South Korea to Inspect 2,100 Restaurants Near BTS Event Sites Ahead of Comeback South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said March 17 it will conduct advance hygiene inspections and food-poisoning prevention outreach at about 2,100 restaurants near BTS comeback event sites, including Gwanghwamun, Namdaemun and Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), through March 21. The ministry said the effort is aimed at raising sanitation standards ahead of an expected surge in visitors during the events and preventing consumer harm, including overcharging. Inspectors will focus March 17, 2026

S-OIL, Samsung SDS Launch Integrated IT Outsourcing Partnership S-OIL said Tuesday it held a kickoff event with Samsung SDS to mark the full launch of their integrated ITO (IT outsourcing) project. The event was organized to commemorate the recent completion of S-OIL’s IT infrastructure data center migration and to signal the start of the joint ITO effort. The gathering was held Monday at Samsung SDS’ Sangam data center, with S-OIL CEO Ryu Yeol and Samsung SDS CEO Lee Jun-hee among the executives attending. The companies said they have successfully m March 17, 2026

Hyundai Motor, Kia expand Nvidia partnership for autonomous driving tech Hyundai Motor and Kia have joined hands with Nvidia to cooperate on autonomous mobility technology, with Nvidia capabilities set to be used in Hyundai vehicles offering Level 2 or higher automated driving. Industry officials said the expanded cooperation follows a recent meeting between Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and now extends to autonomous driving, a key future growth area for automakers. According to the industry on March 17, the two sides began j March 17, 2026

Hana Bank to Provide $1.56 Billion in Liquidity to Foster Gwangju-Jeolla Hub Firms Hana Bank is launching financial support to help foster hub companies in the Gwangju-Jeolla region, in line with the government’s “5 hubs, 3 special zones” strategy. The bank said it signed a business agreement on March 16 with the city of Gwangju, the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corp. to support the development of hub companies in the region. The agreement is aimed at strengthening the growth base for small an March 17, 2026

Some South Korea Highway Gas Stations Cap Fuel Purchases Amid Supply Strain Middle East war fallout is deepening concerns about South Korea’s supply of petroleum products, with some gas stations now limiting how much customers can buy. The restrictions follow refiners’ cuts to fuel deliveries to discount stations in cities and at highway rest stops. Industry officials said Sunday that many EX-OIL discount stations on expressways, operated by the Korea Expressway Corp., have begun posting notices capping purchases at 30,000 won per person for gasoline and 100,000 March 17, 2026

Singer Insooni Says She and Her Husband Sleep in Separate Rooms Singer Insooni introduced her husband on television. Insooni appeared on TV Chosun's "Joseon's Lovebirds" on the 16th. Her husband said, "I'm the person who lives with Insooni, whom you all know well. I'm a bit flustered to be out here, but I think I'll just show things as they are." He added, "I majored in golf, so I teach pros and non-pros. Right now, I'm giving golf lessons." The couple also showed their bedroom. Insooni said, "We sleep in separate rooms," add March 17, 2026

Producer Lim Eun-jung on 'The Man Who Lives With the King' and Gen Z repeat viewings Two years after the last Korean film to hit 10 million admissions, “The Man Who Lives With the King” has kept building momentum. The period drama drew audiences through word of mouth, passed 10 million moviegoers and has continued to climb, topping 13 million admissions — an unusual run for a traditional historical film. At the center is Lim Eun-jung, CEO of the new production company Onda Works. “Director Jang Hang-jun said in an interview that he joined because I persuaded him. So on March 17, 2026

Thinkware Launches Caltrwin KX and KR Window Tint Film Lineup Thinkware said March 17 that its automotive tint brand Caltrwin is launching two new window film lines, KX and KR. The new lineup consists of a reflective type and a nonreflective type, aimed at improving both driving visibility and heat-blocking performance. The reflective KR film is a metal-based product made with a high-purity sputtering process, the company said. It is offered in visible light transmission (VLT) grades of 11% and 27%, with infrared rejection (IRR) of up to 85% and t March 17, 2026

RideFlux Releases Video of Fully Hands-Off Autonomous Truck Hauling 11 Tons RideFlux, an autonomous-driving software startup, said Tuesday it has released video showing a heavy-duty self-driving truck carrying 11 tons of cargo completing a long-distance route between Seoul and Jincheon, North Chungcheong province, without any intervention by a safety operator. The footage highlights a key result from RideFlux’s middle-mile autonomous freight transport service, which the company has been piloting since October last year. RideFlux’s autonomous truck regularly runs March 17, 2026

Jin Air Expands Onboarding Training for New Aircraft Mechanics Jin Air said on the 17th it has overhauled its onboarding program for newly hired aircraft mechanics to strengthen their skills. The carrier said the revamped training makes active use of Korean Air’s maintenance training infrastructure and includes joint sessions with Air Busan, focusing on raising maintenance expertise and standardizing quality ahead of integration. Since January, Jin Air has been running the strengthened program for 38 new mechanics. Starting this year, it moved part March 17, 2026