KPGA Tour Opens April 16 in Chuncheon as Ok Tae-hoon, Jang Yu-bin Lead Field The 2026 Korea Professional Golfers’ Association Tour opens with the 21st DB Insurance Promy Open. The tournament, with a total purse of 1 billion won, will be played April 16-19 at Lavieest Belle Golf & Resort’s Old Course (par 72) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The winner earns a three-year tour exemption (2027-2029) and 1,000 Genesis Points. It is the KPGA Tour season opener for the 12th time, held in that role from 2014-2019 and from 2021-2026. Title sponsor DB Insurance has been a tour title sponsor for the 21st time since starting with the 48th KPGA Championship, the Dongbu Fire Promy Cup, in 2005. A main storyline is the showdown between Ok Tae-hoon and Jang Yu-bin, who dominated the tour after winning the Genesis Grand Prize in 2025 and 2024, respectively. Ok, who won three times last year and made the cut in all 18 events while also taking the money title, the low-scoring award and the most improved player honor, said he is focused on steady execution. “Last year was such a great year, so of course I’d like to have good results again this year,” Ok said. “But things don’t always go the way you want, so I’ll just do my best with what I’m given.” He added, “My season goals are to make the cut in every event and win three times.” Ok said his putting has been off recently. “I thought I was putting poorly, but I think it was because my distance control wasn’t right,” he said. “If I putt well this week, I think I can get a good result.” Jang, who won twice in 2024 and became the first player in KPGA Tour history to surpass 1 billion won in season earnings, returns to the domestic tour after moving to LIV Golf following the end of the 2025 season. “My goal this season is the Genesis Grand Prize,” Jang said. “I think the most important thing is to go back to basics and stay focused every tournament. I used training camp to work on getting my swing feel and performance back, and my condition has improved a lot. I’ll show the fans a good side of me.” He said he plans to focus on execution rather than results in the season’s first event. “As it’s the first tournament of the season, I’ll focus more on carrying out what I prepared than on the pressure of results,” Jang said. “My goal is to build momentum with steady course management and start the first event on a positive note.” Defending champion Kim Baek-jun also draws attention as he tries to repeat. Kim won last year at 11-under 273 for his first career title, coming in his 19th start on tour. Kim, who listed multiple wins and the Genesis Grand Prize as his goals this season, said the title defense brings both excitement and nerves. “It’s my first time defending a title, so I feel excited and at the same time nervous,” Kim said. “It’s a course where I won my first title, so I have good memories. I really want to successfully defend.” He added, “I got through last season without a second-year slump, so as I prepared for this season I also felt pressure that I have to do even better. But I prepared well in the offseason, so I’m looking forward to it.” Sponsor-backed player Kim Hong-taek is another to watch. He tied for fifth two weeks ago at the Asian Tour’s International Series Japan. “Because it’s my main sponsor’s tournament, I’m more excited than for other events,” Kim Hong-taek said. “Last year I couldn’t finish because of a back injury, and that was very disappointing. That’s why I paid more attention to taking care of my body this year. I’ll do my best with the goal of winning this tournament.” Park Sang-hyun, the career leader in domestic prize money, will try to become the first player to surpass 6 billion won in domestic KPGA Tour earnings. Park has played 235 events and has earned 5,893,724,057 won, leaving him 106,275,943 won short of 6 billion won. He also won twice last year, setting a KPGA Tour record for multiple wins by a player in his 40s for the first time in 20 years. Past winners including Moon Do-yeob, Bae Yong-jun, Park Seong-guk, Jeon Ga-ram, Choi Seung-bin and Kim Jae-ho are also in the field, setting up a competitive start to the 2026 season.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-15 13:24:00

First meeting on next year's minimum wage to be held next week SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - This year's first meeting of a committee responsible for setting next year's minimum wage is scheduled to be held next week. The committee, consisting of members from labor, employer and government representatives under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, will gather for talks at the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong on April 21. With the committee's chair remaining vacant, members in attendance are expected to elect a new chair during the meeting, which will be presided over by Labor Minister Kim Yong-hoon. They are also expected to discuss plans and schedules for subsequent sessions to continue wage deliberations. However, tough confrontations are already expected, as labor representatives are likely to propose a higher increase from this year's minimum wage of 10,320 Korean won, up just 2.9 percent, or 290 won, from a year ago, while employers are expected to push for a freeze amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. One of the contentious issues between the two sides will be discussions on whether to apply the minimum wage to platform workers including delivery workers and riders, a long-standing demand from labor groups. Kim earlier said such talks would be held for the first time, citing the need to consider a separate minimum wage or similar arrangements for contract-based workers and other laborers if it is deemed inappropriate to set wages on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The committee is required to make a final decision within 90 days from the date the Labor Minister requests a review, which falls on June 29 this year. However, this deadline is largely advisory in nature, and in practice the decision is often delayed until around mid-July due to usual differences between both sides. 2026-04-15 11:28:55

Baeksang Arts Awards nominations spark backlash over Yoo Jae-suk omission The biggest reaction to the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards nominations did not center on presumed front-runners, but on who was missing. Nominees for the men’s variety award were Kwak Beom, Kian84, Kim Won-hoon, Lee Seo-jin and Choo Sung-hoon. Nominees for the variety program award were “Extreme 84,” “Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyeong,” “Our Ballad,” “Office Workers Season 2” and “Black and White Chef: Cooking Class War Season 2.” Yoo, who drew major attention again this year, and programs he appeared in were absent from the major categories. The omission fueled a “Yoo Jae-suk snub” controversy, and fans quickly issued a statement calling for the awards to disclose its standards. Baeksang says its broadcast judging covers terrestrial networks, general programming channels, cable, streaming platforms, and web content. In the variety category, it has included web content since the 59th awards, and says the variety awards evaluate both on-screen talent and creators. The awards also states that it selects nominees through strict judging, placing “expertise and fairness” first. Because Baeksang itself has expanded the platforms it considers, questions about how it compares work across platforms have followed. This year’s slate suggests the judges put more weight on distinct characters, clear formats, platform reach and the rise of new faces than on the star power of established celebrities. That direction is not inherently hard to understand. The list may reflect what the panel valued most this year, rather than an effort to exclude Yoo. The controversy has grown, however, because the basis for those judgments has not been clearly explained. In that context, the fan statement is not simply a demand that a particular star be nominated. It is a call for procedural clarity. Baeksang does not need to publish individual reasons for every omission, but it could more clearly explain the principles it uses to compare web and TV productions, long-running programs and seasonal projects, and star-driven shows and format experiments. It is premature to frame the dispute as either Baeksang’s heavy-handedness or an overreaction by fans. The core issue is the limited visibility of the judging standards. An awards show’s authority does not come from “accept our choices,” nor from offering explanations only when criticism grows loud. It comes from balancing a process the public can understand with independence the judges maintain to the end. The Yoo Jae-suk snub controversy is testing that balance. What Baeksang ultimately needs to answer is not about Yoo personally, but about the yardstick it is using to evaluate variety entertainment now. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-15 11:03:17

KOSPI tops 6,100; Asian markets rise on renewed U.S.-Iran talks hopes SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s KOSPI climbed above the 6,100 level on Wednesday, as the benchmark index rode easing war concerns to resume its record-breaking rally that had been disrupted by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. The main index rose 2.96 percent to 6,144.26, while the KOSDAQ gained 1.93 percent to 1,143.49 as of 10:29 a.m. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.15 percent to 58,542.14. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1.00 percent to 26,131.14, and China’s Shanghai Composite Index added 0.33 percent to 4,039.85. Samsung SDS surged more than 10 percent in early trading after announcing plans to issue 1.22 trillion won worth of convertible bonds. The stock opened 9.70 percent higher at 166,200 won and extended gains, rising 19.08 percent to 180,400 won as of 10:00 a.m., up 28,900 won from the previous session. Bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 3.63 percent to 214,000 won, while SK hynix rose 5.53 percent to 1,164,000 won ahead of its earnings release next week. In the auto sector, Hyundai Motor climbed 4.37 percent to 513,000 won, and Kia added 2.61 percent to 153,100 won. Battery and energy shares were also in positive territory, with LG Energy Solution up 1.75 percent at 407,000 won and SK Inc. gaining 4.84 percent to 671,000 won. Hanwha Aerospace edged up 0.26 percent to 1,527,000 won. Biopharmaceutical stocks saw moderate gains, as Samsung Biologics rose 2.15 percent to 1,569,000 won and Doosan Enerbility advanced 4.61 percent to 104,300 won. Financials also moved higher across the board, with KB Financial Group up 2.05 percent at 159,100 won, Samsung Life Insurance rising 5.49 percent to 259,500 won, and Shinhan Financial Group gaining 1.32 percent to 99,600 won. All major KOSDAQ stocks also traded higher. Among biopharmaceutical and healthcare shares, Alteogen rose 3.97 percent to 367,000 won, Samchundang Pharm gained 3.08 percent to 536,000 won, and ABL Bio climbed 3.91 percent to 162,000 won. HLB and LigaChem Biosciences also advanced 1.12 percent and 5.30 percent to 63,400 won and 190,600 won, respectively. In other sectors, Ecopro and Ecopro BM rose 3.81 percent and 3.39 percent to 149,700 won and 204,500 won, respectively, while Rainbow Robotics gained 1.16 percent to 610,000 won. Koh Young Technology jumped 9.32 percent to 104,400 won, and Rino Industrial edged up 0.54 percent to 112,200 won. The dollar retreated on foreign stock buying, trading at 1,471.80 won, compared with the previous close of 1,481.20. Overnight on Wall Street, U.S. tech stocks rallied on hopes for renewed U.S.-Iran talks. Nvidia rose 3.8 percent, while Micron Technology surged 9.17 percent, extending gains in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which climbed 2.04 percent for a 10th consecutive session. Buying sentiment was supported by softer U.S. producer price data, easing inflation concerns. The U.S. Labor Department said the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 0.5 percent in March, well below the Dow Jones consensus estimate of a 1.1 percent increase. Meanwhile, oil prices pulled back sharply. West Texas Intermediate fell 7.9 percent to $91.28, while Brent crude dropped 4.6 percent to $94.79 a barrel. 2026-04-15 10:57:02

Celltrion Named to S&P Global CSA Top 1% in Biotechnology for ESG Performance Celltrion said April 15 it was named a “Top 1%” company in the biotechnology sector in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment, or CSA. The company was also listed as an “Industry Mover,” citing the scale of its year-on-year improvement in environmental, social and governance, or ESG, performance. The CSA evaluates ESG performance across more than 12,000 companies worldwide and ranks top performers by industry. Results are reflected in S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook, which recognizes the top 1%, 5% and 10% in each sector. Celltrion moved into the top 1% this year after placing in the top 5% in the biotechnology category last year. The company said it is pursuing structured management aimed at building a “sustainable medical service ecosystem based on ESG management.” On the environment, Celltrion said it is working toward carbon neutrality by 2045 by managing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding renewable energy use. It said it has expanded life cycle assessment, or LCA, to 11 biosimilar products to reduce environmental impacts across product lifetimes. On the social front, the company said it has supported startups through open innovation as part of efforts to strengthen South Korea’s biotech ecosystem. It also said it has continued support to improve medical conditions in developing countries using proceeds from an in-house bazaar event called “Celeb Market.” Through the “Kkumkkureon 2026” campaign involving running club members, it said it donated all participation fees to the Korea Blood Cancer Association. On governance, Celltrion said it introduced a lead independent director system to strengthen board independence. It also cited shareholder returns, saying it paid a cash dividend of 750 won per share in 2025 and canceled 895 billion won worth of treasury shares, posting a shareholder return ratio of 103%, which it said was the highest level in its industry. A Celltrion official said the selection reflects recognition of the company’s ESG performance in global markets and that it will continue strengthening the foundation for sustainable growth.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-15 10:51:00

LG CNS unveils cold-chain logistics robot at U.S. trade show, eyes North American market SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - LG CNS showcased a new warehouse automation robot capable of operating in sub-zero freezer environments at a major North American logistics trade show, as the South Korean IT services firm pushes to expand its footprint in the United States. The company unveiled its "Mobile Shuttle" system at Modex 2026 on Monday (local time) in Atlanta, where the robot was highlighted for its ability to function continuously at temperatures as low as minus 26 degrees Celsius — a threshold that covers most industrial cold-chain and frozen food storage facilities. The robot has received UL certification, a mandatory safety standard for electrical and mechanical equipment in the United States. Each shuttle unit can carry loads of up to 1,500 kilograms and travels at 1.5 meters per second along warehouse racks. The system uses a four-way directional structure — moving forward, backward, sideways, and vertically — to minimize routing constraints and boost storage density by more than 30 percent compared with conventional two-directional warehouse setups. LG CNS has equipped the system with an AI agent that allows warehouse workers to issue commands in natural language through a chatbot interface, including for emergency dispatch situations. The AI component also diagnoses malfunctions and proposes corrective actions in real time, the company said. "We have expanded the scope of logistics automation to cover refrigerated and frozen environments," said Lee Jun-ho, executive vice president of LG CNS' smart logistics and city business division. "We will continue to grow our global business on the strength of our differentiated capabilities in high-density, high-efficiency logistics operations." 2026-04-15 10:50:14

Lotte Biologics to Present SoluFlex Link ADC Platform Data at AACR 2026 Lotte Biologics said Tuesday it will present research results on its antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, platform technology, SoluFlex Link, at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting, AACR 2026, to be held April 17-22 in San Diego. At the conference, the company will disclose results from an evaluation of the structural stability of an ADC using SoluFlex Link technology co-developed with Kanaph Therapeutics. According to Lotte Biologics, an analysis of aggregate changes over time found that a control group without the SoluFlex linker showed increasing aggregation as time passed, while the group using the SoluFlex linker showed markedly suppressed aggregation and maintained high stability. The company said the technology could help keep product quality stable during distribution and storage. In cell tests targeting multiple markers, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP-2), the SoluFlex Link group showed stronger anticancer effects at lower concentrations than the non-applied group, the company said. It also showed strong efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Lotte Biologics said animal studies showed improved in vivo pharmacokinetics, or PK, based on high stability. The company said the findings support SoluFlex Link as a platform technology not limited to a specific antibody, with potential to improve anticancer efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties. A Lotte Biologics official said SoluFlex Link is a differentiated platform that goes beyond the limits of existing technologies, adding that the company will provide solutions to help partners and customers develop next-generation ADCs. AACR is considered one of the world’s three major cancer meetings, along with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). It brings together cancer researchers and industry representatives to discuss cancer treatments and new drug development. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-15 10:45:00

Choi Yeon-su, Daughter of Chef Choi Hyun-seok, Says Baby Kicks Feel Like They Could Break Her Ribs Model and actor Choi Yeon-su, the daughter of chef Choi Hyun-seok, said she is in pain as she nears childbirth. On the 14th, Choi wrote on social media, "The fetal movement is so strong it feels like my ribs could break." A day earlier, during a Q&A session titled "Ask Me Anything," she said she had gained 15 kilograms and complained about changes to her appearance, adding that her body had changed "to the point it's hard to handle." Choi became known after appearing on Channel A's "Dog Food Man Season 2" and also competed on Mnet's "Produce 48" in 2018. She married DickPunks' Kim Tae-hyun, who is 12 years older, in September last year. She announced her pregnancy that December and is due to give birth in June. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-15 10:24:15

Startup Upstage becomes South Korea's first AI unicorn after raising more funds SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Upstage has raised about 180 billion Korean won (about US$120 million) in its latest funding round, the company said on Wednesday. With the funding, Upstage, now valued at more than 1 trillion won, became South Korea's first unicorn among generative AI companies. According to Upstage, the fresh fund was raised in a round led by Sage Partners, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital and early investor that has continued to back the company through previous rounds, reaffirming its confidence in Upstage's technology and future growth. New investors include KB Securities, InterVest, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Premier Partners, Shinhan Venture Investment as well as global equity investment firm Axiom Asia. Upstage, which provides industry-focused AI solutions built on its in-house large language model Solar and its document-processing AI Document Parse, said its revenue has grown by more than 130 percent annually since its founding in 2020. Last year, it was selected as the lead company for a government-led initiative to develop sovereign AI technology, further strengthening its position as one of the most promising AI developers in South Korea. Upstage's cumulative funding has reached about 400 billion won including 31.6 billion won in 2021, 100 billion won in 2024, and 62 billion won last year. It will use the funds to expand its graphics processing unit (GPU) infrastructure to advance AI models, while recruiting top talent both at home and overseas to expand into overseas markets. "The latest funding goes beyond simple fundraising and shows the market's confidence in Upstage's journey and achievements as an AI developer," said CEO Kim Seong-hun, adding, "We will advance our proprietary AI models to compete not only in Korea but also globally, and become a company that proves itself through revenue, not just valuation." 2026-04-15 10:21:52

South Korea jobs rise in March, but youth outlook worsens *Updated with additional information SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) -South Korea's headline jobs market maintained resilience in March as the impact of the Gulf war remained peripheral for now, but data pointed to worsening conditions for youth, signaling a structural job cliff for young people. The number of employed people rose by 206,000 from a year earlier to 28.795 million, easing slightly from a 234,000 increase in February, according to data released by the Data and Statistics Wednesday. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 — the OECD-comparable benchmark — stood at 69.7 percent, up 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier, supported by strong gains among those aged 60 and older. The younger cohort remained in the doldrums. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 29 fell 0.9 percentage points year-on-year to 43.6 percent, while their unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage point to 7.6 percent. The overall unemployment rate, in contrast, edged down 0.1 percentage point to 3.0 percent. Job losses were concentrated among those in their 20s, down 167,000, while those in their 40s — typically prime working years — also shed 5,000. Employment gains were largely seen among those in their 40s and 50s. By gender, employment declined among men in their 20s and 30s, while women posted gains in their 30s and 40s. The trend has raised concerns that the downturn reflects not only a cyclical slowdown but also a structural shift driven by AI. Entry-level hiring has weakened, while routine junior tasks — such as basic coding, data research and drafting — are increasingly being automated. A Bank of Korea report released in October last year found that youth employment declined across key industries in the three years following the launch of ChatGPT (July 2022 to July 2025). Jobs for those aged 15 to 29 fell by 11.2 percent in computer programming and system integration, 20.4 percent in publishing, 8.8 percent in professional services, and 23.8 percent in information services, underscoring growing exposure to AI-driven disruption. By industry, weakness persisted in manufacturing and construction. Employment in the wholesale and retail trade sector fell by 18,000 (0.6 percent), marking the first decline in 11 months since April last year, while accommodation and food services shed 2,000 jobs (0.1 percent), extending declines to a fifth consecutive month. Manufacturing employment also dropped by 42,000 (1.0 percent), extending its downturn to 21 consecutive months, while construction lost 16,000 jobs (0.8 percent), marking a 23rd straight month of decline. In contrast, gains were driven by the services sector, with employment rising by 294,000 (9.4 percent) in health and social welfare services, 75,000 (4.5 percent) in transportation and storage, and 44,000 (8.4 percent) in arts, sports and leisure-related services. Meanwhile, the number of people who reported they were simply “taking a break” — not seeking work despite being capable — increased, particularly among older age groups. Those aged 60 and above who were resting rose 8.6 percent from a year earlier. 2026-04-15 09:51:42