Horror Film 'Salmokji' Tops Box Office in Opening Weekend, Nears Break-Even Film "Salmokji" led the box office in its opening weekend, extending its strong run.  According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office database on April 13, "Salmokji" drew 536,452 moviegoers from April 10-12 to rank No. 1 for the weekend. The result put it ahead of competing releases "Project Hail Mary" and "The Man Who Lives With the King."  Its opening-weekend total was the biggest for a horror film since "Metamorphosis" drew 571,901 in 2019, and it far exceeded the 305,15 April 19, 2026

Woori Bank to Invest 460 Billion Won in 35 Mid-Sized Firms Under Rising Leaders Program Woori Bank said April 19 it has selected 35 companies for the seventh round of its “Rising Leaders 300” financing program with South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and will begin full support. Rising Leaders 300 is a “productive finance” initiative designed to identify and back mid-sized companies with strong technology and growth potential. Woori Bank and the ministry have jointly run the program since 2023. The seventh-round selection followed a recruitment notice iss April 19, 2026

How Director Lee Sang-min and Actor Kim Hye-yoon Built the Fear in 'Salmokji' Every production holds many perspectives. The same place and time can feel different depending on where a director or actor stands. “Choi Song-hee’s B-Cut” looks beyond the on-screen “A-cut” to the vivid record of what happened off camera. By weaving interviews with directors and actors, it reconstructs the “B-cut” moments that were often more intense than the finished frame. <Editor’s note> ※This article contains spoilers for the film The horror film “Salmokji” begins when an uni April 19, 2026

Samsung Bioepis Presents Follow-Up Phase 3 Data on Osteoporosis Drug Ovodens in Europe Samsung Bioepis said Sunday it presented follow-up results from a Phase 3 study of its Prolia biosimilar, Ovodens (project name SB16), at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO) in Prague, Czech Republic. The analysis was an exploratory subgroup review of the global Phase 3 SB16 trial. It examined 456 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis to assess whether disease characteristics such as age, body mass index and history of vertebral April 19, 2026

Korea FDA Signs Deal With Hankook Vaccine to Stabilize Syringe Supply Chain The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Friday it signed a business agreement with Hankook Vaccine to stabilize the online supply chain for syringes. The ministry said the agreement is expected to help ensure a steady supply of syringes needed by online shopping malls and medical clinics. Hankook Vaccine has applied for special extended work hours — an exemption from the 52-hour workweek limit — to support online supply stability, enabling additional syringe production and securing April 18, 2026

Hanmi Launches Task Force to Commercialize Obesity Drug Efpeglenatide; Other Pharma-Bio Updates Hanmi launches companywide task force to commercialize obesity drug efpeglenatide this year "The development of Efe reflects Hanmi’s spirit of not being discouraged by failure and turning it into a bigger opportunity." Lim Ju-hyeon, vice chair of Hanmi Group, made the remarks April 13 at Hanmi C&C Square in Seoul as the company launched a cross-company consultative body, dubbed the “Efe Project–Seosa,” aimed at commercializing the obesity drug candidate efpeglenatide, know April 17, 2026

Museum Director Kim Myung-in Pledges National Script Research Institute Kim Myung-in, director of the National Museum of World Writing Systems, on April 17 announced a new vision for the museum: “World cultures through writing systems, an open museum preparing for the future.” Speaking at a news briefing at the Korea Press Center, Kim said the museum will pursue the creation of a National Script Research Institute as a key driver, aiming to become a “global hub for writing-system culture” where exhibitions and research operate in tandem. He outlined majo April 17, 2026

Stage Review: 'Record of Bones' Finds Humanity When Perfection Breaks “I will do my utmost to see you on your final journey.” The central figure in the play 'Record of Bones' is a funeral director robot named Robis. His service is flawless. In the way he handles the dead, he shows a calm, craftsmanlike precision. His gestures are delicate, his gaze steady. Robis carries out standardized procedures without a fraction of error — no mistakes, no hesitation, no complaints. Within a fixed system, his work can seem like the ideal. What changes is th April 17, 2026

Five Years On, 45RPM’s Lee Hyun-bae Remembered After 2021 Death Hip-hop group 45RPM member Lee Hyun-bae, the younger brother of DJ DOC’s Lee Ha-neul, has been dead for five years. Lee was found dead April 17, 2021, at his home in Seogwipo on Jeju Island. An internet installation worker discovered him collapsed in the living room and reported it, but Lee was pronounced dead. An autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death, and a specialist’s opinion said it was believed to be related to a heart abnormality. After news of Lee’s death, a dispu April 17, 2026

Callaway Golf Korea Launches Quantum Mini Series Clubs Callaway Golf Korea has introduced the new Quantum Mini Series, built on the technology of its Quantum lineup. The series includes three clubs: the Quantum Mini Driver, Quantum Mini Bertha and Quantum Mini Spinner. The company said the clubs are designed to close common distance gaps between a driver, fairway wood, hybrid and long iron, allowing more precise yardage control depending on course conditions. The Quantum Mini Driver is intended to blend driver distance with the stability of a April 17, 2026