Court Upholds Culture Ministry’s Call for Heavy Sanctions Against KFA Chief Chung Mong-gyu A South Korean court ruled that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism acted lawfully in ordering the Korea Football Association to seek heavy disciplinary action against its president, Chung Mong-gyu. The Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 5, led by Presiding Judge Lee Jeong-won, ruled Thursday against the association in its lawsuit seeking to overturn the ministry’s notice of special-audit results and related corrective demands. The court said that while some fi April 23, 2026

Korea, Vietnam deputy prime ministers discuss expanding science and technology cooperation South Korea and Vietnam held deputy prime minister-level talks on the sidelines of President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to Vietnam, agreeing to develop science and technology cooperation into a new core pillar of bilateral ties. The two sides broadly discussed ways to expand practical cooperation in advanced fields including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and smart cities. According to Vietnam’s government official newspaper, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung met S April 23, 2026

Vitol CEO Warns Mideast War Could Cost Oil Markets 1 Billion Barrels The chief executive of Vitol, the world’s largest independent energy trader, warned that the fallout from the war in the Middle East could leave global crude and refined-product markets short by at least 1 billion barrels in cumulative losses. According to the Financial Times and Vitol disclosures on the 23rd, CEO Russell Hardy said at the FT Global Commodities Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland, that “600 million to 700 million barrels of supply have already disappeared, and losses could r April 23, 2026

Seoul Studio Apartment Rent Averages 710,000 Won as Monthly Leases Rise, Jeonse Dips In March, Seoul’s studio rental market showed mixed movement, with monthly rents rising while jeonse deposits edged down. Real estate information platform Dabang said it released its “March Dabang Yeojido” report on the rental and jeonse levels for studio units in Seoul’s multi-family housing — row houses and villas with exclusive floor space of 33 square meters (355 square feet) or less — based on March data. Using a 10 million won deposit as a benchmark, the average monthly rent for a April 23, 2026

Hyundai E&C Proposes 'Apgujeong Hyundai Galleria' Name for Apgujeong 5 Redevelopment Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which is bidding for the redevelopment of Apgujeong District 5 in Seoul’s Gangnam district, said on the 23rd it has proposed the complex name “Apgujeong Hyundai Galleria.” The company said the name combines “Apgujeong Hyundai,” long seen as a symbol of top-tier housing in South Korea, with “Galleria,” the department store brand associated with luxury lifestyle. Hyundai E&C said it will work with Hyundai Motor Group to apply advanced robotics a April 23, 2026

Malaysia Food Culture Fair Set for June 17-30 at ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe The agriculture section of the Embassy of Malaysia in Japan said April 22 it will hold a special fair, “Taste of Malaysia,” with Malaysia’s government tourism office at the ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe from June 17 to 30 to showcase Malaysian cuisine. The event will also include a tasting for industry participants featuring Malaysian seafood, aiming to raise awareness in the Japanese market and expand business. The fair will offer a buffet of traditional dishes, including seafood imported dir April 23, 2026

Amara Raja to Double Telecom Lithium Storage Deployments in India to 2 GWh by 2026 Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd., a major Indian maker of industrial and automotive batteries, said on April 21 it plans to double cumulative deployments of lithium energy storage systems in the telecommunications sector to 2 gigawatt-hours by the end of 2026. The company said cumulative installations have already exceeded 1 gigawatt-hour, with systems deployed at 50,000 telecom sites nationwide as India’s energy transition accelerates. In a statement, the company said energy storage April 23, 2026

Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back touts military reading program tied to national campaign The Ministry of National Defense said on the 23rd it will launch a barracks reading initiative called the “One Gun, One Book (a gun in one hand, a book in the other)” project, linked to the nationwide “2026 Reading Korea Campaign.” The phrase combines “gun,” symbolizing the military’s core mission, with “book,” representing knowledge, culture and preparation for the future. The ministry said the goal is to help about 205,000 young people who enlist each year use their service not only April 23, 2026

Director Maggie Kang Signs Exclusive Deal With The Present Company, Expands Korea Work Maggie Kang has signed an exclusive contract with The Present Company. The Present Company said on 23 that it plans to develop a range of projects with Kang based in South Korea and that it expects strong synergy with a director known for creativity and a global sensibility. The company added that Kang is a symbolic figure who has demonstrated the global potential of Korean content and will continue that work as a creator representing South Korea. Kang, a Korean Canadian director born i April 23, 2026

China Sees Surge in New-Car Launch Events Ahead of Beijing Auto Show M6 and All-New M9, Shangjie Z7, and Zhijie V9. Those were among the models Huawei’s smart-driving ecosystem alliance, Hongmeng Zhixing, unveiled at a product event on April 22. That same day also brought debuts or launches of about 10 models, including Avatr’s 06T, Shanghai GM Buick’s Zhijing E7, Cadillac’s VISTIQ and BMW’s iX3 long-wheelbase model. In the four days leading up to the Beijing Auto Show’s opening on the 24th, from April 20 to 23, there were 30 new-car-related events alone. April 23, 2026