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  South Korea falls 1-0 to Austria as Son Heung-min held scoreless Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea squad lost to Austria in its final warmup before the last call-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. South Korea fell 1-0 to Austria on April 1 (Korea time) at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The defeat followed a 4-0 rout by Ivory Coast on March 28 in Milton Keynes, England, leaving South Korea winless in its two-match A match set with the World Cup call-up about three months away. It was South Korea’s first back-to-back A match lo April 1, 2026
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  Jeonju International Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Names Opening and Closing Films The Jeonju International Film Festival, a major showcase for independent and art-house cinema, has launched its 27th edition with a theme of pushing beyond traditional boundaries. Organizers named Kent Jones’ “My Private Artist” as the opening film, signaling what they described as a distinctly Jeonju-style program. A news conference announcing the lineup was held Monday afternoon at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul. Attendees included acting organizing committee chair Yoon Do March 31, 2026
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  Review: 'Project Hail Mary' Weighs Sacrifice vs. Survival Without Judgment * This article contains major spoilers for the film. The film ‘Project Hail Mary’ includes a scene in which three crew members — a pilot, an engineer and a scientist — talk before boarding a spacecraft meant to save Earth as the sun dies. Grace, the scientist, suddenly realizes he is the only scientist assigned and protests: “I get motion sickness even in an elevator.” Yao, the pilot, replies, “That’s good. There are no elevators on the ship.&rd March 31, 2026
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  Kim Hyo-joo rises to No. 3 in women’s world golf rankings after back-to-back LPGA wins Kim Hyo-joo, who has won the past two LPGA Tour events, climbed to No. 3 in the women’s world golf rankings. In the rankings released March 31 (Korean time), Kim had 6.71 points, up one spot from No. 4 last week. It is the best ranking of her career. Her previous high was No. 4, reached in March 2015 and again last week. Kim successfully defended her title at the Ford Championship, which ended March 30 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona. Following her victory at the previous e March 31, 2026
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  South Korea Passes Law to Promote Hanbok Culture and Industry A new legal framework has been put in place to systematically promote hanbok, a signature cultural asset tied to Korean history and identity. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 31st that the National Assembly passed a bill to enact the Hanbok Culture Industry Promotion Act. The measure marks the culmination of efforts that began with its first proposal in the 19th National Assembly in 2013, after repeated introductions and expirations. The ministry said it establishe March 31, 2026
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  Dongkook, Yuhan and Celltrion Post Global Marketing, Donation Updates Dongkook Pharmaceutical’s Centellian24 joins major global beauty expo Dongkook Pharmaceutical said its dermacosmetic brand Centellian24 participated in Cosmoprof Bologna 2026, billed as the world’s largest beauty trade show, held March 26-29 in Bologna, Italy. Now in its 57th year, the event is a venue for sharing market trends and business opportunities. Organizers drew about 3,100 companies from more than 150 countries and more than 250,000 industry participants, the company said. Cen March 31, 2026
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  Debate Flares Over Adding Hangul Signboard to Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Gate "This issue should be viewed from the perspective of making new history and properly showing national identity." (Lee Geon-beom, head of the Hangul Culture Solidarity) "Whatever the justification, if it goes this way, Gwanghwamun and Gwanghwamun Square will be reduced to a ruler's 'playground.'" (Choi Jong-deok, former head of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage) On March 31, a forum at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary March 31, 2026
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  NH NongHyup Financial Expands Senior Products, Weighs Elder Care Infrastructure NH NongHyup Financial Group is moving to aggressively expand senior-focused products and offline service spaces this year, aiming to convert community hub branches into senior-oriented locations and win market share with higher-value offerings tied to health management. A key variable is whether it can ease internal friction over potential overlap with local cooperatives. According to the financial industry on Monday, NH NongHyup Financial will step up its push into the so-called silver m March 31, 2026
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  Citi Korea Marks International Women’s Day With Talk by Inertia CEO Kim Hyoi Citibank Korea said March 31 that it held a special lecture for employees on March 30 featuring Kim Hyoi, CEO of startup Inertia, to mark International Women’s Day 2026. The session, titled “Startup leadership that challenges inertia,” was designed to prompt employees to examine organizational habits and consider change, the bank said. Citi marks International Women’s Day each year with programs involving employees worldwide, including lectures, panel discussions and networking events, i March 31, 2026
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  South Korea’s Three-Back Defense Faces Key Test vs. Austria After 4-0 Loss South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo’s three-back system unraveled in the team’s last friendly, raising fresh doubts about whether it can hold up on the World Cup stage. The upcoming match against Austria is widely seen as the final proving ground for keeping the setup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea lost 4-0 to Ivory Coast on March 28 (Korea time) in a friendly at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England. The match was intended as a tune-up against a team modeled on South Africa, a gro March 31, 2026