Concerns Over Safety of Chinese Agricultural Products Demand Stronger Inspections Concerns about the safety of Chinese agricultural products are growing among consumers following recent controversies. Notably, issues arose regarding the use of formaldehyde in Chinese cabbage and food coloring in stem lettuce.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed that no Chinese cabbage implicated in the formaldehyde controversy was imported into South Korea. Emergency inspections of 82 samples of Chinese cabbage kimchi, cabbage, and pickled cabbage currently on the market found no tr September 16, 2026

Major Banks Prepare for Leadership Changes Amid Regulatory Scrutiny As the terms of the leaders of South Korea's five major banks are set to expire at the end of the year, attention is turning to whether the role of the banks' nomination committees will be expanded in the selection process. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has publicly pointed out that the role of these committees is limited in the succession procedures for CEOs of subsidiaries led by financial holding companies. On September 16, FSS Chairman Lee Chan-jin stated during an executive meeti September 16, 2026

Prepaid Funeral Industry Faces Stricter Regulations Amid Financial Scrutiny The prepaid funeral industry is facing intense regulatory pressure from the government and the National Assembly. This follows the passage of a revised installment sales law on August 20, which primarily targets credit extensions to controlling shareholders and related parties. Critics argue that the stringent financial regulations, which do not consider the unique nature of the industry, are stifling business operations.According to industry sources on September 16, the revised installment sale September 16, 2026

Fire Breaks Out at Resource Recycling Facility in Hwaseong, No Injuries Reported A fire broke out at a resource recycling facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.According to Yonhap News, the fire started at 1:58 p.m. on September 16 at a facility located in Jeongnam-myeon, Hwaseong. A Level 1 response was issued.Fire authorities dispatched 30 vehicles and 67 personnel after receiving a report from facility staff stating, "Waste materials are burning."Seventeen minutes after the fire began, at 2:15 p.m., a Level 1 response (requiring 31 to 50 vehicles) was declared.So far, t September 16, 2026

Jeju's Renewable Energy Front: Harnessing Ocean Waves and Wind for Green Hydrogen On September 14, a vessel departed from Jeju's Gosan Port and, after about 20 minutes at sea, revealed a concrete structure painted in black and red. This is the wave power test facility operated by the Ship and Ocean Plant Research Institute. Although a representative from the institute noted that the sea was relatively calm that day, the boat continued to sway with the waves.As renewable energy installations increase in Jeju, the technology for storing and reliably operating electricity is bec September 16, 2026

Ministries Share 93 Technological Achievements at Smart Manufacturing R&D Event The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Science and ICT jointly held a technology exchange event for their smart manufacturing research and development (R&D) project.The Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development announced on September 16 that it hosted the '2026 Smart Manufacturing Innovation Technology Development Project Technology Exchange Conference' at the KT Human Resources Development Center in Daejeon on September 15. The event aimed to share technological September 16, 2026

Jung Jeom-sik Calls for Withdrawal of Kim Seung-won's Nomination, Criticizes Hearing Jung Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the confirmation hearing for Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, calling it a farce on September 16.During a press conference at the National Assembly, Jung stated, "From the start, the hearing was a shield for the nominee and a deception of the public."He responded to remarks made by Democratic Party lawmakers during the hearing, who used terms like devil, weapon, and viper against People Power Party members, September 16, 2026

US Pressures Mexico to Increase North American Content in AI Hardware The Trump administration is pressuring Mexico to adopt new origin rules that would increase the proportion of North American components used in the production of artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. This move aims to prevent foreign companies, including those from China, from circumventing U.S. tariffs and trade regulations by routing products through Mexico.On September 15, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is demanding limits on the share of components sourced from outside North September 16, 2026

AhnLab Transforms into AI-Native Security Platform with 'AhnLab AI Plus' AhnLab has announced the launch of its integrated brand 'AhnLab AI Plus,' which reconfigures over 30 security products and services along with more than 30 years of accumulated threat intelligence and security operations experience around AI. The company aims to transition into an 'AI-native security platform company.'As AI emerges as a new actor in cyberattacks, attackers are leveraging AI to quickly identify vulnerabilities and automate their methods. With the expansion of cloud, SaaS, and AI September 16, 2026

Seong Seung-min Ranks Second in Fencing at Asian Games Modern Pentathlon The fencing ranking round for the women's individual event in modern pentathlon took place on September 16 at the Aichi Prefecture Anjo Sports Park in Japan.Seong Seung-min, a bronze medalist in the women's individual event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, initially struggled with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, placing 17th midway through the competition. However, she rallied to finish with 24 wins and 8 losses, securing second place. Japan's Saito Ayumu took first with 25 wins and 7 losses, while September 16, 2026