Democratic Party Candidates in Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon Pledge Border-Area Economic Push Candidates for metropolitan-level posts from South Korea’s Democratic Party in Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon said they will coordinate efforts to revitalize the economy in border areas ahead of the June 3 nationwide local elections. Woo Sang-ho, the party’s candidate for Gangwon governor, Choo Mi-ae, the candidate for Gyeonggi governor, and Park Chan-dae, the candidate for Incheon mayor, signed an agreement at the National Assembly on April 23 titled “Agreement for New Change and Coexiste April 23, 2026

Japan’s FY2025 Exports Hit Record 113 Trillion Yen as AI Chip Demand Offsets Auto Slump Japan’s exports in the last fiscal year rose to a record high, as surging demand tied to artificial intelligence helped offset weaker auto shipments hit by U.S. tariffs. The Nikkei newspaper reported on the 23rd that Japan’s exports in fiscal 2025 totaled 113.2422 trillion yen, up 4.0% from the previous year and the highest on record. Trade statistics released by Japan’s Finance Ministry on the 22nd showed auto exports fell 3.6% to 17.6674 trillion yen. Exports to the United States droppe April 23, 2026

Korea Industry Vice Minister Urges Steelmakers to Keep Supplies Stable, Ease Price Pressures As the prolonged war in the Middle East adds uncertainty to raw-material supply chains, Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak met with South Korea’s steel industry and urged cooperation to ensure stable supplies of steel materials and help ease price pressures. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Moon held a meeting with steel industry representatives in Seoul at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to review supply and demand for major steel products and measures to stabilize pric April 23, 2026

Democratic Party’s Han Byung-do declares bid to seek second term as floor leader Han Byung-do, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party who stepped down as floor leader to run in the party’s next floor leader election set for May 6, formally declared his candidacy on Wednesday, seeking a second term. Speaking at the National Assembly’s press briefing room, Han pointed to what he called achievements over the past 100 days, saying he had handled bills related to people’s livelihoods and passed a supplementary budget and a special law on investment in the United States. H April 23, 2026

Large Oil Bet Placed Minutes Before Trump Ceasefire Extension, Reuters Reports U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement extending a ceasefire with Iran was preceded by another large trade in the oil market betting on a price drop, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, traders sold 4,260 Brent crude futures contracts about 15 minutes before Trump announced the extension on April 21. The trade was worth about $430 million, or roughly 630 billion won, at the time — a sizable directional bet on falling prices. Reuters noted the sale came during the typicall April 23, 2026

PPP’s Jang Dong-hyeok vows tough action on ‘party-harming’ acts, warns candidates could be replaced People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, with 41 days to go before the June 3 local elections, warned that the party would take strong action against what he called “party-harming” acts, saying, “You can never win a battle with a military whose discipline has collapsed.” Speaking further at a party supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on April 23, Jang said such conduct “from now on” could be fatal to the election. “It’s time to fight in earnest against the Democratic Party April 23, 2026

LS Materials to Supply Ultracapacitors to U.S. Fusion Power Project for First Time LS Materials said Wednesday it will supply ultracapacitors, or UCs, to a U.S. nuclear fusion power project. The company said the order marks its first supply deal in the fusion power sector and will be used in a demonstration project aimed at commercialization by a U.S. energy company. LS Materials said it expects follow-on orders tied to additional demonstrations and larger orders if the project moves into commercialization. The company said high-output UCs for fusion power require a April 23, 2026

CJ CheilJedang, Samyang executives get suspended prison terms in $3B sugar price-fixing case A Seoul court on Wednesday convicted current and former executives and employees of CJ CheilJedang and Samyang of fixing sugar prices in a case prosecutors valued at about 3 trillion won. A judge handed suspended prison terms to top executives and fined each company 200 million won. Judge Ryu Ji-mi of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim, a former CJ CheilJedang Food Korea chief, and Choi, a former Samyang CEO, to 2 1/2 years in prison, suspended for three years, and fined each April 23, 2026

Hyundai Motor to Shift China Strategy to NEVs, Launch Ioniq Brand "In China, For China, To Global." (Jose Munoz, president of Hyundai Motor) Hyundai Motor Group is launching what it calls a second push in China, 24 years after entering the market, aiming to move beyond its image for value-priced gasoline cars and reposition itself around electric vehicles and other eco-friendly models. The group set a goal of building a China-tailored lineup of six new EV models by 2030 and reaching annual sales of 500,000 vehicles in the country. Hyundai Motor Group s April 23, 2026

South Korea Defense Ministry: Wartime Command Transfer Timing to Be Set at SCM South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control will be decided by the South Korean and U.S. defense chiefs at the Security Consultative Meeting, based on recommendations from the two militaries, and then submitted to the presidents of both countries. Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na made the remarks at a regular briefing in response to a question about comments by U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson April 23, 2026