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  Korean Industry Urges Action as Hormuz Closure Fears and U.S. Tariffs Add Pressure U.S.-Iran fighting has heightened fears that the Strait of Hormuz could be blocked, prompting South Korean industry leaders to press for swift countermeasures at an emergency meeting at the National Assembly on the 5th. Exporters and energy companies attended the “Democratic Party-industry emergency meeting on Middle East issues,” urging the government to respond quickly to what they called a compound crisis driven by Middle East instability and U.S. tariffs. Democratic Party lawmaker K March 5, 2026
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  Jinyoung and Kim Minju Lead JTBC’s New Friday Romance Series “Shining” Actors Park Jinyoung and Kim Minju are betting a first-love story can help revive JTBC’s Friday series. JTBC’s new Friday drama “Shining,” directed by Kim Yoon-jin (“Our Beloved Summer”) and written by Lee Sook-yeon (“One Fine Spring Day”), layers a teenage first meeting with a reunion in the characters’ 30s. The creators said the series aims to prove love through the passage of seasons rather than through big “incidents.” On the afternoon of the 5th, JTBC held a production presentation March 5, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor-Kia AVP Chief Park Min-woo Urges Staff to Embrace Conflict as 'One Team' Park Min-woo, head of Hyundai Motor and Kia’s AVP division, urged employees to keep a “one team” mindset even when disagreements arise. Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday that Park, who took office Feb. 23, met employees in a town hall meeting and told them, “There will be countless clashes and differences of opinion, but let’s not avoid them.” He added that conflict can be “positive friction” aimed at building the most complete product. Park stressed collaboration as “One Team,” saying March 5, 2026
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  YouTuber Kim Seon-tae Says Impostor X Account Is Using His Name Kim Seon-tae, who was known as “Chungju Man,” said he has been targeted by an impersonator on X.  Kim wrote on his social media on March 5, “This is an impersonation X account. Please report it,” and posted a photo showing the account. The impersonating account had 4,526 followers.  Online commenters reacted with posts such as “What happened?” “An impersonation account is a sign of success,” and “How far does his influence reach?”  Kim opened his YouTube channel, “Kim Seon-tae,” on Mar March 5, 2026
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  HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun visits Philippines to expand economic cooperation Chung Ki-sun, chairman of HD Hyundai, visited the Philippines as part of a South Korean government economic delegation, seeking to deepen ties and expand economic cooperation between the two countries, the company said March 5. HD Hyundai said Chung paid tribute at a Korean War memorial, attended a Korea-Philippines business forum and inspected HD Hyundai Philippines Shipbuilding (HD Hyundai Philippines). On March 4, Chung visited the Korean War memorial at the National Heroes Cemetery in March 5, 2026
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  Small Weight Changes Can Signal Bigger Health Shifts, Experts Say Early this year, U.S. investment bank Jefferies said major U.S. airlines could save as much as $580 million (about 8.255 trillion won) in fuel costs this year. The analysis linked the savings to the surge in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) obesity drugs, saying lower average passenger weight could reduce takeoff weight and improve fuel efficiency. The report estimated that a 10% drop in average passenger weight could cut fuel costs by up to 1.5%. For airlines, it is an unexpected benefit. March 5, 2026
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  Internet Press Ethics Panel Launches Fair Election Coverage Support Ahead of June 3 Local Vote The Internet Newspaper Ethics Commission and the Internet Election News Deliberation Commission said Thursday they will jointly launch the “2026 9th Nationwide Local Elections Fair Election Coverage Support Project” to help online news outlets provide fair and responsible coverage ahead of the June 3 vote. Marking 90 days before election day, the two bodies began distributing the first installment of a “Fair Election Coverage Practice Guide,” providing training on fair election reportin March 5, 2026
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  Tesla Tops South Korea’s Imported-Car Market in February as Model Y Sales Near 7,000 Tesla led South Korea’s imported-car market last month, driven by strong sales of the Model Y.  The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association said Thursday that new registrations of imported passenger cars in February rose 34.6% from a year earlier to 27,190. That was up 29.7% from January’s 20,960. Cumulative registrations for January and February totaled 48,150, a 35.9% increase from 35,428 a year earlier. By brand, Tesla ranked first with 7,868 registrations, followed b March 5, 2026
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  KB Kookmin Bank, AIA Life Sign MOU to Expand Insurance Claim Rights Trust Services KB Kookmin Bank said March 5 that it signed a memorandum of understanding with AIA Life to promote insurance claim rights trusts and expand linked trust-and-insurance services. The signing ceremony was held March 4, attended by Yoo Shin-ok, head of AIA Life’s Customer Division, and Jeon Hyo-seong, deputy head of KB Kookmin Bank’s WM Customer Group, along with officials from both companies. An insurance claim rights trust allows a policyholder to place the right to claim death benefits in March 5, 2026
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  NH NongHyup Bank Partners With U.S. Real Estate Platform Koriny on Investment Advice NH NongHyup Bank said March 5 that it has signed a business agreement with Koriny, a U.S. real estate platform company, to cooperate on U.S. real estate investment advisory services. Under the agreement, the two sides plan to provide professional, reliable information to customers interested in investing in U.S. real estate and to identify a range of investment opportunities. Cooperation will include providing U.S. property listings and investment information, tailored advisory services March 5, 2026