WithLike Selected for LIPS II Program to Expand IP-Based K-Food Overseas A brand-commerce company that builds products around content intellectual property has been selected for a government-backed support program, expanding its platform for growth. WithLike said it was finally selected for the 2026 Innovative Small Business Investment-Linked Support Program (LIPS II) run by the Small Enterprise and Market Service. The program, operated by an agency under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, supports commercialization by selecting small businesses that have attra April 23, 2026

Study Warns Lawyer Oversupply Is Driving Fee Competition and Eroding Service Quality A study has found that a rapid increase in the number of lawyers in South Korea could intensify competition for clients, lowering the quality of legal services and weakening professional ethics. The Korean Bar Association on Thursday released its analysis of how expanding the supply of lawyers affects service quality, based on a report it recently received from the Korean Society for Quality Management titled “A Korean Model for Legal Workforce Supply and Demand in the AI Era.” The soci April 23, 2026

SK hynix sees strong AI-driven memory demand; targets HBM4E mass production in 2027 SK hynix said it expects the memory upcycle to remain strong as demand tied to artificial intelligence expands, and it outlined plans to strengthen its lead in high-bandwidth memory by applying its 1c-nanometer process to next-generation HBM4E. In a first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call on Wednesday, the company reported revenue of 12.4296 trillion won and operating profit of 5.2886 trillion won. SK hynix said some demand has softened in PCs and mobile devices due to rising prices, April 23, 2026

NH NongHyup Financial Targets Seniors With 21 New Products and 100 Service Hubs NH NongHyup Financial Group is stepping up a companywide push to win senior customers, who account for more than half of its client base. The group plans to roll out 21 senior-focused products in stages and build about 100 regional senior hubs by using what it calls the country’s largest offline branch network. As major banks shrink their branch footprints, NongHyup Financial aims to use its nationwide network—reaching from city centers to remote mountain areas—to better serve seniors in April 23, 2026

Prosecutors Dismiss Complaint Against Choi Sang-mok Over Constitutional Court Appointments Prosecutors have dismissed a complaint accusing Choi Sang-mok, who served as acting president during the Dec. 3 martial law crisis, of abuse of power for appointing Constitutional Court justices. According to legal officials on Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office’s Criminal Division 1, led by Chief Prosecutor Shin Do-wook, dismissed the case on April 13. A dismissal means the complaint did not meet procedural requirements and was closed without reviewing the merits. April 23, 2026

Pirelli Unveils P Zero R Tire Developed for Porsche 911 Turbo S Italian tire maker Pirelli is expanding development of tires tailored for high-performance sports cars. Pirelli said on the 23rd that it has developed the ultra-high-performance P Zero R tire for the Porsche 911 Turbo S. The Porsche 911 is a flagship sports-car lineup that has continued since its launch in the 1960s and has steadily evolved around high-performance models. Pirelli said the P Zero R was designed for both sporty driving and everyday conditions. Drawing on technology develope April 23, 2026

Questions Raised Over Hankook & Company Shareholder Group’s Motives Questions are growing over the "Hankook & Company Shareholders Alliance," which some critics say was used as a public-relations tool by the company’s second-largest shareholder at the firm’s annual meeting. The group, formed in the name of protecting minority shareholders, is now facing allegations that it has been used to advance a legal network tied to the owner family. Industry watchers warn that if a voluntary minority-shareholder group is diverted to serve a particular faction’s i April 23, 2026

LG Launches Platform to Develop University Startup Teams, Aiming for ‘Baby Unicorns’ LG has introduced a new platform to identify and develop university startup teams, aiming to broaden South Korea’s youth startup ecosystem. LG said it held its startup scouting event, 'Superstart Day 2026,' on Wednesday at LG Sciencepark in Seoul’s Magok district, where it unveiled its new 'Rookie Program' for university-founded teams. The program is designed to find promising campus-born ideas early and connect them to commercialization. Launched in 2018, Superstart Day April 23, 2026

LG Unveils Europe-Only Built-In Appliance Package to Target 40% Share of Global Market LG Electronics is rolling out a built-in appliance package designed specifically for Europe as it steps up efforts to compete in the world’s largest built-in market. LG said Thursday it unveiled the “LG Built-in Package” for the first time at EuroCucina, the kitchen appliances and furniture exhibition held as part of Milan Design Week 2026 in Milan, Italy, running from local time April 20-26. Europe has been a hub for built-in kitchens since the concept spread from Frankfurt, G April 23, 2026

Construction Policy Institute Cites Gap Between Housing Supply Expectations and Reality “Recent housing supply in South Korea is showing a gap between expectations for expanded supply and the reality, amid domestic and global economic uncertainty and growing management burdens in the construction industry.” The Korea Construction Policy Institute said that in Construction Policy Journal No. 61, published on the 23rd, which addresses structural problems in domestic housing supply and policy response directions. The issue is themed “Diagnosing the Housing Supply Situation a April 23, 2026