MC Mong Promises to Expose Celebrities Involved in Illegal Gambling Singer MC Mong, 46, whose real name is Shin Dong-hyun, is stirring controversy by denying allegations against him and promising to expose celebrities linked to illegal gambling. On May 18, MC Mong stated on his social media that he would hold a live broadcast at 8 p.m. to discuss past events and everything related to him. He added, "I will reveal who MBC's 'PD Notebook' is colluding with in their investigations, including Chairman Cha and members of the illegal gambling group, as well May 18, 2026

Japan to Enhance AI Security Checks Amid Concerns Over Claude Mythos As concerns grow that Anthropic's new AI model, Claude Mythos, could be exploited for cyberattacks, the Japanese government is moving to utilize AI for security checks on information systems in both the private and public sectors. Mythos is a high-performance AI that surpasses previous models in identifying software vulnerabilities. While it can be beneficial for security assessments, if it falls into the hands of hackers, it could be used to discover unknown security flaws known as "zero May 18, 2026

Hyundai Engineering Establishes Safety Training Center at Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 Hyundai Engineering has created an experiential safety management space at the construction site of Shinhanul Units 3 and 4. The company announced on May 18 that it held an opening ceremony on May 14 for the first safety training center at a construction site in South Korea. The safety training center at Shinhanul Units 3 and 4 is designed to allow workers to experience and respond to common hazards encountered during construction. It features five zones: Fire Safety Zone, Safety Inspect May 18, 2026

Malta Offers Free AI Access to All Citizens in Partnership with OpenAI Malta, a small island nation in the Mediterranean, has partnered with OpenAI to provide free access to 'ChatGPT Plus' for all of its approximately 540,000 citizens for one year. This initiative reflects the government's struggle, as tourism is its primary source of income. The remnants of medieval history scattered across the island are insufficient for survival in the AI era, prompting the government to focus on enhancing the AI capabilities of its citizens. Located in the center of the May 18, 2026

Tensions Rise in Gulf Following Drone Attack on UAE Nuclear Plant The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pointed to Iran or Iranian-backed groups as the likely perpetrators behind a recent drone attack near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, escalating tensions in the region. On May 17, Anwar Gargash, a senior diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that whether the attack was executed directly by the main culprit or through proxies, it signifies a dangerous escalation of tensions targeting the Barakah clean nuclear power plant May 18, 2026

Seoul Exports Water Management Technology, Achieving $11 Million in International Projects The city of Seoul is sharing its advanced water supply technology, known as 'Arisu,' with developing countries, leading to actual improvements in overseas water facilities. Once a city that sought to learn from advanced nations, Seoul is now recognized as an 'administrative export city' where global cities come to learn its techniques. From May 18 to 28, Seoul is hosting 15 officials from 10 cities across eight countries, including East Timor, Laos, and Mozambique, to share its Arisu p May 18, 2026

SAMT Shares Surge on Optimism for AI Semiconductors and Automotive Memory Shares of SAMT have reached their daily limit due to growing expectations for its expansion into artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and automotive memory. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:47 PM on May 18, SAMT's stock was trading at 18,590 won, up 30.00% from the previous trading day. The stock price, which was in the 7,000 won range last month, has recently surged past the 18,000 won mark. As SAMT's stock price has shown a sharp increase this month, the exchange annou May 18, 2026

Samsung Electronics Recovers Midday; SK Hynix Also Sees Gains Samsung Electronics has successfully turned around its midday performance, showing strength in the market. SK Hynix is also experiencing a rise of over 1%. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:42 PM, Samsung Electronics is trading at 280,750 won, up 10,250 won (3.79%) from the previous trading day. Samsung began the day at 270,500 won and initially faced weakness, dropping to as low as 262,000 won. However, buying interest surged, allowing the stock to recover, reaching a high of 288 May 18, 2026

HJ Heavy Industries Reports 347% Increase in Q1 Operating Profit HJ Heavy Industries is accelerating its profitable management, driven by strong orders for high-value ships and defense contracts. The company's operating profit in the first quarter surged over 300% compared to the same period last year. On May 18, HJ Heavy Industries announced that it recorded consolidated sales of 541.4 billion won, an operating profit of 24.6 billion won, and a net income of 25.5 billion won for the first quarter. Sales increased by 32.0% from 410 billion won in the sa May 18, 2026

Government Seeks Public Ideas to Reduce Living Costs, Invites AI Policy Proposals The government is launching an initiative to gather public ideas aimed at reducing living costs. Focusing on areas with significant household expenses, such as housing, transportation, and communication, the initiative will also explore policies that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology. On May 18, the Ministry of Finance and Economy announced the "2026 Cost of Living Reduction Policy Idea Contest," which will run until July 27. The contest aims to alleviate the financial bur May 18, 2026