Korean Biopharma CDMOs Race to Expand Capacity to Lock In Long-Term Clients The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) market is heating up again as biopharma companies move to expand production capacity to secure long-term clients. Because biologic drug development takes years and customers typically commit volumes for extended periods once a partner is chosen, capacity has become a key battleground. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the global pharmaceutical CDMO market is projected to grow 9.7% annually, to $ March 18, 2026

Hyundai Motor Boosts R&D to 5.5 Trillion Won Despite Headwinds, Stays Focused on Future Tech Hyundai Motor Co. increased research and development spending last year despite external uncertainty, including U.S. tariff measures, as it sought to secure future competitiveness. The company is expected to continue investing this year in key technologies such as electrification and software-defined vehicles, or SDVs, to strengthen its response to global markets. According to its annual business report filed March 18 with South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service, Hyundai spent 5.5354 March 18, 2026

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae Earned 14.58 Billion Won in Pay Last Year Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, received 14,578,180,000 won in pay last year from the holding company and major affiliates. According to filings on the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, Cho was paid a total of 14,578,180,000 won last year from Hanjin KAL (6,176,000,000 won), Korean Air (5,705,000,000 won), Jin Air (1,710,000,000 won) and Asiana Airlines (987,180,000 won). The total was about 43% higher than his 2024 pay. His c March 18, 2026

Korean Pharma and Medtech Updates: New Chondroitin Supplement, China Dividend Win, AI Project, CGM Study, FDA Fast Track, KGMP Renewal Daewon Pharmaceutical launches “Chondroitin King 1200” with individually approved functional ingredient Daewon Pharmaceutical said March 18 that its health supplement brand Daewon Health has launched “Chondroitin King 1200,” a functional health food that may help support joint and cartilage health. The product’s main ingredient is chondroitin sulfate, which has been recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for joint and cartilage health functionality. The company said it is the March 18, 2026

Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo team up for film 'Project Y' Every production is seen from countless angles. Even in the same place at the same time, directors and actors may experience the moment differently. <Choi Song-hui’s B-Cut> looks past the on-screen “A-cut” to the vivid record of what happened on set. By weaving together interviews with directors and actors, it reconstructs the “B-cut” moments that were often more intense than the finished frame. <Editor’s note> In the middle of a glittering city, two women at the edge of their March 18, 2026

Actor Go Jun to Marry Non-Celebrity Partner in Private Ceremony on April 5 South Korean actor Go Jun will marry his non-celebrity partner on April 5, according to reporting by this outlet. The wedding will be held at a location in Seoul and will be private, with only family and close acquaintances invited. The bride-to-be is not in the entertainment industry. The couple has been dating since last year. Go debuted in the 2001 film ‘Wanee & Junah’ and has since appeared in films including ‘Byeonsan,’ ‘Midnight Runners,’ & March 18, 2026

Yeosu petrochemical workers protest government-led plan to cut naphtha cracker output Yeosu industrial complex workers on Tuesday criticized a government- and creditor-led plan to voluntarily cut output at naphtha crackers, warning it could lead to mass layoffs and damage the local economy. They said it is unfair to push ahead with talks between the government (creditors) and companies without agreement from workers and the community. According to political circles, the labor-led Joint Countermeasures Committee for responding to petrochemical restructuring at the Yeosu Nat March 18, 2026

FL Auto Korea Launches Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid Midsize SUV in South Korea FL Auto Korea said March 18 it will officially launch Lincoln's midsize SUV, the Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid, in South Korea. The Nautilus Hybrid is a new trim of the second-generation model and is being introduced to the South Korean market for the first time. The company said the launch is aimed at strengthening its push into the premium midsize SUV segment while responding to growing demand for eco-friendly vehicles. The hybrid model is designed to further emphasize Lincoln's cor March 18, 2026

Shinhan Bank Joins Bank of Korea’s ‘Project Hangang’ Phase 2 Digital Currency Pilot Shinhan Bank said Tuesday it will participate in Phase 2 of the Bank of Korea’s digital currency pilot, known as “Project Hangang.” Project Hangang is a digital currency initiative led by the central bank with the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and commercial banks. Under the model, the Bank of Korea issues a wholesale central bank digital currency, and commercial banks issue deposit tokens based on it. Consumers make payments using the deposit tokens iss March 18, 2026

FedEx Wins 2026 Asia-Pacific Biopharma Excellence Award for Last-Mile Logistics Federal Express Corp., known as FedEx, said Tuesday it won the “Best Logistics and Supply Chain Management” award in the “Last-Mile Implementation” category at the Asia-Pacific Biopharma Excellence Awards 2026. The awards are hosted by IMAPAC, an international organization in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. They recognize companies that have contributed to industry development in Asia across areas including bioprocessing, logistics, supply chain management and clinical research. March 18, 2026