Samsung Shareholder Group Plans Rally Outside Lee Jae-yong’s Home Ahead of Union Strike Event A Samsung Electronics labor union is preparing a general-strike rally next month outside the home of Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and a shareholder group has announced a counterprotest. Yonhap News Agency reported on the 26th that the Korea Shareholder Movement Headquarters, which has opposed the union’s activities, notified police it will hold a rally from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on May 21 outside Lee’s residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul’s Yongsan district. The gathering is widely seen as a respon April 26, 2026

Democratic Party Faces Growing Calls to Nominate Kim Yong as Leader Chung Cheong-rae Stays Quiet Calls inside the Democratic Party to nominate Kim Yong, former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute, for a parliamentary by-election being held alongside the June 3 local elections are growing, but party leader Chung Cheong-rae has maintained a cautious stance, citing “public standards.” Chung visited Daegu on Saturday and attended the opening of the campaign office for Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum, continuing election-related field events. He did not address Kim Yon April 26, 2026

Foreign and Institutional Investors Turn Net Buyers as Retail Investors Post Record Selling Foreign and institutional investors reversed course within a month, shifting from heavy selling to net buying, while retail investors moved in the opposite direction with record-scale net sales. As foreigners and institutions bet on further gains led by large semiconductor stocks, retail investors appeared to lock in profits and take a more defensive stance. According to the Korea Exchange on the 26th, the KOSPI has risen 28.1% this month, staging a sharp rebound and reaching record le April 26, 2026

South Korea Forecast: Mostly Cloudy Nationwide; Rain Possible in Capital Area at Night Monday the 27th is expected to be mostly cloudy nationwide, with rain starting overnight in parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon and Chungcheong, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Sunday. Central regions will be mostly cloudy, while southern areas will see intermittent clouds before turning cloudier at night. Jeju Island will be mostly clear during the day, then gradually cloud over at night. Rain is possible overnight in the capital area, Gangwon inland and mountaino April 26, 2026

South Korean Steelmakers Post Improved Q1 Results, but Second-Half Risks Loom South Korea’s steelmakers posted improved first-quarter results despite headwinds including a construction downturn and a wave of low-priced Chinese steel, helped by anti-dumping measures and stronger exports. Analysts said profitability has begun to recover, but warned that higher raw material and shipping costs tied to Middle East geopolitical risks and tighter European Union carbon rules could weigh on results in the second half. As of the 23rd, industry officials said the country’s thr April 26, 2026

Korean Unions Escalate Bonus Demands, Raising Concerns Over Competitiveness Major South Korean conglomerate unions are escalating demands for performance bonuses, prompting growing concern inside and outside industry. After SK Hynix reached a deal tying bonuses to operating profit, unions at Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor have followed with tougher demands. Industry officials describe it as a competitive one-upmanship in bonus negotiations. According to industry officials on April 26, Samsung’s union is demanding that 15% of operating profit be set asid April 26, 2026

Hyundai Mobis Expands In-House Auto Chips, Robotics Parts in SDV Push 현대모비스가 차량용 반도체와 로보틱스 핵심부품을 앞세워 미래 모빌리티 전환 대응에 나선다. 전동화 시대에 맞춰 기술 주도형 사업 구조로 전환하겠다는 전략이다. 26일 업계에 따르면 현대모비스는 글로벌 시장 확대와 미래 기술 경쟁력 확보에 속도를 내고 있다. 이규석 현대모비스 사장은 올해 신년사에서 "완성차가 제시하는 방향을 관성적으로 따라가기보다는 우리가 주도적으로, 비전과 기술과 지향점을 바탕으로 시장과 고객을 이끌어야 한다"고 밝혔다. 현대모비스는 차량 개발 초기 단계부터 핵심 기술을 먼저 제안할 April 26, 2026

SK hynix wins IEEE Corporate Innovation Award, bolstering HBM leadership SK hynix has won the Corporate Innovation Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, an honor often likened to a Nobel Prize in the electrical and electronics field. It is the first time a South Korean company has received the award for technology in the pure memory segment, the company said Sunday. SK hynix said it received the award at the “2026 IEEE Awards” ceremony held in the United States. IEEE is a leading academic society with more than 400,000 April 26, 2026

Rebuilding Korea Party launches 'Blue Pinwheel' election committee ahead of June 3 local vote The Rebuilding Korea Party said it has launched its central election committee, dubbed “Blue Pinwheel,” ahead of the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections. The committee is campaigning on three pledges: “zero insurrection forces,” zero corruption and the realization of an “advanced nation of social rights.” Lee Hae-min, the party’s central campaign chief, told reporters at the National Assembly on April 26 that the name “Blue Pinwheel” was shortened to “Blue Pin.” H April 26, 2026

Suspect in WHCA dinner shooting identified as 31-year-old Caltech graduate Cole Thomas Allen Authorities identified the man arrested in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner attended by President Donald Trump as a Southern California teacher and video game developer. The Los Angeles Times and other local media reported that the suspect was Cole Thomas Allen, 31, who lives in Torrance, California. The shooting occurred during the annual dinner in Washington. Allen rushed toward the dining area and opened fire, throwing the room into chaos. Tru April 26, 2026