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

Survey: 75% of South Korea visitors cite K-culture as key reason for trip K-culture is emerging as a major driver of South Korea’s tourism growth, with foreign visitors drawn by Korean music, TV and other cultural content staying longer and spending more than other travelers, according to an Airbnb global survey report. Airbnb released the findings at a media briefing on April 28 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The survey covered 4,500 travelers in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States who have visited South Korea or plan to visit. In the survey, 94% said K-c April 28, 2026

South Korean Lawmakers Weigh Token Securities as Tool to Share Real Estate Gains, Curb Jeonse Fraud Tokenized securities, known as STOs, could become a new financial tool to share profits from real estate development with the public and help reduce damage from jeonse rental fraud, speakers said at a National Assembly-linked forum as South Korea prepares to bring STOs into the regulated system. The Democratic Party’s Digital Assets Task Force held a discussion on April 28 at the Korea Financial Investment Association’s training center in Seoul’s Yeouido district, focusing on real estate April 28, 2026

South Korea: E-Finance Payment Fees Edge Down; Card Rate Averages 1.98% Electronic financial services firms’ payment fees have inched down, a sign that the disclosure system is helping strengthen market discipline. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s report released on the 28th on payment-fee disclosures, the weighted-average fee rates for 18 covered firms from September last year through February were 1.98% for card payments and 1.74% for prepaid payments. Compared with the previous disclosure period (February to July last year) based on 11 fi April 28, 2026

Google Signs AI Contract With Pentagon, Joining OpenAI and xAI The U.S. Department of Defense has signed a contract to use Google’s artificial intelligence models, The Information reported April 28, citing a source. Under the deal, the Pentagon would use Google’s AI for “any lawful government purpose,” including classified work such as operational planning and weapons targeting, the report said. The contract is said to include language stating both sides agree the AI system is not intended to be used — and must not be used — for large-scale domestic April 28, 2026