Academics warn Samsung strike could drive customers away and disrupt supply chain With a Samsung Electronics union warning it may strike next month, an academic has cautioned that the bigger risk may be not the immediate production hit but the possibility that global customers shift orders and reshape supply chains. According to industry officials on the 26th, Song Heon-jae, a professor in the economics department at the University of Seoul, presented the analysis in a recent seminar held by the Anmin Policy Forum under the topic “The ripple effects of a Samsung Elect April 26, 2026

Korea FTC Awards 15 Million Won to Staff Who Uncovered Sugar Price-Fixing South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said April 26 it will pay a combined 15 million won ($) in special achievement bonuses to two staff members credited with uncovering illegal collusion by three sugar manufacturers and sellers. The FTC said it held its first special achievement awards ceremony on April 22. The bonus program was introduced this year following a presidential directive to provide exceptional rewards to public officials who deliver outstanding results. The FTC said it April 26, 2026

Korea Chamber Signs Vietnam University MOUs to Ease SME Skilled Labor Shortage The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Saturday it signed education cooperation agreements with four leading universities in Vietnam to help train industrial technology workers, as South Korean small and midsize companies face persistent shortages of skilled labor. The chamber said the memorandums of understanding were signed April 23 in Hanoi on the sidelines of a Korea-Vietnam business forum. The partner schools are Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Science and T April 26, 2026

South Korea Reviews Supply Chains, Economic Security After Middle East War South Korea’s government is working to set policy directions for an economic restructuring aimed at responding to heightened global uncertainty following the Middle East war. The Finance and Economy Ministry said it held a meeting April 24 at the Government Complex Seoul with experts from state-funded research institutes under the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences to discuss policy directions for the economy after the war. Participants included the April 26, 2026

South Korea Reviews External Economic Risks as Middle East Tensions Rise The government has begun reviewing risks and preparing responses to recent shifts in the international order, including instability in the Middle East. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Sunday that it held a meeting with external-economy experts on April 24 at the Government Complex Seoul to discuss economic risks stemming from changes in global conditions and possible policy responses. The session was convened to consider steps to address external uncertainties such as geopoli April 26, 2026

Survey: 89% of South Korean firms oppose immediate punishment in safety inspections Most companies say they feel burdened by an “immediate punishment” approach in occupational safety and health inspections, warning that penalties without a chance to correct problems could increase administrative 대응 rather than improvements at worksites. The Korea Employers Federation said on April 26 that in a survey of 216 domestic companies on problems and improvements in the industrial safety and health inspection system, 89% (193 companies) responded negatively to being punished imm April 26, 2026

Climate Ministry to Hold Nationwide Flood Response Training Ahead of Summer The government will launch a nationwide series of river-basin flood safety trainings for disaster management officials to help prevent summer flood damage. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Saturday it will hold the traveling program from April 27 to 30 as part of the third week of the "Third Republic of Korea Flood Safety Emphasis Period" (April 15-May 14). The sessions will target disaster management officials at regional environment offices, flood control offices and April 26, 2026

South Korea launches 2026 AI Innovation Challenge to expand AI use in public agencies The government will hold the inaugural "2026 Public Agencies AI Innovation Challenge" to broaden the use of artificial intelligence across public institutions. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said on the 26th it has announced the public-agency track of the "National AI Competition," which opened on March 26 and includes 14 tracks. The challenge is hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ICT, and organized by the National Information Society Agen April 26, 2026

Climate Ministry to Inspect Sewer Systems Nationwide Ahead of Summer Downpours The government will begin nationwide inspections of sewer facilities to help prevent urban flooding during summer downpours. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Saturday it will hold a series of meetings starting Sunday with officials from its regional environment offices and local governments to review sewer-facility management ahead of the summer natural-disaster response period, which runs from May 15 to Oct. 15. On Sunday afternoon, the ministry will convene sew April 26, 2026

Lee Kang-in scores and assists as PSG beats Angers 3-0 to stay atop Ligue 1 Lee Kang-in scored and set up another goal as Paris Saint-Germain beat Angers 3-0 away and stayed top of France's Ligue 1 despite finishing with 10 men. PSG won at Stade Raymond Kopa in Angers on April 26 (Korean time) in the 2025-2026 season's Round 31. The victory was PSG's second straight. With four matches left, PSG moved closer to the title. It remained first with 69 points (22 wins, three draws, five losses), keeping a six-point cushion over second-place Lens on 63 (20 w April 26, 2026