Yoon Suk Yeol’s Appeal Trial Opens; Court Says Constitutional Challenge Won’t Halt Proceedings Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to life in prison in a first trial on charges of leading an insurrection after declaring the Dec. 3 martial law, began his appeal in earnest along with other key defendants tied to the decree. On Monday at 2 p.m., the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 12-1, with Judges Lee Seung-cheol, Cho Jin-gu and Kim Min-a, held the first pretrial hearing in the second trial for Yoon and seven senior military and police officials involved at the time of the martial law declaration. A pretrial hearing is held ahead of a formal trial to organize positions and discuss plans for presenting evidence, and defendants are not required to attend. Yoon and other main defendants did not appear. Only Yoon Seung-young, former head of planning and coordination at the National Police Agency’s investigation bureau, and Mok Hyun-tae, former chief of the National Assembly security unit, attended in person. The hearing featured a clash over defense requests for a constitutional review and the special prosecutor’s bid to add evidence. At the outset, attorney Lee Ha-sang, who represents former Minister Kim, disclosed that the defense had filed a request for constitutional review and asked the court to suspend proceedings. Lee argued that “the current composition of the court itself is unconstitutional and unfair,” and said the trial should be paused until the Constitutional Court rules. The panel said the request was submitted only on the 20th and it could not reach an immediate conclusion, but made clear it would not stop the proceedings on that basis. It said it would decide the constitutional issue “as soon as possible,” while proceeding with the scheduled pretrial hearing and denying Yoon’s request to change the date. The special prosecutor’s team, including Assistant Special Prosecutor Lee Chang-gyu, appeared in force and laid out its plan for the appeal. The team said it would focus on clarifying alleged advance planning that was less clear in the first trial. It said it would use a notebook attributed to Noh Sang-won that was examined by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office appraisal unit, along with testimony from appraisers, to argue the martial law declaration was a carefully planned insurrection. The special prosecutor said the defense had broadly refused to consent to evidence in the first trial, citing legal misunderstandings, calling that a sign of “misunderstanding” of appellate procedure. It added it would submit additional video evidence and filings related to impeachment evidence. Seeking to prevent delays, it asked the court to move quickly, saying questioning of defendants should, if possible, be completed in a single session. Yoon’s lawyers, however, argued the first ruling misread the facts. They said police and military movements during the deployment to the National Assembly were not aimed at insurrection, and sought to call presidential office aides as witnesses, including former senior secretary for civil affairs Kim Joo-hyun, former spokesperson Lee Do-woon and former policy chief Sung Tae-yoon, to explain the situation in detail. On the alleged blockade of the National Assembly, the defense said it would call a series of witnesses to dispute whether there was collusion with former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, including Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Choi Sang-mok, former Defense Security Command chief Yeo In-hyung and former third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service Baek Jong-wook. Lawyers for former Minister Kim Yong-hyun also strongly objected, arguing the indictment should be dismissed because the entity responsible for investigation and prosecution was unclear, raising possible violations of the Prosecutors’ Office Act. The special prosecutor asked the court to reject the defense witness requests, saying the figures had already been sufficiently examined in the first trial or related impeachment proceedings and that the purpose was clearly to delay the case. The defense countered that the first ruling relied on speculation unfavorable to the defendants and that cross-examination was essential. With the sides at odds, the panel said witness examinations on appeal are limited under criminal procedure rules to matters omitted from the first trial without gross negligence or to testimony that is indispensable. It ordered both sides to submit written explanations by next week’s morning detailing the purpose and necessity of their evidence requests. After hearing both sides, the court said it would coordinate plans for examining evidence involving defendants including Cho and Yoon, and decide whether to admit impeachment-related evidence after reviewing filings. It then set May 7 as the first formal appellate hearing date. 2026-04-27 16:54:21

Samsung, SK hynix morph into AI foundries as Big Tech reshapes chipmaking SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - The traditional line between memory makers and foundries is rapidly blurring as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix pivot toward customized chip production to meet surging artificial intelligence demand. As AI workloads grow more specialized, Big Tech clients are no longer buying standardized memory at scale but demanding tightly integrated, tailor-made solutions such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) co-designed with their own architectures — forcing Korea’s two largest chipmakers to rethink their traditional mass-production model. Companies like Nvidia and Tesla are driving this shift, pushing suppliers to align memory, logic and packaging into unified, customized stacks. In response, SK hynix and Samsung are increasingly operating less like commodity fabs and more like contract foundries for a handful of deep-pocketed clients. SK hynix has effectively become a dedicated memory partner to Nvidia, dominating supply of HBM3 and HBM3E used in the latter’s AI accelerators. To extend that lead into next-generation HBM4, SK hynix has forged closer ties with TSMC, outsourcing logic foundry work for base dies to leverage TSMC’s 12-nanometer and upcoming 3-nanometer processes. The strategy marks a departure from traditional vertically integrated expansion. Instead of pouring capital into logic fabrication, SK hynix is channeling its estimated 40 trillion won ($29 billion) 2026 capital expenditure into advanced packaging and custom HBM design — prioritizing speed, yield stability and alignment with Nvidia’s roadmap. Samsung, by contrast, is leaning into its identity as a full-stack Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM), combining memory, foundry and advanced packaging under one roof. It is pitching a “turnkey” model to clients seeking to bypass Nvidia’s ecosystem and build proprietary AI chips. Alongside supplying HBM and foundry services to AMD, Samsung is expanding cooperation with Tesla on next-generation self-driving chips (HW 5.0) and custom memory, while working with AI chip startups such as Tenstorrent and Naver. To support the shift, Samsung plans to invest about 40.9 trillion won in its Device Solutions division this year, aiming to more than triple its custom HBM capacity. Industry experts say the transition from standardized memory production to client-specific design will define the next phase of the AI supercycle. “The market so far has been dictated by the Nvidia–TSMC–SK hynix axis because Nvidia required specific memory components for its GPUs,” said Kim Duk-ki, a professor of semiconductor engineering at Sejong University. “But as other Big Tech players like Tesla and Intel demand entirely new AI architectures, foundry demand is surging.” Kim added that while the current AI boom could run for another two years before facing structural constraints such as data center energy limits, Samsung’s breadth offers a strategic hedge. “Samsung is crucial because it has everything — from memory to foundry,” he said. “Its ability to shift capacity across DRAM, NAND and custom foundry services positions it to adapt to a future where Big Tech dictates increasingly diverse, bespoke chip designs.” 2026-04-27 16:51:42

South Korea, Google DeepMind Expand K-Moonshot AI Partnership, Plan Gangnam AI Hub South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT said it will expand cooperation with Google DeepMind as it pushes the “K-Moonshot” project, a national strategy to apply artificial intelligence across research and development to tackle major science and technology challenges. The ministry said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Google DeepMind on April 27 at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul. The agreement focuses on joint AI research, talent development and the spread of responsible AI. The hotel is the site of the 2016 match in which AlphaGo defeated top South Korean Go player Lee Sedol, an event widely seen as a milestone for modern AI. Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, said AlphaFold’s results have helped drive innovation in medicine and biotechnology. “The science field can definitely create innovation with AI,” he said. Bae added that AI has already penetrated areas including science and security, and said the government will work to ensure more people can use AI. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said the AlphaGo-Lee match “was a signal flare that marked the beginning of modern AI.” He said the era of artificial general intelligence has moved up by five years and that the scale and speed of progress will be 10 times that of past industrial revolutions. Hassabis said South Korea has a strong position “as an AI powerhouse, from semiconductors,” and said he would expand partnerships during his visit with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, and LG Electronics. The visit is his first to South Korea in 10 years since the 2016 match, according to the article. Hassabis co-founded Google DeepMind and has been a leading researcher in applying AI to scientific work. DeepMind developed AlphaFold, an AI system for predicting protein structures. Hassabis said he shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry with John Jumper and David Baker for AlphaFold-related research. The ministry said it will use the MOU to build broader cooperation across technology, infrastructure and researcher exchanges. Hassabis said the partnership will rest on three pillars — model research, talent development and safety cooperation — and said DeepMind will share models with leading research institutions to advance scientific progress. The ministry said the cooperation will be linked to the K-Moonshot project. Under the plan, the ministry aims to double research productivity by 2030 and, by 2035, achieve 12 national missions across eight areas including advanced biotechnology, future energy, space, quantum, semiconductors and humanoids. On talent development, the ministry said it will seek internship opportunities so South Korean AI talent can experience DeepMind’s research environment. DeepMind also plans to overhaul the Google Startup Campus in Seoul’s Gangnam district into an AI-focused collaboration base. The campus will serve as an “AI for Science” hub tied to K-Moonshot, supporting researcher exchanges and joint research. Programs are to include joint projects with domestic researchers and startups, as well as hackathons and technical workshops. The two sides said they will pursue AI-based joint research in areas including life sciences and weather and climate. They also plan to expand researcher exchanges centered on the National Science AI Research Center, which is scheduled to launch in May. Other cooperation tasks include developing and validating AI models and tools, using scientific data, and building a bio-innovation research base. They also said they will cooperate on AI safety and governance, including joint research on frameworks and safeguards to secure model safety. The ministry and DeepMind said they will work with AI safety research institutes to develop testing methodologies and standards. 2026-04-27 16:51:40

Korea Construction Association Holds Policy Meeting With Chungcheong Members The Korea Construction Association said it held a policy meeting on the 27th at its Sejong office for member companies in Daejeon and North and South Chungcheong provinces. Attendees included association President Han Seung-gu; Choi Gil-hak, head of the Chungnam-Sejong chapter; Choi Tae-jin, head of the Seoul chapter; Jeong Hyeong-yeol, head of the Busan chapter; So Jae-cheol, head of the Jeonbuk chapter; Hwang Geun-sun, head of the Gyeonggi chapter; Choi Mun-gyu, head of the Daejeon chapter; Jang Hong-su, head of the Ulsan chapter; Yoo Jeong-seon, head of the Chungbuk chapter; Hwang In-il, head of the Gwangju chapter; Choi Sang-sun, head of the Gangwon chapter; and Kang Dong-guk, head of the Gyeongnam chapter, along with about 40 representatives from member companies in Daejeon, Chungbuk and Chungnam. Park Seong-yong, an attorney at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, gave a presentation on key considerations and advance preparations for family business succession at small and midsize construction firms. The association also briefed participants on major initiatives and heard concerns and key issues raised by the regional construction industry. Han said the association plans to visit member companies nationwide through regional meetings this year, starting with the Chungcheong area, following last year’s nationwide meetings. He said that with worsening conditions at home and abroad, regional members are facing particularly severe difficulties, and the association will strengthen its response to help address them. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:50:51

China’s DeepSeek Cuts Prices Up to 75% After Launching V4 AI Models China’s AI startup DeepSeek is moving quickly to win customers, rolling out steep price cuts immediately after unveiling its latest model, “DeepSeek V4.” DeepSeek introduced two preview versions on April 24: the high-performance, higher-priced “V4 Pro” and the lighter, lower-cost “V4 Flash.” According to China’s National Business Daily and other outlets, the company said April 25 it would offer V4 Pro at a 75% discount through May 5. On April 26, it also said it would cut the cost of “input cache hits” — when the same input is reused — across its product lineup to about one-tenth of the previous level. After the change, V4 Pro’s input cache-hit fee fell to 0.025 yuan per 1 million tokens (about 5.39 won), about one-fortieth of the earlier price. Even before the discount, the pricing was lower than OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5.5 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.7, the report said. The cuts had an immediate impact. Traffic surged after launch, and on April 25 alone, calls to V4 Pro totaled 13.6 billion tokens, about four times the previous day. V4 Flash reached 50.2 billion tokens, up about 86%. It remains unclear whether the momentum will last. V4 has not yet appeared in the weekly rankings of OpenRouter, a global AI model platform. Still, DeepSeek’s ultra-low pricing is widely seen as putting pressure on rivals. After news of the V4 discounts, shares of Chinese AI firm MiniMax fell as much as 10% intraday in Hong Kong on April 27 local time, while Zhipu AI dropped more than 3.5%. Hu Yanping, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told National Business Daily that the sharp reduction in token fees was aimed at attracting large numbers of corporate and developer customers. He said it would likely pull down price expectations for competing China-based models such as Kimi, MiniMax and Qwen. DeepSeek also upgraded performance. Both V4 Pro and V4 Flash support context windows of up to 1 million tokens, with improvements in code generation, reasoning and long-form processing. Some benchmarks have rated them as competitive with top global models. The models are described as well-suited for AI agent tasks beyond simple chatbots, though they are also known to require substantial computing resources. Unlike earlier DeepSeek models that relied on U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, V4 was designed to run on infrastructure based on Huawei’s in-house Ascend chips. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that the model’s release was delayed more than expected due to the shift to Huawei semiconductors, reflecting China’s push to strengthen AI self-reliance. On April 26, the social media account “Yuyuantantian,” affiliated with China Central Television, said “domestic computing power supported V4,” highlighting cooperation between DeepSeek and Huawei’s Ascend chip systems.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:49:55

Japan’s Hokkaido Hit by Magnitude 6.2 Quake as Aftershock Advisory Nears End Seismic activity off Japan’s northeast coast is again drawing attention after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Hokkaido early on the day an “aftershock advisory” issued following last week’s major quake was set to end. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred at about 5:23 a.m. on April 27, centered in southern Tokachi in Hokkaido. It registered a maximum intensity of “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Urahoro. The intensity scale reflects how strongly shaking is felt in a given area, unlike magnitude, which measures the energy released. An upper-5 reading can disrupt most people’s actions and topple unsecured furniture. The quake’s depth was about 83 kilometers (52 miles). No major damage had been confirmed as of the agency’s report, and Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said it had found no abnormalities at the Tomari nuclear power plant. The tremor came exactly one week after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Sanriku on April 20. After that quake, the Japanese government and the meteorological agency said the likelihood of another strong quake was higher than usual and issued an “aftershock advisory” for 182 municipalities across seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba. The advisory is maintained for about a week, and the Hokkaido quake coincided with its scheduled end. The meteorological agency said the two quakes did not appear to be directly linked. “This earthquake does not appear to have a direct relationship with the April 20 earthquake,” it said at a news conference, adding that it was “not covered by the aftershock advisory.” The agency also warned that “for about the next week, caution is needed for earthquakes of a similar magnitude.” Japan introduced the aftershock advisory system after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, when a magnitude 7.3 quake struck two days earlier. The system has been in operation since December 2022. It is issued when a magnitude 7-class or larger quake occurs in designated offshore areas such as the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench, based on statistics showing the probability of a major quake within seven days rises from about 0.1% to about 1%. It is a probabilistic warning aimed at strengthening preparedness while maintaining daily life. Nikkei reported the latest advisory was the second, following one in December 2025, and said 182 areas expected to face shaking of at least “lower 6” intensity or a tsunami of 3 meters (about 10 feet) or higher were designated for disaster-response measures. The Pacific coast from Sanriku to Hokkaido sits on an active boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the landward plate, allowing stress to build until it is released in earthquakes. The Asahi Shimbun, citing a briefing by Tohoku University’s International Research Institute of Disaster Science, reported that earthquake swarms began around November last year off Sanriku and that a “slow slip” — gradual movement along the plate boundary — continued until just before the April 20 quake. Slow slip can ease deformation but can also add pressure to nearby faults. Tohoku University professor Fumiaki Tomita said the slow slip may have helped trigger the magnitude 7.7 quake, according to the report. Asahi also cited an analysis by a team led by Shizuoka Prefectural University specially appointed professor Kazuyoshi Nanjo, saying the “b-value,” a metric used to quantify earthquake patterns, has been particularly low offshore near Hokkaido. A low b-value is seen as a sign of stress accumulation and was reported to overlap with a decades-long “gap” zone where large quakes have not occurred. A similar tendency was observed off Sanriku before the 2011 disaster, the paper said. Asahi reported that Japan’s Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion said in December 2017 that it was “highly urgent” that a magnitude 8.8 or larger megaquake could occur in the region. The assessment was based on analyses of past tsunami deposits indicating such events recur on average every 340 to 380 years, and nearly 400 years have passed since the last one in the early 17th century. Asahi said two papers published in February supported that “urgency” with modern observational data, and that recent abstracts from universities and research institutions have included phrases such as “a state requiring caution continues” and “a recurrence may be imminent.” The newspaper said researchers refer to this centuries-long repetition of megaquakes as a “supercycle.” Asahi also cited a Tohoku University team’s five-year seafloor observations off Nemuro, saying the Pacific Plate and the upper plate were moving at nearly the same speed and direction and were strongly locked. The team said deformation accumulated since the early 17th-century megaquake may already have reached a level capable of producing a quake of similar size, concluding it should be considered “not strange no matter when it happens.” The report noted this is different in character from the “Nankai Trough megaquake,” a separate type of potential megaquake expected off Japan’s southeast coast. Even as warnings persist, public response remains a concern. Asahi said a Cabinet Office survey of 3,500 residents in advisory areas after the first advisory in December found 80% had seen the information, but only 8% said they had prepared to evacuate immediately. More than half took no action despite hearing the advisory, the paper said. Tohoku University professor Shosuke Sato, noting the start of the Golden Week holiday period, said there was no need to change travel plans but urged people to confirm evacuation sites at their destinations in advance. Misinformation also spread on social media, Asahi reported. It said that after the April 20 quake, videos filmed during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake circulated on X, formerly Twitter, with captions claiming they showed “the moment the quake hit,” and tsunami footage from the 2011 disaster was also shared as if it were current. Posts also circulated an image that appeared to be generated by AI alongside an unfounded claim that “the likelihood of an aftershock is highest around 3 p.m. on the 21st.” Asahi said accounts posting the videos were based not only in Japan but also in South Asia, Europe and China, and many posts appeared to be automatic translations of foreign languages. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry asked five major social media operators, including Google, Meta and X, on the day of the quake to take steps to prevent the spread of false information. Experts caution against treating any single quake as proof that a catastrophe is imminent, noting that earthquakes are inherently difficult to predict precisely in timing and size. Still, they say observational data indicate energy is building underground, and they urge people to begin preparedness now even without forecasting a specific date. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:48:19

South Korea: Elementary Student Faints After Neck Caught on Illegal Banner Cord An elementary school student in Pocheon, South Korea, fainted after his neck became caught on a banner cord while crossing a crosswalk, according to a local report. Gyeonggi Ilbo reported on April 27 that the incident happened about 4 p.m. on April 25 near the Jungang Intersection in Songu-ri, Soheul-eup, Pocheon. The 11-year-old boy, identified only as A, was crossing with friends when a thin banner string that was hard to see snagged his neck, knocking him to the ground. The sudden pressure caused him to lose consciousness. Pocheon City Council member Kim Hyeon-gyu, who witnessed the scene, called 119, the report said. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated, the report said. A Pocheon Fire Station official told Gyeonggi Ilbo that the boy had injuries including abrasions to his neck and showed temporary loss of consciousness. The official said the hospital was conducting tests to determine his condition. 2026-04-27 16:45:15

May Movie Releases: 'Mortal Kombat 2,' Michael Jackson Biopic, Korean Zombie Thriller and New Star Wars Film May theaters are preparing a lineup of genre films, from a video game-based action blockbuster to a music biopic, a Korean zombie suspense film and a new Star Wars title. First up is the video game-based action film 'Mortal Kombat 2,' set for release May 6. A sequel to 2021's 'Mortal Kombat,' it puts the franchise’s signature lethal tournament fights and fantasy action front and center. The previous film drew attention for its intense action and built-in fan base; the new installment signals an expanded universe with the addition of new characters including Johnny Cage. On May 13, the music biopic 'Michael' arrives. The film covers the life and music of pop star Michael Jackson, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role and Antoine Fuqua, who directed 'Training Day' and 'The Equalizer,' at the helm. It opened in North America on the 24th and has also drawn notice for its global box office performance in its first weekend. Among anticipated Korean films is director Yeon Sang-ho’s new movie 'The Colony,' opening May 21, with an IMAX release also confirmed. The cast includes Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo. It follows people trapped in a sealed space as they fight unidentified infected individuals. Yeon previously demonstrated the commercial potential of Korea’s zombie genre with 'Train to Busan,' and the new film has drawn strong interest from genre fans. Later in the month, the Star Wars film 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is scheduled for May 27. A theatrical feature based on the Disney+ series 'The Mandalorian,' it is directed and co-written by Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni also credited as a co-writer. The film expands the adventures of Din Djarin and Grogu onto the big screen, with attention on whether Star Wars will rally its fan base in theaters after a long gap. Also in the mix is 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' opening April 29. While not a May release, its timing is expected to directly affect early May box office competition. It is the first sequel in 20 years to the 2006 film 'The Devil Wears Prada,' with key cast members including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt returning. Attention is also on the box office performance of the animated film 'Super Mario Galaxy,' which opens the same day. Overall, May’s slate is not concentrated in a single genre but aimed at distinct audience segments: 'Mortal Kombat 2' for game and action fans, 'Michael' for music and biographical-film audiences, 'The Colony' for Korean genre-film viewers and 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' for Star Wars fans. If 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' sustains momentum into early May, theaters are expected to see closely spaced releases competing from late April through late May. 2026-04-27 16:38:26

Big Tech Earnings Week Seen as Key Test for U.S. Stock Rally U.S. markets are turning their attention to a heavy week of earnings from major technology companies, with results expected to help determine the next move for stocks. Tech shares have led gains even as tensions between the United States and Iran have added to uncertainty. MarketWatch reported April 26 that Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are scheduled to report results after the close April 29 (Korea time: the morning of April 30). Apple is set to report after the close the next day (Korea time: the morning of May 1). U.S. stocks have continued to rise despite instability in the Middle East. The Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Nasdaq have climbed for four straight weeks, extending runs of record highs. Analysts say Big Tech has been central to the rally. Tech stocks are widely viewed as relatively defensive. Even if growth concerns increase, solid earnings can support sentiment, and if geopolitical risks rise, the sector is seen as less exposed to the impact of higher oil prices. Garrett Melson, a portfolio strategist at Natixis Investment Managers Solutions, said tech stocks are set up to “win either way,” arguing that strong results can underpin confidence even if the U.S. economy slows. The largest technology names — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla and Meta, often called the “Magnificent Seven” — have remained core holdings for many investors on expectations of artificial intelligence-driven growth. Related exchange-traded funds have rebounded sharply in April, recovering much of their earlier losses. Kevin Shaye, chief strategist at BNY Wealth, said April trading reflected the view that tech valuations were attractive and that the fundamentals of the AI ecosystem remained positive even as war raised questions about a cyclical recovery. He said large-cap tech has again drawn buying and led the market, adding that the sector’s growth drivers are more structural than macroeconomic. MarketWatch said whether that optimism holds may depend on this week’s earnings. Matt Weller, head of research at StoneX, said the key issue this season is not the size of AI and data center spending itself, but the profitability of that investment. With Big Tech companies having poured large sums into data centers and AI infrastructure, he said investors want evidence it is translating into returns. The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, also due the same day, is another factor. Markets largely expect rates to be held at current levels, but uncertainty remains over the selection of a successor to Chair Jerome Powell and the direction of policy. MarketWatch said earnings that meet expectations could help extend the rally, while disappointing results could increase volatility.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:36:53

KOSPI Hits Record 6,600 as Retail Day Trading Pushes April Turnover Near 40% The rally to record highs is accelerating in South Korea’s stock market, and short-term trading is rising with it. The KOSPI on the 27th climbed past 6,600 for the first time, and April turnover is nearing 40% as investors rapidly rotate in and out of shares. According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI closed at 6,615.03, up 139.40 points, or 2.15%, from the previous session. The index also broke above 6,600 during the session, putting the 7,000 level within sight. By investor type, foreigners and institutions were net buyers, purchasing 890.5 billion won and 1.1015 trillion won, respectively. Retail investors were net sellers of 1.9763 trillion won, a sign of heavy profit-taking. In recent sessions, retail investors have often sold into strength and bought on dips. That pattern is reflected in turnover, a measure calculated by dividing trading volume by the number of listed shares. Higher turnover indicates more frequent changes in ownership — often associated with day trading. As of the 27th, April turnover stood at 37.63%, meaning about 3.7 out of every 10 listed shares changed hands over the month. It was below March’s 40.55% but above January’s 31.29% and February’s 34.08%. With three trading days left in the month, April could still surpass March. Daily data also point to brisk short-term trading. This month, turnover exceeded 2% on six sessions: the 2nd (2.47%), 16th (2.36%), 23rd (2.27%), 10th (2.10%), 17th (2.10%) and 15th (2.05%). Most of those sessions — except the 2nd and 17th — ended higher, suggesting momentum buying and profit-taking were both active during the upswing. Turnover jumped not only on the 2nd, when investor sentiment weakened after U.S. President Donald Trump made hard-line remarks toward Iran, but also on the 16th, when the index first broke above 6,200 after the outbreak of the Iran war. Similar moves were seen on the 23rd, when semiconductor strength lifted the index to around 6,470 and a fresh record, and on the 15th, when it settled above 6,000. The surge in turnover suggests a market increasingly driven by short-term trades. Faster rotation can also amplify risk, especially when paired with leveraged bets. Kim Seok-hwan, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities, warned that “the expansion of direct investment using leverage should be noted as it may be exposed to volatility risk going forward.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:36:19