Journalist
Lee Hugh
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U.S., Iran Signal Second Round of Talks as Truce Deadline Nears The United States and Iran, after days of brinkmanship ahead of a truce deadline, appear closer to a second round of negotiations. In a phone interview with Bloomberg on April 20, U.S. President Donald Trump said the two-week truce with Iran would end "Wednesday (22) evening, Washington time." Asked about extending it, he said the chances were "very small" and said a U.S. naval blockade of Iran would remain in place until an agreement is reached. The U.S. and Iran agreed to the truce on April 7, and it had been widely viewed as running through April 21, though Trump’s remarks were seen as effectively extending the deadline by about a day. Trump also pointed to a possible schedule for talks. He said Vice President JD Vance would depart for Pakistan and that negotiations would begin April 21. Axios reported that Vance was expected to leave for Pakistan no later than the morning of April 21, possibly late on April 20. It said Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, were expected to travel with him. The report said Vance had delayed his departure while awaiting Iran’s response, but that a "green light" from Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had been conveyed. Iran has also sent signals suggesting talks could move forward. The Wall Street Journal, citing multiple sources, reported that Iran told mediators it would send a negotiating team to Pakistan on April 21. Reuters, citing a Pakistani source involved in the talks, reported that a second round would be held Wednesday (22). The source said that if an agreement is reached, Trump could attend in person or participate by video. Iran’s government has not officially confirmed sending a delegation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said, "For now, there is no plan for the next negotiation," adding that Iran would not accept deadlines or ultimatums to protect its national interests. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker who leads the negotiating team, wrote on X that "we will not accept negotiations conducted under the shadow of threats." Trump, in a phone interview with the conservative radio program "The John Fredericks Show," warned Iran: "They will negotiate, and if they don’t, they will face problems they have never seen before." The first round of talks collapsed without narrowing differences over major issues, including Iran’s abandonment of its nuclear program. On Truth Social, Trump said the nuclear deal now being pursued with Iran would produce a better outcome than the 2015 agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Under the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear program was limited in exchange for sanctions relief, and Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved abroad while stockpiles were sharply capped. Trump later wrote again on Truth Social that "Operation Midnight Hammer" had "completely and totally destroyed" Iran-related nuclear targets and that recovering buried nuclear material would require a long and difficult process. Midnight Hammer was the name of a U.S. operation that struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year. The Wall Street Journal reported that some flexibility is being detected on uranium enrichment. It said mediators are considering an option under which Iran would halt enrichment for a period and later be allowed limited production of low-enriched uranium. Despite the diplomatic activity, tensions remain. Iran sharply criticized the United States for seizing an Iranian-flagged cargo ship and demanded the crew’s release. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the Foreign Ministry, in a statement, called the action piracy and terrorism and said it was "another clear violation" of the truce and an attack on Iran. The ministry said it would mobilize all capabilities to defend national interests and security and to protect the rights and dignity of the Iranian people, warning that if regional conditions worsen further, the United States would bear full responsibility.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:37:45 -
Park Chan-dae to Officially Enter Incheon Mayoral Race on Tuesday Democratic Party lawmaker Park Chan-dae, the party’s candidate for Incheon mayor, said he will make his official announcement of candidacy on April 22, launching his campaign in earnest. Park told reporters on April 21 after visiting Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang province, and paying respects at the grave of the late President Roh Moo-hyun that he would “make the announcement tomorrow.” It will be his formal entry 49 days after the party finalized its nomination on March 4. Park, a three-term National Assembly member representing Incheon’s Yeonsu A district, said he plans to submit his resignation from the Assembly on April 29. Park also reiterated cooperation among candidates for top local government posts in the capital region. He visited the memorial with Jeong Won-oh, a Seoul mayoral candidate, and Choo Mi-ae, a Gyeonggi governor candidate. The three previously met in front of the National Assembly on April 12 and pledged to coordinate on campaign pledges and policy. “I came to honor the spirit of Roh Moo-hyun once again,” Park said. Citing Roh’s remark that “the last bastion of democracy is the organized power of awake citizens,” Park said candidates for capital-region leadership posts symbolize that spirit. He said campaign staff are “fiercely debating” to develop shared pledges for the capital region, adding that the candidates aim to honor Roh’s goal of building “a world where people live” through local autonomy and decentralization. Park said the capital region’s 26 million residents are “a community of shared destiny,” and vowed to realize Roh’s dream by improving people’s lives and building “a world where people live.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:34:02 -
Taiwan TV Host Dee Hsu Says She Urged Late Sister Barbie Hsu to Take Japan Trip, Feels Guilty Taiwanese TV personality Dee Hsu (Hsu Hsi-ti) has spoken publicly about her grief after the death of her older sister, the late Hsu Hsi-yuan, known as Barbie Hsu. According to Taiwan media outlets including ETtoday, Hsu said at the taping of a local variety show on Sunday that her sister’s death left “a long period” of emptiness in her life and that she felt so lost she did not even know what she was doing. She said she drank with their mother and talked about her sister, calling those conversations the only way to ease the sadness. Hsu also said she had suggested the trip her sister took before she died. Fighting back tears, she said she was tormented by the thought that the tragedy might not have happened if she had listened to her mother, who opposed the trip at the time. She said her mother tried to comfort her, telling her never to think that way, but that the pain remains. Barbie Hsu was a Taiwanese star who worked as an actor, singer and TV host. She rose to fame in 2001 after starring as the female lead, Shan Cai, in “Meteor Garden,” a drama based on the Japanese manga “Boys Over Flowers.” She married Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2011, divorced in 2021 and remarried in 2022 to Koo Jun-yup.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:33:12 -
Samsung Display locks in Apple foldable edge over China SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s premium OLED champion Samsung Display has reasserted itself as Apple Inc.’s primary iPhone panel supplier, staging a decisive comeback against Chinese rivals and tightening its grip on the high-end display market as Apple prepares to enter the foldable era. Samsung Display sharply expanded its share of Apple’s iPhone OLED supply chain in 2025, helped by production setbacks at China’s BOE and a reported three-year exclusive deal to supply panels for Apple’s first foldable iPhone. According to market tracker Omdia, Samsung Display accounted for 56.8 percent of Apple’s iPhone display procurement in 2025, up from 49.1 percent a year earlier. Shipments rose about 15 percent to 141.6 million units from 122.3 million in 2024, widening the gap again with LG Display and BOE after competition had briefly tightened the previous year. The surge translated directly into earnings. Samsung Display posted 9.5 trillion won ($6.6 billion) in fourth-quarter revenue and 2.0 trillion won in operating profit for the October–December period of 2025. For the full year, the display unit reported 29.8 trillion won in revenue and 4.1 trillion won in operating profit. For the first quarter, operating profit is projected at around 1 trillion won—roughly halved from the previous quarter but doubled from a year earlier during the typically slow season of the January–March period. The turnaround was driven in part by a technological inflection point. As Apple expanded the use of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels across its latest iPhone lineup to improve power efficiency, BOE struggled to meet Apple’s stringent yield and quality thresholds. The bottleneck effectively pushed the Chinese supplier into a secondary role, allowing Samsung to capture incremental volume while strengthening its pricing power. "Apple’s quality standards are exceptionally high," said Kim Hyun-jae, a professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Yonsei University. "Because the latest LTPO technology is highly difficult and takes time to master, BOE had to step in as a secondary vendor for lower-tier products rather than premium models." Samsung’s lead is now set to deepen further. Industry reports indicate Apple has tapped Samsung Display as the sole OLED supplier for its first foldable iPhone for an initial three-year period—a move that underscores the still-wide gap in foldable panel durability, crease control and yield stability. "Apple initially hesitated to enter the foldable market, but currently, Samsung Display is the only manufacturer capable of producing what they need," Professor Kim noted. "Samsung possesses significant accumulated know-how from producing its own Galaxy Fold series." The reported exclusivity highlights a broader structural divide. While China dominates global LCD capacity, Korea continues to command the premium OLED segment, where margins are higher and technological barriers remain steep. Each time Chinese players narrow the gap in one generation, Korean firms have moved ahead with the next. "For about a decade, observers have warned that China would soon catch up, but the gap is constantly being maintained," Kim added. "While China is number one in overall volume like LCDs, Korea is still number one in the premium products that actually generate profit." To sustain that edge, Samsung Display is accelerating its next manufacturing leap. The company is ramping up the world’s first 8.6-generation OLED production line in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, with mass production targeted this year. The larger substrate size—2,250 by 2,600 millimeters—is expected to lower unit costs and reduce material waste, reinforcing a structural cost advantage that rivals will struggle to replicate. 2026-04-21 16:32:55 -
South Korea’s National Assembly to Host Forum on AI-Era Job Training Reform A National Assembly forum will be held to discuss how vocational training should evolve in the AI and digital era. The Korea Federation of Vocational Schools said April 21 it will hold the forum April 23 in the main auditorium of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building under the theme, “Ways to Develop Vocational Training in the AI and Digital Era.” Organizers said the event is intended to share the need to shift the vocational training system amid rapid industrial change and to discuss policy solutions to support employment for young and middle-aged workers and improve training quality. About 400 people are expected to attend, including federation Chairman Song Gwan-ho, heads of vocational schools and officials from related organizations. The forum is hosted by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Wi-sang. It will open at 10 a.m., followed by opening remarks and congratulatory addresses from lawmakers. Two presentations are scheduled. Lee Dae-woo, head of the Future Management Education Institute, will speak on the need for quality innovation in vocational training in the AI and digital era and response measures. Ko Hyeon-jeong, director of the Korea Information Education Institute, will present on operating systems for AI convergence training courses and directions for improving quality. A panel discussion will follow, moderated by Lee Moon-su, director of the Competency Development Education Institute at Korea University of Technology and Education. Panelists are Pyeon Do-in, director general for vocational competency policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor; Kim Jong-yoon, head of the Vocational Competency Assessment and Evaluation Institute; Kim Bom-i, head of the Youth and Middle-Aged Vocational Competency Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training; and Lee Ji-eun, a professor in the AI Business Department at Hanyang Cyber University. They are expected to discuss revamping training systems to match industrial change, strengthening field-based education and building sustainable support systems. The forum is scheduled to close at 11:50 a.m., concluding a roughly two-hour program. Organizers said they expect the forum to help set new benchmarks for vocational training suited to the AI and digital transition and to serve as a practical venue linking policy and the field.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:32:21 -
Police seek arrest warrant for HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk over alleged IPO fraud SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - South Korean police have applied for an arrest warrant for Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of BTS agency HYBE, on allegations that he misled investors ahead of the company’s initial public offering (IPO), authorities said Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crimes Investigation Unit said it requested the warrant from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on charges under the Capital Markets Act. The move comes about 16 months after police launched their investigation. Police allege that in 2019, Bang Si-hyuk falsely told investors there were no plans to list HYBE, then known as Big Hit Entertainment, encouraging them to sell their shares to a private equity fund linked to him. The company later went public, with Bang reportedly securing 190 billion won ($130 million) through a prior agreement to receive 30 percent of the fund’s post-listing profits. Under South Korea’s Capital Markets Act, obtaining financial gains through deceptive practices related to financial investment products is prohibited. Violations involving profits exceeding 5 billion won can result in life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison. Police began an internal probe in late 2024 before expanding it into a formal investigation in mid-2025, which included raids on the Korea Exchange and HYBE headquarters. Bang was questioned five times between September and November last year, and authorities also froze 156.8 billion won worth of his shares. The investigation drew criticism for its pace after police took no apparent action for more than five months, citing legal reviews. The case also sparked controversy when the U.S. Embassy in Seoul reportedly sent a letter requesting that a travel ban be lifted to allow Bang to attend BTS-related events abroad. Bang has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that all legal and regulatory requirements were followed during HYBE’s listing. In a statement released through his legal team Tuesday, he said it was “regrettable” that an arrest warrant had been sought despite his cooperation and pledged to “faithfully explain his position in future legal proceedings.” Prosecutors will now decide whether to formally request the warrant from the court. If they do, a hearing to review the warrant typically takes place within two to three days. The development places Bang, HYBE’s largest shareholder and key decision-maker, at a critical juncture as the company closely monitors the outcome. HYBE shares fell 2.35 percent to close at 249,000 won on Tuesday following news of the warrant request. 2026-04-21 16:31:59 -
Forced share cancellations redraw control map across Korea Inc. SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - Mandatory treasury share retirements are rapidly reshaping ownership structures across South Korea’s conglomerates, with cancellations surging past $30 billion in the first quarter alone under a tougher Commercial Act of South Korea. According to a study of 73 conglomerates and 339 affiliates by corporate tracker CEO Score, listed firms canceled shares worth 42.52 trillion won ($30 billion) in the January–March period—more than triple the 13.29 trillion won recorded for all of last year. “Share cancellations are no longer a matter of choice but are required by law, particularly for large conglomerates,” said Shin Hyun-han, a finance professor at Yonsei University’s School of Business. Under the revised rules, newly acquired treasury shares must be canceled within one year, while previously held shares must be retired within 18 months. Exceptions are tightly limited—such as for employee stock compensation—and require shareholder approval. The bulk of cancellations was concentrated among market heavyweights. Samsung Electronics led with 14.9 trillion won, followed by SK hynix at 12.24 trillion won. Together, the two accounted for 63.8 percent of total cancellations in the first quarter. In terms of treasury share holdings prior to retirement, SK Group topped the list at 24.8 percent of common shares, followed by Taekwang Industrial at 24.41 percent, Lotte Corp. at 23.69 percent and Mirae Asset Life Insurance at 21.83 percent. As cancellations accelerate, founding families are seeing their controlling stakes diluted—a structural shift long debated in Korea’s corporate governance landscape. Taekwang Industrial recorded the steepest decline, with controlling ownership falling from 78.94 percent to 54.53 percent. At SK Group, the stake dropped from 50.21 percent to 31.87 percent. At Samsung Electronics, Chairman Lee Jae-yong and related parties saw their combined stake slip below the symbolic 20 percent threshold to 19.95 percent following the cancellations. Still, experts caution against equating lower ownership with weaker control. “Corporate leadership should not be interpreted in a limited way,” Shin said, noting that governance in large conglomerates often rests on a broader mix of cross-shareholding structures, board influence and managerial control rather than simple equity percentages alone. 2026-04-21 16:31:43 -
SK Telecom to Revamp Job Grades, Create CEO-Led B2B Task Force Under CEO Jeong Jae-heon SK Telecom said April 21 that it will overhaul its job-grade system and set up a CEO-led task force to strengthen its business-to-business competitiveness, announcing the plans through its newsroom as CEO Jeong Jae-heon marked six months in the role. Jeong, speaking at a town hall meeting at the company’s headquarters in Seoul’s Euljiro area, stressed the need for customer-centered change. “In a sense of crisis that the company could collapse, the core is ultimately the ‘customer,’” he said, adding, “Getting back to customers, each drop of sweat is creating change.” Jeong also said the company’s future growth engines run through AI. SK Telecom plans to build planning and development capabilities for mid- to long-term projects in its telecom business, including an AI-optimized integrated computing system, while strengthening its current digital competitiveness. The company said it will step up its push into the B2B market as what it described as the country’s only “full-stack” provider spanning AI infrastructure, models and services. To consolidate B2B capabilities, it will create an enterprise task force reporting directly to the CEO. The task force will be led concurrently by Han Myung-jin, head of the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) CIC. SK Telecom also said it will accelerate its AI data center business. Within its AI CIC, it will establish dedicated units by area, including an AI DC Business Division (to be led concurrently by AI CIC head Jeong Seok-geun) and an AI DC Development Division headed by Ha Min-yong. The company will also change its job-grade structure to three levels from the current two-stage system. The current A and B bands will be reorganized into Growth Level 1 for developing practitioners, Growth Level 2 for key contributors, and Growth Level 3 for leaders and leadership candidates. “For plans spanning 10 years and 20 years, we selected growth businesses and moved to 추진 organizational pivoting and changes to HR systems,” Jeong said. “In the near term, tangible results may come slowly, and the AX transition may take more time, but let’s execute boldly for the future that will come when we overcome this.” 2026-04-21 16:31:38 -
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urges PPP to back constitutional amendment on May 18 spirit National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said the spirit of the May 18 movement left South Korea with a historic lesson that “no power can defeat the people,” and urged the People Power Party to join a parliamentary vote on a constitutional amendment reflecting that spirit. According to Yonhap News Agency, Woo visited the May 18 National Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, on April 21 and reiterated that the May 18 spirit should be included in the preamble to the Constitution. On the National Assembly’s vote on the amendment, Woo said it was “regrettable” that the People Power Party opposes it as a party line. “They have all promised it, and they have come here and made countless pledges,” he said. “No matter how I think about it, there is absolutely no reason for the People Power Party to oppose it.” “This is no longer a time for promises, but a time for action,” Woo said, arguing the bill could pass if lawmakers are allowed a free vote. After laying flowers and burning incense at the cemetery, Woo visited the newly renovated former South Jeolla provincial government building in Dong-gu, Gwangju. “The restored provincial office is truly meaningful, and the intensity, devastation, resolve and anger of that time are etched into it as they were, leaving my heart heavy,” he said. “I look forward to the day the May 18 spirit is proudly written into the Constitution’s preamble.” Woo has repeatedly called for constitutional revision to include the May 18 spirit in the preamble and to strengthen National Assembly control over martial law. Leaders of six parties, excluding the People Power Party, submitted a constitutional amendment bill to the National Assembly on April 3 in the names of 187 lawmakers, including the provision on the May 18 spirit. Passage requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 295 sitting lawmakers, or 197 votes. That would require support from nine to 10 People Power Party lawmakers. To hold a national referendum on the amendment on the June 3 local election day, the bill must be approved by the National Assembly by May 10. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:28:40 -
Daebang Construction Tightens Companywide Quality Controls to Prevent Defects Daebang Construction is stepping up efforts to strengthen construction quality management. The company said April 21 it is operating a companywide quality-control system built around three priorities: strict oversight of construction quality, reducing defects and responding actively after problems arise. A key feature is joint inspections by headquarters and job sites. In addition to on-site staff, the headquarters architecture team visits all sites in person to check common areas and identify potential defect risks in advance. The company said it also continually revises construction guidelines using data gathered at sites and applies updates immediately across projects. When defects occur, it aims to respond quickly before issues escalate into disputes, focusing on reducing inconvenience for residents. Daebang Construction said it was not ranked in the Transport Ministry’s list of the “top 20 apartment builders by defect rulings for the first half of 2026,” neither for the past six months nor on a cumulative five-year basis. The company noted the indicator is widely viewed as one measure consumers use to gauge builders’ quality and reliability. “Residential products ultimately come down to quality and trust,” a company official said. “We will continue revising guidelines based on site data and reflecting them across all sites.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 16:27:55