Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Korean Economy/Business Calendar SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - Apr. 2 (Thu) Mar. 2026 Consumer Price Index (Preliminary) - Ministry of Data and Statistics Apr. 8 (Wed) Feb. 2026 Balance of Payments (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea Apr. 9 (Thu) 2025 Flow of Funds (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea Apr. 15 (Wed) Feb. 2026 Money and Liquidity - Bank of Korea Mar. 2026 Export/Import Price & Trade Indexes - Bank of Korea Mar. 2026 Employment Trends - Ministry of Data and Statistics Apr. 22 (Wed) Mar. 2026 Producer Price Index (PPI) (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea Apr. 23 (Thu) Apr. 2026 Consumer Survey Index (CSI) - Bank of Korea Q1 2026 Real GDP (Advance Estimate) - Bank of Korea Apr. 28 (Tue) Apr. 2026 Business Survey Index (CBSI) & Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) - Bank of Korea Apr. 30 (Thu) Mar. 2026 Industrial Activity Trends - Ministry of Data and Statistics *1Q 2026 Tentative Earnings Release Schedule (Estimates only) Week 1: Apr 6 (Mon) – Apr 10 (Fri) Samsung Electronics (Preliminary) LG Electronics (Preliminary) Week 3: Apr 20 (Mon) – Apr 24 (Fri) Hyundai Motor Kia KB Financial Group Shinhan Financial Group Hana Financial Group Woori Financial Group Week 4: Apr 27 (Mon) – Apr 30 (Thu) SK hynix (Final/Breakdown) Samsung Electronics (Final/Breakdown) LG Energy Solution POSCO Holdings NAVER Samsung Biologics Celltrion LG Chem 2026-03-31 15:10:31 -
MONSTA X Wraps Kuala Lumpur Concert, Continues Asia Tour 그룹 몬스타엑스(MONSTA X)가 말레이시아 쿠알라룸푸르 공연을 성황리에 마치며 아시아 투어 열기를 이어갔다. 몬스타엑스는 지난 28일 말레이시아 쿠알라룸푸르 메가 스타 아레나(Mega Star Arena)에서 ‘2026 몬스타엑스 월드 투어 ‘더 엑스 : 넥서스(2026 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR ‘THE X : NEXUS’)’ 인 쿠알라룸푸르’를 개최했다. The group returned to meet local fans, known as Monbebe, for the first time in seven years and opened with “DRAMARAMA.” It followed with “Love Killa” and “Rush Hour,” then moved into “LONE RANGER” and “Catch Me Now.” Members greeted fans and said the long gap did not dull the connection in the arena. The set also highlighted the group’s range with “MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,” “Deny” and “AND.” They performed tracks from the mini-album “THE X,” released in September last year, including “Do What I Want,” “N the Front” and “Tuscan Leather.” The show continued with “Beautiful” and “Nobody Else,” with camera-driven staging drawing loud cheers. Midway through, the concert shifted to solo stages: Shownu performed “Around & Go,” Kihyun sang “Howling,” Hyungwon delivered “NO AIR,” and Minhyuk played guitar on “Reaching.” Jooheon performed “STING” and “하늘에 머리가 닿을 때까지.” A solo stage from I.M’s Seoul concert was shown on VCR because he could not join due to military service, and the members and fans watched together. The closing run featured “Autobahn,” “Beautiful Liar,” “Alligator” and “Shoot Out.” The group moved closer to the audience and ended by singing “Fire & Ice” with fans. Through Starship Entertainment, MONSTA X said it was moved throughout the show by the “passion and sincerity” of Malaysian Monbebe after a long time apart. The group said it was glad to make meaningful memories on tour and hoped the concert would remain a good memory for fans, adding that it would prepare diligently to meet more Monbebe with an even better stage. 한편 몬스타엑스는 오는 4월 4일 타이베이 공연을 통해 아시아 투어를 이어간다. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:09:44 -
Stray Kids’ ‘Chk Chk Boom’ music video tops 200 million YouTube views, 8th to hit mark Stray Kids has logged its eighth music video to surpass 200 million views on YouTube, with “Chk Chk Boom” reaching the milestone. According to its agency on the 31st, the music video for “Chk Chk Boom,” the title track from the mini-album “ATE” released July 19, 2024, exceeded 200 million views on YouTube that morning. The group now has eight videos above 200 million views: “God’s Menu,” “Back Door,” “Thunderous,” “MANIAC,” “S-Class,” “LALALALA,” “CASE 143” and “Chk Chk Boom.” “Chk Chk Boom” was written and composed by Bang Chan, Changbin and Han of the group’s in-house producing unit 3RACHA. The song centers on confidence in aiming clearly for a desired goal, built on a Latin-style hip-hop rhythm, a looping hook and a distinctive topline. The music video highlights polished visuals and powerful choreography, and features appearances by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Stray Kids also released a new song for its fan community, STAY, titled “Stars, Light (STAY),” marking the group’s eighth debut anniversary on the 25th. Han and Seungmin took part in writing and composing the track, which compares hope for tomorrow—made possible by being together—to the universe and stars. The group opened its sixth official fan meeting, “Stray Kids 6TH FANMEETING ‘STAY in Our Little House,’” at Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 28th and 29th. The event will run for four shows through April 4 and 5.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:06:57 -
NH NongHyup Bank’s NH Specialized Tech Finance Tops 500 Billion Won NH NongHyup Bank said on the 31st that its lending under “NH Specialized Technology Finance” has exceeded 500 billion won this year, accounting for 38.5% of its total technology-finance supply. The program is part of the bank’s “productive finance” initiative, offering tailored funding to 162 agrifood-related business categories. It focuses on expanding technology-based financing, mainly for small and midsize companies linked to the agrifood industry. The bank said new support for SMEs outside the Seoul metropolitan area made up 77.8% of the total, highlighting region-based financing. As of the end of 2025, the bank’s outstanding technology-finance balance rose 6.0% from a year earlier to 21.1 trillion won. Of that, the NH Specialized Technology Finance balance was 8.6 trillion won, including 6.7 trillion won supplied to non-capital regions. The bank’s technology-finance product, the “NH Loan for Top-Rated Technology-Evaluated Companies,” surpassed 1 trillion won in outstanding balance nine months after launch and exceeded 2 trillion won seven months later. A bank official said the lender plans to expand technology-finance support centered on facility funding for advanced, venture and innovative companies, and will continue to broaden NH Specialized Technology Finance to strengthen its role as a provider of productive finance nationwide.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:03:00 -
Chef Park Eun-young to Marry Doctor This Spring, Reports Say News that Chef Park Eun-young, who appears on JTBC’s “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” is getting married has drawn attention to her fiancé. According to a report on the 30th, Park will marry this spring at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The groom-to-be has not been publicly identified beyond his job as a doctor. Comments from colleagues have also resurfaced. On the March 16 episode of Channel A’s “Detectives’ Business Secrets,” Park appeared as a guest. Writer Kim Poong said Park, as a well-known figure in the culinary world, might be better matched with someone in a completely different profession “who can respect each other,” citing a lawyer as an example. After reports said her fiancé is a doctor, some online users speculated Kim may have already known she was dating a professional. Asked about her ideal type, Park said she does not focus on a man’s looks. But when she named actor Kim Rae-won as her celebrity ideal, Kim Poong joked, “Sounds like you care a lot about looks.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 14:36:16 -
K Bank Shrinks Board to Seven Members; CEO Choi Woo-hyung Reappointed K Bank has streamlined its board structure to speed decision-making and sharpen oversight. Shareholders also approved another term for CEO Choi Woo-hyung, citing performance that included a successful IPO. K Bank said it held its 10th annual general meeting of shareholders on Monday and approved a package of agenda items, including Choi’s reappointment; the reappointment of two outside directors; the appointment of three outside directors who will serve on the audit committee; deletion of a clause excluding cumulative voting; and the creation of a Consumer Protection Committee. Shareholders approved a broad reshaping of the board. The board will be reduced to seven members from 11. Under the new structure, it will consist of one inside director, five outside directors and one other non-executive director, down from one inside director, eight outside directors and two other non-executive directors. Lee Hyun-ae, who previously led NH Futures, was appointed as a new audit committee member. Digital specialists also joined, including Jung Jin-ho, who previously served as a deputy head of KB Kookmin Bank’s Digital Transformation (DT) division, and Kim Nam-jun, who previously served as a vice president at Shinhan Card. Existing directors Lee Kyung-sik, a Seoul National University professor, and Choi Jong-oh, a professional committee member with a background at the Financial Supervisory Service, were reappointed. K Bank also approved the establishment and operation of its Consumer Protection Committee. It said it is the first internet-only bank in South Korea to set up a consumer protection committee as an independent subcommittee within the board. The bank said it created the committee to elevate consumer protection from complaint handling or compliance checks to a core management issue directly overseen by the board. The committee’s main review items include basic policies for building and operating internal controls for financial consumer protection; major changes to consumer protection systems; enactment and revision of consumer protection standards and internal control standards; and overall key policies and management frameworks related to consumer protection. Shareholders also approved Choi’s reappointment. The bank said he was credited with stable management after posting net profit of 128.1 billion won in 2024 and 112.6 billion won in 2025.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 14:27:00 -
Hanmi Pharmaceutical Names Hwang Sang-yeon CEO, First Outsider in 53 Years Hanmi Pharmaceutical is moving to overhaul its management structure by appointing an outside chief executive for the first time in its 53-year history. At its 16th annual shareholders meeting on March 31 at its headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, the company appointed Hwang Sang-yeon, head of the private equity division at HB Investment, as an inside director. Hwang was then named CEO after a board meeting held immediately following the shareholders meeting. Hwang earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Seoul National University and previously served as head of the research center at Mirae Asset Securities and as CEO of Chong Kun Dang Holdings. With the appointment, CEO Park Jae-hyun, who had been selected with the backing of the owner family’s mother and daughter during a management dispute, will step down after three years in the post. Speaking to reporters after the board meeting, Hwang said he would address concerns by carrying on the late founder Lim Seong-gi’s management philosophy of “respect for people and value creation.” He also pledged to work with employees to lead the company “to the next level” as South Korea’s top drugmaker. Hanmi Pharmaceutical has long relied on internal promotions dating back to Lim’s tenure, but the decision to bring in an outsider is being viewed as a signal of a more aggressive push for organizational change. Shareholders also approved all agenda items as proposed, including the appointment of inside director Kim Na-young and outside directors Han Tae-joon and Kim Tae-yoon. At a separate shareholders meeting held the same day at Hanmi Science, shareholders approved the appointment of Kim Nam-gyu, CEO of La Défense Partners, as a new non-executive director. La Défense is part of a so-called “four-party alliance” with Shin Dong-kook, Song Young-sook, Lim Ju-hyun and La Défense. Kim, a former lawyer, is described as a strategy and legal expert with experience at Samsung Electronics’ legal office and KCGI. La Défense, which holds a 9.81% stake, is expected to exercise more direct influence over management through the board seat. The developments appear to have drawn a line under controversy over interference in Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s management. Last month, Park raised concerns that major shareholder Shin Dong-kook, chairman of Hanyang Precision, was improperly intervening in management. The dispute resurfaced after Song, chair of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group, voiced support for a professional management system. With Park’s reappointment failing and Hwang being named CEO at this shareholders meeting, the conflict has, for now, eased. Some observers, however, say the leadership change at Hanmi Pharmaceutical and the reshaping of Hanmi Science’s board could open a new phase in competition for control. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 14:24:00 -
Lee weighs bold economic measures as Middle East conflict deepens SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday hinted at drastic measures to stabilize the economy amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. During a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul, Lee said the government may take bold action including an emergency fiscal order if necessary, as the conflict that began with U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran late last month has escalated with no end in sight, setting off "warning signals" for the global economy. Under the Constitution, such an order allows a president to take urgent steps without parliamentary approval in cases deemed necessary to address a severe economic crisis. Lee pointed to warnings from international financial agencies including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which has lowered growth forecasts for major economies and warned that oil prices could jump to US$135 a barrel in the second quarter. Given South Korea's heavy reliance on overseas markets and energy supplies from the Middle East, Lee called for close monitoring and detailed contingency plans for possible emergencies, instructing key officials to keep monitoring developments and respond "boldly and preemptively" to any supply disruptions. Like naphtha-related measures already in place since last week, Lee urged strict management of other key raw materials such as urea and urea solution, maintaining stockpiles at levels comparable to those kept during wartime. He also added that similar measures should be applied to everyday necessities including medical supplies. 2026-03-31 14:21:58 -
EDITORIAL: A breach of trust at the heart of the platform economy Woowa Brothers, operator of South Korea’s leading food delivery app Baemin, has issued a public apology after customer data was misused by criminals who infiltrated an outsourced customer service contractor under false pretenses. Coming on the heels of a recent data-related controversy at Coupang, the episode has further shaken confidence in platform operators entrusted with vast amounts of personal information. More than a lapse in security, it exposes a structural vulnerability at the core of the platform economy. What makes this case troubling is not the sophistication of the attack, but its simplicity. According to investigators, the suspects posed as legitimate hires, gained routine access to customer records, and used that information to carry out crimes. This was not a failure of firewalls or encryption, but of oversight. It highlights the limits of technological defenses when human processes — particularly in outsourced operations — are left exposed. Platform companies often frame themselves as technology firms. In reality, they are custodians of vast pools of personal data. A single food delivery order can reveal a home address, a phone number, and patterns of daily life. When such data is misused, the consequences go beyond privacy violations and can pose real threats to personal safety. To be clear, this incident alone does not prove a systemic breakdown across the entire industry. What is known so far points to failures in contractor management and access control. But that distinction offers little comfort. The responsibility ultimately lies with the platform. Outsourcing operations does not outsource accountability. Woowa Brothers has taken initial steps — reporting the case to the Personal Information Protection Commission, cooperating with police, notifying affected users, and moving to terminate the contractor. These are necessary responses. They are not sufficient. Preventing a recurrence requires a deeper overhaul of how trust is managed within platform systems. Access to sensitive data must be strictly limited to what is essential. Activity logs should be continuously monitored, and anomalous behavior flagged in real time. In high-risk workflows, a zero-trust approach — where every access request is verified regardless of origin — should be standard practice, not an aspirational goal. The broader industry should treat this as a warning. As platforms grow, their internal structures become more complex — and, if neglected, more vulnerable. Trust is their most valuable asset. It takes years to build and only moments to lose. Policymakers, too, must reassess whether existing rules adequately reflect the realities of outsourced digital operations. Clearer standards are needed for third-party access to personal data, as well as for accountability when breaches occur. Regulation should remain measured, but baseline safeguards are not optional. At its core, the issue is straightforward: are platforms prepared to bear the full responsibility that comes with the data they collect? Convenience is not a license — it is a contract with users. For Woowa Brothers, this should not be treated as a crisis to contain, but as a turning point. Without trust, there is no platform. 2026-03-31 14:15:13 -
Pulmuone vows AI-driven growth push at annual shareholder meeting SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korean food company Pulmuone held its annual general meeting, pledging to accelerate its artificial intelligence transformation strategy and expand into new business segments as it eyes a deeper footprint in global markets. The meeting, held at the Korea Science and Technology Convention Center in Seoul's Gangnam district on Tuesday, drew shareholders and company executives under the theme "ONE" — a reference to the firm's corporate philosophy, its track record, and its strategic roadmap. General CEO Lee Woo-bong reported that Pulmuone posted consolidated revenue of 3.38 trillion won (about $2.2 billion) and operating profit of 93.2 billion won in fiscal 2025, calling the results a reaffirmation of the company's competitive resilience amid global economic headwinds. "We will leap forward to the next level as the global no.1 wholesome food and sustainable lifestyle company leading the K-food industry by creating sustainable growth momentum toward a new future through an organizational culture based on AX innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset," Lee said. Shareholders approved six agenda items, including the fiscal 2025 financial statements, amendments to the company's articles of incorporation, and the appointment of new directors. Under the charter revision, the mandatory ratio of independent outside directors was raised from one-quarter to one-third of the total board. Chun Young-hoon, CEO of Pulmuone Foods, was appointed as an inside director alongside two newly elected outside directors. On the growth front, the company said it is scaling up nascent businesses — including living care, pet products, food technology, and corporate food service — while pressing ahead with a company-wide AI transformation drive centered on a new future business division established earlier this year. Pulmuone said it plans to pursue both top-line growth and margin improvement across its domestic and overseas operations in 2026, with a particular focus on turning around its U.S., China, and Japan units and expanding into Europe and Canada. 2026-03-31 13:59:16