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  Flautist Han Ji-hee to Release Debut Reinecke Album With Lang Lang, Royal Philharmonic Universal Music said Thursday that flutist Han Ji-hee will release her debut album, “Carl Reinecke: Works for Flute,” on April 24. The album features three works by Carl Reinecke. Han recorded the “Flute Concerto in D major” and the “Ballade in D minor for Flute and Orchestra” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. She also recorded the flute-and-piano sonata “Undine” with pianist Lang Lang. The album will be released on the Deutsche Grammophon label, and the April 3, 2026
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  Review: Kim Young-ha’s ‘What Happened to the Man Stuck in the Elevator?’ ‘Even now, I still wonder. What on earth happened to him.’ Twenty-seven years after it was published, no one knows what became of him — the man who, in 1999, got stuck in an apartment elevator in Kim Young-ha’s short story, ‘What Happened to the Man Stuck in the Elevator?’ Though I read it more than 20 years ago, several scenes remain vivid, like a film: the man wedged at the fifth floor with his upper body caught between the doors, his feet dangling outside. The narrator, a resident April 3, 2026
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  Shinhan Bank Sells $600 Million in Global Bonds After Drawing $7 Billion in Orders Shinhan Bank said it issued $600 million (about 9.05 trillion won) in global senior foreign-currency bonds on April 1. The deal marked the first overseas foreign-currency bond sale by a major South Korean commercial bank since tensions in the Middle East rose following the war between the United States and Iran. Investor demand totaled about $7 billion (about 10.563 trillion won), the bank said. The bonds were issued as development finance notes, aimed at creating social an April 3, 2026
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  National Dance Company Premieres 'Gwi-hyang,' a Dance Drama on a Mother's Love Mother, I’m back/After passing dark, damp cliffs/I ran through the long night/As wind returns to the wind’s home to rest/I ran with only one heart. (From Kim Seong-ok’s poem “Gwi-hyang”) The National Dance Company of Korea will present “Gwi-hyang” as its first new production of the year. The dance drama blends the lyricism of Korean dance with a theatrical narrative, drawing on Kim Seong-ok’s poem “Gwi-hyang” to stage the inner memories and emotions between a mother and her son. Artist April 3, 2026
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  Go Woori of Rainbow Announces Pregnancy, Due in October Go Woori of the group Rainbow is expecting her first child. On April 2, Go posted a video titled “Go Woori is pregnant! A tearful pregnancy announcement” on her YouTube channel, “Go Woori” (Go Woori). In the video, she said she is 10 weeks pregnant and has largely stayed home for three to four weeks because of morning sickness. She said she invited the production crew to her home for that reason. “I had both constant hunger and physical fatigue,” she said, describing it as fee April 3, 2026
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  SK Biopharm, Lotte Biologics, LG Chem, AriBio and GI Innovation Announce New Deals and Updates SK Biopharm signs pact with Seoul BioHub to mentor drug-development startups SK Biopharm said Thursday it selected two promising central nervous system startups through an open-innovation program with Seoul BioHub and held a signing ceremony. The program is designed to strengthen the R&D capabilities of Korean startups by sharing SK Biopharm’s experience across the full cycle of global new-drug development. The company said it is the first concrete outcome of an agreement the two si April 3, 2026
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  U.S. sets 15% tariff on Korean drugs, keeps biosimilars duty-free The Donald Trump administration has decided to impose a 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals not produced in the United States, while applying a separate 15% rate to South Korea. Biosimilars, a key Korean export, will remain duty-free. South Korea’s pharmaceutical and biotech industry said the decision eases uncertainty, but warned that companies still need global strategies as supply chains shift. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on April 2 (local time) imposing a 100% tariff on April 3, 2026
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  Songzio Designs Armor-Inspired Looks for BTS’ ‘ARIRANG’ Comeback Stage BTS returned as a full seven-member group for the first time in four years with an outdoor comeback stage expected to draw 160,000 people and streamed live worldwide on Netflix. When the group appeared at 8 p.m. on March 21 with Gwanghwamun as the backdrop for the live “ARIRANG” performance, the armor-like costumes drew nearly as much attention as the music. Behind the scene watched around the world was South Korean fashion brand Songzio, which blended tradition and modernity, toughness a April 3, 2026
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  Woori Bank to Turn Branch Idle Space Into Community Platform With Goodwill Store Woori Bank said Thursday it will convert idle space at branches nationwide into a social-contribution platform aimed at supporting local communities. As some branches scale back operations, the bank will bring in Goodwill Store outlets that sell donated goods. The pilot “Goodwill Branch Yeoju” has continued to provide essential financial services for local residents while also creating jobs for vulnerable groups and encouraging local donations, the bank said. Woori Bank said it p April 3, 2026
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  2026 World Cup Field Set at 48: Iraq Returns After 40 Years, Italy Misses Again On April 1, Iraq beat Bolivia 2-1 in the intercontinental playoff to claim the final ticket to the 2026 World Cup. The result sent Iraq to the World Cup for the first time since 1986, ending a 40-year wait. Iraq, which borders Iran, has been shaken by war in the Middle East, with about 100 people killed, leaving the country in an unstable situation. Despite the security strains, large crowds poured into streets across Baghdad and other cities after the win, setting off fireworks and April 3, 2026