Journalist
Lee Hugh
=
-
KTO, Aero K Aim to Raise Foreign Passenger Share at Cheongju Airport to 35% by 2028 Korea Tourism Organization and Aero K Airlines are teaming up to develop Cheongju International Airport as a new gateway for “K-tourism,” aiming to spread inbound travel beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. The two sides said they plan to lift the share of foreign passengers using Cheongju Airport to as high as 35% by 2028, more than triple the current level. ◆ Deal targets inbound growth via regional airport KTO said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Aero K on April 24 at its Seoul Center to expand foreign visitor arrivals through Cheongju Airport and boost regional tourism. The agreement is intended to diversify entry routes for visitors to South Korea by using regional airports and to generate demand for travel outside the capital region. Cheongju Airport, a hub for central South Korea, was cited as having strong growth potential. In the first quarter of this year, international passengers at Cheongju Airport jumped 67.6% from a year earlier, KTO said. However, foreign travelers accounted for only about 11% of total users, leaving room for further growth. KTO plans to work with Aero K, which operates about 70% of Cheongju’s international routes, to expand key Asia routes and step up efforts to attract overseas visitors. ◆ Joint marketing to focus on Taiwan, Japan and Southeast Asia Under the agreement, the organizations said they will pursue joint marketing through 2028, including developing region-specific tour products linked to air routes, supporting charter flights and Cheongju-linked packages, hosting familiarization tours for overseas travel companies, and offering airfare discount promotions. They also outlined route-specific strategies. For the Taipei, Taiwan, route, which has a relatively high share of foreign passengers, they plan to strengthen promotions that bundle flights and lodging. In Japan, they will look beyond Tokyo and Osaka by seeking charter flights from smaller regional cities and running familiarization tours to develop new demand. They also plan to attract more visitors from Southeast Asia by linking promotions to a new Manila route scheduled to launch in September. Aero K recently secured traffic rights for 13 weekly flights across four China routes: Beijing (four per week), Shanghai (three), Chengdu (three) and Hangzhou (three), the organizations said. “By increasing foreign visitor inflows through regional airports, we will spread tourism flows that are concentrated in the capital region across the country,” KTO President Park Seong-hyeok said. He added that KTO will strengthen cooperation with airlines to support growth in inbound demand despite external changes such as high oil prices. 2026-04-27 10:05:01 -
LG Electronics to spin off 4 in-house ventures in AI, robotics; offer up to 400 million won in funding LG Electronics said its in-house ventures are preparing to become independent startups, with four teams selected to spin off from the company after developing business-to-business technologies in artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced materials. The company said Monday it recently held a “Studio341 Demo Day” and chose four teams that have met the requirements for a final spin-off. Studio341 is an internal venture program launched in 2023 to carry forward the challenge-and-innovation spirit of GoldStar, LG’s predecessor. The name comes from 341 Yeonji-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan — GoldStar’s first address. LG Electronics works closely with startup accelerator Bluepoint Partners from selection and mentoring through the spin-off process. This year’s selected teams are: Seka, an AI solution that detects errors in hardware design data; MachineFlow, an enterprise AI coding agent aimed at improving code quality; PreKitchenLab, a kitchen automation robot and operations management B2B solution; and Atomer, a fabless-based design solution for advanced flame-retardant materials. The teams advanced to the final round in July last year after a competition of about 12-to-1, then completed mentoring and passed a final review. The final panel included officials from LG Electronics, startup development specialists and venture capital firms, and assessed business value as well as team composition and capabilities. Depending on the review results, each team will receive up to 400 million won in initial investment, LG Electronics said. The company plans to complete the spin-off procedures in July. LG Electronics said it will continue providing support for a period after the spin-offs to help the startups establish themselves in the market, while also seeking synergies in AI automation solutions, robotics and advanced materials. The first startups spun off in 2024 have been selected for South Korea’s TIPS tech startup support program and the DIPS “super-gap” startup initiative, the company said, and have been recognized for business performance and technology across areas including AI, robotics, materials and platforms. Since last year, LG Electronics has also expanded the program to pursue open innovation with external startups that have solutions aimed at creating new customer experiences. Kang Sung-jin, head of partnerships at LG Electronics, said that as the era of “physical AI” arrives, partnerships among companies with strengths in different technologies and solutions are becoming more important. He said LG Electronics will continue supporting Studio341 spin-offs so they can grow into reliable partners for the company. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 10:04:08 -
Hotel Shilla hits 52-week high on Q1 earnings surprise, Lee Boo-jin share purchase plan Hotel Shilla shares rose more than 4% in early trading Monday after the company reported stronger first-quarter results and said President Lee Boo-jin would buy company stock. According to the Korea Exchange, Hotel Shilla was trading at 64,900 won as of 9:44 a.m., up 2,600 won, or 4.17%, from the previous session. The stock climbed as high as 67,800 won intraday, a 52-week high. The move reflected expectations for improved earnings and stronger management accountability. Hotel Shilla said in a filing on April 24 that its consolidated operating profit for the first quarter was provisionally tallied at 20.4 billion won, swinging to a profit from an operating loss of 2.5 billion won a year earlier. Revenue rose 8.4% to 1.0535 trillion won, and net profit also returned to the black at 6.0 billion won. Lee will buy about 20 billion won worth of the company’s shares on the open market from Monday through April 30. The company previously disclosed the plan on March 26, saying it reflected a commitment to responsible management and enhancing shareholder value. Mirae Asset Securities analyst Bae Song-yi said the company is in a period when investors can hold higher expectations for results from the second quarter and beyond. She said inbound demand is growing structurally, bringing the peak season forward compared with past years, and that duty-free market conditions have already begun to improve meaningfully since March. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:58:05 -
Ha Jung-woo Expected to Decide This Week on Running in Busan Buk-gap By-Election Ha Jung-woo, the presidential office’s senior secretary for AI (artificial intelligence) Future Planning, is expected to announce this week whether he will run in the National Assembly by-election in Busan’s Buk-gap district. The presidential office said Monday that Ha is likely to state his position soon after accompanying President Lee Jae-myung later in the day for talks at the presidential office with Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind. Ha is reported to be leaning toward entering the race after last-minute deliberations. Under the Public Official Election Act, a public official must resign by May 4 — 30 days before the vote — to run in the by-elections. Democratic Party leaders have repeatedly urged Ha to run in the Busan Buk-gap contest. Party leader Jung Cheong-rae met Ha the previous day and formally asked him to enter the race. Ha did not attend a sports event held by the alumni association of Gupo Elementary School in Busan’s Buk District, where other opposition-aligned contenders for the Buk-gap by-election were present, including Park Min-sik, a former minister of patriots and veterans affairs, and Han Dong-hoon, a former People Power Party leader. Separately, presidential spokesperson Jeon Eun-su is widely seen as the leading candidate for a strategic nomination in the by-election in Asan-eul, South Chungcheong Province. The seat became vacant in June last year when then-lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik was appointed presidential chief of staff as the Lee administration took office. Meanwhile, a Realmeter survey commissioned by Energy Economy Newspaper and conducted April 20-24 among 2,509 adults nationwide found Lee’s job approval rating at 62.2%, down 3.3 percentage points from the previous week. Realmeter said that despite positive signals such as outcomes from summits with India and Vietnam and the Kospi reaching a record high, the rating appeared to fall as the Middle East war pushed up oil prices and inflation, increasing pressure on household finances. The poll was conducted by automated response system (ARS) calls using randomly generated mobile numbers (100%). The response rate for the presidential job-approval question was 5.4%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For party support, the response rate was 4.3%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. More details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:57:16 -
Shift Up’s ‘Goddess of Victory: Nikke’ tops Google Play revenue in South Korea and Japan after 3.5-year update Shift Up’s “Goddess of Victory: Nikke” has continued to post No. 1 revenue rankings on major app marketplaces at home and abroad with each major update, reinforcing its position as a long-running hit intellectual property, the company said. Shift Up said on the 27th that on the day of its 3.5-year anniversary update, the game ranked No. 1 in revenue on South Korea’s App Store and has since maintained the No. 1 revenue spot on Google Play in both South Korea and Japan. The company attributed the performance to content management built on story development accumulated over the service period, along with high-quality in-game content aligned with the update’s main “idol concept” theme. During the same period, Nikke stayed within the top 10 in revenue in Taiwan and continued steady results in other major markets globally, including North America. With each major update, Nikke has reclaimed top revenue rankings and has been positioned as a leading long-running South Korean subculture game IP. The title combines character collection with gun-shooting gameplay and has built a global fan base with polished content, an immersive story, and music. For the 3.5-year update, the game released an event story titled “STAR ANIS,” centered on the popular early character “Anis.” Additional content includes a 3D visual performance, a special animation and full voice dubbing, drawing strong user response. Shift Up director Yoo Hyeong-seok said, “As we have prepared the 3.5-year update for a long time, we are deeply grateful for users’ enthusiastic response,” adding, “We will continue working to showcase Nikke’s unique appeal.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:52:03 -
CU to Raise International Parcel Shipping Rates 7% as Fuel Surcharges Jump CU convenience stores will raise prices for their international parcel delivery service, citing a sharp rise in air fuel surcharges as global oil markets remain unsettled in the wake of the war between the United States and Iran. According to industry officials on the 27th, CU Post, which operates CU’s parcel service, will increase international shipping rates by about 7% starting May 1. A CU official said, “International parcel rates will rise from the first of next month due to higher fuel surcharges imposed by our partner express carrier as international oil prices climb.” CU’s partner carrier DHL has sharply increased its air fuel surcharge in recent months. The surcharge was 28.75% in early February but surged in April. It rose to 39% for April 1-12, then to 46% for April 13-19 and 47.75% for April 20-26. For April 27-May 3, it reached 48%. DHL plans to keep the surcharge high at 47% for May 4-10. That is an increase of nearly 20 percentage points in about three months. International parcel services at convenience stores have been popular with office workers who cannot visit post offices or courier branches during business hours, allowing customers to send items overseas at nearby stores 24 hours a day. The service has drawn strong demand from families of international students and overseas direct-to-consumer sellers. The rate hike is expected to increase the perceived logistics burden for consumers who need to ship goods abroad. Rival GS25 is also said to be carefully reviewing a possible increase. A GS25 official said, “It is true that discussions about a rate increase are taking place with our partner, but we have not received an official notice confirming anything yet.” An industry official said air express delivery is among the sectors most sensitive to oil-price swings, adding that freight-rate pressure across the logistics industry could persist for some time as oil-producing countries maintain production cuts and military tensions in the Middle East intensify, driving volatility in global crude prices.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:51:17 -
Hanmi Semiconductor Chairman Kwak Dong-shin Buys $2.2 Million in Company Shares Hanmi Semiconductor said in a regulatory filing on the 27th that Chairman Kwak Dong-shin bought 3 billion won ($2.2 million) worth of the company’s shares with his personal funds, carrying out a share-purchase plan disclosed March 30. The purchase price was 315,407 won per share, for a total of 3 billion won. Since 2023, Kwak has bought a combined 56.5 billion won worth of Hanmi Semiconductor shares, raising his stake to 33.57%. The company said Kwak’s continued purchases reflect his confidence in the technology and growth prospects of its TC (thermocompression) bonders in the global market for high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, equipment. Hanmi Semiconductor said it is maintaining its lead in the global market for TC bonders used in HBM production, and is taking the lead in supplying its “TC Bonder 4” to global manufacturers this year as mass production of HBM4 ramps up. By the end of this year, the company plans to launch a “wide TC bonder” to support next-generation HBM production. It said the equipment is designed for next-generation HBM with a significantly expanded die area compared with existing HBM, aimed at meeting rising memory capacity and bandwidth needs tied to next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure demand. The company also said it plans to release a prototype of a “second-generation hybrid bonder” within this year, targeting the hybrid bonding market expected to see full-scale mass-production adoption in 2029. It said it will begin full operation of a “hybrid bonder factory” in the first half of next year as part of a strategy to secure an early lead in next-generation semiconductor packaging. “This share purchase is a strong expression of Chairman Kwak’s commitment to responsible management,” a Hanmi Semiconductor official said. “As a first mover in the global semiconductor equipment industry, we will achieve sustainable growth.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:49:34 -
Banobagi Expands Offline Reach With Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu Debut K-derma cosmetics brand Banobagi has entered Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu, expanding its offline distribution channels. Banobagi said it is showcasing key skincare products and its mask pack lineup at the Musinsa Beauty store on the second floor of Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu, which opened April 24 in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The move extends a brand experience built largely online into an in-person setting. Seongsu is a major retail area packed with fashion and beauty pop-ups and flagship stores, drawing both local shoppers and foreign tourists. Banobagi said it plans to strengthen consumer touchpoints through product trials. Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu is a large complex combining fashion, beauty and food and beverage. The Musinsa Beauty shop on the second floor is Musinsa’s first permanent offline beauty store, designed to let shoppers compare and try products from multiple brands in one place. Banobagi said it will highlight products organized around specific skin concerns, including its PDRN line for skin elasticity and anti-aging care, the Milk Thistle Repair line focused on soothing sensitive skin, and the Alpha Radiance line with enhanced brightening features. The brand is also offering its signature mask packs, including the “Vita Genic Jelly Mask” series, which it said has surpassed 100 million units in cumulative global sales. Banobagi said the in-store lineup is intended to help customers compare products and choose based on their skin condition and concerns. During the opening period, Banobagi said it will run discounts and on-site promotions. It will also take part in Musinsa-run beauty trial events with a “Vita Genic Jelly Ampoule Kit” and plans interactive content for visitors. Ban Jae-yong, Banobagi’s CEO, said the company has been expanding consumer contact through various offline channels and that the Musinsa store debut will be another step in broadening the brand experience. He said Banobagi plans to keep strengthening its product lineup and promotions to reach a wider customer base. Banobagi said it will use the Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu entry to further expand offline, experience-based retail channels and continue strengthening consumer engagement centered on functional skincare and mask packs.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:48:46 -
SK hynix Hits Fresh Intraday Record Above 1.28 Million Won; Samsung Electronics Rises SK hynix extended its rally Monday, setting another intraday all-time high as investors bet on rising demand for high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, used in artificial intelligence chips. As of 9:41 a.m., SK hynix shares were up 62,000 won, or 5.07%, at 1,284,000 won. Its market capitalization grew to about 915 trillion won, underscoring its expanding influence in South Korea’s stock market. The stock touched 1,288,000 won earlier in the session, a fresh record. Analysts attributed the gains to expectations that HBM demand will climb as investment in AI servers increases. With global big tech companies led by Nvidia continuing to spend on AI infrastructure, SK hynix’s competitiveness in the HBM market has come into sharper focus, they said. Samsung Electronics also rose, gaining 3,000 won, or 1.37%, to 222,500 won. The move was seen as reflecting strength in semiconductor shares in the last session of New York trading last week. In local time on April 24, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 4.32%. The rally was driven by expectations for stronger central processing unit demand as AI adoption spreads, and by Intel’s first-quarter results beating market expectations, according to analysts. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 09:48:15 -
Actress Ji Ye-eun Says She Dated Dancer Bada After 2 1/2 Months of ‘Talking’ Actress Ji Ye-eun has shared details about her relationship with dancer Bada, including the nickname they use for each other. On the April 26 episode of SBS’ “Running Man,” the cast visited Yeosu. During the show, Yang Se-chan asked how long she and Bada had been in the “talking” stage. Ji said it lasted “about two and a half months.” She added that even after they started dating, they did not hold hands for three weeks. “He asked first, ‘Can I hold your hand?’” she said. Ji Seok-jin said he had practiced dancing with Bada and Ji but did not realize there was romance. He said that after practice he put Ji in a taxi, but she later came back to meet Bada. Ji said she told him to leave first, but he kept saying he could go later, joking that he cluelessly interrupted their date. Ji also said the couple’s nickname for each other is “jagi,” a Korean term of endearment, adding, “We say ‘I love you’ every day.” Ji’s agency, CP Entertainment, said on April 13 that Ji and Bada, who had been colleagues, were seeing each other with good feelings. Bada’s agency, ARA, also said the two were maintaining a good relationship while caring for each other. The two are both born in 1994 and were entertainment-industry colleagues before growing closer through a shared religion, according to the report. Ji debuted in the 2017 web drama “How To” and has drawn attention through variety shows including the “SNL Korea” series and “Running Man.” Bada is the leader of the dance crew We Dem Boyz and rose to prominence after finishing runner-up on Mnet’s 2022 “Street Man Fighter.” 2026-04-27 09:42:21