LS Electric Shares Rise More Than 5% After Record First-Quarter Results LS Electric shares climbed in intraday trading after the company reported its best-ever first-quarter results. As of 2:46 p.m. on the 22nd, LS Electric was trading at 194,000 won, up 5.04% from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. The gain was attributed to improved investor sentiment after the company posted record first-quarter performance, supported by growing demand for power infrastructure for global data centers. LS Electric said the previous day that preliminary April 22, 2026

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Chan-dae launches Incheon mayor bid, touts 'ABC+E' growth plan Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Incheon mayor, said at an official campaign launch news conference on the 22nd that he would “get Incheon’s engine running again” with what he called the city’s “ABC+E” future strategy. After declaring his candidacy, Park visited a biotech site — one pillar of the plan — and unveiled seven biotech pledges. Speaking in the Aetteul Plaza outside Incheon City Hall, Park said Incheon has been “moving backward” because it lacked “a clear visi April 22, 2026

Japan Seen Holding Rates Steady as Middle East Tensions Cloud BOJ Outlook The Bank of Japan is increasingly expected to keep its policy rate unchanged at its late-April meeting, as instability in the Middle East drives up oil prices and raises concerns about supply disruptions, making the impact on Japan’s economy and inflation harder to gauge. A decision on a rate increase is likely to be pushed to the June meeting. Yomiuri Shimbun, Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun reported on April 22 that the BOJ is seriously considering holding the policy rate at about 0.75% at i April 22, 2026

Brokerages Revamp Mobile Trading Apps as Platform Competition Intensifies Brokerages are racing to overhaul their mobile trading systems, or MTS, as a buoyant stock market draws more investors and intensifies competition to keep users on their platforms. Analysts say rivalry in the sector is shifting from transaction fees to platform strength. According to the financial investment industry on April 22, Next Securities is developing a next-generation MTS that combines artificial intelligence with short-form content, aiming for a launch in the second half of this April 22, 2026

South Korea awards 100 million won in bonuses to 23 staff at embassy in Iran The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it paid about 100 million won ($) in special performance bonuses to 23 employees at the South Korean Embassy in Iran for their work responding to the Middle East situation. The ministry said the bonuses were paid regardless of rank or nationality and were scaled based on each employee’s contribution, including workload and exposure to risk during efforts such as assisting South Koreans with evacuation. The recipients included 13 South Korean nationals April 22, 2026

Woo Won-shik Says Free Vote Could Pass Constitutional Amendment, but Lawmaker Resignations Loom National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said a constitutional amendment slated for a May 7 plenary session could pass if lawmakers are allowed a free vote, but the measure faces headwinds. The People Power Party has declared its opposition as a party line. At the same time, Democratic Party lawmakers who were selected as candidates for metropolitan mayor and governor races in the June 3 local elections have said they will resign en masse on the 29th, increasing the burden of securing defe April 22, 2026

Trump’s Iran War Drags On as China Tariff Fight Remains Unresolved Nearly two months after the Iran war began, U.S. President Donald Trump’s early prediction that it would end in four to six weeks has been overtaken by events. The timeline has already passed his stated “deadline,” and the Middle East remains clouded by unresolved tensions and uncertainty over further destruction. Trump’s repeated promises that an end to the fighting was close have also slipped. After unilaterally extending a two-week ceasefire that had been set to expire on the 21st by April 22, 2026

Nongshim teams with Jeonju film festival for Shin Ramyun’s 40th anniversary Nongshim is marking the 40th anniversary of its Shin Ramyun brand with a partnership with the Jeonju International Film Festival, aiming to link Korean food and culture. Nongshim said April 22 that it signed an agreement a day earlier at its headquarters in Seoul’s Dongjak district with the festival’s organizing committee for special screenings tied to the anniversary. Under the deal, the company participated in producing two short films featuring Shin Ramyun that will be shown during th April 22, 2026

Japan's Takaichi Sends Another Offering to Yasukuni Shrine Despite South Korea, China Criticism Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made an additional offering to Yasukuni Shrine. Kyodo News and NHK reported on the 22nd that Takaichi, through Haruko Arimura, chair of the Liberal Democratic Party’s General Council, donated out of her own pocket the fee for a ritual offering known as a “tamagushi.” After visiting the shrine, Arimura told reporters that she had prayed with Takaichi’s sentiments in mind and said the prime minister likely hopes to pay her respects there in perso April 22, 2026

SMEs Ministry Launches K-Startup AI League, Offers Top Prize of 500 Million Won The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has created an artificial intelligence league under the pan-government startup competition “K-Startup of the Year” and is recruiting participants. The ministry said on April 22 that “K-Startup of the Year” is a major national startup competition run jointly by nine ministries. It serves as a platform to discover promising startups and provide opportunities to grow. This year’s event is being promoted under the new name “K-Startup of the Year,” replacing April 22, 2026