highlights Career Shifts, Faster Workflows and a Tokyo Startup Samsung Electronics’ youth software training program, SSAFY (Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy), is being cited as more than a job-prep course, with graduates describing it as a turning point that led to career changes, overseas entrepreneurship and jobs at Samsung affiliates. Samsung said April 29 it published its first collection of essays from SSAFY graduates, titled ‘In the Era of the AI Great Transformation, the Start of Junior Talent: SSAFY.’ The company held an essay contest for about 6, April 29, 2026

Climate Ministry Begins Talks to Overhaul Power Oversight for 100GW Renewable Era The government is launching talks on overhauling its power oversight system to match the expansion of renewable energy. Working with civil society groups, it plans to discuss how to reshape power-market governance and speed up institutional changes for the energy transition. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Tuesday it will hold a forum titled “Power Regulation Governance Forum for the 100GW Renewable Energy Era” on Wednesday morning at the HJ Business Center in Jongno-g April 29, 2026

Korea Fair Trade Commission Fines Bodyfriend 40 Million Won for Incomplete Subcontract Documents South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said on the 29th it will fine Bodyfriend 40 million won for issuing written manufacturing subcontract agreements that omitted required items, including signatures and delivery deadlines. The FTC said Bodyfriend signed 58 manufacturing subcontract contracts with four subcontractors from May 2021 to June 2024 for products including bed-type massage devices. Of the 58 contracts, 41 were issued in writing without the signature or name-and-seal of both April 29, 2026

Korea Q1 Daily FX Trading Hits Record $102.65 Billion as Volatility Spurs Hedging Seasonal factors and heightened exchange-rate volatility pushed South Korea’s average daily foreign-exchange trading above $100 billion in the first quarter, the largest level on record. The Bank of Korea said Tuesday that average daily FX trading by foreign-exchange banks — including spot transactions and FX derivatives — totaled $102.65 billion in the first quarter of 2026. That was up $18.03 billion, or 21.3%, from the previous quarter’s $84.62 billion, the highest since the statistics April 29, 2026

Korea FTC Names Coupang Chair Kim Beom-seok as Controlling Person; Conglomerate List Rises to 102 South Korea’s antitrust regulator has designated Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Beom-seok as the company’s “same person,” the individual deemed to ultimately control a business group. The Fair Trade Commission said it concluded Kim’s younger brother, Kim Yu-seok, a Coupang vice president, effectively took part in management and exercised influence. The FTC also said the number of disclosure-designated business groups — conglomerates with total assets of at least 5 trillion won — will rise by 1 April 29, 2026