Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong to Host Live Commerce Event Amid Onion Price Drop As onion prices plummet due to oversupply, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong will take to live commerce to sell fresh onions. The Ministry announced that Minister Song will participate as a "guest host" in a live commerce broadcast scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Iksan Agricultural Cooperative online studio in North Jeolla Province. The event aims to encourage onion consumption, during which Minister Song will explain the benefits and storage methods of onions. May 19, 2026

Apple Announces Schedule for WWDC, Expected to Feature AI Announcements Apple has unveiled the schedule for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is expected to be Tim Cook's last as CEO. On June 8, Apple announced that WWDC 2026 will take place from June 8 to June 12. WWDC is Apple's yearly developer event, typically showcasing the next generation of operating systems and software updates. Given Apple's recent announcement that it will adopt Google's generative AI model, Gemini, for the next version of Siri, this year's event is likely to May 19, 2026

Ruling Party Criticizes Oh Se-hoon Over GTX-A Steel Shortage and Han River Bus Issues The Democratic Party criticized Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, on May 19, over allegations of missing steel reinforcements in the GTX-A project and issues related to the Han River bus service. They stated, "He is unfit to take responsibility for Seoul. He should resign and take accountability," and emphasized, "We cannot entrust citizen safety to someone who shifts blame." During a National Assembly meeting, Han Byeong-do, the party's floor leader, highlighted three major a May 19, 2026

Jung Won-oh Criticizes Oh Se-hoon for Safety Negligence as Democratic Party Launches Campaign Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, held his final public meeting before the official campaign kickoff. The meeting, held on the morning of May 19 in Jung-gu, Seoul, featured key figures including Seo Young-kyo, Park Joo-min, Jeon Hyun-hee, and Lee In-young, who launched a coordinated attack on Oh Se-hoon, the candidate from the People Power Party. During the meeting, Jung stated, "This election must serve as a judgment on Mayor Oh's incompetence and irrespons May 19, 2026

Samsung Electronics Employees' Average Salary Reaches Record 12 Million Won in Q1 Samsung Electronics employees earned an average salary of approximately 36 million won in the first quarter, translating to about 12 million won per month. This figure marks a 25% increase compared to the same period last year, reaching an all-time high. According to an analysis by the Korea CXO Research Institute on Samsung's first-quarter report, total employee compensation is estimated to be between 4.2584 trillion and 4.7907 trillion won. The ratio of salary to total employee compens May 19, 2026

Hancom Offers Up to 50 Million Won for Employees Innovating with AI Hancom has announced a special reward of up to 50 million won for employees who achieve significant work innovations using artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative goes beyond merely distributing generative AI tools; it aims to accelerate the company's overall AI transformation (AX) by providing performance bonuses and additional recognition for employees who successfully integrate AI into their work processes. In an interview with Aju Economy at Hancom's headquarters in Seongnam, CI May 19, 2026

14th Season 'I Am Solo' Star Sunja Marries Actor Choi Joo-won Sunja, a participant from the 14th season of the dating reality show 'I Am Solo', has recently married actor Choi Joo-won. According to entertainment industry sources on May 19, Sunja tied the knot with Choi Joo-won on May 16 at Samcheonggak in Seoul. Prior to the ceremony, Sunja announced her marriage on social media on May 9. On the eve of her wedding, she expressed her affection for her fiancé, stating, "I met a partner who makes me even more wonderful." Choi Joo-won is known for May 19, 2026

LG Innotek Shares Rise Over 6% Amid Optimism for Substrate Business LG Innotek is experiencing a strong performance in early trading, driven by expectations for growth in its substrate business. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:16 a.m. on May 19, LG Innotek shares rose by 51,000 won (6.71%) to 811,000 won. The stock opened at 770,000 won and briefly reached 829,000 won during the session. Market analysts attribute this surge to the substrate business emerging as a new growth driver following the existing optical business, prompting several broke May 19, 2026

TMC Secures $8.3 Million Contract for Fiber Optic Cables with U.S. Data Center TMC shares surged after the company announced a significant contract with a U.S. data center and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure firm for fiber optic cables. The news has positively influenced investor sentiment. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:14 a.m. on May 19, TMC's stock rose by 6,900 won (29.81%) to 30,050 won compared to the previous trading day. TMC confirmed that it has signed a supply contract worth 11 billion won (approximately $8.3 million) for fiber opti May 19, 2026

LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solutions Selected for 1GW Offshore Wind Project LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solutions have been chosen as the preferred bidders for the supply and installation of underwater cables for the 1GW Haesong offshore wind project in Jeonnam, South Korea. On May 19, the companies announced their plans to execute the project using a turnkey system that encompasses everything from production to installation. They will supply and install all underwater cables for both external and internal networks, contributing to the establishment of a lar May 19, 2026