Seoul Debuts BTS Comeback Video Displays From Gwanghwamun to DDP BTS comeback videos and welcome messages appeared around Gwanghwamun Square at 7 p.m. on the 20th, one day before the group’s concert. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it premiered BTS-related videos and Korean- and English-language welcome messages on 10 large outdoor screens on buildings near Gwanghwamun Square. The videos will run until midnight on the 21st, when the concert is scheduled. The newly released “BTS The City Arirang Seoul” is a two-minute video showing the members walking through major Seoul landmarks while holding lanterns. The video follows a day-to-night progression, starting at Sungnyemun and moving across the city. The video is broadcast on media facades at 10 sites: the Haechi Madang media wall, Atelier Gwanghwa, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, KT Square, Segwang Building, Dajeong Building, Ilmin Museum of Art, Koreana Hotel, The Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun. It airs at 5, 25 and 45 minutes past each hour. The three public platforms — the Haechi Madang media wall, Atelier Gwanghwa and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History — show silhouette-based graphics, while the other seven screens play live-action footage. Alongside the video, the message “서울 광화문광장에서 BTS 컴백을 환영합니다” and its English version, “Welcome back BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul,” is also displayed. Separately, Dongdaemun Design Plaza will host “DDP Music Light” from the 20th through April 12. Centered on the new album “Arirang,” the event links music and light with a media show of about three minutes, held daily from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 30-minute intervals. Choi In-gyu, director general for design policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said the city aims to develop Seoul’s nights into new cultural content that combines K-culture and urban culture, offering global fans “new experiences, emotion and enjoyment.” He said the BTS comeback show would be used as an opportunity to highlight Seoul to the world again.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 19:36:19

HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun’s 2025 Pay Rises 5.3% to 2.39 Billion Won Chung Ki-sun, chairman of HD Hyundai, received about 2.39 billion won in compensation for 2025, the company’s business report disclosed on Thursday. According to the filing, Chung was paid 1.3 billion won by HD Hyundai and 1.09 billion won by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. That was up 5.3% from the 2.27 billion won he received in 2024 — 960 million won from HD Hyundai and 1.31 billion won from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. The report noted that the actual increase could differ if compensation not subject to disclosure is included. Chung is the eldest son of Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Foundation, and a third-generation member of the Hyundai founding family. He was promoted in October from executive vice chairman to chairman. Kwon Oh-gap, honorary chairman of HD Hyundai, received a total of 15.2509 billion won, including 11.6756 billion won in severance pay.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 19:09:16

South Korea’s Four Biggest Banks Sue to Overturn LTV Collusion Fines South Korea’s four major commercial banks are taking legal action to challenge the Fair Trade Commission’s sanctions over alleged collusion involving loan-to-value ratios, or LTVs. The financial industry said Thursday that KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and Woori banks planned to file an administrative lawsuit seeking to overturn the FTC’s penalty decision. The FTC previously concluded the banks restricted competition in the real estate secured-loan market by exchanging LTV-related information and imposed total fines of 272 billion won. The commission said the banks kept LTVs below certain levels to limit loan supply and, as a result, increase interest income. The FTC also said the conduct reduced access to loans for borrowers such as small and midsize enterprises and small business owners. The banking industry has countered that the exchanges amounted to information sharing and do not constitute collusion. It argues LTV is not a competitive factor like price or interest rates, but an internal risk-management standard operated within financial regulators’ rules. Banks also say the FTC’s view is hard to sustain because higher LTVs typically allow larger loans and greater earnings, making it difficult to argue they intentionally lowered ratios to boost profits.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 18:15:00

BTS Live D-1: The world turns out in Seoul on eve of comeback concert SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) — The world has already arrived in Seoul. Under a clear spring sky, with budding mountains framing the city and the Taegeukgi fluttering alongside flashes of purple hanbok, Gwanghwamun on Friday felt both familiar and entirely transformed — a day before BTS returns to the heart of downtown Seoul. Crowds surged through the plaza, funneled into narrow corridors by police barricades. Safety personnel stood at regular intervals, scanning the movement. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government moved briskly through the area. “Please keep moving. Don’t stop,” they called out. Few listened. Gwanghwamun was already bustling with crowds and anticipation. Along the boulevard, digital billboards on buildings including KT Tower flashed images of BTS — the city’s returning icons, now reunited as a full seven-member group for the first time in nearly four years. Almost instantly, pedestrians froze mid-stride. Phones rose into the air. A spontaneous audience formed. Teenagers clutching light sticks, middle-aged couples, elderly visitors leaning on canes — all stood together, gazing upward. On the steps of the nearby Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, dozens sat shoulder to shoulder, watching as if it were an open-air cinema. For some, the moment had already tipped into something more. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” said Asana Ndandani, 38, who had just arrived from South Africa. She plans to stay a full month and attend another concert in nearby Goyang. “It feels like a dream,” she said. Her connection to BTS runs deeper than music. “They represent youth. They go through the same struggles that we go through,” she said, describing her favorite song, “Black Swan,” as a source of comfort. Language, she added, was never a barrier. “It’s not about understanding every word. It’s about the feeling. The message,” she said. “Being here, seeing all the members together — it’s a dream come true.” The journey itself was emotional. “The days leading up to ticketing — you can’t sleep,” she said. “When we got the Goyang tickets, we cried. We were video-calling from work and we literally cried.” Vuyo Matiwane, 36, also from South Africa, recalled attending a BTS concert years earlier. “It didn’t feel real,” she said. “Sometimes I watch the video and think, ‘I was actually there.’” She expects the same tomorrow. Cost, she added, was irrelevant. “If tickets were five times more expensive, we would still come,” she said. “I can sleep outside. As long as I’m here, that’s all that matters.” Holding up a bag of donuts, she laughed. “We’re eating now so we can survive until tomorrow.” Then, more softly: “We really hope BTS comes to South Africa.” Beyond Gwanghwamun, the ripple spread through the city. Bukchon Hanok Village, a short walk from the venue, was already overflowing. Visitors pressed shoulder to shoulder beneath curved tiled roofs, their voices blending into a polyglot hum of Japanese, Mandarin, French, Russian and English. The narrow alleys — once home to aristocrats centuries ago — now serve as an unlikely prelude to a global 21st-century music event. Local businesses are feeling the surge. “Business has doubled this week,” said the owner of a souvenir shop near Bukchon, pointing to shelves of BTS-themed goods picked over by eager hands. “We always have Japanese and Taiwanese customers, but now there are even more.” The data reflects the scene. Accommodation bookings for the third week of March jumped 103 percent from the previous week and 63.3 percent from a year earlier, according to Allmytour. Overall reservations for the month rose 33.5 percent on-year. Downtown accounted for 41.8 percent of bookings, concentrated around Myeongdong, City Hall, Jongno and Dongdaemun. Mid-range hotels — three- to four-star — were the most in demand. By nationality, visitors from Greater China made up 41 percent, followed by the Americas and Europe at 29.2 percent and Southeast Asia at 26.2 percent. A single BTS concert in Korea generates an estimated 1.2 trillion won ($800 million) in economic impact, according to the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute. For many, this is a first encounter with the country. “I like Seoul’s mix of traditional culture and modern architecture,” said Angela, a 62-year-old from Barcelona visiting with friends. The concert anchored her itinerary. “BTS music feels new to us,” she said. “That’s why I became a fan.” Matthew Dysart from Los Angeles arrived with his son, describing the event as both personal and professional. “I helped HYBE with the Netflix deal,” he said. “This is not just entertainment — it’s a cultural milestone.” Streaming platforms are watching closely. “Everyone in the U.S. is excited,” he said. “Netflix is especially excited about streaming the concert and the upcoming documentary.” Looking out over the crowd in Bukchon, he paused. “I think people have been waiting for years,” he said. By early evening, the city itself seemed to hum. The concert had not yet begun. But the world was already here. 2026-03-20 18:01:15

Shinhan Bank Nominates Two New Outside Director Candidates to Bolster Legal, ICT Expertise Shinhan Bank’s executive candidate recommendation committee said it recommended five candidates for outside director positions at a meeting held on the 20th. Attorney Yoon Jun and Chae Eun-mi, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at Korea University, were selected as new outside director candidates for two-year terms. The committee said Yoon is a legal expert who previously served as chief judge of the Seoul High Court and has experience in consumer protection-related work. It said Chae is expected to strengthen the board’s expertise in areas such as digital and information and communications technology strategy and analysis of new businesses. Incumbent outside directors Ham Jun-ho, Yamamoto Shinji and Kim Seong-nam were recommended for reappointment for one-year terms.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 17:57:00

Dongkook Pharmaceutical Promotes Founder’s Grandson Kwon Byung-hoon to Executive Role Dongkook Pharmaceutical is expected to accelerate its shift toward a third-generation management structure under the company’s founding family. The company said on the 20th that it carried out executive appointments for eight people, including promoting Kwon Byung-hoon, head of a unit and the eldest son of Chairman Kwon Ki-beom, to director (treatment) effective April 1. Born in 1995, Kwon double-majored in policy analysis & management and economics at Cornell University in the United States. He previously worked at Boston Consulting Group, Mirae Asset Venture Investment and Magna Investment, and joined Dongkook Pharmaceutical’s financial planning office in April 2024. Dongkook Pharmaceutical posted record consolidated revenue of 926.9 billion won last year. Operating profit rose 20.1% to 96.6 billion won over the same period, and the market views the company as likely to reach 1 trillion won in annual sales this year. The following is the list of executive promotions. ◇ Executive promotions (effective April 1) △ Yeom Seon-ho, vice president, Health Functional Foods Business Division △ Lee Jae-wook, vice president, Production Headquarters △ Heo Jeong-moo, vice president, Communications Headquarters △ Kang Seong-oh, executive director, ETC Business Headquarters △ Kwon Byung-hoon, director (treatment), Financial Planning Office △ Myeong Chang-hoon, director (treatment), ETC Business Headquarters △ Yoo Ho-myeong, director (treatment), Production Headquarters △ Choi Moon-seok, director (treatment), Sales Management Department* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 17:45:00

BTS returns with 'ARIRANG,' draws mixed early response despite global hype SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) — BTS’ long-awaited fifth studio album ARIRANG landed Friday to a more muted-than-expected reception, as early listeners welcomed the group’s full-member return but questioned the album’s restrained tone and artistic direction. Released at 1 p.m., the music video for the title track “Swim” surpassed 5 million views within 50 minutes, while the song quickly topped domestic charts including Melon and Bugs, followed by “Body to Body.” Global chart performance has yet to fully materialize and BTS not visible in top rankings across major Asian and global charts. Despite months of anticipation — fueled in part by the group’s high-profile comeback performance at Gwanghwamun scheduled for Saturday — initial reactions suggest a gap between hype and immediate impact. “I heard all 14 tracks. Nothing stuck,” one user wrote on the Bugs Music platform, reflecting a broader sentiment among some domestic listeners. Others pointed to a perceived mismatch between the album’s title and its content, expressing disappointment over the absence of Korean-language tracks or overt references to traditional themes implied by ARIRANG. International fans, by contrast, struck a more enthusiastic tone. “Bighit really dropped a 10/10 masterpiece and told me to #KEEPSWIMMING but I’m actually drowning in my own tears,” one fan wrote on X. According to BigHit Music, the album reflects the emotions and messages the members seek to convey at this stage of their careers, blending Korean and English lyrics to expand global accessibility while drawing from their cultural roots. Critics suggest the subdued reception may be partly intentional. Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun described “Swim” as “relatively restrained and subdued,” noting that its departure from BTS’ traditionally performance-driven, high-energy sound may feel unfamiliar to longtime listeners. “That sense of flatness could be deliberate,” he said, pointing to the group’s evolving artistic direction and maturity. The shift marks a notable turn in BTS’ 13-year trajectory. Since debuting in 2013 with hip-hop-driven tracks grounded in youth and social commentary, the group expanded its narrative through The Most Beautiful Moment in Life series and WINGS, before cementing global dominance with the Love Yourself era. It later broke into mainstream Western pop with English-language hits such as “Dynamite” and “Butter.” ARIRANG, however, signals less an extension of that outward expansion than a recalibration — a pivot inward toward identity and introspection. The album follows nearly four years of staggered military service, during which each member developed a distinct artistic identity. Jin reinforced the group’s emotional core through vocal-driven releases, Suga broadened his reach as a producer, and J-Hope sharpened his role as a performance leader. RM deepened the group’s narrative direction through introspective work, while Jimin, V and Jungkook each carved out distinct sonic and stylistic lanes. Those individual trajectories now converge in ARIRANG, forming a more layered group identity. Music critic Kim Do-heon urged caution in early assessments, noting that “it has only been a few hours since release, making a full album-level evaluation difficult.” Still, he characterized the album’s tone as notably different. “Rather than simply soft, it conveys fatigue, exhaustion and a desire to escape,” he said. “If you look at ‘Swim,’ it’s less about moving forward and more about wanting to sink.” Kim added that the album presents “a different way of showing Korea,” reflecting a more contemporary emotional landscape shaped by pressure rather than the group’s earlier themes of unity and identity. The comeback will continue with a large-scale performance at Gwanghwamun on Saturday, to be streamed globally via Netflix to more than 190 countries — an event Ha described as “a global-scale spectacle rather than a conventional concert.” 2026-03-20 17:41:27

BTS Live D-1: Gwanghwamun already bustling with crowds and excitement SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) -Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul has gone all purple to match BTS signature color from signboards to ice cream as it receives a swarm of guests for the blowout street-stage BTS comeback show that is expected to draw nearly 300,000 crowds and livestreamed for global audience. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, an estimated 46,000 to 48,000 people had gathered around Gwanghwamun and Deoksugung as of 2 p.m., marking a 26.7 percent increase from the four-week average for the same time slot. The swelling crowd brought a mix of reactions: some voiced discomfort over barricades and heavy police presence, while others embraced the charged atmosphere, capturing the moment as anticipation built toward the evening’s spectacle. 2026-03-20 17:40:57

Last tanker to clear Hormuz before closure arrives in Korea SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) - A crude oil tanker that narrowly passed through the Strait of Hormuz before Iran’s closure has arrived in South Korea on Friday, raising concerns over potential supply disruptions. The government and the refining industry are bracing for a worsening supply situation, viewing the vessel as the last shipment to clear the strait before the blockade took effect. According to industry sources, the tanker Eagle Vellore arrived at the Port of Daesan in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday. The Malaysia-flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) departed from Iraq’s southern port of Al-Basra in late February, carrying crude oil for HD Hyundai Oilbank, and managed to escape the Strait of Hormuz just before Iran imposed its blockade. The vessel left Al-Basra on Feb. 26 and was transiting the strait two days later, when U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran took place. Despite warnings from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that passage through the strait would not be allowed, the crew accelerated to full speed and managed to exit the waterway shortly before it was effectively sealed off. With the strait now closed, the Eagle Vellore is believed to be the last crude carrier to have passed through the route. The tanker is carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, roughly equivalent to South Korea’s daily oil consumption. The shipment, contracted by HD Hyundai Oilbank, will be unloaded and stored in tanks before being refined at the Daesan petrochemical complex. With around 70 percent of South Korea’s crude imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz, prolonged disruption is expected to significantly affect supply. Domestic refiners are already facing a near halt in tanker arrivals from April, leaving them little choice but to rely on existing inventories for the time being. The government has secured 24 million barrels of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates, but it is expected to take considerable time before the shipments arrive in Korea. In response, Seoul is also exploring the possibility of resuming imports of Russian crude oil for the first time in nearly four years since April 2022. The government is additionally weighing the release of 22.46 million barrels of strategic reserves in coordination with the International Energy Agency, though it remains cautious about taking that step. 2026-03-20 17:18:09

KOSDAQ shines alone; Nikkei suffers "Black Friday" on Gulf crisis, hawkish BOJ SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) — Asian equity markets showed mixed results with limited volatility on Friday, yet a sharp divide emerged between Seoul and Tokyo. While the tech-heavy KOSDAQ rallied by over 1 percent, Japanese stocks suffered a bruising "Black Friday" as monetary tightening fears gripped the Nikkei. The South Korean won showed no signs of recovery amidst the prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance on interest rates. Although the won rose to the 1,480 level during intraday trading, it surrendered all gains to close at 1,500 per dollar, unchanged from the previous session. Signals from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) regarding a potential rate hike on Thursday - right after the rate freeze - also weighed heavily on regional currency markets. With both the Fed and the BOJ maintaining hawkish leanings, as the impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade on the South Korean economy began to materialize, the yield gap between South Korea’s long-term and short-term bonds narrowed further.The 10-year treasury yield fell 4.3 basis points to 3.736 percent, while the 3-year yield jumped 8.1 basis points to 3.410 percent. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 5,781.20, up 0.31 percent. Despite a mountain of external risks, the index managed a slight gain, led by a rally in alternative energy stocks. Retail investors net purchased 2.23 trillion won ($1.50 billion) and institutional investors bought 403.4 billion won, while foreign investors offloaded 2.67 trillion won in flight to safety and profit-taking moves. Alternative energy stocks, including nuclear and solar power, surged as the Middle East conflict continued to choke petroleum supply chains. Doosan Enerbility, a leader in domestic gas turbines, rose 3.1 percent to 109,600 won ($73.68). SK Innovation also climbed 3.26 percent to 113,900 won after its subsidiary, TerraPower, received a construction permit for an advanced nuclear reactor from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Daewoo E&C, which declared its entry into the nuclear sector last year, posted the largest gain, soaring 18.18 percent to 19,110 won. Hanwha Solutions, the nation’s top solar module maker, recovered previous losses to close at 51,700 won, up 3.92 percent. In contrast, heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix weakened, falling 0.55 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. The KOSDAQ index experienced a solitary surge, largely driven by the biotech sector ahead of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in April. Samchundang Pharm reclaimed the top spot in market capitalization, jumping 14 percent to 112,000 won following its success in developing a biosimilar for Eylea. Peptron, specializing in peptides, also soared 9 percent to 28,500 won. The Nikkei 225 plummeted 3.38 percent to close at 53,372.53. Beyond the Middle East risk and the Fed’s rate freeze, remarks from BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda acted as a major headwind. Ueda signaled a potential rate hike, noting that "the view to prioritize upside risks to inflation is prevailing." Export-driven stocks, which have long benefited from low rates, took a hit. Market leader Toyota fell 2.32 percent to 3,325 yen ($21.84), and Honda dropped 3.2 percent. Semiconductor-related stocks also suffered, with Advantest and Tokyo Electron falling 4.58 percent and 2.38 percent, respectively. Notably, SoftBank Group Corp. plunged 5.12 percent to 3,558 yen on concerns over rising interest expenses as the "weak yen" era nears its end. Taiwan’s TAIEX edged down 0.43 percent to 33,543.88. While TSMC fell 0.54 percent to 1,840 TWD ($58.12) and Foxconn lost 1 percent, MediaTek rose 1.2 percent to 1,700 TWD, buoyed by its partnership with Nvidia and the success of the Dimensity 9500 chip. In Mainland China, sentiment remained subdued. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.24 percent to 3,957.05 on recession fears linked to the Hormuz blockade, while the SZSE Component remained relatively flat, dipping only 0.25 percent to 13,866.20. 2026-03-20 17:13:01