Novo Nordisk to Cut Wegovy U.S. Wholesale Price Up to 50%, Raising Pressure on GLP-1 Rivals Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy will see its U.S. wholesale acquisition cost cut to about half starting next year, a move that industry watchers say signals a shift toward price competition in the fast-growing glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) market. According to the industry on Tuesday, the Danish drugmaker will reduce the WAC for Wegovy injections, oral Wegovy and the oral diabetes drug Rybelsus by 35% to 50% starting Jan. 1. The monthly list price for GLP-1 treatments will be adjuste March 11, 2026

InterBattery 2026 Showcases Solid-State Batteries for Humanoid Robots “I came to see the solid-state battery that’s supposed to go into a humanoid robot, but there are so many people the line is long.” South Korea’s largest battery exhibition, InterBattery 2026, opened on March 11 with companies competing to showcase solid-state battery technology. With expectations rising for next-generation demand such as humanoid robots, crowds gathered around the displays. South Korea’s three major battery makers are seeking a rebound from a temporary demand slowdown b March 11, 2026

Korean Air Expands Defense Portfolio With Small Drones Rising military tensions in the Middle East amid U.S.-Iran friction have underscored drones as a core capability in modern warfare, with countries moving to field more systems that can deliver high operational impact at relatively low cost. Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline, is adding drones to its portfolio beyond passenger and cargo transport as it pushes deeper into the defense aviation market. As of March 11, industry officials said Korean Air’s aerospace division is seeking t March 11, 2026

Global EV Deliveries Excluding China Rise 21.2% in January; Hyundai Motor Group Ranks No. 4 Global electric-vehicle deliveries excluding China rose in January despite weakness in North America, according to SNE Research. The firm attributed the increase to stronger demand in Europe and other Asian markets as electrification gains momentum. SNE Research said Tuesday that 572,000 EVs were newly delivered worldwide outside China in January, up 21.2% from a year earlier. The tally includes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as well as battery-electric models. Europe posted 19.5% gro March 11, 2026

SHINee’s Taemin Signs Exclusive Contract With Galaxy Corporation Taemin, a member of the K-pop group SHINee and a solo singer, has signed with Galaxy Corporation. Galaxy Corporation said on the 11th that it has signed an exclusive contract with Taemin, adding that it will provide full support so his “unrivaled artistic capabilities” can create synergy with the company’s cutting-edge technology. Galaxy Corporation, which describes itself as South Korea’s first AI entertainment-technology company, develops “entertech” businesses that combine enterta March 11, 2026

National Museum, HYBE Team Up on BTS Goods Inspired by Korean National Treasure Korean national treasures are increasingly being recast through K-pop, with the 1,250-year-old Bell of King Seongdeok now serving as inspiration for BTS-linked merchandise aimed at global fans. The “Hip Tradition” trend that has spread in South Korea in recent years is moving onto the international stage through K-pop, broadening interest from K-content to Korean culture more broadly, including traditional heritage. Industry officials said Wednesday that the National Museum of Korea has b March 11, 2026

J-pop Singer Vaundy to Hold First Solo Concerts in South Korea in September Japanese singer Vaundy will visit South Korea for the first time since his debut.  Type Communication Co., the organizer, said on the 11th that Vaundy will hold two solo concerts on Sept. 19 and 20 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, titled "Vaundy ASIA ARENA TOUR 2026 'HORO' IN SEOUL." The shows will mark his first official meeting with Korean fans who have long awaited a Korea concert, the organizer said. Vaundy is known as a multi-talented artist who oversees songwriting, composition and March 11, 2026

South Korea Requests Police Probe Into 105 Suspected Scalped BTS Tickets South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is stepping up its crackdown on ticket scalping.  The ministry said on the 11th it asked the National Police Agency to investigate four suspected cases involving 105 BTS concert tickets believed to have been sold illegally.  After intensively monitoring major online secondhand marketplaces for BTS concerts in Gwanghwamun and Goyang, the ministry said it found posts offering a total of 1,868 tickets, including duplicates. It sa March 11, 2026

Gout Isn’t Just a ‘Rich Man’s Disease’: Common Myths and What Drives Risk "I can’t even put my foot on the ground." Gout patients say it often, and the pain can be so intense that the old line about it hurting even when a breeze brushes by does not feel like an exaggeration. Because the Korean name includes the character for “wind,” some people confuse it with stroke, but gout is a different disease caused by abnormal uric acid metabolism. Gout was once called the “emperor’s disease” or a “rich man’s disease,” because it was common among royals and a March 11, 2026

Korea Pharma and Health Brief: MFDS, Chong Kun Dang, Celltrion, SK Chemical, SNUH, CHA Hospital MFDS expands free pickup delivery for food foreign-object reports to meat and imports South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Food Safety Information Service said on March 11 they will expand a free pickup delivery service for consumers reporting foreign objects found in food, extending it this year to livestock products and imported foods. The service began last year to eliminate the need for complainants to bring evidence to investigators in person or mail it the March 11, 2026