IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development Signs MOU with Ceragem to Foster Wellness Living Culture IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development is partnering with Ceragem to create a wellness living culture integrated with healthcare services. On June 4, IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ceragem on June 2 at Ceragem Seoul Town in Gangnam, Seoul. The two companies plan to develop differentiated content and services that enhance the quality of life for residents in IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development's projects. They will particularly introduce wellness-based residential services at Parkrosh Seoul One, currently under development in Nowon-gu, Seoul, and aim to expand collaboration across all IPARK residential products in the future. Additionally, they will strengthen brand competitiveness by creating residential environments that incorporate healthcare, developing wellness content linked to community facilities, providing customized healthcare services, and pursuing joint marketing efforts. The companies aim to establish an integrated wellness platform that considers not only physical health but also mental relaxation, continuously exploring various content and services. An IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development representative stated, "Integrating specialized technology in the healthcare field will present a new direction for residential culture. Through this collaboration, we will discover high-quality services and lay the groundwork for creating a new living environment." Parkrosh Seoul One is a large-scale mixed-use development project within the 'Seoul One' complex, which includes residential, commercial, and hotel functions, located in the Gwangun University Station area of Wolgye-dong, Nowon-gu, where IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development is responsible for both implementation and construction. Parkrosh Seoul One will serve as the core residential area of this complex. Furthermore, IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development has signed MOUs with Asan Medical Center, Nowon Eulji University Hospital, and Gourmet Galleria to provide differentiated living services at Parkrosh Seoul One. The company plans to enhance the competitiveness of its residential products through collaborations with various enterprises.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 19:42:00

Rain Expected Across the Country Tomorrow Morning with Daytime Highs Reaching 31 Degrees Rain is expected in various parts of the country, but the amount will be minimal. After the rain stops, daytime temperatures are forecasted to rise to around 30 degrees Celsius, indicating early summer weather. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, light rain will fall from early Friday morning until 9 a.m., primarily affecting the central region and Jeolla provinces, excluding the eastern coast of Gangwon. Inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon and some northern regions of Chungbuk are expected to experience rain until noon. The anticipated rainfall is around 5 millimeters in the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, while other regions will see less than 5 millimeters. In areas experiencing rain, visibility may be reduced and roads could be slippery, so commuters should exercise caution for traffic safety. Temperatures are expected to be similar to the seasonal average, with morning lows ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius and daytime highs between 23 and 31 degrees Celsius. The seas will have relatively calm waves, with wave heights in the East, West, and South Seas expected to be between 0.5 and 1.0 meters. In the open sea, wave heights are forecasted to be between 0.5 and 2.0 meters in the East and South Seas, and between 0.5 and 1.5 meters in the West Sea.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 19:24:00

K-Bio Industry Signals Recovery with Major Tech Exports and M&A Deals The K-bio industry is building anticipation for a rebound in the second half of the year, driven by significant technology exports, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and clinical achievements. The recent surge in billion-dollar technology exports and active corporate mergers and investments is leading to a reevaluation of the industry's overall value. According to industry sources, domestic pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Aribio, Curacle, and Oscotec, have recently confirmed their global competitiveness by securing billion-dollar technology export deals. In total, there have been eight major global technology transfer agreements signed by domestic companies in the first half of the year, with a cumulative value of $8.51675 billion (approximately 13.7 trillion won), excluding one contract whose terms remain undisclosed. This figure surpasses the approximately $8 billion (around 12.27 trillion won) recorded in the first half of last year. Specifically, on June 1, Hanmi Pharmaceutical signed a global technology transfer agreement with Eli Lilly for its candidate treatment for short bowel syndrome, 'Sonapeglutide' (HM15912, LAPS GLP-2 analog). The total contract value is $1.26 billion, with a non-refundable upfront payment of $75 million. Market analysts view this contract as significant, marking the first technology export to a major global pharmaceutical company since a deal with Merck (MSD) in 2020. Last month, Aribio transferred the rights for its oral Alzheimer's treatment to China's Fusheng Pharmaceutical, securing a deal worth $4.7 billion, the largest in the first half of the year. The upfront payment alone is approximately $140 million, making it the biggest technology export deal in the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech sector this year. Curacle has also signed a licensing agreement with U.S.-based Memento Medicine for the global exclusive rights to its dual antibody 'MT-103' for treating retinal diseases, with a total contract value of $1.07775 billion. Oscotec entered into a technology transfer agreement with U.S. rare disease company Agios Pharmaceuticals for its autoimmune disease candidate, Sebidopelev. Oscotec will receive a non-refundable upfront payment of $25 million, with the total potential value reaching up to $665 million, including milestone payments through development, approval, and commercialization stages. In terms of M&A achievements this year, Eli Lilly's acquisition of Curavo, a subsidiary of GC Green Cross, stands out. The deal, which includes upfront and milestone payments, totals $1.5 billion. Through this transaction, Eli Lilly has secured rights to Curavo's next-generation shingles vaccine candidate, 'Amezosbatin' (development name CRV-101). Expectations for additional technology exports are also rising. D&D Pharmatech has confirmed improvements in liver fibrosis and resolution of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASH) in its candidate treatment, Zobpegdutide (DD01), during Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. The MASH treatment market is experiencing a surge in global demand, making clinical success a critical indicator of K-bio's drug development capabilities. As competition intensifies, with major global pharmaceutical companies engaging in multi-trillion won M&A activities, D&D Pharmatech is also fostering optimism for technology transfers. Industry insiders believe that if the government implements practical policies to lower research and development (R&D) support interest rates or alleviate research funding burdens, it could not only lead to a rebound in the second half of the year but also facilitate long-term industrial advancement. However, some argue that government support should focus more on biotech firms rather than larger companies. Hwang Joo-ri, head of external cooperation at the Korea Bio Association, stated, "Companies that have established strong overseas investment networks are already forming a virtuous cycle and securing funding, but biotech firms are struggling with private funding and are essentially unable to sustain themselves. There is a need for policies that provide practical support to small and medium-sized biotech firms looking to expand internationally, in addition to incentives for larger companies."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 19:03:00

Winning Story of 289th Pension Lottery 720+ Captivates Attention As the winning numbers for the 318th Pension Lottery 720+ are set to be announced on June 4, the story of the winner of the 1st prize (1 ticket) and 2nd prize (4 tickets) from the 289th Pension Lottery 720+ has captured public interest. In a recent post on the Donghaeng Lottery winners' board, the winner of the 289th Pension Lottery 720+ shared, "I usually buy lottery tickets once or twice a month as a habit. While walking with my coworkers, I bought a lotto ticket for fun, and since the pension lottery was available, I decided to buy one as well." He continued, "A few days later, while working at the office, I suddenly checked the pension lottery numbers with my colleagues and was shocked to find out I had won the 1st and 2nd prizes. The first thought that came to mind was my family, and the greatest relief was knowing I could live without burdening my children in my old age." Reflecting on the experience, he said, "Since learning about my win, I haven't been able to sleep deeply. I believe this fortune came to me because I try to do good deeds for those around me and animals. I am grateful every day." The winner, who purchased the lottery ticket at a sales outlet in Geumgwang-myeon, Anseong City, responded to a question about his usual lottery purchases, saying, "I buy both lotto and pension lottery tickets every week." Regarding his plans for the winnings, he stated, "I intend to use it to help purchase a house." Meanwhile, the winning numbers for the 318th Pension Lottery 720+ will be available after 7:05 PM on June 4.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 18:57:00

South Korea and Turkey Discuss Cooperation and International Issues South Korean Foreign Minister Jo Hyun met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Seoul on June 4 to discuss key issues between the two countries as well as regional and international situations. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jo welcomed Fidan's visit, the first by a Turkish foreign minister to South Korea in nearly five years, and noted that this visit comes about four months after his own trip to Turkey in January, highlighting the close exchanges between the two nations. Fidan emphasized that South Korea is a brother nation to Turkey, a relationship forged during Turkey's deployment during the Korean War. He expressed happiness over the recent increase in high-level exchanges between the two countries and called for continued close consultations to strengthen practical cooperation. The two ministers agreed to review progress in various areas, including trade and investment, nuclear energy, defense, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI), since their leaders' summit in November. They committed to ongoing efforts to achieve concrete results through close cooperation among relevant authorities. Additionally, they discussed ways to enhance people-to-people exchanges, including student exchanges, and agreed to strengthen ties between their nations in anticipation of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027 through various commemorative events. The ministers also exchanged in-depth views on major regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, and the war in Ukraine. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 18:57:00

New voting culture takes shape among younger voters SEOUL, June 4 (AJP) - Voters turned out in record numbers for Wednesday's local elections, with final turnout reaching 61 percent, up 9.8 percentage points from 50.9 percent in the 2022 local elections. Early voting also hit a record high at 23.51 percent, up 2.89 percentage points from the previous local elections. But that tells only part of the story. At polling stations across the country, people did not just show up alone, as friends, couples, and families came together. After voting, many held up their ink-stamped fingers for photos. Throughout the day, social media filled with such images showing proof of voting. For younger voters, this shift has been building for years. What started as a simple fun among a generation who had largely ignored politics gradually turned into real engagement. By election day, that engagement had become more personal, with voters bringing their own values into the voting booth. The local elections, held every four years to choose city mayors, provincial governors, education superintendents, and other local officials, are now over. But for many voters, the habit of showing up may be taking root in a new form. 2026-06-04 18:56:04

Turkish foreign minister urges S. Korea partnership to stabilize global governance SEOUL, June 04 (AJP) - South Korea and Türkiye must leverage their diplomatic influence to address a deepening crisis in global governance and stabilize a fragmented international order, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday. Speaking at the 143rd International Policy Forum at Korea University in Seoul, Hakan Fidan warned that the current international system is unsustainable and requires coordinated intervention by capable middle powers. The diplomat highlighted a profound paradox in modern global cooperation. He noted that while the international community has established an unprecedented number of institutions and treaties over the past 80 years, the sense of shared global purpose has never been more severely fractured. He cautioned against viewing contemporary instability purely as a security crisis. Relying on familiar tactics like military deployments, deterrence, and containment fails to address the root issue, which he described as a fundamental breakdown requiring a visionary response. The escalating conflict involving Iran in the Gulf serves as a prime example of this instability, carrying severe consequences for global economic and strategic stability. Ankara is currently utilizing its diplomatic channels to halt the active conflict and prevent secondary regional spillover. Working alongside Indonesia, the Turkish government is closely coordinating with Pakistan, which is performing the primary mediating role in ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran. A similar systemic failure is evident in Ukraine, now a grinding war of attrition in its fifth year where a ceasefire remains elusive due to incompatible territorial claims. The threat of the conflict expanding into a broader war between Russia and Europe remains high following a recent intermediate-range missile strike near the borders of the European Union and NATO, an act described as an unacceptable escalation. Ukrainian forces have maintained a mid-range strike campaign against Russian ground lines of communication, successfully disrupting logistics across the theater. As the war continues indefinitely, European leaders face immense pressure to provide Kyiv with a credible and speedy path to European Union membership to help secure a future peace deal. The situation in Gaza represents the absolute peak of this systemic breakdown, with the top Turkish envoy characterizing the international community's failure to intervene in the ongoing genocide as an acute crisis of legitimacy. He warned that a system unable to prevent atrocities or uphold its founding principles is bound to fail. Nations that long benefited from the current framework are now facing crises at their own borders, he added. As power shifts fluidly across a growing number of theaters, no single actor can manage these global challenges alone. This dynamic elevates the role of capable middle powers like South Korea and Türkiye. Their distinct societies and backgrounds allow them to construct a resilient consensus beyond the narrow interests of singular power blocs. Achieving concrete diplomatic outcomes relies on regional ownership and global institutional reform. Regions must manage their own risks to prevent exporting instability to the rest of the world, as peace cannot be imposed from the outside. The minister also criticized the United Nations Security Council, arguing its veto architecture reflects a long-receded distribution of power that fails to represent current realities. Reaffirming the statement that the world is bigger than five, he demanded structural changes to establish fairness, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility. The foreign minister assumed his current Cabinet position in 2023 following a 13-year tenure as director of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization. His extensive administrative and academic background includes serving on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and holding a doctorate in international relations from Bilkent University. Addressing the historical ties between Seoul and Ankara, he grounded his call for reform in the military cooperation seen during the war. He noted that when the concept of collective security was put to the ultimate test on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and Türkiye stood shoulder to shoulder. 2026-06-04 18:51:33

NVIDIA's Jensen Huang Strengthens Alliances in South Korea for Physical AI Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is set to explore business opportunities across South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. His strategy involves diversifying alliances in the 'Physical AI' sector by meeting with major corporate leaders, as well as representatives from the gaming industry and AI and robotics startups. According to industry sources, Huang will begin a four-day official visit to South Korea on June 5. This marks his return to the country approximately seven months after visiting Gyeongju during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit last October. This visit has a different focus compared to last year. In 2025, Huang's trip centered on strengthening partnerships with Samsung Electronics and SK to ensure the supply chain for high-bandwidth memory (HBM). He also collaborated with Hyundai Motor Company to secure graphics processing units (GPUs) essential for next-generation autonomous driving, emphasizing hardware partnerships. This year, the focus shifts to identifying new partners for Physical AI in the South Korean market and expanding the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Discussions with Koo Kwang-mo, chairman of LG Group, are expected to center on integrating NVIDIA's AI chip solutions into home appliances, robotics, and manufacturing processes. Collaboration in the robotics sector is also set to become more concrete. Huang and Park Jung-won, chairman of Doosan Group, will participate in a ceremonial first pitch and at-bat during a Doosan Bears baseball game on June 7. NVIDIA is currently engaged in various collaborations with Doosan's key subsidiaries, particularly aiming to launch intelligent robotic solutions next year and an industrial humanoid by 2028. Additionally, Huang will meet with Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, and Jang Byung-kyu, chairman of Krafton, to discuss collaborations on AI PC chipsets and capturing the next-generation gaming market with digital humans. While NVIDIA leads the global market in AI computation within servers, it lacks competitiveness in the Physical AI sector, which interacts with real-world environments. Although NVIDIA produces advanced GPUs, it currently faces a shortage of 'real-world data' necessary for training and operating these systems. South Korean companies, which have accumulated world-class practical data and hardware capabilities in manufacturing and robotics, are viewed as optimal partners to fill this gap for NVIDIA. Jang Byung-tak, a professor at Seoul National University’s Department of Computer Science, stated, "Huang's visit signifies that South Korea, possessing both large-scale manufacturing infrastructure and high-quality industrial data, is the best testing ground and strategic partner for completing the Physical AI ecosystem. When NVIDIA's powerful computing capabilities combine with the precise manufacturing technologies and robotic data of South Korean companies, the true era of Physical AI will begin to unfold."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 18:30:00

Concerns Rise Over Budget Cuts for K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Project The South Korean government's K-On-Device AI semiconductor technology development project is facing increased concerns as its budget has been reduced by approximately 200 billion won from the initial plan, and the project timeline has been delayed by about three months.The government has stated that it will actively support this technology development, which involves an investment of several hundred billion won, to ensure it leads to semiconductor mass production and integration into finished products.According to the semiconductor industry on June 4, the K-On-Device AI semiconductor technology development project is set to be announced in June, with full-scale operations expected to begin in July. This is about three months later than initially planned, as the government aimed to start the project in March.The project's budget has also been scaled back. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy confirmed on June 2 that the total budget for the K-On-Device AI semiconductor technology development project has been finalized at 800.23 billion won. The government will contribute 511 billion won, while the remaining budget will come from private sector investments. This represents a reduction of about 20% from the original budget proposal of 1 trillion won.The K-On-Device AI semiconductor technology development project will involve domestic fabless companies designing AI semiconductors based on industry needs, with production carried out by local foundries. This initiative aims to connect semiconductor demand companies with fabless firms and foundries. The project will focus on developing customized AI semiconductors for four key industries: automotive, Internet of Things (IoT) and home appliances, machinery and robotics, and defense.Concerns have been raised that the budget cuts may undermine the project's effectiveness. On-device AI semiconductors require significant investment from design to validation and mass production, leading to fears that budget reductions could result in a scaled-back project scope and diminished support. Notably, about 30% of the total project budget is expected to be funded by demand companies. With the overall budget shrinking, there are worries that the financial burden on these companies will increase, potentially reducing their willingness to participate in the project.Experts emphasize the necessity of follow-up support that extends beyond research and development to actual mass production and product integration. They argue that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which is leading the project, must understand the unique characteristics of the AI semiconductor industry and reflect these in project execution. One industry representative stated, "Even if domestic fabless companies secure technological capabilities, without the adoption and mass production support from demand companies, it will be difficult to enhance industrial competitiveness. The government needs to establish specific follow-up policies that support validation, market access, and connections with demand companies after development."In this context, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan has stated, "We will spare no effort in providing comprehensive support, including R&D, validation, mass production, financial assistance, and regulatory improvements, to ensure that the developed chips can be integrated into finished products in key industries such as automotive."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 18:30:00

Kolon Mobility Group Acquires AutoHub Selca to Enter Auto Auction Business Kolon Mobility Group, a domestic importer of vehicles, is entering the auto auction business. On June 4, Kolon Mobility Group announced that it has acquired a 100% stake in AutoHub Selca, a company specializing in auto auctions. AutoHub Selca operates a large auction house in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. With this acquisition, Kolon Mobility Group aims to complete an integrated value chain covering the entire lifecycle of vehicles, from new car purchases to resale. The company will also strengthen its procurement channels for its used car platform, '702 Certified Used Cars.' Industry experts believe that this value chain development will serve as a significant opportunity to enhance various business areas, including rental cars, vehicle repairs, and warranty extensions. Kolon Mobility Group has declared its goal to achieve a corporate value of 1 trillion won by next year through business model diversification. Choi Hyun-seok, CEO of Kolon Mobility Group, stated, "The acquisition of AutoHub Selca is a strategic decision to fundamentally enhance the competitiveness of the 702 Certified Used Cars business and to set a new standard in South Korea's used car market." According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the domestic used car market is expected to reach approximately 2.42 million units annually by the end of 2024, surpassing the new car market, which stands at around 1.67 million units. 2026-06-04 18:24:00