S. Korea fines six paper makers 338.3 billion won for printing paper price-fixing The Fair Trade Commission said it will fine six paper makers a total of 338.325 billion won for colluding on printing paper prices and ordered them to independently reset prices. It also decided to refer two of the companies to prosecutors. According to the commission, Hansol Paper and five other companies, including Moorim SP, met at least 60 times over 3 years and 10 months from February 2021 to December 2024 and agreed on printing paper prices seven times. During that period, they rais April 23, 2026

1 in 5 South Korean Wage Workers Earn 2 Million Won or Less a Month, Data Show Employment in the second half of last year was concentrated in service industries such as residential care facilities and restaurants, and 1 in 5 wage workers earned 2 million won or less per month, according to official data. The National Data Agency said in its report, “2025 second-half regional employment survey: characteristics of employed persons by industry and occupation,” that as of October in the second half of last year, residential care facilities were the largest of 234 deta April 23, 2026

South Korea’s tax agency to pilot AI chatbot for income tax, tax credits The National Tax Service will begin a pilot program next month for a tax-focused artificial intelligence chatbot designed to help taxpayers with comprehensive income tax filings and applications for tax credits. The agency said April 23 it will introduce a “generative AI chatbot” service starting May 1, offering interactive, conversational guidance. The rollout expands AI-based assistance beyond value-added tax filings and year-end tax settlement to include comprehensive income ta April 23, 2026

NH Financial Targets Senior Market With ‘NH All One Wonderful’ Platform As South Korea moves deeper into a super-aged society, financial firms are intensifying competition for older customers. Banks are rolling out senior brands that go beyond deposits and loans to offer broader services such as trusts, inheritance, pensions and long-term care. Hong Sun-ok, executive vice president for business strategy at NH Financial Group, said in an interview Thursday at the company’s headquarters in Seoul that senior-focused business is “no longer a choice but a sign of April 23, 2026

South Korea Begins Building Infrastructure for Carbon-Emissions Futures Market 정부가 온실가스 배출권 시장 고도화에 나선다. 현물 거래 중심으로 운영되며 가격 변동 대응에 한계가 있다는 지적이 이어지면서 배출권 선물시장 도입을 위한 기반시설 구축 작업에 본격 착수한 것이다. The South Korean government is moving to upgrade its greenhouse gas emissions trading market, launching work to build the infrastructure needed to introduce an emissions-permit futures market as criticism grows that the spot-focused system has limited tools to cope with price swings. The Ministry o April 23, 2026

China Convenience Store Top 100 Chains Surpass 208,000 Stores China’s top 100 convenience store brands operated a combined about 208,000 outlets at the end of 2025, up about 11,000 stores, or 5.6%, from a year earlier, according to the 2026 edition of the “China Convenience Store Top 100” compiled by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA). The number of chains with at least 1,000 stores was unchanged from the previous year at 38 brands. Meiyijia ranked No. 1 by store count, expanding to 40,147 outlets, an increase of 2,204 from a y April 23, 2026

HD Hyundai Signs MOUs at SAS 2026 to Expand Unmanned Vessel Push in U.S. HD Hyundai is moving to secure an early foothold in the future unmanned vessel market in the United States. The company said April 23 that it signed a series of memorandums of understanding at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition (SAS 2026) underway in Washington, D.C., including agreements with defense AI company Anduril and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to expand cooperation in its naval ship business. HD Hyundai said it signed an MOU with Anduril on April 22 to jointly develop an adva April 23, 2026

Samsung Heavy Industries Hits 52-Week High on Strong Q1 Earnings Outlook Samsung Heavy Industries shares rose more than 6% on expectations of strong first-quarter results. As of 11:42 a.m. on April 23, the stock was up 2,050 won, or 6.45%, from the previous session at 33,850 won, according to the Korea Exchange. It climbed as high as 35,350 won intraday, marking a 52-week high. Investor buying appeared to follow upbeat forecasts ahead of the company’s first-quarter earnings release. FnGuide estimates Samsung Heavy’s consolidated operating profit for the quart April 23, 2026

Unregulated Fight Videos Spread Online in South Korea, Reaching Teens In the 1999 U.S. film “Fight Club,” the first rule is not to talk about it. In today’s South Korean version, that taboo has collapsed. Violence is no longer confined to the shadows; it is filmed, distributed and monetized as content. Fight videos are spreading quickly on social media and streaming platforms such as YouTube and Telegram. Blurring the line between sport and violence, the genre draws millions of views and has become a form of mass entertainment — echoing the voyeuristic consumptio April 23, 2026

South Korea Gasoline Prices Stay Among OECD’s Lowest Despite Oil Surge International oil prices have surged on Middle East geopolitical risks, pushing up gasoline prices worldwide, but South Korea’s pump prices have remained low compared with other advanced economies, industry data showed. Analysts cited government price-stabilization measures and the refining competitiveness and supply capacity of domestic refiners as key factors. According to the industry on Wednesday, Korea National Oil Corp.’s Opinet data for the first week of April showed South April 23, 2026