Hanwha Asset Management Highlights Investment Strategy for Korea Manufacturing Amid Supply Chain Shift Hanwha Asset Management said it held an investment strategy seminar to assess opportunities in South Korean manufacturing as global supply chains are reshaped. The firm said Tuesday it hosted the two-day seminar, titled “The New Cold War Era and the Revival of Korean Manufacturing,” starting Monday at The Plaza Hotel. The seminar was planned as supply chains are being rapidly reorganized amid U.S.-China tensions and rising geopolitical strains. Hanwha Asset Management said South Korea has built competitiveness across manufacturing, including semiconductors, power equipment, nuclear power, defense and shipbuilding, and is emerging as a key partner to help fill gaps in U.S. manufacturing. As a product aligned with that trend, the firm highlighted the Hanwha K-Manufacturing Core PLUS Fund. It is structured to focus on semiconductors, power and energy, which it said are expected to benefit from expanding AI infrastructure, as well as strategic industries such as defense, robotics and biotech. Since its launch in March, the fund has posted a 14.62% return in about a month. “As global companies reduce their dependence on China, the strategic value of Korean manufacturing is becoming more prominent,” Vice President Choi Young-jin said. “It is moving beyond a simple cyclical rebound and entering a phase of structural growth.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 13:45:45

Mirae Asset Venture Investment Jumps on SpaceX IPO Hopes; Other Related Shares Rise Shares seen as beneficiaries of a potential SpaceX listing surged in South Korea on Tuesday. According to the Korea Exchange, Mirae Asset Venture Investment was up 11,150 won, or 23.55%, at 58,500 won as of 1:01 p.m., compared with the previous session. The stock touched 61,500 won during the session, setting a new 52-week high. At the same time, Aju IB Investment rose 18.65% and YJ Link gained 6.63%. The rally was attributed to buying in companies that have invested in SpaceX after reports that the aerospace company led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk could go public as early as June. SpaceX plans to raise a total of $75 billion through an initial public offering and seek a valuation of $1.75 trillion. Reuters also reported Tuesday that SpaceX would adopt a dual-class share structure. Class A shares for general investors would carry one vote per share, while Class B shares held by Musk and others would carry 10 votes per share. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 13:45:15

South Korea’s Constitutional Court to Hear Yoon Challenge to Special Insurrection Trial Law The Constitutional Court will formally hear a petition filed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team challenging the law that provides the basis for a special appellate panel in his case on charges of leading an insurrection.  According to legal officials on Tuesday, the court sent Yoon’s constitutional complaint on the Act on Special Cases Concerning Criminal Procedure for crimes including insurrection, foreign aggression and rebellion to a full hearing the previous day. The court first uses a three-justice panel to determine whether a petition meets legal requirements. If it finds no procedural defects, the case is referred to the full bench of nine justices for review. Yoon’s team filed the petition on March 31. His lawyers argued that provisions such as forming a dedicated panel, live broadcasting of trials and excluding de-identification measures impose procedures that differ sharply from ordinary criminal trials and infringe on the rights to a fair trial, equality and one’s portrait rights. The law, pushed through the National Assembly by the Democratic Party in December and effective in January, requires two dedicated panels each at the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court to handle insurrection, foreign aggression and rebellion cases deemed nationally significant, as well as related matters.  After a meeting of all judges, the Seoul High Court designated its Criminal Division 1 and Criminal Division 12 as the dedicated panels through a random draw. Yoon’s appeal will be heard by Criminal Division 12. In the first trial, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison. A separate constitutional complaint filed by Yoon’s side challenging provisions in a special prosecutor law, including clauses on the scope of investigations and the appointment process, also passed preliminary screening Monday and was referred for a full hearing. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 13:42:19

Seoul High Court vows swift handling of Yoon insurrection appeal amid delays The Seoul High Court on Tuesday addressed criticism over delays in scheduling hearings in the appeal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is charged as the ringleader of an insurrection. At a press briefing at the court in Seoul, spokesperson Yu Jemin said that under the special counsel law on insurrection, the deadline to submit an appellate brief in cases indicted by a special prosecutor has been shortened to seven days from 20. Yu said rules requiring a sentencing date do not apply, but procedures under a special act still do. With multiple defendants and mandatory service of documents on defense lawyers, he said, the scheduling may appear slow because the court must follow legal steps to protect defendants’ rights. He added that the panel has been moving as quickly as possible, including preparing proof plans before deadlines expire. Yoon’s case has drawn public criticism because no first hearing had been set even after the first trial verdict was delivered Feb. 19. The Seoul High Court issued its first public explanation on the matter Tuesday. The appeal is being handled by the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 12-1. In materials separately released by the court, it said pretrial hearings will run from April 27 through May 7, with trial dates to be set from May 14. Yu also outlined operations and administrative support for the court’s “insurrection-dedicated panel,” established Feb. 23. The court said it is concentrating its resources to process special counsel and insurrection-related cases quickly and fairly. The dedicated panel is based on the “Special Act on the Trial of Criminal Cases, Including Insurrection and Foreign Aggression Cases,” promulgated in January 2016. Under the law, the Seoul High Court must operate at least two dedicated panels, with members selected after deliberation by the full judges’ meeting. The court said it held multiple full judges’ meetings after the law took effect to set selection principles and adopted random draws to ensure transparency. The Seoul High Court said it expanded its criminal trial divisions to 16 from 14 and designated the two newly added divisions as insurrection-dedicated panels to handle only those cases, aiming to prevent delays in ordinary criminal trials. Four cases have been assigned to the dedicated panels and are under review, the court said, adding that not every case investigated by a special prosecutor is automatically sent to those panels. To improve efficiency, the court said it has provided unusual levels of administrative support. It doubled staffing compared with ordinary panels and assigned four court reporters to each dedicated panel, compared with fewer than one per panel in typical cases. It also said it deploys four to six court security officers on major hearing days and has added another courtroom equipped for overflow viewing. The court said it upgraded West Annex Courtroom 103 to enable relay viewing to meet the public’s right to know. The court said it livestreams major proceedings on YouTube and has added on-screen captions to guide viewers through steps such as defendant questioning, witness examination and closing arguments. On how much of the appeal ruling will be released, Yu said the court is conducting a comprehensive review balancing anonymization guidelines and the public’s right to know. The court said verdicts in major special counsel cases will be concentrated starting next week, beginning with a ruling related to first lady Kim Keon Hee on April 27. A Seoul High Court official said operation of the dedicated panels will not delay other criminal cases and that the court will mobilize its administrative capacity to deliver fair and swift results. 2026-04-22 12:45:22

PPP Floor Leader Song Eon-seok Visits Fasting Lawmaker Ahn Ho-young, Urges Him to Stop Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, visited Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Ho-young on the 22nd and urged him to end his hunger strike, saying, “You need to be healthy first. Please get up soon.” Song went with Yoo Sang-beom, the PPP’s senior deputy floor leader for parliamentary operations, to Ahn’s protest site outside the National Assembly, where Ahn has been on a hunger strike for 12 days. Song, looking grim, sat at the site, held Ahn’s hand and spoke with him for about two minutes. Ahn greeted them while lying down, unable to get up. Afterward, Song told reporters he came “as a fellow lawmaker and as the head of a negotiating bloc” to pay a visit and offer encouragement. He said they discussed that Ahn needs to protect his health “to do bigger politics” and to work together on politics that can “set South Korea on the right path.” Ahn began the hunger strike on the 11th, demanding a renewed internal audit into allegations that Rep. Lee Won-taek covered meal expenses during the party’s primary for North Jeolla Province governor. As the strike has continued for more than 10 days, figures from both parties have visited the site. The day before, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik visited and urged Ahn to end the fast.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 12:33:19

20,000 Farmers rally in Yeouido against agricultural cooperatives act revision SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - About 20,000 farmers and agricultural cooperative heads gathered in Yeouido on Tuesday to strongly oppose the government's push to revise the Agricultural Cooperatives Act, calling it an "infringement on autonomy." According to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) on April 21, agricultural cooperative heads and farmers from across the country held the 'Farmers' Rally to Defend Agricultural Cooperative Autonomy' in Yeouido, Seoul, that afternoon, officially expressing their opposition to the government's proposed revision. Participants presented five key demands through a resolution statement: halting government oversight that infringes on agricultural cooperative autonomy, abolishing toxic provisions that undermine legal stability, maintaining supervisory authority over subsidiaries, withdrawing the creation of an inefficient audit body, and stopping attempts to change the direct election system for the federation president. 2026-04-22 12:28:09

CATL Unveils Semi-Solid Battery With 1,500 km Range and 6-Minute Fast Charge Up to 1,500 km on a single charge, full charge in 6 minutes 30 seconds, sodium battery mass production within the year... CATL (Ningde Shidai), China’s top battery maker by global market share, on the 21st unveiled new battery technologies and a product roadmap as competition in electric-vehicle batteries intensifies. The company’s announcements were widely seen as an effort to widen its lead. According to Chinese media including 21st Century Business Herald, CATL held a “Super Tech Day” event on the 21st. The main highlight was a “condensed-state” version of its flagship Qilin battery. CATL described the technology as a high-performance semi-solid battery — widely viewed as a step just short of an all-solid-state battery. CATL said it applied its own semi-solid electrolyte technology, combining an ultra-high-concentration nickel cathode with a silicon-based anode. The company put the energy density at 350 Wh/kg, among the highest levels for mass-produced batteries. Gao Huan, CATL’s chief technology officer, said the company upgraded from a liquid electrolyte to a condensed-state electrolyte to address safety issues “at the root.” Using a condensed-state electrolyte instead of a liquid reduces leakage risk and can significantly lower the chance of fire, he said. In driving tests, CATL said a premium sedan equipped with the battery traveled up to 1,500 km on a single charge. CATL also said the battery pack weighs less than 650 kg and has a volume of 309 liters — about 400 kg lighter and 225 liters smaller than a lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, battery capable of about 1,500 km under the same conditions. The company said the battery retains more than 85% of its capacity at minus 20 degrees Celsius and supports ultra-fast charging at 10C output, allowing a charge to 80% in about 10 minutes. CATL said the condensed-state battery is slated for premium models such as the Nio ET9 and Huawei M9, with mass production planned from the third quarter of this year. It also said the pilot production line has achieved a yield of more than 95%. Industry observers described the announcement as a potential turning point as power-battery technology moves from liquid electrolytes toward solid electrolytes. They said higher energy density and longer range could accelerate adoption of premium EVs and broaden potential uses in emerging markets such as low-altitude aircraft and ultra-long-haul commercial vehicles. CATL also unveiled its third-generation Shenxing ultra-fast-charging battery. The company said it achieved a full charge in just six minutes at room temperature, setting a new benchmark for charging speed. That would be faster than the roughly nine-minute full charge claimed last month by rival Chinese automaker BYD for its second-generation Blade battery. CATL also announced plans to begin mass production of sodium-ion batteries within the year. Sodium batteries are seen as a next-generation technology that could reduce reliance on lithium, cobalt and nickel, drawing attention for cost stability and supply-chain considerations. CATL also said it will accelerate expansion of battery swapping and charging infrastructure. Working with Chinese automakers, it plans to build 100,000 charging and battery-swap stations by the end of 2028. CATL attributed its technology push to heavy research and development spending. Chairman Zeng Yuqun said the company invested more than 100 billion yuan in R&D over the past decade, including 20 billion yuan last year. He said CATL holds more than 60,000 patents and has ranked No. 1 for six consecutive years in patent application growth. 2026-04-22 12:27:19

Police Seek Arrest Warrant on Murder Charge in Cargo Truckers Union Death Police have launched a full investigation into a fatal incident at a rally by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Division of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Public Transport Workers’ Union. South Gyeongsang Provincial Police said Tuesday that its major crimes unit applied for an arrest warrant for a nonunion man in his 40s, identified as A, on suspicion of murder after he drove a cargo truck into the crowd during a rally on April 20 in front of the CU Jinju Logistics Center (BGF Logistics Jinju Center) in Jinju’s Jeongchon-myeon. Police said one union member died and two others were injured. A was initially arrested on an emergency basis on suspicion of aggravated assault. Police later applied the murder charge after concluding there was implied intent, according to the report. Investigators reviewed video from the scene and analyzed the truck’s digital tachograph (DTG) data, it said. In questioning, A was quoted as saying the scene was chaotic and he drove to get out quickly, and that he did not intend to injure anyone. Police also applied for arrest warrants for two union members, identified as B, in his 60s, and C, in his 50s, on suspicion of offenses including obstructing official duties with violence. B is accused of driving a van during the rally and injuring some police officers. C is accused of using a weapon at the same rally site on April 19 to attempt self-harm or of threatening police by saying he would harm unspecified people.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 12:18:17

FSS: More Financial Firms Put Consumer Protection on Board Agendas and KPIs Financial firms are increasingly adopting management practices that put consumer protection at the center, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service said.  The watchdog said that, among 77 companies subject to its financial consumer protection assessment, 69 now report their consumer protection management strategy to their boards of directors. It also said 15 companies operate a consumer protection-related subcommittee within the board.  The FSS said the biggest shift is the board’s role. The number of companies that directly report consumer protection strategies and policies to the board rose to 69 from 55, while those that set up a related board subcommittee increased to 15 from two. The agency said consumer protection is moving beyond day-to-day operations and into discussion at the top decision-making level. The FSS cited examples. Hana Securities runs a consumer risk management committee led by outside directors and regularly reviews related agenda items. Tongyang Life appointed an outside director with expertise in consumer protection policy and then created a Financial Consumer Protection Committee. The agency said boards are shifting from simply receiving reports to making judgments themselves. The standing of chief consumer officers, or CCOs, has also strengthened. The FSS said 64 companies granted CCOs the right to reach prior agreement on key matters such as KPI design and the authority to demand improvements. It said 51 companies now guarantee CCO terms of at least two years, giving consumer protection units a minimum level of authority to check sales-driven structures. Samsung Securities changed the appointment and dismissal of its CCO to a matter requiring a board resolution and put the CCO’s authority in writing, the FSS said. KB Card extended the CCO term to three years and arranged for an effective veto to apply in key decisions, it said. Changes are also spreading to performance and compensation systems. The FSS said 69 companies reflected consumer protection indicators in CEO KPIs, and some firms moved to expand related organizations and staffing.  Still, the FSS said more work is needed for the system to take hold. It said 41 companies — about half — appointed directors with consumer protection expertise, and 45 reflected related indicators in employee KPIs. Follow-up actions managed through IT systems also fell short of half, it said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 12:05:36

Korea’s Resident Foreign-Currency Deposits Post Record $15.37B Drop as Won Slides Into 1,500s Resident foreign-currency deposits in South Korea posted their biggest monthly drop on record last month as the won-dollar exchange rate surged and moved in the 1,500-won range. The Bank of Korea said increased demand for currency exchange and outflows tied to overseas investment both weighed on balances. According to the central bank’s “Trends in Resident Foreign-Currency Deposits” released on April 22, resident FX deposits at foreign-exchange banks totaled $102.17 billion at the end of March, down $15.37 billion from a month earlier. Resident FX deposits refer to foreign-currency deposits held domestically by Korean nationals and companies, foreigners who have lived in South Korea for at least six months, and foreign companies operating in the country. The balance rose in November last year (+$1.7 billion) and December (+$15.9 billion), then fell in January (-$1.4 billion) and February (-$490 million). By currency, dollar deposits totaled $85.64 billion, down $10.36 billion. The central bank cited stronger corporate demand for won and larger currency conversions as the exchange rate rose to 1,530.1 won per dollar at the end of March from 1,439.7 at the end of February. It also pointed to declines in securities firms’ client deposits, overseas investment execution and payments for current transactions. Euro deposits fell $3.28 billion to $6.31 billion, reflecting settlement remittances to overseas parent companies. Yen deposits declined $1.49 billion to $7.82 billion due to securities firms’ client deposits and current-transaction payments. By holder, corporate deposits dropped $13.43 billion to $86.8 billion, while individual deposits fell $1.93 billion to $15.37 billion. By bank type, FX deposits at domestic banks decreased $11.36 billion to $87.24 billion. Deposits at local branches of foreign banks fell $4.0 billion to $14.93 billion.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 12:04:47