Appeals court convicts Kim Keon Hee in stock manipulation case, doubles prison term Kim Keon Hee, who was indicted on charges including manipulating Deutsch Motors stock and receiving valuables tied to the Unification Church, was sentenced on appeal to four years in prison. The term more than doubled from the first trial’s 20 months after the court reversed part of the stock-manipulation finding and expanded the scope of guilt on brokerage bribery charges. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 15-2 (Judges Shin Jong-oh, Seong Eon-ju and Won Ik-seon) on April 28 sente April 28, 2026

Korean Retailers Roll Out Payment Perks, Pop-Ups to Lure Foreign Shoppers for May Holidays Korea’s retail industry is mounting an all-out push to attract foreign tourists and spur domestic spending as holiday periods in South Korea, China and Japan overlap into a major early-May shopping peak. With more travelers visiting independently, retailers are emphasizing easier payments and pairing promotions with K-content experiences. According to the industry on April 28, Lotte Department Store will run a “Shopping Week” promotion for foreign customers timed to Japan’s Golde April 28, 2026

SK ecoplant to buy back 6.5 trillion won in shares to redeem convertible preferred stock SK ecoplant said April 28 it held a board meeting at its headquarters in Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and approved calling an extraordinary shareholders meeting to proceed with a share buyback. The buyback will cover about 1.33 million shares of convertible preferred stock, or CPS, issued in 2022. Of that, SK will purchase part of the CPS held by financial investors, valued at 200 billion won. SK ecoplant will acquire the remaining portion, valued at 650 billion won. The company April 28, 2026

Retailers, Travel Firms Target May Holiday Surge as Japan, China Vacations Overlap From late April through early May, South Korea’s retail and travel industries are gearing up for a three-nation holiday rush as extended breaks in Korea, China and Japan overlap. Japan’s Golden Week (April 29-May 6) and the Labor Day holidays in China and Taiwan (May 1-5) begin at the same time this week, prompting companies to step up efforts to attract visitors to Korea. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said April 28 they expect 80,000 to 9 April 28, 2026

Korean Food and Dining Brands Target May Holiday Demand With Value Deals and Takeout With an early May stretch of holidays approaching and the timing of government payments to offset high fuel prices, South Korean food and dining companies are stepping up spring promotions in hopes of a pickup in spending. Companies expect more outings during the holidays and are emphasizing convenient, portable options for outdoor activities. Value-focused offers tied to May’s Family Month are also expected to influence consumer demand. Industry officials said April 28 that as applicatio April 28, 2026

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Unveils Next-Generation Cancer Drug Pipeline at AACR 2026 Hanmi Pharmaceutical said it has unveiled a cancer drug pipeline built on a range of next-generation modalities, underscoring its growing body of oncology research. The company said on April 28 that it presented nine research findings covering eight new drug candidates at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting, AACR 2026, held April 17-22 (local time) in San Diego. Hanmi noted that recent technology-licensing deals by global drugmakers show antibody-drug conjugates and bi April 28, 2026

Appeals court sentences Kim Keon Hee to 4 years in prison in stock manipulation, graft case Kim Keon Hee, who was indicted over alleged Deutsche Motors stock manipulation and receiving valuables tied to the Unification Church, was sentenced on appeal to four years in prison. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 15-2 on Monday sentenced Kim, who was indicted in custody, to four years in prison and a 50 million won fine for violations of the Capital Markets Act and the Political Funds Act, and for bribery for influence-peddling under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Sp April 28, 2026

Majesty Golf Signs Veteran Kim Young, Expands Customer Events in May Majesty Golf has signed veteran Kim Young to its Team Majesty roster and plans to step up customer outreach in May, which is widely observed in South Korea as Family Month. Kim has one win on the LPGA Tour, five on the KLPGA Tour and one on the JLPGA Tour, the company said. Majesty Golf said the partnership was built in part on Kim’s prior use of Majesty clubs when she won on the Japanese tour. With Kim’s addition, Majesty Golf said it will strengthen marketing around its recently release April 28, 2026

South Korea Seeks Central-Local Partnership to Reach 30 Million Foreign Visitors The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it met with officials from all 17 provinces and major cities to discuss ways to overhaul inbound tourism, a follow-up to the National Tourism Strategy Council’s elevation to a presidential body. The ministry said it plans to strengthen cooperation between central and local governments, saying revitalizing regional tourism is essential to reaching an era of 30 million foreign visitors. The ministry said it held a meeting of tourism bureau April 28, 2026

iM Financial posts 154.5 billion won Q1 net profit as nonbank units lift results iM Financial Group said in a regulatory filing on the 28th that it posted 154.5 billion won ($) in net profit for the first quarter, up 0.1% from a year earlier. Net interest income rose 4.6% from last year. Noninterest income increased 8.3% as fee income grew despite heightened market volatility tied to external uncertainty. Return on equity attributable to controlling shareholders was 9.94% in the quarter, and return on assets was 0.60%, both slightly lower than a year earlier. The gro April 28, 2026