South Korea’s Three-Back Defense Faces Key Test vs. Austria After 4-0 Loss South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo’s three-back system unraveled in the team’s last friendly, raising fresh doubts about whether it can hold up on the World Cup stage. The upcoming match against Austria is widely seen as the final proving ground for keeping the setup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea lost 4-0 to Ivory Coast on March 28 (Korea time) in a friendly at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England. The match was intended as a tune-up against a team modeled on South Africa, a group-stage opponent at the 2026 World Cup, but South Korea struggled throughout against intense pressure and quick transitions. The biggest concern was the collapse of the three-center-back line of Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima Antlers), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Cho Yu-min (Sharjah). Ivory Coast repeatedly attacked down the flanks. Even when wingbacks Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) and Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen) dropped to form a five-man back line, South Korea showed costly problems with spacing and covering. The team allowed nine shots from inside the penalty area and, with passing lanes into midfield cut off, often resorted to aimless long balls from the goalkeeper that quickly surrendered possession. Individual strengths were also blunted. Cho appeared burdened by wide defensive cover and made a series of mistakes, while Kim Min-jae — known for dominant one-on-one defending — was repeatedly forced into reactive cover after the flanks had already been breached. The performance echoed issues exposed in last October’s 5-0 loss to Brazil, when South Korea’s three-back struggled against speed and dribbling. After the match, captain Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC) told reporters the team must improve its use of space and off-the-ball movement. “If I have to play uncomfortably, the opponent also becomes uncomfortable,” Son said. “I need to position myself in places where it’s difficult to receive the ball.” Hong pointed instead to shortcomings in individual duels. “We were lacking in one-on-one battles,” he said. “We’ll look for ways to grow further.” South Korea now must find answers to the defensive flaws and buildup problems exposed against Ivory Coast in its next test, a friendly against Austria scheduled for 3:45 a.m. April 1 in Vienna at Ernst Happel Stadium. It is the team’s final warmup before the World Cup final roster is announced in May. With the tournament approaching, a major tactical overhaul appears unlikely. South Korea used a three-back in five of six friendlies in the second half of last year, investing heavily in it as the team’s primary system. The broad framework is expected to remain in place against Austria. At an official news conference on March 30 (local time), Hong said there was little time to introduce something new. “We don’t have the room to prepare something new in two days,” he said. “The most important thing is where we lost the ball. We need to prepare a style of play that allows us to press immediately when we lose it.” Hong also called for a quick response, citing last year’s rebound after the heavy loss to Brazil. “After the big defeat to Brazil last year, the players handled it wisely and won the next match (against Paraguay),” he said. “Playing again after a short rest in a difficult situation will help us grow mentally as a team.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:36:00

Samsung Elec union crying foul over wage talks to press ahead with strikes SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics claims it has put forward a compensation package more attractive than that of rival SK hynix, but its largest labor union is calling it a deception — and is pressing ahead with plans for a general strike in May. “The company lied to us,” Kim Jae-won, head of policy planning at the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), told AJP on Tuesday. “There is no other way to describe what happened at that table.” Wage negotiations have collapsed, pushing South Korea’s largest tech firm toward what could become its most significant strike yet — at a time when chip prices are surging amid supply shortages, compounded by raw material and shipping disruptions tied to the widening conflict in the Middle East. The Samsung Electronics Labor Union (SELU), which represents more than 70,000 employees — over half of Samsung Electronics’ workforce — suspended talks on Friday. The union accuses management of presenting a proposal to institutionalize bonuses, only to later deny that such an offer was ever made. The union has warned it will proceed with a general strike in May unless executives issue a formal apology for what it calls a “deceptive approach to bargaining” and replace the current negotiation team. At the heart of the dispute is what transpired in the latest round of talks. According to Kim, management offered two options: a one-time bonus or the permanent institutionalization of the Overachievement Performance Incentive (OPI) system. “They told us they would persuade top management based on our choice,” Kim said. “We chose institutionalization. But later we were told it had been rejected — and now they claim it was never proposed at all.” Kim suggested either the negotiating team acted without senior approval or top management reversed course afterward. “Either way, they stabbed us in the back. This is something we cannot accept,” he said. Union leader Choi Seung-ho said the alternative proposal was equally unacceptable. “The company tried to push a one-time payout using treasury stock, which we rejected,” Choi said. “We are demanding a transparent, cash-based system. Management appears reluctant because it wants to preserve its corporate governance structure.” Samsung acknowledged the breakdown in talks but offered a different interpretation. “We sought a method to allocate additional resources more clearly to high-performing business units, while the union insisted on maintaining a uniform distribution approach,” a company official said. On the key issue of the OPI cap — currently set at 50 percent of annual salary — the company said it had not ruled out adjustments. “It’s not that we refused to lift the cap,” the official said. “Our proposal included similar conditions, but our focus was on how to distribute additional resources, whereas the union prioritized securing a fixed share of operating profit.” What is clear is that the standoff is deepening. Samsung’s attempt to offer a one-time payout — reportedly exceeding SK hynix’s package — while preserving the existing compensation structure appears to have backfired. The union has escalated its demands, calling for 15 percent of operating profit to be allocated as a bonus pool, above the 10 percent benchmark at domestic peers. It also proposes a “7-to-3” distribution split — 70 percent at the division level and 30 percent at the business unit level — aimed at narrowing pay gaps across divisions. “The company only justified our actions,” Kim said. “Members are angrier than ever and uniting faster. They’re spending money but still getting blamed because of their own actions.” As of Tuesday, SELU membership stood at 70,375, accounting for 54.5 percent of Samsung Electronics’ workforce. Unionization in the core chipmaking Device Solutions (DS) division has climbed to 72.2 percent. The union plans a mass rally of around 30,000 workers at the Pyeongtaek semiconductor complex on April 23, with 22,000 already committed to attend. A full-scale strike will proceed in May unless management changes course. Samsung said it will continue efforts to resolve the dispute and avoid a strike that could surpass the scale of its first walkout two years ago. “We don’t yet know how it will impact operations, but the best-case scenario is to resolve this before a strike,” an official said, requesting anonymity. 2026-03-31 15:33:25

Submarine deal looms large over Canada's high-profile trade mission to Korea SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - Canada’s trade delegation to South Korea this week has been heavily layered with the hot-button deal — Canada’s largest-ever defense procurement to replace its aging submarines, worth an estimated $40 billion, now being weighed between Korean and European bidders. The visit by the Team Canada Trade Mission, led by International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, comes as Ottawa moves to diversify trade and deepen ties with trusted partners, with defense and supply chains increasingly intertwined. Canadian officials are holding meetings with major Korean shipbuilders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, alongside a visit to HD Hyundai’s Global R&D Center in Seongnam, industry sources said. Additional engagements are taking place around the Canada–Korea Business Forum in Seoul and events hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries. Officially, the delegation — comprising more than 180 participants from over 110 companies across sectors including ICT, aerospace and defense, and clean energy — is focused on expanding economic cooperation and strengthening supply chain resilience. The visit runs from March 30 to April 2. But the submarine program looms large. Korean bidders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are competing against Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the contract, with final submissions made earlier this month. Industry observers say the race is evolving beyond technical specifications into a broader contest over industrial partnerships, technology transfer and long-term maintenance capabilities. Hanwha Ocean has stepped up its bid by signing agreements with five Canadian firms — OSI Maritime Systems, EMCS Industries, Techsol Marine, Jastram Technologies and Curtiss-Wright — spanning navigation, power systems, maintenance and sonar. The strategy underscores a push to offer full lifecycle support, including maintenance, repair and overhaul. The timing of the visit also reflects mounting concern over global supply chain disruptions tied to the tensions in the Middle East. “Supply chain stability can never be taken for granted,” said Park Jung-sung, South Korea’s deputy trade minister, pointing to complementarities between Canada’s resource base and Korea’s manufacturing strength. Sidhu echoed the need for closer coordination among “trusted middle powers,” as Canada accelerates efforts under Prime Minister Mark Carney to reduce reliance on traditional markets and expand trade routes. “We are moving very fast to improve trade flows,” said Sara Wilshaw, Canada’s chief trade commissioner. “We need to get across that divide,” she added, referring to Canada’s long-standing dependence on the United States. Germany, meanwhile, has sought to bolster its bid with broader industrial proposals, reportedly linking the submarine deal to investments in autos and batteries, though Volkswagen has distanced itself from such arrangements. Against this backdrop, Canada’s Seoul visit is widely seen as part of a broader assessment of industrial cooperation frameworks ahead of a final contractor decision — one that will carry implications not just for defense procurement, but for the next phase of global supply chain alignment. 2026-03-31 15:31:37

April Theaters Lean on Sequels and Re-Releases as Original Films Fade April’s release calendar offers a clear signal of what theaters fear most: the unknown. Familiar names — sequels, franchises and re-releases — are crowding out new titles. Megabox is set to open April 1 with a re-release of Quentin Tarantino’s extended edition, “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.” The same day brings back “Farewell My Concubine: The Original.” Jang Hang-jun’s “Rebound,” which rode the “The King and the Man” phenomenon, returns April 3. Lotte Cinema plans 4K remastered screenings of “Roman Holiday” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” on April 8, followed by Jim Carrey’s “The Truman Show” on April 15. “The Last Emperor” is also on April’s re-release lineup. The strongest sales pitch, for now, is a proven past. Re-releases are not the problem by themselves. Many viewers welcome a chance to see classics on a big screen. The concern is that this programming is starting to look less like added choice and more like a default way to fill schedules. Theaters are increasingly acting as storefronts for safe brands and packaged nostalgia rather than places that introduce new worlds first. Prequels, sequels, spinoffs, reboots and biopics built on well-known figures are easier to explain — and easier to finance — than original stories. There are structural reasons behind the shift. South Korea’s film industry is enduring a prolonged slump. In a Korean Film Council report released last month, “A Study on Film Content Consumption Trends,” 45.8% of respondents said they went to theaters less often over the past year than in the previous year. The most cited reason was that ticket prices felt burdensome, at 25.1%. Another 21.5% said there were no movies worth seeing, and 17.4% pointed to plentiful film and series options on OTT platforms. The number of domestic commercial films released in 2026 also remains well below pre-pandemic levels. With fewer films available, programming becomes more conservative, and conservative lineups further weaken audience expectations — a cycle that reinforces the downturn. Saying only that “audiences have changed” captures just part of the picture. The industry, the article argues, has pulled back first, favoring intellectual property with built-in awareness over originals that carry higher risk. Known IP is simpler to market: a tagline can do the work, and a poster often signals genre and tone at a glance. That may feel safer for investors and easier for theaters, but it also reduces the chance of surprise. That is why the reasons people skip theaters cannot be reduced to price alone: if it is expensive and not new, there is less reason to leave home. The trend is not limited to South Korea. In the United States, the outlet KCRA, citing analysis based on the film data site The Numbers, reported that originals made up just 12% of the annual top 20 box office hits over the past five years, while about two-thirds were sequels. By the same measure, in the 1990s nearly half of top-ranked films were originals, and sequels accounted for 14.5%. Still, the article argues that claims that originals cannot succeed are often overstated. AP reported earlier this year that “Project Hail Mary” posted the biggest non-franchise opening since “Oppenheimer” and ranked among the biggest box office hits of the first quarter of 2026. The issue, it said, is less whether originals are possible than whether studios and financiers are willing to back them with scale, marketing and confidence. The article does not argue that re-released classics and franchise films are inherently bad. The risk comes when they become the mainstream. New names lose space, midbudget films disappear faster, and audiences learn the idea that “there’s nothing to see in theaters.” As that perception hardens, theaters drift from producing the present to replaying the past. A rebound, it argues, will not come from attendance figures alone. It will come when the cynicism — “it’s probably a story I’ve seen before” — is broken. What theaters need is not more nostalgia, but a willingness to take risks on new faces, even with the possibility of failure. More important than re-hanging yesterday’s classics, the article concludes, is making today’s films that people will want to revisit 10 years from now. A market that loses originals ultimately loses audiences, it said, because the reasons to go to a theater shrink when only the already-proven is offered. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:18:22

South Korea launches oil swap program for refiners amid Middle East supply disruptions SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korea is implementing an "oil swap" program that lends government-owned stockpiles to refiners to help them secure alternative oil supplies, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said Tuesday. At a daily briefing at the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong, Yang Gi-uk, a ministry official, said the government is "releasing stockpiles" for refiners. Yang said Middle Eastern crude makes up the largest share of the government's stockpiles, and that South Korea holds more than 20 million barrels, which he said should be sufficient. The program aims to ease supply disruptions by lending government oil reserves to refiners, who will be required to replenish them once they have secured their own supplies. Under the program, which runs for two months and could be extended if necessary with the ministry's approval, refiners, who have faced difficulties importing Middle Eastern crude due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, will be able to secure substitute supplies. Monthly settlements will be calculated based on price differences between government stockpiles and refiners' secured supplies. Amid supply disruptions from the Middle East, most refiners have turned to Africa, Australia, Central Asia, and the Americas for oil , with shipments taking 14 to 50 days. According to the ministry, the country's four major refiners have applied for the program, with a decision to be made after the Korea National Oil Corporation verifies their applications and assesses feasibility before releasing stockpiles. 2026-03-31 15:14:51

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