South Korea’s Official Apartment Prices Rise 9.13% in 2026; Seoul Up 18.60% The nationwide average of South Korea’s officially assessed prices for multi-family housing rose 9.13% from a year earlier, the Land Ministry said Tuesday, finalizing figures that affect property-related taxes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will publish the assessed prices on April 30 for 15.85 million households nationwide, calculated as of Jan. 1. The final numbers reflect a public review and opinion-gathering period held from March 18 to April 6 for April 29, 2026

Registration Opens for 2026 Seoul Foreigners Palace Walk, Set for May 31 The 2026 Seoul Foreigners Palace Walk, hosted by Aju Media Group (Aju Economy·ABC·AJP), will be held May 31 at the Play Yard of Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Registration opens on the 29th on a first-come, first-served basis. The event brings together foreign residents, international students, tourists and local citizens to walk through major palaces and traditional cultural sites in downtown Seoul. The roughly 7-kilometer route starts at Gwanghwamun Square and pass April 29, 2026

Siwoo Law Firm Signs MOU With China’s Jiangsu Tianni Law Firm Siwoo Law Firm has expanded its on-the-ground legal cooperation network in China by signing a strategic memorandum of understanding with TIANNI Law Firm, based in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Siwoo said it signed the MOU on the 20th at its Seoul office in Seocho-dong. Attorney Ryu Seung-ho of Siwoo and Managing Attorney Zhang Zhihua of Tianni attended the ceremony and signed the agreement. Ryu oversees international work at Siwoo and handles legal matters involving greater China. Zhang serves as April 29, 2026

Samsung Electronics Targets Heat Pumps as Key Growth Engine in Home Appliances Revamp As Samsung Electronics overhauls its underperforming home appliance business, it is putting heat pumps at the center of its next growth push. The company said it will move more aggressively into electrified heating in South Korea, building on proprietary heat pump technology it says has been recognized in Europe and other global markets. Song Byeong-ha, a group leader in Samsung Electronics’ DA (home appliances) business, said at a media briefing on April 29 for the company’s newly launc April 29, 2026

Lotte Engineering Wins South Korea Certification for Quake-Resistant Fire Piping Brace Lotte Engineering & Construction said Tuesday that a quake-resistant firefighting piping technology it co-developed with Doosan E&C, HL D&I Halla and MakeSoon has received a construction new-technology certification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (No. 1043). The technology, an integrated four-direction anti-sway brace for vertical and horizontal piping, is designed to prevent damage to firefighting pipes during earthquakes. The company said South Ko April 29, 2026

Nonsan Expands Home-Visit Medical Care to Reach Homebound Seniors “I don’t have to drag my sick body to the hospital.” A home-visit medical service introduced by Nonsan City in South Chungcheong province is drawing strong response from residents with limited access to care. The program, a long-term care home medical center service for seniors with mobility problems, is being cited locally as a new model for public health care. The service targets long-term care beneficiaries who have difficulty getting outpatient treatment. A team April 29, 2026

NHN Dooray! Unveils AI Agent to Automate Workflows, Targets Finance Sector Growth “Generative AI used to talk. Now it acts. If a project is delayed, it finds the work on its own, messages the right people, and summarizes the results and leaves them in the wiki. Dooray AI will be a ‘member’ that works with you, not just a tool,” Baek Chang-yeol, CEO of NHN Dooray, said at a news briefing Tuesday in Pangyo. Baek said collaboration software is shifting from assistance to execution, as companies move beyond simple Q&A to “AI agents” April 29, 2026

Jangsu Communications to Supply Privacy-Preserving HALO Sensors for School Blind Spots Video- and audio-free monitoring technology designed to detect environmental changes and warning signs is set to be introduced in South Korean schools. Jangsu Communications, a partner of Motorola Solutions, said it plans to supply the HALO smart sensor to strengthen safety in school blind spots where CCTV installation is restricted, focusing on elementary schools. The device, developed by HALO Smart Solutions Inc., is an environmental and behavior-detection sensor built without a camer April 29, 2026

Court Grants Bail to Koo Se-hyeon in Wellbiotech Stock Manipulation Case Koo Se-hyeon, the former head of Wellbiotech accused of manipulating the company’s stock price by spreading false information, will stand trial while out of custody. According to the legal community on Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 32, led by Presiding Judge Ryu Kyung-jin, granted Koo’s request for bail the previous day as he faces a first-instance trial on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (breach of tru April 29, 2026

South Korea to Spend 52.75 Billion Won to Bring AI to Chip, Auto and Shipbuilding Plants The South Korean government is moving to apply artificial intelligence to production sites in key industries such as semiconductors, automobiles and shipbuilding to strengthen manufacturing competitiveness. It plans to invest 52.75 billion won in state funds next year to accelerate a broad AI shift in manufacturing. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday it will 추진 an “AI Factory Leading Project” to support the development and rollout of industry-specific manufacturing April 29, 2026