Lee Says South Korea Can Defend Itself Without Relying on Foreign Troops President Lee Jae-myung on the 28th stressed self-reliant defense, saying, “A country should protect itself. Why depend on others? We can, naturally and sufficiently.” Speaking at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said South Korea once faced difficulties but no longer does “thanks to the outstanding efforts and capabilities of the people.” He said South Korea’s military capability, excluding U.S. Forces Korea, ranks fifth in the world and that its annual defense spen April 28, 2026

H2G Green Signs MOU With Thailand’s SCN to Supply Bio LNG in ASEAN Singapore-based energy company H2G Green said it signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding on April 24 with Thailand’s Scan Inter (SCN), which handles natural gas supply, to provide bio liquefied natural gas. The agreement aims to build a stable low-carbon fuel supply chain in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region outside Thailand. H2G Green signed the MOU through its LNG logistics unit, GasHub United Utility. The MOU is valid for one year. GasHub United will handle d April 28, 2026

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Q1 Operating Profit Falls 15.4% to 180.9 Billion Won Hyundai Engineering & Construction said in a regulatory filing on the 28th that its first-quarter operating profit on a consolidated basis fell 15.4% from a year earlier to 180.9 billion won, based on preliminary results. Revenue declined 15.8% to 6.2813 trillion won. Net profit rose 24.0% to 206.8 billion won. The company said it expects quarterly profit to improve gradually, citing better profitability in its housing business and the phased completion of high-cost plant projects. April 28, 2026

Naver Launches Beta ‘AI Tab’ to Shift Search Toward Chat-Style Answers Typing into Naver’s search bar, “Recommend a cafe near Seoul Station that’s good to visit with my parents,” produced a conversational list of suggestions a few seconds later. Instead of simply listing links, the service interpreted the request’s context and returned an answer. Naver said Monday it has launched its AI Tab for Naver Plus Membership users. The feature provides customized responses based on a user’s intent and context, and the company plans to expand it to all users a April 28, 2026

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. Signs MOU With Philippines’ BOI and RCBC to Promote Investment Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding on the 27th with the Philippines’ Board of Investments (BOI), an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry, and local lender Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) to cooperate on promoting business ties, including encouraging foreign direct investment in the Philippines. Under the MOU, the three parties will jointly hold investment and economic seminars and share information with companies considering entering the April 28, 2026

Seoul’s Next Redevelopment Hot Spots Shift to Yongsan, Gwangjin, Nowon and Dongjak As major Seoul reconstruction projects in Apgujeong, Yeouido, Mok-dong and Seongsu near the end of contractor selection, attention is shifting to the next cycle. The focus is moving away from ultra-high-priced riverside rebuilds toward areas where large mixed-use development overlaps with renewal of older neighborhoods. Industry officials said April 28 that Yongsan, Gwangjin, Nowon and Dongjak are emerging as leading candidates to reshape Seoul’s next housing map. While each has different April 28, 2026

Si Woo Kim Rises to Career-High No. 25 in World Golf Ranking Si Woo Kim climbed to No. 25 in the world rankings, the best position of his career. In the men’s world golf rankings released April 28 (Korea time), Kim rose one place from last week’s No. 26. Kim’s move followed his third-place finish at the RBC Heritage, which ended April 20. He posted a 16-under 268, behind winner Matt Fitzpatrick of England and runner-up Scottie Scheffler of the United States, who both finished at 18-under 266. It was Kim’s third top-five result and fifth top-10 fin April 28, 2026

Fed Meeting Focuses on Powell’s Final Message: Inflation and Independence in Spotlight The Federal Reserve’s upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meeting is drawing attention less for the expected rate decision than for what Chair Jerome Powell says about inflation and the central bank’s independence. The Fed will meet April 28-29 (local time) and is set to announce its benchmark rate at 2 p.m. April 29 (3 a.m. April 30 in South Korea). Markets largely expect the rate to remain at 3.50% to 3.75%, unchanged since last December. The meeting coincides with the end of Pow April 28, 2026

South Korea drops cup price-labeling plan from anti-plastic package, favors voluntary cuts The government on the 28th left out a proposed “cup price labeling system” — a plan to charge separately for cups — from its comprehensive anti-plastic package, saying it will prioritize voluntary reductions to reflect conditions in the field. Instead, it plans to curb single-use cups by expanding discounts for reusable tumblers and increasing the number of stores participating in the carbon-neutral points program. Kim Go-eung, director general for resource circulation at the Ministry of April 28, 2026

U.S.-Iran Talks Stall as Back-Channel Contacts Continue and Washington Tightens Pressure U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks remain stalled, but back-channel contacts are continuing, according to reports. At the same time, the United States is stepping up economic pressure on Iran as it seeks leverage in the negotiations. CNN reported Sunday, citing multiple sources familiar with the mediation, that the two sides have not held a second face-to-face meeting in Pakistan, but quiet talks have continued. The discussions are focused on a phased approach. In an initial stage, key items includ April 28, 2026