Special counsel raids Joint Chiefs over alleged bid for second martial law deployment A special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, investigating unresolved questions after the 12·3 insurrection incident, launched its first compulsory investigation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, focusing on allegations of an attempted “second martial law.” The probe has gained urgency after new testimony suggested the military considered additional troop deployments even after the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding martial law be lifted. The team sent prosecutors and investigators to the Joint Chiefs headquarters in Seoul’s Yongsan district and to the homes of key suspects to conduct searches and seizures. Investigators are seeking to reconstruct command and reporting lines and how troops were managed before and after the martial law declaration. According to reports, the warrant lists four Joint Chiefs figures as suspects on charges of being key participants in an insurrection: former chairman Kim Myung-soo, former vice chairman Jeong Jin-pal, former Military Support Command chief Kang Dong-gil, and former operations chief Lee Seung-oh. The case is the special counsel’s “Case No. 1” opened by recognition. At the center of the investigation is whether additional forces were pursued after the Assembly approved the resolution. The special counsel said it recently obtained statements from current and former Joint Chiefs officials that “after the resolution passed, and before a Cabinet meeting voted to lift martial law, there was a request to the Joint Chiefs for additional troop deployments.” Investigators also reportedly detected signs that some units were asked to check whether deployments were possible. If confirmed, the findings could support allegations that Yoon Suk Yeol and others sought to keep martial law in place after the Assembly vote or to attempt a “second martial law.” A first-instance court previously recognized that Yoon instructed former Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo to the effect that “even if the resolution passes, you can declare martial law two or three times.” The special counsel is also focusing on the Joint Chiefs leadership’s role, which earlier investigators did not pursue in depth. A previous special counsel on the insurrection did not find concrete evidence of the Joint Chiefs’ involvement and effectively removed Kim and others from the investigative focus. The new testimony and indications of troop-deployment reviews could change that assessment. Investigators also reportedly obtained a statement that Kim, at a Cabinet meeting, asked whether a conclusion different from the Assembly’s could be reached. Kim is also accused of issuing a fragmentary order to the Special Warfare Command and the Capital Defense Command to “prioritize martial law duties.” At the same time, statements have also surfaced that Kim refused an actual request for additional troop deployments. The special counsel said it needs to determine whether orders were given and who bears responsibility, citing indications the Joint Chiefs checked troop availability, including rear-area units. After analyzing seized materials, the special counsel plans to summon Kim and other related figures for questioning in sequence. The raids are expected to sharpen scrutiny of the military leadership’s actions during martial law and whether a “second martial law” was attempted.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 14:06:23

PPP Leader Jang Dong-hyeok Rejects Calls to Step Down, Vows to Face Voters’ Verdict Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, on April 24 rejected calls within his party for him to resign, saying stepping down because circumstances have worsened is not what a responsible politician does. In a Facebook post, Jang said he has focused since taking the party’s top post on winning upcoming local elections. “People are saying a lot about my future,” he wrote, referring to the resignation talk. “That kind of politics is not Jang Dong-hyeok’s politics. I will do my best to finish the local elections and accept an honest evaluation.” Jang also said he would be judged by the results of his trip to the United States, adding that as opposition leader he did everything he could and needed to do. “With time, the results will also become visible,” he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 14:04:43

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok says he will weigh resignation amid 15% support Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, said April 24 that internal divisions were a key reason the party’s support had fallen to a record low of 15%, rejecting calls for him to step down.  Speaking at a news conference at the National Assembly, Jang said talk about his future and resignation had followed the polling, noting there were 40 days left until local elections.  Referring to survey results released the previous day, he said one poll showed the party “stuck at 15%,” adding that the result differed somewhat from recent trends in other surveys. He said he would consider the various reasons for the party’s low support.  Jang said internal conflict was among the causes, and said he would weigh whether resigning 40 days before the elections would truly fulfill his responsibility as party leader and whether it would help the party win.  Jang also said the party would submit a motion urging the dismissal of Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young over allegations involving the leak of sensitive information. He said if President Lee Jae-myung continued to protect Jeong, the U.S.-South Korea alliance “cannot help but face even greater cracks.” He called for Jeong’s immediate dismissal and for the government to “reorganize” what he described as a self-reliant faction within the foreign and security policy line that he said was undermining the alliance. Jang said he met with four lawmakers the previous day with James Heller, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, to confirm Washington’s mood, saying the United States viewed the matter “very seriously.” He said information sharing, which he described as a measure of alliance trust, had been cut off, and argued that Jeong’s remarks had damaged the foundation of trust while Lee was accelerating its collapse. Calling it a “tragic situation” in which the president and a minister had become a security risk, Jang said the U.S. side believed that resuming information sharing would require firm assurances and promises that such an irresponsible leak would not happen again. He added that without restored trust, implementing a joint fact sheet would also be difficult, and said the U.S. side was repeatedly conveying the seriousness of the issue to Seoul, but that the Lee administration did not appear to recognize it.  According to the National Barometer Survey released April 23 by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research, the People Power Party’s approval rating stood at 15%. The poll surveyed 1,005 adults age 18 and older by telephone interviews from April 20-22. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. (For details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.)* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 14:03:20

Financial Services Commission chief says IBK wins Vietnam banking license after 9 years Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eok-won, who accompanied President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to Vietnam, said IBK Industrial Bank of Korea’s Vietnam unit has obtained a full local banking license after nine years. In a post on X on the 23rd, Lee said the president’s Vietnam trip “expanded the territory of K-finance,” and outlined financial outcomes reached in Vietnam. He highlighted IBK’s license as the most notable result, saying Vietnam’s central bank had not issued a new license to any bank, domestic or foreign, in nine years. Lee also noted that in January, the Hanoi branch of Korea Development Bank received local approval for the first time in seven years. He said three South Korean banks now operate in Vietnam, making South Korea tied with Malaysia for the most bank establishments in the country. Lee said cooperation on payment infrastructure is also accelerating, citing a “QR payment linkage agreement” between the Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute and Vietnam’s NAPAS. He said Vietnam is the second most-visited travel destination for South Koreans and that, as in the earlier case of India, the linkage adds fee savings of about 2 percentage points per transaction, calling it a practical benefit that makes travel “lighter and more convenient.” He said the Korea-Vietnam Financial Cooperation Forum also shared examples of cooperation across insurance, capital markets, nonperforming loans and QR payments. Lee said he would work to further broaden bilateral financial cooperation, adding that the commission would serve as a “running mate” as K-finance expands globally.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:57:27

Dongkuk Steel Group posts 21.4 billion won Q1 operating profit, returns to black Dongkuk Steel said it posted first-quarter 2026 revenue of 857.2 billion won, operating profit of 21.4 billion won and net profit of 6.2 billion won on a separate K-IFRS basis. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the company said revenue rose 5.2% from the previous quarter, operating profit jumped 2,886.2%, and net income swung to a profit. From a year earlier, revenue increased 18.1%, operating profit rose 403.9%, and net profit climbed 153.3%. Dongkuk Steel said the earnings improvement reflected its strategy to expand exports globally. It said higher export volumes led to increased production and sales of long steel products. The company said it plans to adjust the share of export sales flexibly this year in response to shifts in domestic demand. Dongkuk CM reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of 494.4 billion won, operating profit of 11.2 billion won and net profit of 10.3 billion won on a separate K-IFRS basis. Revenue rose 7.4% from the previous quarter, and both operating profit and net profit returned to the black. From a year earlier, revenue fell 6.1% and operating profit declined 25.9%, while net profit increased 6.1%. Dongkuk CM, which has a high share of exports, said it returned to profit by improving earnings through price increases and cost controls despite worsening market conditions, high tariffs and stronger protectionism. It said it realized gains by reducing sales of low-margin products and expanding production and sales of premium materials such as Luxteel and Appsteel. Separately, the government this month approved provisional anti-dumping duties of up to 33.67% on galvanized and color steel sheets from China. The move is expected to curb inflows of low-priced Chinese products and increase the use of high-quality domestically made steel for construction materials. The decision follows anti-dumping duties on heavy plate and hot-rolled products and is significant for completing a broader protection framework across the domestic steel value chain, including upstream and downstream processes. 2026-04-24 13:55:13

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo wins rising star award at Cannes International Series Festival BLACKPINK’s Jisoo has won a rising star award at the 9th Cannes International Series Festival. Jisoo received the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award at the festival’s opening ceremony on April 23 (local time) in Cannes, France. In a statement posted on its website, the organizers said Jisoo is expanding her filmography by pursuing work across genres and formats while continuing her music career. Citing projects including the Netflix series “Monthly Boyfriend,” the festival said she was selected for her international influence, presence and artistic growth, calling her a promising figure drawing attention in Korea and the global entertainment industry. Jisoo debuted with BLACKPINK in 2016 and gained worldwide popularity with songs including “Whistle,” “Boombayah” and “Run.” She has also acted in dramas including “Snowdrop,” “Newtopia” and “Monthly Boyfriend.” “Monthly Boyfriend” is a romantic comedy about Mi-rae (Jisoo), a webtoon producer worn down by everyday life, who subscribes to and experiences romance through a virtual dating simulation. The series is directed by Kim Jung-sik, known for romantic comedies including “Work Later, Drink Now” and “No Gain No Love.” In the drama, Jisoo plays Mi-rae, an office worker too exhausted by real life to prioritize dating or love, while Seo In-guk plays Gyeong-nam, her co-worker and rival. After its release, “Monthly Boyfriend” topped global viewing rankings and drew strong support from drama fans. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:54:30

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Warns of ‘Soft Dictatorship,’ Urges Voters to ‘Protect Seoul’ People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon, the incumbent mayor, on Thursday urged voters to back him, saying it was important to “protect Seoul” to prevent what he called the possibility of “soft dictatorship” under the Lee Jae-myung government. In a TV Chosun YouTube interview that morning, Oh said that if the ruling party won a landslide in the local elections, it would become “like a runaway locomotive with no brakes.” Oh also warned that if the Democratic Party’s Seoul mayoral nominee, Jeong Won-oh, wins, Seoul’s economy and residents’ quality of life would decline. “I’m seeking a fifth term, and if I don’t win this time, Seoul’s upward international rankings and evaluations will be completely reversed,” Oh said, adding that he was running with a determination to hold the city. Oh cited an increase in Seoul’s debt during the tenure of former Mayor Park Won-soon, saying it rose from 3 trillion won to 10 trillion won, and argued the city’s finances would weaken again. He claimed that civic group figures who entered City Hall under Park funneled money to organizations they had belonged to, contributing to rising debt. Oh said many of those people are now positioned in Jeong’s campaign, and warned that a Jeong victory would recreate the pattern as “Park Won-soon Season 2.” Responding to Jeong’s criticism on a TV program the previous day that labeled Oh an “enlightenment leader” and “Yoon Suk Yeol Season 2,” Oh said, “I think he’s been a bit rattled, in today’s terms, because I defined him as Park Won-soon Season 2.” On the controversy over abolishing the long-term holding special deduction, Oh pressed Jeong to state a clear position after Jeong said it was undesirable to “stoke conflict and increase public anxiety.” “If Seoul apartments lose the long-term holding special deduction, people can lose hundreds of millions of won in taxes alone,” Oh said. “A mayoral candidate should clearly say whether they support or oppose such a serious issue.” Oh added that some view Jeong as likely to become “Lee Jae-myung’s yes-man,” and said Jeong’s response showed he could not escape that assessment. Oh also called on People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk to show restraint and make a decision. “Candidates working in the field believe it helps if Chairman Jang is less visible,” Oh said. “With the lowest approval ratings since the party’s founding, I think the time has come for restraint or a decision as leader.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:51:09

Lee Jae-myung calls for scaling back tax breaks for nonresident homeownership President Lee Jae-myung said April 24 that tax relief tied to long-term homeownership should focus on people who actually live in their homes, not on owners who hold property as an investment. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee said that to protect single-home owners, capital gains tax relief based on the period of actual residence is needed. But he said cutting taxes on the sale of expensive homes “just because someone invested for a long time without living there” is not a housing protection policy but “a policy that encourages housing speculation.” “Where there is income, there are taxes,” Lee wrote. “People pay earned income tax on money they work hard to make, so it is natural to pay capital gains tax on housing gains.” He also rejected claims of a “tax bomb,” saying it is abnormal to reduce taxes for those who “speculated for a long time” on homes they did not live in. “To properly protect housing for single-home owners, it would be right to reduce deductions for nonresident holding periods and increase deductions for resident holding periods by that amount,” he said. Lee again criticized what he called forces that promote real estate speculation, saying they appear to be active again after a lull. He pointed to speculation centered on Seoul’s Gangnam area, including the practice known as buying “one best home,” which he said spread speculation and triggered a chain of surges in home prices. He added that a bill proposed by some opposition lawmakers to limit the special long-term holding deduction is unrelated to the government, but is being portrayed “as if it were a bill proposed by the president” and used for attacks. On April 18, Lee rebutted claims by the People Power Party that abolishing the special long-term holding deduction for capital gains tax would amount to a “tax bomb,” calling the argument “a logical contradiction and an obvious false incitement.” He said the deduction sharply reduces capital gains tax “regardless of whether the owner lives there,” while a separate system provides tax relief for long-term residence. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:46:12

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Calls Lee Jae-myung a ‘Soft Dictator,’ Warns Checks and Balances Eroding Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday labeled President Lee Jae-myung a “soft dictator” and criticized him directly. In an interview with TV Chosun released by the Seoul city government, Oh said Lee was “insulting the judiciary” while having “completely” taken control of the legislature and the executive branch. “If this continues, the separation of powers will collapse,” Oh said. “In that case, the likelihood of moving toward a ‘soft dictatorship’ is high.” Oh said that if a government keeps the outward form of democracy while effectively monopolizing lawmaking, controlling the administration and then moving to pressure the courts, “checks and balances will inevitably be neutralized.” He added that power would then “race like a runaway locomotive with no brakes.” Oh warned that if the Democratic Party wins by a landslide in the upcoming local elections, “that trend will accelerate,” and said “protecting Seoul” could become “the last pillar” for checking power. -“Soft dictatorship” warning, comparisons to Russia A soft dictatorship refers to a system in which elections and institutions remain, but power-sharing does not function in practice. It appears democratic, but legislative and executive power concentrates and the judiciary also comes under influence, undermining the balance of power. Internationally, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are often cited as similar cases. Oh described the Seoul mayoral race as more than a local contest, calling it a turning point for the national balance of power. He said results in major cities such as Seoul and Busan would shape the future power structure, adding that “protecting Seoul” was most important. -Appeal to young voters, highlights activist and lawmaker background Oh also highlighted his resume. A lawyer by training, he worked with the civic group Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and later served as a broadcaster and a lawmaker. As a member of the National Assembly, he led efforts to enact the Political Funds Act, known as the “Oh Se-hoon law,” and legislation to improve air quality in the Seoul metropolitan area. He said air pollution was difficult to address without a legal framework, and that after he enacted the law, it took effect starting July 1, 2006, the day he took office as Seoul mayor. Oh said he both wrote the Seoul metropolitan air-quality law and oversaw its first implementation. Oh said that under the law, Seoul received central government budget support and carried out measures such as emissions-reduction policies for diesel vehicles, leading to a sharp improvement in air quality. “In the past, even wearing a dress shirt for one day would turn the collar and cuffs pitch-black,” Oh said. “Now it’s fine even after two or three days.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:45:19

Samsung to Hold Galaxy S26 Family Festa Promotion for May Samsung Electronics said on the 24th it will run a “Galaxy S26 Family Festa” promotion ahead of May, widely observed in South Korea as Family Month. For purchases of the Galaxy S26 series through May 10, all buyers will receive a 50,000-won discount coupon for game items usable in the Galaxy Store, the company said. Samsung said customers who buy the Galaxy S26 series on Samsung.com with a Samsung Card and join the “New Galaxy AI Subscription Club” will also be eligible for up to 55,000 won in additional cashback. The company is also expanding hands-on marketing. From the 24th through May 5, Samsung Electronics will operate a pop-up store for the popular RPG “Honkai: Star Rail” at Samsung Store Hongdae. The pop-up is designed as a game experience zone using the Galaxy S26 series, targeting family visitors with children and people in their teens, 20s and 30s, Samsung said. Visitors can take part in events and stamp missions in a space decorated with in-game settings and characters. During the pop-up period, Samsung said it will sell 2,000 limited sets of the “Galaxy S26 Ultra Kyrene Accessory Edition,” featuring in-game characters and including a magnet case, an acrylic music box and a smartphone stand. “We prepared a range of promotions that families can enjoy together for Family Month,” said Jeong Ho-jin, a vice president at Samsung Electronics’ Korea business. “We hope customers will enjoy not only the strong performance of the Galaxy S26 series, but also the additional purchase benefits.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 13:00:16