Woori Financial Q1 Net Profit Slips 2.09% on Middle East Risks Despite Strong Fee Growth Woori Financial Group said its first-quarter net profit edged down as a currency shock tied to Middle East risks weighed on results, despite a sharp rise in noninterest income. Woori Financial said April 24 that first-quarter net profit totaled 603.8 billion won, down 2.09% from a year earlier. Net interest income rose 2.3% to 2.3032 trillion won, supported by growth in corporate finance and a steady net interest margin. The bank’s NIM increased to 1.51% in the first quarter from 1.49% April 24, 2026

Jung Won-oh Appears With Chung Cheong-rae and Yoo Si-min at Seongsu Store Opening Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh on April 24 appeared alongside prominent figures associated with the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in camps, underscoring his push for victory. Jung attended the opening event for the Seongsu branch of handmade shoe company Azio at Under Stand Avenue in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, with Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae and writer Yoo Si-min. Tak Hyun-min, described as a protocol secretary under the Moon Jae-in administration, w April 24, 2026

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho Calls for Rights and Rule of Law in Law Day Speech Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said April 24 that he will work to build a South Korea where “justice and human rights” are part of everyday life and where people respect and embrace one another “within the framework of the rule of law.” In remarks at the 63rd Law Day ceremony, Jung said it is the Ministry of Justice’s “solemn mandate” to help the constitutional values “protected by the sovereign people” take root through human rights and the rule of law. He said the spirit of the law incl April 24, 2026

South Korea Vice Transport Minister Meets Google to Discuss AI Mapping, Smart City Cooperation The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said First Vice Minister Kim Yi-tak met with Cris Turner, Google’s vice president for government affairs (Knowledge · Information), at the National Land Development Exhibition Hall in Seoul to discuss cooperation on AI-based geospatial information and in urban and transportation fields. The meeting was arranged at Google’s request to expand cooperation between South Korea and Google based on maps and data, following a governmen April 24, 2026

Meta to Cut About 8,000 Jobs; Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exits as AI Costs Rise U.S. Big Tech companies are again moving to shrink their workforces as spending surges for artificial intelligence data centers and high-priced talent. The push to streamline existing organizations and shift staffing toward AI is accelerating. Meta plans to cut about 8,000 employees, roughly 10% of its workforce, according to AP and The Guardian. The company also will not fill 6,000 roles that were in the hiring pipeline. The layoffs are set to begin May 20. Microsoft has prepared a vol April 24, 2026

Court Grants Injunction for 9 THE BOYZ Members in Exclusive Contract Dispute 그룹 더보이즈(THE BOYZ)를 둘러싼 전속계약 분쟁이 이어지는 가운데, 법원이 멤버 9명이 낸 전속계약 효력 정지 가처분 신청을 인용했다. 더보이즈 측은 계약이 적법하게 해지돼 효력이 끝났다고 밝혔고, 소속사 원헌드레드레이블은 가처분은 임시 조치일 뿐이라며 반발했다. 더보이즈 측 법률대리인인 법무법인(유) 율촌의 김문희 변호사는 23일 공식 입장에서 “법원은 금일 아티스트의 전속계약효력정지 가처분 신청을 인용하는 결정을 했다”며 “아티스트는 ㈜원헌드레드레이블과의 전속계약이 적법하게 해지되어 그 효력이 종 April 24, 2026

Justice Ministry Wins First Pro-Japan Assets Recovery Suit, Court Rejects Statute of Limitations Claim South Korea’s Justice Ministry has won a lawsuit seeking to recover assets linked to a descendant of a pro-Japanese collaborator, in what it called the first such victory since a Supreme Court ruling that treated heirs’ statute-of-limitations defenses as an abuse of rights. The ministry said Thursday it won in full in a suit filed against the descendants of Lim Seon-jun, seeking the return of about 53 million won in unjust enrichment tied to proceeds from land sales. The Seoul Western Di April 24, 2026

South Korea, Bolivia Sign MOU on International Greenhouse Gas Cuts Under Paris Agreement The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said it will sign a memorandum of understanding with Bolivia’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment on Friday at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul to cooperate on international greenhouse gas reduction projects. The agreement is intended to build an institutional framework for bilateral emissions-reduction projects based on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It covers joint project implementation; measurement, reporting and verification of April 24, 2026

Samsung Electronics, SK hynix Seen Posting Record 2026 Operating Profit on Memory Price Surge South Korea’s two biggest chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, posted earnings surprises in the first quarter despite the usual seasonal slowdown. With results expected to accelerate into the second half, investor expectations are rising that their combined operating profit could reach 500 trillion won this year. According to brokerage estimates cited on April 24, SK hynix is forecast to post 65.1 trillion won in operating profit in the second quarter, nearly double its first-qu April 24, 2026

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol vows to boost local spending to help small businesses Koo Yun-cheol, deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy, said on the 24th that the government will promote local spending and strengthen domestic demand to help small business owners struggling amid the war in the Middle East. Koo visited the venue of the Donghaeng (Companion) Festival being held in the Bupyeong Renaissance commercial district in Incheon, along with Lee Byung-kwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups. The festival is being run for 30 days starting o April 24, 2026