Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Hyundai E&C Unveils 'ONE City' Plan for Apgujeong District 3 Redevelopment Hyundai Engineering & Construction, selected as the preferred bidder for the Apgujeong District 3 redevelopment project, on 22 unveiled its blueprint dubbed “ONE City.” Apgujeong District 3 is a reconstruction project covering Hyundai Apartments Phases 1-7 and 10, 13 and 14, as well as Daelim Villat. The plan calls for rebuilding 3,934 households into a complex of up to 65 stories with 5,175 households. Under its “OWN THE ONE” vision, Hyundai E&C presented an urban housing model built around five core values: landmark design, community, robotics, landscaping and residential services. Global architecture firms RAMSA and Morphosis are participating in the design. Hyundai E&C said all units would feature terraces and three-sided open windows to secure views of the Han River and the city, along with a 3-meter coffered ceiling to enhance a sense of openness. The community plan centers on “Club Apgujeong,” designed to connect the complex. Walking, exercise, relaxation and cultural functions are arranged to link indoor and outdoor spaces. A circular layout called “The Circle One” combines indoor landscaping, community facilities and mobility options. For future technology, the company plans to introduce an unmanned shuttle based on demand-responsive transport, along with smart parking, contactless delivery robots and safety management systems. Landscaping is designed as a multi-level green structure linked to the Han River, expanding urban green space through courtyards and private gardens. Global landscape designers GPB and Greenwise are taking part, Hyundai E&C said. Residential design includes a customizable “Canvas Unit,” as well as a hotel-style drop-off zone, separated circulation routes and health care services, the company said. An Hyundai E&C official said the plan “presents a new housing model that combines design, technology and residential services based on the value of Apgujeong Hyundai,” adding the company would “continue to strengthen its competitiveness for the project.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:13:27 -
‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ Tops 16.6 Million Viewers, Eyes Korean Box Office Record 한국 영화사에 또 하나의 분수령이 세워졌다. 영화 ‘왕과 사는 남자’가 관객 수 1,660만을 돌파하며 역대 한국 영화 2위에 올라섰다. 매출액에서는 사실상 최고 기록을 갈아치웠다. 이 성과는 단순한 흥행 수치를 넘어, 관객이 어떤 가치와 감정에 반응하는지 보여주는 사례로도 읽힌다. 영화 흥행은 이제 오락 소비에 그치지 않는다. 관객이 무엇을 보러 모이고, 무엇에 분노하고 눈물을 흘리는지에는 그 사회의 정서와 기준이 반영된다. ‘왕과 사는 남자’의 흥행은 한국인이 무엇을 그리워하고 무엇을 갈망하는지 비추는 작품으로 평가된다. 영화의 중심은 권력의 승자가 아니라, 패배했지만 정통성을 지닌 인물에 대한 연민과 존중이다. 조선의 어린 왕 단종은 혈통과 명분에서는 왕이었으나 권력에서는 패배한 존재로 그려진다. 반면 숙부 세조는 결단과 정치적 수완으로 권력을 장악한 인물이다. 역사적 사실만 놓고 보면 세조는 성공한 군주로 볼 수 있지만, 영화는 그를 영웅으로 내세우지 않고 관객의 시선을 무너진 단종에게로 돌린다. 기사에서는 이를 한국인의 정서로 설명한다. 단순한 승자보다 ‘정당한 자’에 마음을 두고, 힘으로 얻은 권력보다 도리와 명분을 중시한다는 것이다. 영화는 왕위 찬탈을 정치 사건으로만 다루지 않고, 그것이 인간 관계의 윤리를 어떻게 무너뜨리는지에 초점을 맞춘다. 숙부가 조카를 몰아내고, 왕이 왕을 죽음으로 내모는 과정에서 관객은 권력 투쟁을 넘어 ‘인륜과 천륜의 붕괴’를 목격하게 된다고 글은 전한다. 유교적 가치로는 ‘인의예지신’의 붕괴로 표현된다. 인(사랑), 의(마땅함), 예(질서), 지(판단), 신(신뢰)이 무너질 때 공동체가 흔들린다는 설명이다. 글은 영화가 이 근본 질서가 깨지는 순간을 집요하게 파고들며, 관객이 슬픔과 분노를 동시에 느끼는 지점이 흥행의 핵심이라고 짚었다. 글은 또 다른 흥행작 ‘명량’을 함께 거론한다. ‘명량’은 외세의 침략 앞에서 나라를 지켜낸 이순신 장군의 이야기로, 충과 효, 애민과 애족의 정서를 담았다고 설명한다. ‘왕과 사는 남자’가 내부의 윤리 붕괴를 다룬다면, ‘명량’은 외부의 위협 속에서 공동체를 지켜낸 정신을 그린다는 대비다. 두 영화는 서로 다른 결말처럼 보이지만, 글은 하나의 축으로 연결된다고 본다. 하나는 무너진 도리를 애도하는 비극이고, 다른 하나는 지켜낸 도리를 확인하는 승리다. 공통점은 인간이 지켜야 할 기본 질서, 즉 ‘사람다움’에 대한 이야기라는 것이다. 글은 한국인의 정서가 부당하게 무너진 것에 슬퍼하고, 정당하게 지켜낸 것에 감동하는 두 축 사이에서 형성된다고 덧붙였다. 더 나아가 글은 이 정서가 ‘홍익인간’ 이념과 맞닿아 있다고 설명한다. 인간과 사회, 자연의 조화를 지향하는 철학이며, 하늘·땅·인간이 하나로 이어진다는 ‘천지인’ 관념이 바탕에 흐른다는 해석이다. ‘왕과 사는 남자’의 비극은 그 조화가 깨지는 순간으로, 권력이 도리를 압도하고 관계의 윤리가 붕괴되는 장면이 관객에게 단순한 이야기 이상의 상실감을 준다고 했다. 반대로 ‘명량’은 무너진 질서를 다시 세우는 이야기로 제시된다. 글은 이순신이 개인의 영달이 아니라 백성과 나라를 위해 싸웠고, 그 충과 효, 백성을 향한 마음이 홍익인간 정신의 구현으로 읽힌다고 적었다. ‘왕과 사는 남자’의 마지막은 화려한 결말 대신 자연으로 돌아간다. 영월 청룡포의 강물과 바람, 산과 하늘의 고요 속에서 단종의 최후가 또렷해지고, 권좌는 빼앗겼지만 인간의 도리는 끝내 빼앗기지 않았다는 메시지가 강조된다고 글은 전한다. 글은 그 슬픔이 미움이 아니라 연민으로, 분노가 아니라 성찰로 남는다고 덧붙였다. ‘명량’에서도 전투가 끝난 뒤의 바다를 통해 고요가 그려진다. 글은 이순신이 승리했지만 기뻐하지 않고, 싸움의 목적이 적을 무너뜨리는 것이 아니라 공동체를 지키는 데 있었다고 설명한다. 마지막 장면의 바다는 전쟁이 끝난 뒤에도 인간을 품고, 그 위에 선 이순신은 한 개인이 아니라 충과 효, 사람을 향한 마음을 상징하는 존재로 제시된다고 했다. 글은 두 영화의 결말이 결국 하나로 이어진다고 정리한다. 하나는 무너진 인간다움에 대한 침묵의 애도이고, 다른 하나는 지켜낸 인간다움에 대한 확인이다. 결론은 분명하다. “힘은 사라지지만, 도리는 남는다. 그리고 그 도리를 향한 마음, 그것이 곧 인간이며 역사다.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:12:18 -
Comedian Kim Mi-ryeo Shares Candid Details of 13-Year Marriage to Jung Sung-yoon Comedian Kim Mi-ryeo has shared details of her 13-year marriage to actor Jung Sung-yoon. On the 21st, the YouTube channel “Rolling Thunder” posted an episode of “New Woman” titled “Spicy talk from strong women who failed to keep it PG.” In the video, Kim described her husband as “still full of energy,” adding, “I’ve cooled off a bit, but he still seems to like it. Even if I just touch him, he reacts.” She said they sleep in separate rooms but added that intimacy is not limited to the bed, saying he “usually aims for the kitchen,” prompting a startled reaction from Lee Sun-min. Kim also recalled how the couple first met. She said they greeted each other by chance at a radio show retreat and then spent about six months in an undefined stage of getting to know each other. “At some point, his eyes changed,” she said, adding that they had no physical contact during that period. She said there was a gathering on Dec. 23 when Jung offered to take her home and kissed her in front of her house, which she described as the moment they effectively began dating. She added that they met again the next day, Christmas Eve, for a party at her home, and joked that “everything we’d held back for six months” came out that night. Kim and Jung married in 2013 after about two years of dating. They had their first daughter a year later and their second child, a son, in 2018, and live as a family of four. The article said Jung, who had been active as an actor in commercials, dramas and films before marriage, later reduced his work to focus on childcare and housework, while Kim expanded her broadcasting activities. When Lee Kyung-sil asked whether Jung feels stressed about Kim being the family’s main earner, Kim said she regularly reassures him: “You’re the man I love, and because you’re here, I can work this hard and raise our kids healthy.” She said he understands their situation, trusts her and is considerate. “Even if I were born again, I’d want to marry this man,” she said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:10:58 -
Trade Chief Yeo Calls for Stronger South Korea-Japan Supply Chain Cooperation As the second Trump administration in the United States strengthens trade policy centered on economic security, a call is growing for South Korea and Japan to respond jointly to the reshaping of supply chains for critical minerals and advanced industries. The proposal urges the two countries to identify joint projects using overseas resource development and multilateral cooperation platforms to secure industrial competitiveness amid global supply chain shifts. The Korea Economic Research Institute, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Industries, said the message was shared at the “Korea-Japan New Economic Cooperation Seminar in an Era of Compound Crises,” held on 22 at the Keidanren Kaikan international conference hall with the Keidanren Institute of Policy and Management. Organizers said the seminar was convened to seek new directions for bilateral economic cooperation amid a rapidly changing global economy. Yeo Han-koo, South Korea’s trade minister, said in a keynote speech on “Directions for Korea-Japan Economic and Trade Cooperation” that the two countries face “shared challenges and uncertainty.” With instability in the Middle East continuing and U.S.-China strategic competition intensifying, he said, flexible solidarity is needed among countries that share values and interests. Yeo said supply chain cooperation should be built on the Korea-Japan Supply Chain Partnership Arrangement, including responses to disruptions and joint exploration and investment in critical minerals. He also emphasized cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Forum for Geo-strategic Resource Cooperation and the International Energy Agency. South Korea and Japan have focused on strengthening cooperation in advanced industries such as semiconductors and stabilizing supply chains for rare earths and other materials. South Korea is pursuing three supply chain laws and a comprehensive rare earths plan, while Japan is conducting domestic rare earth exploration and development under its economic security law. Yeo said the two countries should strengthen mutual stockpiling and swap cooperation for oil and gas to enable rapid joint responses if a supply crisis occurs. He said South Korea has the world’s largest storage infrastructure, while Japan operates surplus volumes beyond domestic demand, creating potential synergies. In March, on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial Meeting, Korea Gas Corp. and Japan’s largest LNG company, JERA, signed an agreement on LNG supply and demand cooperation and pledged to pursue measures including LNG swaps. Ahn Sung-bae, vice president of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, said the two countries should expand joint projects in third countries, including mining development and infrastructure investment. He said South Korea and Japan already have experience cooperating on resource development projects involving nickel, copper and iron ore. Ahn added that coordination is important because the multilateral Agreement on Critical Minerals could influence future price mechanisms, investment standards and supply chain rules. Ahn said it is urgent for South Korea and Japan to reduce dependence on specific countries for key minerals such as lithium, graphite and rare earths. He said both are exposed to supply chain risks because dependence is high at the refining and processing stages, and called for diversification centered on strategic industries including critical minerals, semiconductors and energy. Kuno Arata, a professor at Asia University, said the top priority is reducing reliance on specific countries in strategic industries such as semiconductors, batteries and critical minerals, and building a system that allows joint responses in a crisis. He called for more practical cooperation mechanisms, including information sharing, joint procurement and production cooperation. Lee Hyuk, South Korea’s ambassador to Japan, said in congratulatory remarks that the establishment of shuttle diplomacy between the two countries’ leaders is driving deeper cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, economic security, advanced technology, supply chain stability and the shaping of international rules. He said the key is ensuring those diplomatic gains translate into economic results felt on the ground. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:10:00 -
Korea Highlights FX and Capital Market Reforms at OECD, Aiming to Build 'Korea Premium' The Ministry of Finance and Economy told an OECD meeting it has strengthened access to Korea’s financial markets by improving foreign exchange and capital market rules, highlighting steps it said support market modernization. The ministry said on April 22 it attended the OECD Advisory Task Force on the Codes of Liberalisation, held April 20-21 at the OECD headquarters in Paris, and presented updates on Korea’s FX market operations and efforts to overhaul capital market systems. The OECD advisory meeting is a forum that shares trends related to the codes on capital movement liberalization and, through peer reviews among member countries, discusses the degree of capital market opening and access to financial markets. At the meeting, the ministry outlined recent changes in FX and capital market conditions and the results of institutional reforms. In the FX market, it said it expanded the FX forward position limit for foreign bank subsidiaries to 200% from 75% and rationalized regulations on FX lending, steps aimed at improving market access for foreign investors. In capital markets, it cited reforms including allowing integrated foreign accounts to make it easier for foreign investors to trade domestic stocks, and a temporary suspension of FX stability-related levies. The government also shared plans to advance FX and capital markets with the goal of inclusion in MSCI’s developed market index. It said it aims to improve conditions for foreign participation through measures such as 24-hour FX market operations, better infrastructure for offshore won settlement, streamlined investment procedures and greater regulatory consistency. The ministry said it also shared its experience responding to market stability challenges amid increased exchange-rate volatility tied to a prolonged Middle East situation and growing uncertainty in the global trade environment. It said it found common ground with OECD members on approaches to stabilizing FX and financial markets and agreed on the need for policy coordination. A ministry official said the steps are expected to help ease the “Korea discount” linked to constraints on FX market access and to strengthen the foundation for a “Korea premium” by boosting the structural appeal of Korea’s capital markets.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:08:53 -
Samsung Showcases Next-Gen Displays and AI at World IT Show 2026 Samsung Electronics is showcasing a wide range of products using next-generation display, mobile and AI technologies, highlighting its future AI competitiveness. Samsung said it is taking part in the 2026 World IT Show, running April 22-24 at COEX in Seoul, to present innovations spanning displays and mobile devices. At the entrance, Samsung placed its glasses-free 3D display “Spatial Signage” to guide visitors. An “AI Fan Curator” explains each experience zone, with the display delivering a 3D effect without additional equipment. The company said its proprietary “3D Plate” technology adds depth that makes the screen appear to contain another space. Also featured prominently is “Micro RGB,” a next-generation display technology that individually controls ultra-fine RGB elements to render color and contrast more precisely, delivering improved picture quality compared with conventional displays. In mobile, Samsung built camera and AI experience zones around the Galaxy S26 series. Visitors can try the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 200-megapixel camera and 10x zoom, and test the “Horizon Lock Super Steady” feature for shake-free video. AI demonstrations were expanded. Using “Photo Assist,” visitors can generate images with natural-language prompts and view results on an LED wall in the exhibit area. The “Galaxy AI Live Show” demonstrates key features including photo editing, call screening and privacy tools. Wearables and next-generation platforms were also on display, including a listening zone for the Galaxy Buds4 series and a hands-on area for “Galaxy XR” based on Android XR, offering immersive content experiences. In entertainment, Samsung is running a “cross-platform zone” designed to blur device boundaries. The company set it up so the same game can be played across smartphones, tablets, PCs, TVs and gaming monitors, underscoring its ecosystem strategy. Samsung also introduced the AI portable projector “The Freestyle+” and the TV AI platform “Vision AI Companion.” The Freestyle+ includes automatic screen correction and obstacle-avoidance features to support flexible installation, while Vision AI Companion provides real-time information during viewing. 2026-04-22 10:08:06 -
LG Showcases Connected AI Home at 2026 World IT Show in Seoul LG Electronics has built an “AI home” as a real-life living space, aiming to show a concrete vision of future housing. The company said the focus goes beyond a technology display, letting visitors experience an AI-based environment designed to operate in everyday life. LG Electronics said it is taking part in the “2026 World IT Show,” running April 22-24 at COEX in Seoul, with an 870-square-meter exhibition hall under the theme “Dear Home.” The space centers on an AI home concept and also highlights subscription services and core component technologies in an integrated layout. At the center is the AI home hub “ThinQ On,” which connects appliances and IoT devices. LG set up three zones — a home office, smart kitchen and OLED theater — to demonstrate how AI responds to different situations. In the home office, LG said the system can recognize a user through a door lock and automatically activate a “return home mode,” adjusting lighting and running an air conditioner and air purifier to optimize temperature, humidity and air quality based on the user’s patterns and settings. In the smart kitchen, LG said AI analyzes ingredients in the refrigerator to recommend menus and automatically controls heat and timing during cooking. The induction cooktop can detect when soup is boiling to help prevent overflow, the company said. In the OLED theater area, LG combined an OLED TV with “LG Sound Suite,” which it said recognizes a user’s position to provide optimized audio. LG also presented a strategy to extend the AI home experience through subscriptions. At a central “subscription plaza,” it introduced services for major appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, including consumable replacement and internal cleaning by experts. LG described it as a model that goes beyond product sales to ongoing care. The company also highlighted technology it says underpins the AI home. In a “tech lounge,” LG showcased “AI Core Tech,” applying AI to key components including an AI DD motor, a dual inverter heat pump and an inverter compressor. LG said the system analyzes usage patterns and the environment to optimize performance and energy efficiency. LG also displayed technologies including AI air care, ultra-low-power displays and high-performance TV processors, describing them as part of the foundation for its AI home concept. LG said the exhibition is meant to show the AI home as a “connected living environment,” not a single product, and that it plans to expand the business by integrating appliances, services and space-based experiences to manage daily life more broadly. 2026-04-22 10:06:34 -
Korea FTC Warns of Rising Wedding Service Disputes as Spring Peak Season Begins South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said on 22 it issued a consumer alert for wedding services as demand peaks during the spring wedding season. The FTC, citing data from the Korea Consumer Agency and others, said consumer dispute-relief requests tied to wedding services totaled 1,076 last year, up 171 cases, or 18.9%, from 905 a year earlier. In April and May last year, the number of cases rose 56.0% from the same period the previous year. Of the complaints received, 88.1% involved disputes over contract cancellations, penalty fees and withdrawal rights. The FTC urged couples to prioritize companies that use the standard contract terms for wedding planning agencies. It said firms using the standard terms clearly disclose base prices by service and the criteria for penalty fees. The commission also recommended comparing prices in advance through the Consumer Agency’s “Cham Price” service, which publishes regional price information for major wedding items such as meal costs, venue rental fees and studio-dress-makeup packages, along with price data for as many as 67 optional items. Looking ahead, the FTC said it will intensively inspect whether wedding service providers are properly implementing detailed service descriptions and price displays at points of sale. Providers that fail to comply with required key information disclosures may face administrative fines of up to 100 million won. The government said it will continue to monitor unfair practices in the wedding services market to prevent consumer harm in advance and support informed choices by providing information on wedding services.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:05:26 -
LG AI Research, Nvidia deepen alliance to expand EXAONE ecosystem LG AI Research and Nvidia are strengthening a technology alliance to expand the “K-EXAONE” ecosystem. LG AI Research said executives including Woo-hyung Lim, co-head of LG AI Research, and Jin-sik Lee, head of the EXAONE Lab, met Monday afternoon at the institute’s headquarters in Seoul’s Magok district with Bryan Catanzaro, Nvidia vice president of applied deep learning research, and So-young Jung, head of Nvidia Korea, to discuss cooperation on developing next-generation AI models. The two companies said they will broaden collaboration by combining LG’s AI model, EXAONE, with Nvidia’s Nemotron open ecosystem to jointly develop specialized models for professional fields. LG AI Research said it used Nemotron open datasets during EXAONE’s development to help ensure training data quality. Nvidia supported optimization of model training and improvements in inference performance and efficiency by providing its latest Blackwell graphics processing units, the NeMo Framework AI development platform and TensorRT-LLM software designed to boost inference performance. “As a key partner of LG AI Research, Nvidia has worked together to make EXAONE Korea’s top AI model,” Catanzaro said. “By combining LG’s EXAONE and Nvidia’s Nemotron, we will lead sovereign AI and contribute to expanding the ecosystem,” he said. Lim said Nvidia has been a core technology partner in developing EXAONE. “We will take LG and Nvidia’s cooperation a step further by expanding the research-and-development ecosystem and deliver sovereign AI results that can be felt in industrial settings,” he said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:05:17 -
22 South Korean Public Agencies Rated Below Satisfactory in Customer Satisfaction Survey Korea Electric Power Corp. and SR were among 22 public agencies rated “insufficient” or worse in a customer satisfaction survey for last year. The government said it will require the agencies to analyze the causes of weak service and draw up specific improvement plans. The Finance and Economy Ministry on Tuesday released results of its “2025 public-agency customer satisfaction survey” covering 186 public institutions. The overall composite score was 89.2, up 1.3 points from 87.9 a year earlier. By type, quasi-government agencies scored highest at 91.4, followed by state-run enterprises at 89.2 and other public institutions at 88.1. The government said broader customer-tailored service channels and more active efforts to address complaints helped lift satisfaction overall. The survey also replaced the previous three-tier system (excellent, average, insufficient) with five grades: very excellent, excellent, average, insufficient and very insufficient. Under the new scale, 77 agencies — 41.4% of the total — were rated “excellent” or higher. Twenty-two agencies, or 11.8%, were rated “insufficient” or below, down 12.9 percentage points from the previous year. Among state-run enterprises, Korea Electric Power was rated “insufficient,” while SR was rated “very insufficient.” In the quasi-government category, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, the Small Enterprise and Market Service, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency were rated “insufficient.” In the other public-institution category, Public Home Shopping, the Korea Legal Aid Corp., the Independence Hall of Korea, the Korea Creative Content Agency, and the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute were rated “insufficient” or below. Twelve agencies were rated “very excellent.” In the state-run enterprise group, the Jeju Free International City Development Center, Korea Gas Corp., the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corp., and Korea Water Resources Corp. made the list. In the quasi-government group, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation, and the Korea Environment Corp. were included. Forty agencies, including the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corp. (LX), maintained an “excellent” or higher rating for at least two consecutive years. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation were selected as excellent agencies for a seventh straight year. The ministry said it also tightened rules to improve fairness and credibility. To better reflect differences in agency operations, it introduced target scores across 13 detailed categories linked to management evaluation standards. For agencies found to have engaged in misconduct during the survey, it said they must adopt measures to prevent recurrence and will be barred for two years from participating in the survey as contractors, among other steps. The results will be reflected in the 2025 management performance evaluation of public agencies and will be disclosed through the public agency management information system, ALIO. Starting next year, the government plans to fully apply a next-generation evaluation index, the “PCSI 3.0 model,” designed for a digital administrative environment.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 10:04:52