KB Financial Highlights Social Value Gains; Shinhan Unveils Expanded Shareholder Returns Plan KB Financial Group and Shinhan Financial Group are stepping up efforts on shareholder returns and inclusive finance. KB Financial said April 23 it created 828.6 billion won in social value in the inclusive finance sector in the first quarter. By category, it reported 348.1 billion won tied to support for young people, small and midsize companies and self-employed small businesses, and balanced regional development, and 349.0 billion won related to public livelihood and safety. The group April 23, 2026

Teacher Says AI Platform Turned Static Slides Into Student-Led Classroom Discussion South Korea introduced a requirement in the 2022 revised national curriculum for 34 class sessions of information education in elementary schools. But specific teaching methods and materials are still largely left to teachers. Oh Yuna, a teacher at Hongneung Elementary School in Seoul, said she has been filling that gap with a platform called Sooup AI ("Lesson AI") from startup Redbrick. Oh, who has received a minister of education commendation for work in strengthening teachers’ digital April 23, 2026

Hong Kong Confirms First Locally Acquired Dengue Fever Case This Year Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said on April 21 it had confirmed the city’s first locally acquired dengue fever case this year and will work with relevant government departments on measures to prevent further infections. The patient is a 21-year-old man. He developed fever, headache, muscle pain and a rash on April 12 and sought diagnosis and treatment on April 16 at a public hospital in Tai Po, in the New Territories. A blood test returned a positive result for the dengue virus April 23, 2026

South Korea watchdog, industry group move to curb misleading investment ads South Korea’s financial watchdog is moving to tighten oversight of investment advertising as some promotions use misleading phrases such as “steady like monthly rent” — which can be read as guaranteeing profits — or “targeting 15% annual returns,” which highlights unrealized performance. The Financial Supervisory Service said it has begun a broad overhaul of advertising rules with the Korea Financial Investment Association to block false or exaggerated ads by financial investment firms a April 23, 2026

Korea SMEs Agency to Hire 102 in First Half, Using Blind Recruitment Korea SMEs Agency to hire 102 in first half, using blind recruitment The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency said April 23 it will hire 102 people in the first half of 2026, including full-time employees and youth interns. The full-time intake totals 60 positions: 42 in administration and 18 in technical roles. For equity hiring, 12 positions will be filled through a limited competition for veterans. Five candidates with professional licenses, including lawyers and certified public accountan April 23, 2026

KT Board Drops Advance Approval Requirement for Restructuring KT said Thursday its board revised parts of its board rules at an April regular meeting held shortly after the shareholders meeting, moving to tighten corporate governance. The key change removes a provision requiring the board’s advance approval for organizational restructuring. The revision aims to streamline decision-making on personnel and restructuring. Previously, the CEO had to obtain prior board approval to appoint or dismiss division head-level executives or to carry out a reorg April 23, 2026

Gender Equality Ministry Seeks Local Governments for Public Sanitary Pad Pilot The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Wednesday it is accepting applications through May 21 from about 10 basic local governments to run a pilot program providing free “public sanitary pads” for use when needed. The pilot, to be operated this year, is designed to ensure that anyone can access sanitary pads at the moment they are needed, reflecting that the products are essential items used repeatedly over long periods. The ministry will hold a briefing for local governments on A April 23, 2026

South Korea Seeks to Supply Trains for Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 2, Expand Vietnam Infrastructure Ties South Korea and Vietnam have agreed to broaden cooperation across infrastructure, including railways, roads, ports and smart cities, with discussions ranging from supplying trains for Ho Chi Minh City’s Metro Line 2 to technology transfer, joint smart-city development and participation in social housing projects. Vietnamese outlet Vneconomy reported that Tran Hong Minh, Vietnam’s construction minister, met April 21 in Hanoi with Kim Yun-deok, South Korea’s minister of land, infrastructur April 23, 2026

Google Joins OpenAI and Anthropic in Enterprise AI Push, Signaling Platform Battle Google has joined OpenAI and Anthropic in a push into the enterprise artificial intelligence market, as competition shifts from standalone models to agent-based platforms that tie together cloud services, data and automated tools. According to industry officials on the 23rd, Google used its annual tech conference, Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas, to declare the start of an “agentic enterprise” era. The company also said it will consolidate its AI products under the name “Gemini Enterpr April 23, 2026

Hang Ten, Hang Ten Teens Launch ‘Hang Ten Cool Day’ Summer Sale With Expanded Online, In-Store Deals Branded Lifestyle Korea, which operates the casual brands Hang Ten and Hang Ten Teens, is running its first-half seasonal promotion, “Hang Ten Cool Day.” The promotion begins online on April 23, with offline stores rolling it out sequentially starting April 24. It is designed as an integrated campaign spanning both online and in-store channels. A summer-focused discount applies to all items, offering a 1+1 deal equivalent to 50% off. Product assortments and how the promotion is run may va April 23, 2026