Jang Dong-hyuk Visits Yang Hyang-ja During Hunger Strike, Criticizes Democratic Party Jang Dong-hyuk, the representative of the People Power Party, criticized the Democratic Party on May 19, stating, "It is always the Democratic Party that passes bad laws and creates problems, and when issues arise, the People Power Party is left to resolve them." Jang made these remarks while visiting Yang Hyang-ja, a candidate for Gyeonggi governor, who has been on a hunger strike since the previous evening in front of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus, urging for a major agreeme May 19, 2026

Foreign Tourists Drive Shift from Offices to Hotels Near Hongdae In the bustling commercial areas near Hongdae and Sinchon, foreign tourists have emerged as a key consumer demographic, prompting some office buildings to convert parts of their spaces into accommodations. This shift is attributed to the growing demand for lodging and tourism services driven by international visitors. While sales in college areas have increased, the vacancy rates for small businesses have also risen. This trend is linked to a decline in the proportion of consumers in thei May 19, 2026

Seoul Villa Transactions Surge 31% Amid Rental Crisis The volume of villa transactions (including multi-family homes) in Seoul has increased by more than 30% this year compared to last year. As the rental crisis for apartments intensifies, demand is shifting to the relatively lower-priced non-apartment market, while investment interest is also returning, particularly in areas undergoing early redevelopment. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's real transaction disclosure system, from January to May 19, 2026, there were May 19, 2026

Yongsan District Signs MOU with Korea Land Trust for Station Area Revitalization The Seogye-dong Station Area Revitalization Committee in Yongsan District announced on May 19 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Land Trust on May 15 to advance a trust-based redevelopment project. The revitalization project aims to transform the aging low-rise residential areas in Seogye-dong, specifically the sites at 234-5 (Zone A) and 32-1 (Zone B), into a vibrant hub with a total of 578 housing units (407 in Zone A and 171 in Zone B) centered around the S May 19, 2026

Kim Jeong-cheol Accuses Jung Won-oh of Claiming Diminished Capacity During Assault Trial On May 19, Kim Jeong-cheol, the Reform Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, pointed out that Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate, claimed diminished capacity during his assault trial related to past incidents. Jung has previously explained that his altercations stemmed from differing views on the May 18 Democratic Uprising. During a press conference at the National Assembly, Kim stated, "The court documents indicate that Jung argued he was in a state of diminished capacity due t May 19, 2026

South Korea to Join OpenAI's Trust-Based Cyber Access Initiative The South Korean government is moving forward with its participation in OpenAI's global AI security collaboration framework known as Trust-Based Cyber Access (TAC). Next week, discussions will take place at OpenAI's headquarters to finalize the scope and operational details of TAC participation. According to industry sources on May 19, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to meet with OpenAI next week to clarify the direction of TAC cooperation. A senior official from the ministry stated May 19, 2026

Voter Apathy Prevails in Gyeongnam Amid Kim Kyung-soo and Park Wan-soo Rivalry "The election atmosphere is still lukewarm." "There seems to be a sense of political aversion." Ajou Economic Daily visited Gyeongnam on May 19, just 15 days before the June 3 local elections, where the rivalry between incumbent Democratic Party candidate Kim Kyung-soo and People Power Party candidate Park Wan-soo has drawn significant attention. Despite the intense exchanges over issues like the 'insurrection judgment theory' and the 'Dru King responsibility theory,' public reactions hav May 19, 2026

LF Mall Introduces AI to Enhance Review Process and Customer Engagement LF Mall, operated by lifestyle company LF, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its review capabilities. On May 19, LF Mall announced the launch of a review task force, recognizing that both the quantity and quality of reviews are crucial for platform competitiveness. The initiative aims to reduce the burden on customers when writing reviews, thereby gathering high-quality review data to improve shopping information. A key feature of this update is the 'AI Review Draft' f May 19, 2026

Trump Delays Iran Strike at Allies' Request, Leaves Military Option Open President Donald Trump has postponed plans for a military strike against Iran at the request of Middle Eastern allies. While the U.S. has kept the option of large-scale military action open in case negotiations fail, Iran has acknowledged the possibility of dialogue but insists it will not compromise on its legal rights. On May 18, Trump announced on social media platform Truth Social that he received requests from Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sal May 19, 2026

T'way Holdings Hits Upper Limit Following Name Change to Trinity Airlines T'way Holdings recorded a surge in stock prices following the announcement of T'way Airlines' name change. Market analysts interpret this as a sign that the restructuring of the airline business under the Daemyung Sonogroup (now Sonotrinity Group) is gaining momentum. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 2:40 PM on May 19, T'way Holdings shares rose by 71 won (29.96%) to 308 won. The stock hit the upper limit and continued to attract buying interest. The upper limit is seen as a result May 19, 2026