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  South Korea to Bar Loan Maturity Extensions for Multi-Homeowners, Tighten Household Debt Growth Financial regulators are set to announce new measures this week aimed at curbing household lending, including a plan to generally bar extensions of loan maturities for borrowers who own multiple homes. The steps are expected to align with tighter real estate rules by sharply lowering the target growth rate for total household debt and setting a separate target for mortgage lending. According to the financial sector on March 30, the Financial Services Commission will hold a household debt March 30, 2026
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  TWS Builds Momentum With Seoul Fan Meeting and Sold-Out VR Concert Ahead of April 27 Comeback Group TWS has extended its momentum from a fan meeting to a successful VR concert as it heads toward a comeback on April 27. Moving between live venues and movie theaters, the group has expanded its presence in the first quarter of 2026. TWS met fans from March 27-29 at Ticketlink Live Arena at Olympic Park in Seoul’s Songpa district, holding its second fan meeting, “42:CLUB” in Seoul (2026 TWS 2ND FANMEETING “42:CLUB” IN SEOUL). The three-day event ended to strong crowd response, undersc March 30, 2026
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  Past Post Attributed to Translator Hwang Seok-hee Resurfaces After Sex Crime Report A past online post believed to have been written by translator Hwang Seok-hee drew renewed attention after reports said he committed three sex crimes, including quasi-rape and filming a person’s body. On the 30th, an online community circulated the post, which was attributed to Hwang. In the post, Hwang wrote that students sometimes send him messages using words such as “role model,” “mentor” and “respect,” but that he tells them not to respect him or think of him as a mentor. “One day, March 30, 2026
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  BTS’ ‘ARIRANG’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Seventh Career Top Spot BTS has returned to the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 with its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” setting new weekly marks for a group album on sales and streaming. According to Billboard’s chart preview posted Monday on its website, “ARIRANG” debuted at No. 1 on the April 4-dated Billboard 200 with 641,000 equivalent album units. Billboard said it is the biggest weekly total for a group album since the chart began tracking units in December 2014. Pure album sales totaled 532,000. Billb March 30, 2026
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  Samsung Biologics Faces First-Ever Strike Threat as Union Vote Tops 95% Samsung Biologics is facing the threat of its first strike since it was founded in 2011. The company’s union said March 29 that 95.52% of eligible voters backed strike action in a completed vote. Of 3,678 eligible voters, the union said, the approval rate reached 95.52%. The union has 3,689 members, about 75% of the company’s workforce. Labor and management have held 13 rounds of wage and collective bargaining talks but have not narrowed their differences. The union is seeking an avera March 30, 2026
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  Hanwha Pompidou Center to Open in Seoul in June With Cubism Exhibition Hanwha Culture Foundation and France’s Pompidou Center will open Pompidou Center Hanwha in June at the 63 Building in Seoul’s Yeouido district. The foundation said Monday that the museum, completed in late February, is finishing interior work and opening preparations and plans to welcome visitors starting June 4. Over the next four years, Pompidou Center Hanwha will stage two exhibitions a year based on the Pompidou’s internationally known collection. It also plans to present two to March 30, 2026
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  Kim Hyo-joo wins LPGA Ford Championship again for second straight title Kim Hyo-joo repeated as champion at the LPGA Tour’s Ford Championship, capturing her second straight tour title. Kim shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday in the final round at Whirlwind Golf Club (par 72) in Phoenix, Arizona, with six birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. She finished at 28-under 260, beating Nelly Korda of the United States (26-under 262) by two shots. Kim earned $337,500 in prize money (about 510 million won). Kim, who won this event last year, became a two-time d March 30, 2026
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  Actress Lee Yeon-hee Recalls Kim Hee-chul’s Trainee Days at SM Entertainment Actress Lee Yeon-hee shared her connection to Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul. Lee appeared on the March 29 broadcast of SBS’ “My Little Old Boy.” “I spent my trainee days at SM with Kim Hee-chul,” Lee said, adding that even then “he had a very unique sense of taste.” She said she was quiet and shy around strangers, but that Kim would take her along and buy her meals. Host Shin Dong-yup responded, “Hee-chul has been the same then and now,” drawing laughter. * This article has been translate March 30, 2026
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  Korea Showcases Dramas and Webtoons at Series Mania 2026 in France The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency said Monday they ran a guest-of-honor program at the Series Mania Forum, an industry event held alongside Series Mania 2026 in Lille, France.   The forum, held March 24-26, brought together global players in the television and video content industry. Marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, Korea was selected as the event’s first guest of honor. During the event, KOCCA Act March 30, 2026
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  Survey: Nearly 70% of foreigners view Korean content favorably, with gains in U.S. and Europe Foreigners’ favorability toward K-content is nearing 70%, a survey found, underscoring the growing reach of K-culture, including its positive influence on purchases of Korean products and services.  According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, 69.7% of respondents said they had a favorable view of K-content in the “2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey (based on 2025),” released Monday.  The survey targeted people in 30 ov March 30, 2026