Samsung Fire & Marine Names Tommy Tiilikainen as New Head Coach Samsung Fire & Marine, which finished last in the men’s V-League this season, has appointed Finnish coach Tommy Tiilikainen as its new head coach. The club announced the hire on March 30, signing Tiilikainen to a two-year contract. The team said detailed terms would not be disclosed by mutual agreement. Samsung Fire & Marine has won a men’s-record eight championship titles, but has not won since the 2014-2015 season. Its last postseason appearance was in 2017-2018. During the season, coach Kim Sang-woo stepped down amid poor results. Under interim coach Ko Jun-yong, the team struggled, including a 13-match losing streak, the longest since the club’s founding. Samsung Fire & Marine ended the season 6-30, in last place. In a bid to rebuild, Samsung Fire & Marine decided to hire a foreign head coach for the first time in team history. The club said it sought a leader to drive fundamental change and cited Tiilikainen’s experience, data-analysis approach suited to modern volleyball, and communication skills with young players. Tiilikainen began his coaching career in 2012 and has worked in leagues in Europe, Japan and South Korea. While leading Korean Air, he won three straight combined titles from the 2021-2022 season through the 2023-2024 season. After parting ways with Korean Air at the end of the 2024-2025 season, he returns to the V-League after one year. “It is a great honor to join Samsung Fire & Marine, a club with a proud tradition, and I feel a strong sense of responsibility,” Tiilikainen said. “Samsung Fire & Marine has many young players with great potential. Together, we will do our best to rebuild the club through cohesive, dynamic volleyball.” The club said Tiilikainen will enter South Korea after completing administrative procedures and begin preparations for the new season.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-30 15:09:52

South Korea to Bar Loan Maturity Extensions for Multi-Homeowners, Tighten Household Debt Growth Financial regulators are set to announce new measures this week aimed at curbing household lending, including a plan to generally bar extensions of loan maturities for borrowers who own multiple homes. The steps are expected to align with tighter real estate rules by sharply lowering the target growth rate for total household debt and setting a separate target for mortgage lending. According to the financial sector on March 30, the Financial Services Commission will hold a household debt review meeting on April 1 chaired by FSC Chairman Lee Eok-won and will 발표 its household debt management plan for this year. The plan had been scheduled for late February but was delayed by more than a month as issues involving multi-homeowners moved to the forefront. The measures are expected to include a principle of not allowing maturity extensions on mortgages held by multi-homeowners. The aim is to encourage repayment of principal and interest when loans come due, increasing pressure on owners to put homes on the market. An exception is expected for homes under ongoing jeonse or monthly-rent contracts, with extensions allowed until the lease ends to protect tenants’ housing stability. Regulators expect the move could bring about 10,000 homes owned by multi-homeowners onto the market in Seoul and the surrounding capital region. Rental business operators hold about 12,000 apartments in the capital region, and more than 80% are estimated to reach maturity this year. The total could rise further when including second-tier financial institutions and individual multi-homeowners. Measures related to what President Lee Jae-myung described as speculative, nonresident single-homeowners are likely to be announced after additional review. The report said it is difficult to separately classify speculative borrowers because nonresident ownership can stem from various reasons, including caring for parents or children’s education. Total household debt growth this year is expected to be reduced further from last year’s 1.8%. Authorities are widely considering setting the target growth rate at around 1%, and they have not ruled out presenting a target in the 0% range. Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Chan-jin said at a news briefing on March 26, “It will be difficult to expect (the total target) to increase by financial sector,” adding that the target would be tightened and managed at “no more than half” the nominal GDP growth rate. For mortgages, which have led the rise in household lending, regulators are expected to issue more specific guidance. While rules have focused on overall household lending, officials are considering setting a separate target for total mortgage lending and raising the minimum risk weight from 20% to 25%. In the second-tier financial sector, lending standards are expected to tighten, particularly at mutual financial institutions. Household loans at Saemaul Geumgo exceeded the previous year’s target by four times last year, and regulators are requiring this year’s loan balance to be managed at or below the level at the end of last year. The steps are seen as an effort to decisively slow household loan growth and cut off funding flowing into the real estate market. Household loans across the financial sector rose 37.6 trillion won last year, with the increase narrowing by about 4 trillion won from the previous year. This year, however, loans rose 1.4 trillion won in January and 2.9 trillion won in February, posting increases for two straight months. 2026-03-30 14:54:00

Ex-PM Kim Boo-kyum declares bid for Daegu mayor SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Monday declared his bid for Daegu mayor in the upcoming local elections slated for early June. At a press conference at the National Assembly, the ruling Democratic Party (DP)'s key hopeful said he will run for the mayoral post of the southern city, a traditional stronghold of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The four-term lawmaker, who also served as interior minister under former President Moon Jae-in, said Daegu should "take the lead in abandoning" the PPP, arguing that breaking from the party is the "only way real conservatives can survive." He added that the PPP "is not a proper conservative party" in its current form. Kim blamed the PPP for Daegu's stagnation, saying the party has monopolized local power for decades while neglecting regional development. He said the city's worsening situation ultimately prompted his decision to run, after months of deliberation since being asked last fall. "I thought it would be shameful to avoid it," he said. "The responsibility I have to bear is ultimately Daegu's." "Overcoming regionalism and achieving balanced regional development is my final calling. I will find hope for Daegu's future together with Daegu citizens." 2026-03-30 14:38:39

TWS Builds Momentum With Seoul Fan Meeting and Sold-Out VR Concert Ahead of April 27 Comeback Group TWS has extended its momentum from a fan meeting to a successful VR concert as it heads toward a comeback on April 27. Moving between live venues and movie theaters, the group has expanded its presence in the first quarter of 2026. TWS met fans from March 27-29 at Ticketlink Live Arena at Olympic Park in Seoul’s Songpa district, holding its second fan meeting, “42:CLUB” in Seoul (2026 TWS 2ND FANMEETING “42:CLUB” IN SEOUL). The three-day event ended to strong crowd response, underscoring the group’s drawing power. That interest carried into its first VR concert, produced with AMAZE. “TWS VR CONCERT : RUSH ROAD” sold out key sessions soon after ticket sales opened. During a second round of ticket sales, heavy traffic briefly brought down the server, organizers said. “RUSH ROAD” has continued to perform strongly. Based on high viewer satisfaction, it posted a perfect audience rating on Megabox and ranked No. 1 on the overall movie chart in its fourth week of release. With an extended run confirmed, it has been cited as an unusual box-office case for a VR concert release. The project is TWS’ first VR concert and has been described as combining the group’s fanbase with AMAZE’s production capabilities. TWS also took part in pre-shoot camera rehearsals, an uncommon step for VR concert artists, to improve the final result. TWS is set to continue fan meetings in April at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan, as it broadens overseas activities. The group previously released “YOU LIKE IT I LOVE IT,” a new song made in collaboration with U.S. artist 24kGoldn, and won two awards at the 40th Japan Gold Disc Awards. With a comeback scheduled for April 27, attention is on whether the momentum from the fan meeting, the VR concert’s performance and overseas activities will carry into the group’s next album. Meanwhile, “TWS VR CONCERT : RUSH ROAD” is being shown exclusively at Megabox COEX and will be available to watch through April 12.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-30 14:36:15

Netflix’s April Lineup: 7 New Releases From “Bloodhounds 2” to “Man on Fire” Netflix is expanding its April lineup with seven releases, led by returning series, a franchise spinoff and new genre titles. Early in the month brings a light romance and a Korean action series, followed midmonth by the return of an Emmy-winning show. The back half includes an animated “Stranger Things” spinoff, Netflix’s first Korean YA horror series, a star-driven survival thriller and an action-thriller series to close the month. First up is “XO, Kitty” Season 3, arriving April 2. The school romance series, set in South Korea, follows Kitty in her final year, with Lana Condor also set to appear. On April 3, “Bloodhounds” Season 2 premieres, reuniting Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi. The new season widens its scope to a global illegal boxing league, raising the scale of the action. “BEEF” Season 2 arrives April 16, bringing back the Emmy-winning series with a new conflict. The cast includes Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Youn Yuh-jung and Song Kang-ho. On April 23, “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85” expands the “Stranger Things” universe with an animated spinoff set in Hawkins in 1985, featuring new monsters and adventures. Two titles follow on April 24. “Girigo” is Netflix’s first Korean YA horror series, centered on an app that grants wishes but leads to a deadly curse. The cast includes Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok, Lee Hyo-je, Jeon So-nee and Noh Jae-won. Also debuting April 24, “Apex” is a survival thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, built around a chase in the Australian wilderness. Jeremy Robbins contributed to the script, and Baltasar Kormákur — who directed “Everest,” “Contraband” and “2 Guns” — is attached to the project. The month ends April 30 with “Man on Fire,” an action-thriller series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as John Creasy. It is based on the novel by A.J. Quinnell. 2026-03-30 14:27:20

Past Post Attributed to Translator Hwang Seok-hee Resurfaces After Sex Crime Report A past online post believed to have been written by translator Hwang Seok-hee drew renewed attention after reports said he committed three sex crimes, including quasi-rape and filming a person’s body. On the 30th, an online community circulated the post, which was attributed to Hwang. In the post, Hwang wrote that students sometimes send him messages using words such as “role model,” “mentor” and “respect,” but that he tells them not to respect him or think of him as a mentor. “One day, you will definitely be deeply disappointed,” he wrote. The post spread quickly online as it overlapped with the current controversy, with some commenters saying it appeared to foreshadow the situation. Hwang issued a statement on social media shortly after the report. Hwang wrote that he is reviewing the matter with a lawyer and that if the coverage includes anything that is untrue, unverified, or phrased beyond the scope of legal judgment, he will consider seeking corrections and taking action. Some online commenters criticized the statement, writing that he did not deny the criminal record and questioning how he could seek corrections regarding matters they said had already been decided by a court.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-30 14:06:15

BTS’ ‘ARIRANG’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 for Seventh Career Top Spot BTS has returned to the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 with its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” setting new weekly marks for a group album on sales and streaming. According to Billboard’s chart preview posted Monday on its website, “ARIRANG” debuted at No. 1 on the April 4-dated Billboard 200 with 641,000 equivalent album units. Billboard said it is the biggest weekly total for a group album since the chart began tracking units in December 2014. Pure album sales totaled 532,000. Billboard said that was the highest weekly sales figure for a group album in the past decade. Streaming-equivalent album units came to 95,000, a weekly streaming high for BTS. Physical sales were also strong. “ARIRANG” sold 516,000 physical copies, including 208,000 vinyl records. It marked BTS’ best vinyl week and the largest weekly vinyl sales for a group since Luminate began tracking in 1991. The album also led Billboard’s Top Album Sales and Top Streaming Albums charts. The No. 1 debut gave BTS its seventh career leader on the Billboard 200. The group previously topped the chart with six albums, starting with 2018’s “Love Yourself: Tear,” including “Proof.” The album also topped major charts overseas, including four categories on Japan’s Oricon, as well as the U.K. Official Charts, Australia’s ARIA and Germany’s official music charts, the report said. The title track, “SWIM,” rose to No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Top 100, the group’s best showing on that chart. In South Korea, it won four music show trophies without separate broadcast appearances. 2026-03-30 13:39:07

Union-proof Samsung faces twin labor flare-ups as Biologics joins chip unit unrest SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) -Samsung Group, long seen as union-proof, is facing back-to-back labor unrest as its biopharmaceutical arm Samsung Biologics moved toward its first-ever strike, joining a parallel standoff at Samsung Electronics. The union at Samsung Biologics secured strike authorization with overwhelming support, marking the first such move since the company’s founding in 2011. About 95.5 percent of 3,678 eligible voters backed industrial action after months of stalled wage negotiations, the union said Sunday. The union represents roughly 3,689 workers, or about 75 percent of the company’s workforce. Labor and management have held 13 rounds of talks without narrowing differences. The union is demanding an average 14 percent wage increase, a 30 million won ($19,846) one-time incentive per employee, performance bonuses equivalent to 20 percent of operating profit, and stock grants over three years. Management has offered a 6.2 percent pay raise, citing alignment with compensation standards across major Samsung affiliates, including Samsung Electronics. “We are willing to talk at any time if management brings an improved proposal — there is clearly room for compromise at a reasonable level,” union chairman Park Jae-sung said. The standoff has raised concerns among industry observers, who warn that prolonged disruption could derail Samsung Biologics’ 15 trillion won ($10.8 billion) capacity expansion plan through 2034 and delay plant commissioning, at a time when global rivals Lonza and Fujifilm Diosynth are aggressively courting clients. The union plans to begin informal talks once CEO John Rim returns from an overseas trip. Failing progress, workers are set to launch a full-scale general strike on May 1. Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor workforce is locked in a parallel dispute. Its union — representing about 90,000 members — secured legal strike rights last month after 73.5 percent backed a walkout, and has warned of an 18-day general strike from May 21 to June 7 if negotiations over bonus reforms break down. The prospect of simultaneous industrial action across two of Samsung’s most critical units is raising concerns over operational disruptions at a time when the group is navigating intensifying global competition and supply chain uncertainty. At 1:30 p.m. Shares of Samsung Biologics were trading 4.05 percent down at 1,540,000 won ($1,018). 2026-03-30 13:30:57

Kim Hyo-joo defends title at Ford Championship in Arizona SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Golfer Kim Hyo-joo won the LPGA Tour's Ford Championship in the U.S. on Sunday, defending her title. In the tournament's third and final round at Whirlwind Golf Club in Arizona, Kim shot a 3-under 69, finishing at 28-under 260 to edge out U.S. golfer Nelly Korda by two strokes. Korda closed the tournament at 26-under 262. It was Kim's ninth career LPGA title and her second consecutive LPGA Tour victory, following her win at the Fortinet Founders Cup in Menlo Park, California the previous week, bringing her career total to nine wins. Kim Hyo-joo became the first player to record two victories this season, achieving the feat in the first six LPGA events of the year. She is also the first South Korean to post multiple wins in a season since compatriot Ko Jin-young in 2023, when Ko captured five titles. Kim's victory follows Lee Mi-hyang's win at the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China, earlier this month, marking the first time since 2019 that South Korean players have won three consecutive LPGA Tour events. Meanwhile, other South Korean players also posted strong finishes, with Chun In-gee finishing fifth and Yoon I-na tied for sixth. 2026-03-30 11:28:57

Cheong Wa Dae revamps website to mark Lee's 300 days in office SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Cheong Wa Dae's official website was revamped on Monday to mark President Lee Jae Myung's 300th day in office, the presidential office said. Lee, who began his term in June last year without a usual two-month transition period following the ouster of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment over his botched Dec. 3, 2024 declaration of martial law was unable to put together a proper website and other administrative preparations in the early months of his presidency. The website was revamped with interactive menus intended to encourage users to participate by allowing them to leave messages and propose policies and ideas. Cheong Wa Dae said the site was redesigned to boost administrative transparency and better serve the public's right to access government information. "The revamp is a strong expression of our commitment to share the achievements of the Lee administration's first 300 days and to build future governance together with the public," said a Cheong Wa Dae official, adding that the website will serve as a "space where the people's voices are heard." Meanwhile, a recent poll showed that more than 60 percent of respondents believe Lee has been doing a good job. Pollster Realmeter surveyed some 2,513 adults nationwide last week and found his approval rating unchanged from the previous week at 62.2 percent. About 32.2 percent disapproved of his performance, while 5.6 percent remained undecided. 2026-03-30 11:04:39