Journalist
Lee Hugh
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GS E&C Wins $2.1 Billion Seongsu 1 Redevelopment Contract, Tops $4 Billion in 2026 Orders GS E&C has been selected to build the Seongsu Strategic Redevelopment Zone 1 project in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, a redevelopment valued at about 2.1 trillion won. With the deal, the company’s urban renewal orders this year have topped 4 trillion won. According to the redevelopment industry on April 27, the Seongsu 1 redevelopment association approved GS E&C as the contractor at a regular general meeting held April 25. GS E&C was the sole bidder in two rounds of bidding held in February and March. Under Korea’s Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Act, competitive bidding is the rule, but if a tender fails at least twice due to a single bidder, the project can shift to a negotiated contract. GS E&C proposed the complex name ‘RIVENIQUE XI’ (RIVENIQUE XI). The name combines the French word for river, ‘Rivière,’ and ‘Unique,’ meaning something special. The Seongsu 1 redevelopment will build 17 apartment towers, from four basement levels up to 69 stories, with 3,014 households and ancillary and welfare facilities on a 194,398-square-meter site in Seongsu-dong 1-ga. The construction cost is 2.154 trillion won, the largest among Seongsu districts 1 through 4. GS E&C previously secured contracts including the Songpa Hanyang 2nd reconstruction project in Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu (685.6 billion won) and the Gaepo Woosung 6th reconstruction project in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu (215.4 billion won). With the Seongsu 1 deal, its order total for this year reached 4.0259 trillion won. 2026-04-27 08:24:19 -
Samsung Electronics Launches Samsung Wallet Trips to Manage Travel Details in One App Samsung Electronics said Sunday it will launch “Samsung Wallet Trips,” a service aimed at improving travel planning and management for Galaxy users. The feature lets users manage travel items — including airline boarding passes, hotel reservations, and tickets for theme parks and sporting events — in a single Samsung Wallet app. Samsung said the service brings together travel information that had been spread across multiple apps and platforms, improving convenience. After creating a travel entry in Samsung Wallet, users can use the “Trip Timeline” to manage itineraries organized by time and location. Users can also add detailed schedule items and use a memo function to save related links or information for more structured planning. Samsung said it is working with global partners so users can add hotel and flight booking confirmations and activity tour tickets directly to Samsung Wallet, and it plans to expand those partnerships to offer broader travel information. The company said it protects user data through its Samsung Knox security platform, using encryption and biometric authentication so only the device owner can access travel information. Chae Won-cheol, vice president and head of the Digital Wallet Team in Samsung’s MX Business, said the service will help Galaxy users manage travel information more smartly and focus on enjoying their trips.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:21:37 -
Fire Breaks Out at Livestock Barn in Eumseong County, Heavy Smoke Reported A fire broke out at a livestock barn in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province. Eumseong County said in a disaster safety text alert that the fire started at about 6:45 a.m. Sunday at a barn in Hosan-ri, Geumwang-eup, and that heavy smoke was still being reported. The county urged nearby residents to use caution for their safety.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:21:12 -
IBK Securities Raises Hotel Shilla Target Price on Duty-Free Stabilization, Hotel Gains IBK Investment & Securities on the 27th raised its target price for Hotel Shilla to 81,000 won from 64,000 won, citing stabilization in its duty-free business and improving results in its hotel division. It maintained its “buy” rating. In a report released the same day, IBK analyst Nam Seong-hyeon said he expects the earnings improvement to continue. Nam said Hotel Shilla posted first-quarter consolidated revenue of 1.0535 trillion won, up 8.4% from a year earlier, and operating profit of 20.4 billion won. He said the results “far exceeded” market expectations. He said the duty-free unit returned to profitability in the quarter, while profit growth also widened in the hotel and leisure businesses. The hotel division posted operating profit of 8.2 billion won, up 228% from a year earlier, which he attributed to operating leverage. Nam said the first quarter is typically a slower season and occupancy at Seoul hotels fell, but a sharp rise in the average daily rate helped drive results, calling it meaningful. He said the ADR increase suggests demand remains strong and that profit leverage could accelerate as performance improves at the Jeju hotel. He also said duty-free operating results are likely to stabilize as the company exits Incheon International Airport. Nam added that while first-quarter results beat expectations due to temporary factors, the outlook remains positive given easing fixed-cost burdens and the likelihood of more stable earnings.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:18:15 -
Korea Credit Union Federation to Launch Five-Day Vehicle Rotation for Staff to Cut Energy Use The Korea Credit Union Federation said on the 27th it will implement a five-day vehicle rotation system for cars used by employees at its headquarters. The federation said the move is intended to help reduce energy use as uncertainty in global energy markets grows, including due to instability in the Middle East, and to support the government’s push to strengthen energy demand management. Under the system, access to the headquarters and use of its parking lot will be restricted on designated days based on the last digit of a vehicle’s license plate number: Monday 1 and 6; Tuesday 2 and 7; Wednesday 3 and 8; Thursday 4 and 9; Friday 5 and 0. Vehicles carrying transportation-vulnerable passengers, including people with disabilities and pregnant women, as well as special-purpose work vehicles and environmentally friendly cars such as electric and hydrogen vehicles, will be exempt. The federation said it will continue to review operations to minimize inconvenience to employees and to improve energy-saving results as it stabilizes the program. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:16:06 -
South Korea Expands ‘Half-Price Vacation’ Program to 145,000, Adds Extra Aid for Regional Workers The South Korean government is sharply expanding eligibility for its “half-price vacation” support program to mark Labor Day, newly designated as a legal public holiday. The program, initially set for 100,000 people, will grow to 145,000 with funding from a supplementary budget. Officials said the move is aimed at easing workers’ travel costs amid high prices and boosting sluggish regional tourism. Regional workers will receive an additional 20,000 won in government support to encourage a virtuous cycle in domestic demand. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said they will begin additional recruitment of participating companies for the Worker Vacation Support Program starting on the 27th. ◆ Supplementary budget adds 45,000 more; regional workers get 20,000 won extra Under the additional recruitment, 35,000 workers at small and medium-sized companies and 10,000 at mid-sized firms will newly receive benefits. A key change is preferential support for workers based outside the capital area. Regional workers will receive an extra 20,000 won in government funding, bringing total vacation support to the equivalent of 420,000 won. The added support will also be applied retroactively to existing participants who work in regional areas, and the extra amount can be used immediately starting next month through the dedicated online mall, “Vacation Shop.” The ministry said the measure is intended to improve conditions for regional workers while stimulating local spending. ◆ From 30% off KTX to big-company ‘shared vacation’ support From the 30th, a monthlong promotion titled “Zero Departure Burden” will encourage travel by environmentally friendly public transportation. Travelers using KTX, rental cars or public-transportation packages can receive a 30% discount, capped at 30,000 won. Targeting the early May holiday period, the program will also offer lodging discount coupons worth up to 90,000 won and first-come, first-served welcome points for 10,000 new members. The ministry said a “shared vacation welfare model,” in which large companies cover the employee contribution for workers at partner firms, is also spreading. It cited CJ OnStyle’s recent support for vacation costs for 300 employees at partner companies. The ministry said it plans to use such cases as a catalyst to draw more participation from public institutions and large companies and to narrow welfare gaps in the labor market. Kang Jeong-won, director general for tourism policy at the ministry, said the goal is to “quickly restore the domestic market through swift execution of the supplementary budget,” adding that the ministry will help ensure “tangible benefits” for regional workers and bring more activity to local businesses. 2026-04-27 08:15:20 -
Yoon Ina ties for fourth at Chevron Championship; Nelly Korda wins Yoon Ina tied for fourth at the Chevron Championship, the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season with a $9 million purse. Playing the final round Sunday (Korea time) at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas, Yoon shot a 4-under 68 with seven birdies and three bogeys. She finished at 12-under 276, sharing fourth place with Liu Yan of China, and earned $429,922 (about 635 million won). Yoon, who debuted on the LPGA Tour last year, struggled early, posting just one top-10 finish in 26 starts. This season, she has moved up the leaderboard. She tied for sixth at last month’s Ford Championship, her best finish since joining the tour, then placed fourth at the JM Eagle LA Championship that ended on April 20. With another fourth-place finish at the Chevron Championship, she has posted top-five results in consecutive weeks. It was also her best finish in a major. Her previous best was a tie for 14th at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open. The title went to world No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States. Korda won at 18-under 270, beating Yin Ruoning of China and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, who tied for second at 13-under 275, by five shots. She earned $1.35 million (2 billion won) in prize money. It was Korda’s 17th career LPGA win, her second of the season and her third major title. She also won this event in 2024. World No. 3 Kim Hyo-joo finished sixth at 7-under 281. Yoo Hae-ran and Hwang Yoo-min tied for 12th at 4-under 284. Choi Hye-jin and Lim Jin-hee tied for 21st at 3-under 285, and Lee So-mi tied for 34th at 1-under 287. Defending champion Mao Saigo of Japan tied for 59th at 4-over 292.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:12:17 -
Ulsan Factories Turn to AI-Driven Autonomous Manufacturing as Workers Decline South Korea’s manufacturing sector is accelerating a shift in how it produces goods as it faces structural pressures from a shrinking and aging workforce. In Ulsan, the shipbuilding and petrochemical industries are pursuing artificial intelligence transformation, or AX, to address different challenges, driving broader change across industrial complexes. As of April 26, industry officials said the Ulsan Mipo National Industrial Complex is expanding AX adoption to respond to labor shortages and to reduce safety and process risks. In shipbuilding at Ulsan Mipo, the central issue is gaps on the production floor. The share of manufacturing workers fell to a record low of 15.2% last year, and the number of people employed in the sector has declined for three straight years. With the share of workers age 55 and older rising quickly, the industry expects a major outflow of core skilled labor within the next five to 10 years. Because shipbuilding processes have long relied on veteran know-how, companies worry the shift could directly hurt productivity and widen quality variation. In response, shipyards are increasingly adopting “autonomous manufacturing,” using process data to predict quality and automatically control equipment settings. The goal goes beyond basic automation, moving toward systems in which AI analyzes operating conditions and supports decision-making, reducing dependence on scarce labor. On-site efforts are focusing on expanding process optimization and automatic control based on equipment operating data. Manufacturing AI solution providers are also increasing deployments. Miracom I&C said its MES-based “Nexplant MESplus” integrates manufacturing data and enables AI to analyze and make judgments on factory operations. LS TiraYutek has proposed an integrated operating model that links workers, equipment and robots through AI to raise the level of unmanned operations. In petrochemicals, where safety is the top priority, work is underway to standardize process data and build AI-based analytics under the “AX demonstration industrial complex construction project.” Demonstrations are being pursued for 12 AI services across process, equipment and safety at an Ulsan pilot plant that concentrates refining and petrochemical operations, with the aim of expanding to companies including KPX Chemical. A key technology is MIQube Solution’s “digital twin modeler.” It organizes plant equipment data based on the international AAS standard, allowing AI to recognize the information and recreate the factory in a virtual space. The approach can simulate process abnormalities in advance and derive optimal operating conditions. A “safety AI agent” combining a large language model with retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, is also set to be introduced. If a worker asks, “What are the risk factors under the current pressure conditions?” the AI would provide real-time guidance based on manuals and accident data. The technologies are expected to shift into cloud-based software-as-a-service offerings and spread to small and midsize manufacturers. The government is also supporting broader AX adoption through measures including GPU infrastructure support and the creation of manufacturing AI centers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 08:00:17 -
Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes southeast of Hokkaido; no tsunami threat reported A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck about 143 kilometers south-southeast of Asahikawa in Japan’s Hokkaido at about 5:24 a.m. on the 27th. According to Yonhap News Agency and the Korea Meteorological Administration, the epicenter was at 42.60 degrees north latitude and 143.10 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 80 kilometers. In Urahoro, Tokachi District, in southeastern Hokkaido, the quake registered a strong 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale. A strong 5 means most people have difficulty moving, and unsecured furniture may topple. NHK and Kyodo News reported there was no concern about a tsunami.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 07:52:05 -
Tutor Accused in Alleged Molestation of 13-Year-Old Posts Blog Denial, Sparking Backlash A case involving a 13-year-old who was allegedly sexually abused by a private tutor in his 20s has drawn renewed controversy after the man identified as the home-camera tutoring suspect posted a rebuttal online. On April 24, a post titled “I am home-cam tutor Park (surname withheld)” appeared on a Naver blog. Park wrote that he had tried to respond only through the courts, but said the level of private retaliation had escalated. He claimed that staying silent in the face of what he called one-sided falsehoods and criticism was harming him, his family and acquaintances, and the reputation of his school. He also said he recently learned the victim’s mother had opened a personal donation account. Park alleged that “false information” was being used to solicit money and said that was why he was writing the post himself. Park said the mother’s public claims were “full of falsehoods,” and denied the sexual assault allegations. He asserted that, contrary to the victim’s account, there was not forced molestation but “physical contact by mutual consent.” He also claimed home-camera footage had been edited and spread in a way that led to misinterpretations. Park further alleged the victim’s family had previously attempted financial settlements in a similar way, and again pointed to the opening of a donation account after the incident. He said online posts and some media coverage had led to excessive criticism, doxxing and other secondary harm. Park claimed that personal information and addresses for his family were exposed, and that his girlfriend and her family were also identified, leading to stalking. He also alleged he was followed and threatened by broadcasting staff, was fired from a part-time job, and that his parents’ store was being attacked. Park said he had avoided responding out of concern it could affect the trial, but said it had become difficult to endure. The blog post reflects only Park’s claims and has not been confirmed by investigators or the courts. The facts of the case require separate verification through publicly disclosed evidence and trial outcomes. The post triggered heated debate in the blog’s comments. As of 7 a.m. on April 27, it had 334 likes and 286 comments. Some commenters said the information released by the victim’s side alone made it hard to understand the full context and urged caution, noting that only parts of the home-camera video had been made public. Others said video evidence and a first-trial ruling already exist, arguing Park’s claims were unconvincing. They also said that in a case involving a minor, describing the conduct as “consensual” was itself inappropriate, and warned that criticizing the victim’s side could amount to secondary victimization. 2026-04-27 07:51:18