Pony Chung Foundation Holds 2026 Academic Workshop, Awards Scholarships to 30 The Pony Chung Foundation said on the 24th that it held the “2026 Pony Chung Academic Workshop” at the Pony Chung Foundation Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to share research results from foundation-backed scholars and encourage its scholarship recipients. About 50 people attended, including Chairman Chung Mong-kyu and other foundation officials, newly selected early-career researchers Kim Jin-young of Seoul National University (philosophy of science), Park Cho-rong of Ewha Womans University (Korean history) and Lee Kyung-min of Seoul National University (Chinese phonetics), as well as newly chosen and current Pony Chung scholarship recipients, including humanities research scholars, overseas doctoral scholars and Vietnam exchange scholars. In remarks, Chung said it was meaningful to see the achievements of people who “continued their challenges with intense effort,” adding that the foundation would keep supporting more talent so they can focus on academic work and would “fulfill its mission” to advance humanities scholarship in South Korea. During the event, the foundation presented scholarship certificates to 30 people: three early-career researchers receiving academic support, 16 humanities research scholars and eight overseas doctoral scholars. The foundation launched its Pony Chung humanities research scholarship program in 2020, providing funding to master’s and doctoral coursework completers in humanities fields at graduate schools in South Korea and abroad. It supports each recipient annually with 10 million won for master’s students and 20 million won for doctoral students until they complete one graduation thesis, and provides separate support when the thesis is published. In 2021, it created the Pony Chung overseas doctoral scholarship program, selecting graduate students planning to enter doctoral programs at leading universities abroad and providing scholarships during their studies. Students headed to the U.S. and U.K. region receive $120,000 over three years, while those headed to the Europe and Asia region receive $45,000 over three years. Since 2013, the foundation has supported early-career researchers within five years of earning a doctorate through its academic support program, providing 40 million won in research funding for one year and 10 million won in publication support, as it seeks to build a career path for humanities support. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:15:18

OpenAI Unveils GPT-5.5, Pushing Agent-Style AI and ‘Super App’ Strategy OpenAI has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence model, GPT-5.5, sharpening competition in generative AI and signaling a shift beyond incremental performance gains toward agent-style AI and a broader “super app” strategy. According to OpenAI on April 23 (local time), GPT-5.5 features markedly improved reasoning and autonomy. The company said capabilities for complex work such as coding, research and data analysis have advanced, with a key focus on “agent-style” task execution that can interpret a user’s intent and map out steps to solve a problem. OpenAI described GPT-5.5 as a core engine for its “AI super app” approach. The model can recognize what is on a screen and carry out computer actions such as clicking and typing, moving across tools in ways the company says bring it closer to collaborating with humans. OpenAI said this would push ChatGPT beyond a chat window into an integrated platform combining work, search and productivity tools. As an example, the company said that if a user asks it to analyze recent market trends, write a report and send it by email, GPT-5.5 can open a browser to gather information, draft the document and operate an email client to complete the task. The company framed this as a move from providing answers to acting as an executor of work. OpenAI also said it strengthened security guardrails to match the model’s capabilities, judging GPT-5.5 to fall into a “high-risk” category because of potential misuse such as cyberattacks. It said the model underwent an unprecedented level of red-team testing, or simulated attacks. The release comes as rival Anthropic has rolled out next-generation models including “Claude Mythos” and “Opus 4.7,” intensifying competition. In a report OpenAI released, GPT-5.5 outperformed Opus 4.7 on several key benchmarks. On “GDPval,” a measure of practical task performance, GPT-5.5 scored 84.9%, about 4 percentage points higher than Opus 4.7. On “Terminal-Bench 2.0,” which evaluates system-control capability, it scored 82.7%, about 13 points higher. On CyberGym, a security-related metric, it scored 81.8%, well above a competing model’s 73.1%. However, on SWE-Bench Pro, a coding benchmark, GPT-5.5 scored 58.6%, trailing Opus 4.7’s 64.3%. OpenAI also raised concerns about possible data memorization by the competing model and said it disagreed with aspects of the evaluation approach. OpenAI said GPT-5.5 will be integrated across its major services, including ChatGPT, accelerating its push toward an “AI super app” that handles a range of tasks on a single platform. As generative AI moves from a support tool to what the company described as a “digital colleague,” OpenAI said broad changes in productivity across companies and industries are expected. At a news conference, OpenAI President Greg Brockman said, “The biggest feature of this model is that it can do more with less instruction.” He added, “Its ability to interpret incomplete or ambiguous problems on its own and decide the next steps has improved significantly.” Brockman said it was “an important advance that will form the foundation for how computers are used in the future and for large-scale agent-style computation.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:14:03

Lotte, Shinsegae expand Vietnam export channels for South Korean small businesses With President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to Vietnam, Lotte and Shinsegae moved to help South Korean small and midsize companies enter the Vietnamese market, widening overseas sales channels for K-brands. According to the industry on April 24, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, known as KOTRA, held a Korea-Vietnam Business Partnership event the previous day at the National Convention Center in Hanoi. The event, arranged to coincide with Lee’s visit, featured consultations between South Korean companies and Vietnamese buyers, along with product showcases. Lotte Home Shopping hosted a showcase and export consultations aimed at helping South Korean small businesses expand into Vietnam. Using its home-shopping model, the company produced a mobile live broadcast from the showcase studio in collaboration with a local influencer. The broadcast featured products from small businesses including Gravity, a functional anti-hair-loss shampoo brand, and Romams, a premium diaper brand. Lotte Home Shopping streamed the program on Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Shopee and TikTok Live, while also selling products in real time. Viewership reached 52,000. Lotte Home Shopping said on-site meetings with distribution buyers led to talks on placement in local retail channels and export and exclusive distribution agreements. Chief Executive Kim Jae-gyeom said the company achieved “meaningful results” through the showcase and export consultations in Vietnam and pledged continued support for small businesses’ overseas expansion to strengthen the global competitiveness of K-brands. Shinsegae Department Store focused on supporting exports of K-beauty brands to Vietnam. It opened a “Shinsegae Hyper Ground” showcase at the venue, introducing South Korean beauty brands to local businesspeople and buyers. Eight K-beauty companies, including Kundal and Ire Recipe, took part. Shinsegae said it selected brands it viewed as competitive in Vietnam, considering local climate, consumer preferences and product functions. Participants also discussed market-entry strategies and the possibility of jointly planning products. Shinsegae Group’s online fashion platform W Concept also joined, presenting six brands including Botero and Tonywack to promote K-fashion. Industry Minister Kim Jeong-gwan and KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung visited the venue and toured the showcase with Shinsegae Department Store CEO Park Joo-hyung. Park said Shinsegae this year will continue supporting competitive small businesses, alongside government assistance, so K-brands can expand into global markets including the United States, Taiwan and Japan. The Korea-Vietnam Business Forum held in connection with Lee’s state visit drew about 500 people from public institutions and the business community, including 109 companies in the South Korean economic delegation. Attendees included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong; SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who also heads the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo; Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin; POSCO Holdings Chairman Jang In-hwa; HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun; GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo; and Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:12:40

Jeong Cheong-rae says Song Young-gil nominated in Yeonsu Gap as Democrats’ “only winning card” Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, said the party nominated Song Young-gil in Incheon’s Yeonsu Gap district rather than Gyeyang Eul because it judged him to be its “only winning card.” Kim Nam-jun, a former Blue House spokesperson, will run in Gyeyang Eul, where Song has served five terms. Speaking at an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Yeonsu District on April 24, Jeong said the party announced its nominees a day earlier for the Yeonsu Gap and Gyeyang Eul by-elections. “Yeonsu is not an easy district, so we decided to send Song here,” Jeong said, adding that he was grateful Song accepted the party’s decision. Song said he would “do my best to carry out the party’s order,” and pledged to build on the achievements of Park Chan-dae, the Incheon mayoral candidate who has served three terms in the Yeonsu area. Kim, who will run in Gyeyang Eul, said he would take to heart Song’s remark that “Gyeyang is my roots and my heart,” and vowed to devote all his energy to the success of the Lee Jae-myung government. The Democratic Party said it plans to quickly wrap up nominations for the by-elections by the first week of May.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:11:13

AI Layoffs Hit the Workers Who Built the Systems, Raising Fears for Entry-Level Jobs 미국 실리콘밸리발 감원은 단순한 경기 대응형 구조조정이 아니라, 노동의 정의가 바뀌는 구조적 전환의 신호로 읽힌다. 특히 AI를 구축하고 학습시키던 인력이 자신들이 만든 기술에 의해 밀려나는 역설이 현실화하고 있다. 메타(Meta)는 인력의 10%를 감축하면서도 AI 인프라에 연간 1,350억 달러를 투입하고 있다. 마이크로소프트도 대규모 조기퇴직을 단행했다. 겉으로는 비용 절감이지만, 핵심은 인건비를 줄여 AI라는 자본재에 재투자하는 ‘노동의 자본 대체’가 고착화되는 흐름이라는 지적이 나온다. 감원의 중심은 단순 노무직이 아니라 ‘중간층 지식노동’이다. 마크 저커버그 메타 CEO는 “과거 대규모 팀이 필요했던 프로젝트를 이제는 뛰어난 소수가 해낼 수 있다”고 말했다. AI가 팀 규모와 인력 구조를 바꾸고 있다는 취지다. 문제는 전통적인 ‘신입-중급-시니어’로 이어지던 숙련의 사다리가 흔들린다는 점이다. 신입은 기초 코딩, 데이터 정리, 문서 초안 작성 같은 기본 업무를 통해 조직을 배우고 중급으로 성장해 왔다. 그러나 생성형 AI가 이 ‘기초 업무’ 영역을 빠르게 대체하면서, 사다리의 첫 칸이 사라지고 있다. AI를 학습시키고 데이터를 정제하며 모델을 개선하던 주니어 인력이 오히려 가장 먼저 대체 가능한 존재가 되는 역설도 제기된다. 기술이 인간의 기초 노동을 바탕으로 발전했지만, 그 과정에서 인재가 성장할 기회가 줄어든다는 것이다. 이런 ‘진입의 부재’는 청년 실업 문제를 넘어 조직 내부의 중간층 약화와 인적 병목을 낳을 수 있다는 우려로 이어진다. 기업들이 주니어 역할을 줄이고 시니어 중심의 고효율 구조를 지향하면, 시간이 갈수록 조직은 유입이 끊겨 노쇠화될 수 있다는 분석이다. 새로운 감각과 혁신을 가져올 젊은 인력이 줄어들면 조직의 역동성과 시장 대응력도 떨어질 수 있다. 경험의 단절도 문제로 꼽힌다. 숙련된 전문가는 반복적인 실무 축적을 통해 성장하지만, 주니어 직무가 AI로 대체되면 미래의 시니어가 될 인력이 역량을 쌓을 ‘훈련의 장’이 줄어든다. 그 결과 5년 뒤의 중간급 인력, 10년 뒤의 리더가 부족해지는 ‘인재 공급망 단절’이 예고된다는 지적이다. 이 변화는 한국에서도 통계로 나타나고 있다. 2026년 3월 기준 청년 취업자는 41개월 연속 감소했다. 전문·과학기술 서비스업과 정보통신업의 일자리 감소분 중 약 89%가 2030 세대에 집중됐다. AI가 전체 일자리를 줄이기 전에 “신입이 진입할 통로”부터 막히고 있다는 주장도 나온다. 변호사, 회계사, 개발자 등 자동화의 안전지대로 여겨졌던 전문직도 예외가 아니라는 것이다. 계약서 검토나 리서치 등 주니어 단계 업무가 AI로 대체되면서, 신입이 실무를 배우며 전문가로 성장할 기회가 줄어들고 있다는 문제 제기가 이어진다. 대응 역시 재점검이 필요하다는 목소리가 있다. 지금까지는 ‘AI 교육 확대’에 초점이 맞춰졌지만, 현장의 문제는 청년들이 AI를 몰라서가 아니라 AI 시대에 발을 붙일 첫 일자리가 부족하다는 데 있다는 것이다. 정책은 교육 확대를 넘어 ‘기회 구조의 재설계’로 옮겨가야 한다는 제안이 나온다. AI 도입으로 생산성이 높아진 기업들이 이익의 일부를 신입 채용과 실무 인턴십 유지에 재투자하도록, 세제 혜택을 포함한 ‘청년 첫 직무 보장제’를 사회적 논의에 올려야 한다는 주장이다. 기업과 정부가 단순 실행 위주의 직무에서 벗어나, AI 결과물을 검증하고 문제를 정의하는 ‘AI-보완형 주니어 직무’를 새로 설계해야 한다는 제안도 있다. 신입이 기술에 종속되지 않고 기술을 활용하는 역량을 키울 수 있도록 하자는 취지다. 또 실무 경험이 중요한 전문직을 중심으로 AI와 인간이 협업하며 전문성을 승계하는 ‘디지털 도제제도’ 도입 필요성도 제기된다. 시니어가 주니어를 멘토링하는 과정에서 발생하는 비용을 국가가 보전할 때, 끊어진 숙련의 사다리를 다시 잇는 데 도움이 될 수 있다는 주장이다. AI 시대의 위험은 기술이 인간을 앞서는 데만 있지 않다는 지적이 나온다. 미래 세대가 노동시장에 진입할 길을 잃으면, AI는 생산성을 높이는 동시에 청년의 기회를 줄이는 ‘세대 간 불평등’의 요인이 될 수 있다는 우려다. 청년에게 위로를 건네기보다, 새로운 형태의 진입 경로를 만드는 데 역량을 집중해야 한다는 주장으로 글은 마무리된다. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:06:27

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and first lady take surprise walk in Hanoi, greet locals President Lee Jae-myung took a walk through central Hanoi and met Vietnamese residents, later stopping at a local restaurant with first lady Kim Hye-kyung for dinner of pho and fried rice. Lee, who is on a state visit to Vietnam, posted photos on Instagram from April 23 (local time) showing the couple walking the streets of Hanoi and greeting people. “Hanoi’s evening was truly beautiful, and as we walked around Hoan Kiem Lake and the alleys of the Old Quarter, we exchanged warm greetings with Vietnamese people,” Lee wrote. “It was even more meaningful because we could meet in everyday spaces, not in a formal schedule.” Hoan Kiem Lake is a major landmark in central Hanoi where residents relax and spend leisure time. Vietnamese residents welcomed the couple by calling out “Hello” and “Nice to meet you,” presidential office deputy spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing. Lee and Kim responded in Vietnamese, saying “Xin chao.” Lee patted the head of a Korean student attending elementary school in Vietnam and offered encouragement, while Kim said she was pleased to see a Korean-language sign posted on a shop wall. Lee sampled pork skewers and a sugarcane drink sold on the street and said they were “very delicious.” Kim described the sugarcane drink as “refreshing and impressive,” Ahn said. The couple also bought durian and shared it with aides. They then moved to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Ahn said Kim showed strong interest in local food culture, asking about ingredients after a vegetable similar to Korea’s dried radish greens was served with the fried rice. Posting a photo of the couple dining, Lee wrote, “They say you can’t go wrong at any restaurant in Vietnam, and that turned out to be true. Thanks to that, we’re enjoying a delicious dinner.” Lee added that the visit reminded him “hearts can connect even across different languages and cultures,” and said he would long remember the smiles and greetings they received. He said he hoped the two countries would continue building friendship and trust and expand exchanges. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:04:07

South Korea Industry Ministry Hosts Lecture on Industrial Park AI Shift, Calls for Proof to Cut Costs The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 24th held a special lecture for ministry staff, inviting Park Min-won, president of Changwon National University and head of the industrial complex AX subcommittee under the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) Alliance. The industrial complex AX subcommittee was launched on the 26th as the 11th subcommittee of the M.AX Alliance. On the 17th of this month, it held its first meeting after the chairs of 10 mini-alliances — the subcommittee’s implementation bodies — joined as members. The ministry said it planned the lecture after concluding that the industrial complex AX effort needs to move into full operation. The session, aimed at strengthening field-oriented policy capacity, was held under the theme, “Manufacturing, the heart of South Korea, opening the future with M.AX.” Park briefed staff on the historical context of M.AX, the urgency of the initiative and specific implementation plans. “As the global industrial order shifts, technology competition has intensified, and proof-of-concept demonstrations are needed so companies can reduce the investment burden when applying AI technologies,” Park said. He also called for sharing company interviews on demand for AX. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the lecture would help narrow the gap between policy and the field and renew a sense of urgency in pushing M.AX policy, strengthening internal capabilities. He said the ministry would expand opportunities for policy officials to directly grasp the pace and needs on the ground through continued communication with field experts.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 11:03:17

Choo Mi-ae Pledges ‘One-Team’ Support to Boost Gyeonggi Semiconductor Cluster Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party candidate for governor of Gyeonggi Province, said April 24 she would work as a “one team” with the government and the ruling party to strengthen the global competitiveness of the region’s semiconductor cluster. Choo visited Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus, a Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) site for a national industrial complex in Yongin, and SK hynix’s Yongin industrial complex. Calling the Gyeonggi semiconductor cluster “a core task that will determine the future of the South Korean economy,” she said she would “complete the world’s best semiconductor cluster” with speed and drive. She added that if she wins the June local elections, “the president, governor, mayors and lawmakers will be a solid one team,” and said she would “take responsibility to the end and prove it with results.” Accompanying her were Democratic Party lawmakers Hong Ki-won and Kim Hyun-jung from Pyeongtaek, and Lee Sang-sik, Son Myung-soo, Boo Seung-chan and Lee Eon-ju from Yongin, along with Pyeongtaek mayoral candidate Choi Won-yong and Yongin mayoral candidate Hyun Geun-taek, among other party candidates. At Samsung’s Pyeongtaek campus, Choo described the so-called “Su-Yong-Seong-Pyeong-O-I” semiconductor belt — linking Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong, Seongnam, Anseong, Pyeongtaek, Osan and Icheon — as a key pillar of the nation’s industry, and said she would further strengthen it into a world-leading semiconductor cluster. She cited the Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML, which has manufacturing facilities in Dongtan, Hwaseong, and U.S. chip company Applied Materials, which plans to build a research and development center in Osan, underscoring her push to advance semiconductor technology centered on Pyeongtaek. At the SK hynix site in Yongin, Choo said South Korea needs a “mega-scale semiconductor ecosystem” combining private investment and public infrastructure, and said the Gyeonggi semiconductor cluster should be completed as a single, ultra-wide industrial belt. 2026-04-24 10:57:09

South Korea, Vietnam Expand Cooperation on Urban and Transport Infrastructure The South Korean government said it will step up cooperation with Vietnam on urban and transport infrastructure, including a contract to supply metro rail cars and efforts to identify local infrastructure development projects, following President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to Vietnam. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Kim Yun-deok, the land minister, met on April 21 with Vietnam’s construction minister, Tran Hong Minh, and asked for strong interest and support from the Vietnamese government for South Korea’s participation in the development of a new town in southeastern Bac Ninh province. Kim said he “deeply sympathizes” with Vietnam’s push to devolve central authority to local governments, adding that he hopes the Korea Land and Housing Corp. and Vietnamese local governments can work together and “grow together” in areas such as new-town development. He also introduced South Korea’s high-speed rail technology and discussed ways to support participation by South Korean companies in Vietnam’s North-South high-speed rail project. The ministry said the two sides also discussed strategic cooperation on infrastructure modernization, transportation and urban development projects at a “Korea-Vietnam Co-Prosperity Development Cooperation Forum” held the same day. On April 22, Kim attended a completion ceremony for a mixed-use complex in Starlake City in Hanoi and encouraged construction officials. The Starlake City project is an urban development venture that South Korea and Vietnam have worked on since 2006. The newly completed complex is a large-scale facility combining offices, a hotel and commercial space, and was developed by South Korean firms including Daewoo Engineering & Construction from planning through operations. On April 23, during a Korea-Vietnam business forum, major government bodies and companies from both countries signed a contract to supply metro rail cars for Ho Chi Minh City’s Line 2, and KIND signed an MOU with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and Hana Bank. The ministry said the Ho Chi Minh City Line 2 contract marks the first entry into Vietnam’s rail-car sector. It added that KIND plans to work with BIDV, a key state-owned bank, to identify promising projects in Vietnam and link them to financial support to strengthen the foundation for South Korean companies’ expansion there.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 10:53:40

KB Kookmin Bank Revamps Mobile Retirement Pension Trading Service KB Kookmin Bank said on the 24th it has revamped its non-face-to-face retirement pension product trading service within KB Star Banking. The update focuses on a customer-centered design, allowing users to view their holdings at a glance from the retirement pension home screen in the app. Through a link with KG Zeroin, a fund evaluation and consulting firm, the bank also added real-time ETF quote lookups to support investment decisions based on market information. The step-by-step transaction guide was improved as well, showing each stage of the buy-and-sell process so customers can track progress. The bank said it plans a second update in the first half of the year to strengthen personalized asset management features. A bank official said the overhaul will make it easier and more intuitive for customers to manage pension assets, adding that the bank will continue expanding convenient and reliable services as a trusted partner in asset management.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 10:52:51