Seo In-young Recalls Peak Fame: ‘I Did Eight Schedules a Day, Even by Helicopter’ Singer Seo In-young looked back on her busiest years at the height of her career. A preview clip for tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” was uploaded Monday to the show’s official channel. Seo said she was “really busy” during her peak and added, “If you told me to go back, I could never do it.” Host Yoo Jae-suk said Seo’s breakout with “Cinderella” made headlines, down to her “choco songi” hairstyle. Seo said she was grateful for the memories but slept about two hours a day. She said she April 22, 2026

Korea’s Financial Regulator Plans Major Hiring as KOSPI Sets Record High ◆Aju Economy Top Stories ▷At least 70 hires planned this year as a bigger, more powerful FSS expands -According to the financial industry on the 21st, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service recently completed selection of 40 experienced hires — 30 certified public accountants and 10 lawyers — and is preparing final placements. It is the largest experienced-hire intake since such recruiting was halted after a 2017 hiring scandal and resumed in 2023. -The FSS also plans additional hiri April 22, 2026

South Korea’s March Producer Prices Rise 1.6% as Oil Products Jump 31.9% A sharp rise in international oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East pushed South Korea’s producer prices higher for a seventh straight month.  The Bank of Korea said on the 22nd that the producer price index for March came to 125.24, up 1.6% from the previous month. It was the biggest monthly increase since April 2022, when the index also rose 1.6%. Producer prices have increased each month from September last year through March. By category, agricultural, forestry and fishery April 22, 2026

Korea Faces Record 91 Trillion Won Corporate Bond Maturities as Rates Rise Corporate bond maturities due this year are expected to exceed 91 trillion won, a record that is pushing companies to prioritize refinancing over new investment. If the policy rate rises in the second half of the year, interest costs could jump further, raising concerns about weaker investment and hiring and broader financial-market stress. The Korea Financial Investment Association said that as of Monday, corporate bonds maturing this year totaled 91.2262 trillion won. That is the hig April 22, 2026

Korean Firms Shift From Investment to Debt Repayment as Rate Volatility Rises Korean companies are taking a more defensive stance, choosing to repay debt rather than invest for future growth. With Middle East-driven geopolitical risks adding to interest-rate volatility, corporate profitability and financing conditions have worsened at the same time. Economists warn that a pullback by businesses could slow growth and add downward pressure across the broader economy. Companies repay debt instead of tapping the bond market early in the year According to the Bank of April 22, 2026

Trump Extends Ceasefire Until Iran Presents Unified Proposal U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 21 local time that he would extend a ceasefire until Iran’s leadership and negotiating team present a unified proposal. In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said he had received a request to hold off on attacks “based on the fact that the Iranian government is seriously divided and at Pakistan’s request,” until Iran’s leadership and delegation put forward a single proposal. He added that he would extend the ceas April 22, 2026

China’s EV Market Tilts to Local Brands, Testing Hyundai’s Comeback Strategy China’s electric-vehicle market is rapidly consolidating around domestic brands, leaving even Tesla and Germany’s top automakers — Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen — struggling. Hyundai Motor’s renewed push into China is now being tested. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on April 21, China produced 34.53 million vehicles last year, up 10.4% from a year earlier. Over the same period, sales of new-energy vehicles — including EVs and hybrids — totaled 16.49 mil April 22, 2026

Hyundai Motor Pushes to Rebuild in China as Market Share Stays Below 1% "China is the fastest-moving market. With a humble approach, we will increase production and sales in China." (Chung Euisun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, in an interview after a Korea-China business forum in January) Hyundai Motor Group is regrouping as it declares a renewed push into China, a market it says it cannot afford to abandon as the country emerges as the world’s largest future-mobility arena. After a peak near 2 million vehicles a year and a long slide si April 22, 2026

Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Hanoi Ahead of South Korea-Vietnam Summit; Trump, Iran and Volkswagen Updates President Lee arrives in Hanoi; South Korea-Vietnam summit set for April 22 President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Hanoi on April 21 local time, beginning a state visit to Vietnam after completing a state visit to India. The presidential aircraft carrying Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung landed at Noi Bai International Airport that afternoon. Lee is scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting with South Korean residents on April 22, then meet with To Lam, Vietnam’s Communist Party genera April 21, 2026

Ruling, opposition parties clash at probe hearing; discipline motion and perjury complaints loom Rival parties traded accusations April 21 at the National Assembly’s special committee investigating allegations of politically motivated, fabricated prosecutions under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, as the dispute widened to include a threatened discipline motion and planned perjury complaints. The committee held a plenary meeting and conducted hearings on prosecutions tied to the West Sea civil servant shooting, alleged manipulation of statistics and alleged false reporting that de April 21, 2026