Lee Says Nonfarmers Should Not Be Allowed to Own Farmland President Lee Jae-myung said the government should strengthen enforcement so that people who do not farm cannot own farmland. Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae on May 6 after receiving a report from Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Song Mi-ryeong on a plan for a full survey of farmland. He said the Constitution and the Farmland Act clearly intend that those who do not actually farm should not hold farmland. Lee instructed officials to build a system that uses artificial intelligence to analyze satellite images to identify land that is not being farmed, and to expand and make better use of rewards for reporting violations. He said it is “almost impossible” for public officials to find idle farmland one by one. Lee added that when he was mayor of Seongnam, he checked the issue and found that, legally and institutionally, it was difficult to issue actual sale orders and that people could be exempted if they merely appeared to comply, while there were not enough investigators. “So I actually gave up,” he said, adding that this likely encouraged speculation. He also criticized the rule that when a duty to dispose of farmland arises because it is not cultivated, the obligation disappears if the owner corrects the problem within three years. “If you do nothing for two years and farm in the third year, you’re exempt, aren’t you?” he said, calling it a system that is “there in name only.” In a closed session, the Cabinet also deliberated and approved 38 bills for promulgation, 12 presidential decrees and one general agenda item, in addition to discussions and ministry reports. A total of 26 items were laws tied to state policy tasks, including promulgation of partial amendments to the Act on Special Cases Concerning Confiscation and Recovery of Corrupt Property, the Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud and Housing Stability, and the Act on Management of Real Estate Development Projects. Lee also ordered a review of strong steps targeting hoarding of medical products such as syringes, including immediately confiscating the stockpiled goods. He called for effective measures to encourage private reporting, including sharply raising whistleblower rewards to 30% of recovered funds, and asked officials to consider introducing an administrative fine system. Separately, Lee praised Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is serving as the governmentwide control tower, saying the number of deaths by suicide has declined for five straight months since the new government took office, senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong said in a written briefing. Lee also noted that the suicide prevention hotline 109 receives about 350,000 counseling calls a year but has only about 100 counselors. “Given the nation’s fiscal capacity and the Republic of Korea’s historic standing, it doesn’t make sense that calls go unanswered because there isn’t enough money or staff,” he said. He instructed officials to find ways to raise the response rate, whether by securing private support or through a supplementary budget. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:48:24

Com2uS Unveils Cinematic Teaser for Aiberton’s New MMORPG “Zeus: God of Arrogance” Com2uS on Tuesday launched a teaser site for “Zeus: God of Arrogance,” a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG, being developed by Aiberton. The site features the slogan, “The greatest myth, allowed for everyone,” along with a roughly 28-second cinematic clip. Com2uS said the slogan reflects the game’s aim of letting anyone prove their existence in their own way. The video shows a colossal statue collapsing, a village engulfed in flames, a despairing crowd and Zeus looking down, offering a compressed look at a world in ruin and the game’s tone. “Zeus: God of Arrogance” is based on the Greek myth of Zeus, but it does not follow the original stories directly, instead reinterpreting them. The game is set in a world fractured by Zeus’ arrogance, where candidates to become “vessels of the gods” navigate upheaval tied to Pandora’s box, the 12 Titans and the revival of Cronos. Aiberton is developing the title with a third-quarter launch target. Com2uS said the teaser site marks the start of a full marketing push. The company previously made a strategic investment in Aiberton at its founding and signed a publishing agreement for the new title. Aiberton was founded in February 2024 by CEO Kim Dae-hwan, who previously held roles at Nexon including head of a new development division. Kim also served as head of overseas development for Nexon’s MapleStory and as CEO of Nexon Red. From 2019, he led Nexon’s new development division and oversaw global hits including “Prasia War” and “Dave the Diver.” Com2uS said it expects the game to perform well globally by combining its publishing capabilities with Aiberton’s development strength aimed at the international market. A Com2uS official said the company will gradually release information on the game’s world, key content and service details through the teaser site and official channels.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:43:09

Anthropic to Visit South Korea Next Week for AI Safety Talks With Science Minister Anthropic is set to meet with the South Korean government to discuss artificial intelligence safety and security issues, including its AI model “Mythos.” Industry sources said May 6 that Michael Sellitto, Anthropic’s head of global policy, will visit South Korea next week and plans to meet with Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT. A ministry official said, “We are coordinating a meeting next week between Deputy Prime Minister Bae and Anthropic.” Sellitto is an AI policy and security specialist who previously served as cyber policy director at the U.S. White House National Security Council. At Anthropic, he oversees global policy and external relations. Mythos is expected to be a key topic. The model highlights AI-based cybersecurity and vulnerability detection capabilities. Anthropic on April 7 officially unveiled the Claude-based model, previously known by the codename “Capybara,” under the name Mythos. The company said that during seven weeks of testing, Mythos autonomously found more than 2,000 previously undisclosed software vulnerabilities, or zero-days, across major operating systems and browser environments. In Mozilla’s Firefox browser, it identified 271 vulnerabilities. Of those, it was reported to have generated exploit code for 181. Bae previously met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in February at the “2026 India AI Impact Summit” held in India. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:42:14

KOSPI flies over yet another milestone on single chip engine SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock benchmark powered through energy shocks and inflation fears to race past one four-digit milestone after another and outperform the S&P 500, though the rally is increasingly raising concerns over overheating and heavy dependence on a single engine: semiconductors. The KOSPI closed at 7,384.56 on Wednesday, up 6.45 percent, blasting through another psychological threshold without the usual consolidation period. The rally remained highly selective, with declining stocks overwhelming gainers 679 to 200. Momentum again rested disproportionately on chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which now account for more than 43 percent of the KOSPI’s total weighting. Samsung Electronics closed at 266,000 won, up nearly 390 percent from a year earlier and joining the exclusive $1 trillion market-cap club. SK hynix has soared 761 percent to 1,601,000 won from 186,000 won on May 2 last year. “AI ecosystems need balanced development across infrastructure, models and services, but South Korea remains heavily concentrated on the hardware side,” said Lee Seong-yeob, a professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of Technology Management. Lee said decades of industrial policy helped cement South Korea’s global semiconductor competitiveness, but the heavy concentration has left other sectors lagging behind, complicating efforts to build a sustainable AI ecosystem. The rally has been underpinned by explosive earnings from a prolonged semiconductor supercycle. Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor division posted a nearly 48-fold jump in operating profit to 53.7 trillion won from a year earlier. SK hynix also reported a 405.5 percent jump in first-quarter operating profit from a year earlier. According to the Korea Exchange, foreign investors purchased a net 3.134 trillion won worth of shares on the main bourse Wednesday, surpassing the previous daily record of 3.126 trillion won set on Oct. 2 last year. The KOSPI has surged 188.5 percent since May last year, marking a sharp turnaround from early 2025, when political turmoil and U.S. reciprocal tariffs triggered nine consecutive months of foreign selling. Government efforts to narrow the so-called “Korea discount” later helped restore investor confidence. Despite the blistering rally and a surge in retail trading accounts, the KOSPI’s price-to-book ratio of 2.12 remains well below the S&P 500’s 5.44, even after the Korean benchmark closed above the U.S. index’s 7,259.22 finish Tuesday. Sustainability questions linger. Samsung Electronics faces pressure from rising material costs and the prospect of a labor union strike over profit-sharing disputes. Data flag deeper vulnerability. Outstanding margin loans on the benchmark KOSPI and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ reached 35.84 trillion won ($25.8 billion) as of Monday, after briefly surpassing the 36 trillion-won mark for the first time on April 29. The sharp rebound in retail leverage suggests that so-called “FOMO” money — investors fearful of missing out on the market’s relentless surge — is flooding back into equities through borrowed funds after briefly retreating during the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict shock. Cash waiting on the sidelines has also ballooned. Investor deposit balances stood at 124.84 trillion won as of Monday, after nearing 130 trillion won late last month, underscoring the scale of speculative liquidity chasing the rally. At the same time, shorting bets are climbing to unprecedented levels, reflecting simmering unease over whether the rally can sustain its pace. Outstanding short-selling positions on the KOSPI reached a record 20.1 trillion won on April 29, the first time the figure has crossed the 20 trillion-won threshold. Short selling involves borrowing and selling shares in anticipation of buying them back later at lower prices. Stock lending balances — often viewed as ammunition for future short-selling — also surged to 174.8 trillion won as of Monday, up roughly 25 trillion won from a month earlier, all pointing to a momentum-driven gold rush vulnerable to a sharp unwind once sentiment reverses. 2026-05-06 17:41:33

South Korea Budget Vice Minister Lim Ki-geun Meets Gates Foundation to Expand ODA Cooperation The Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are moving to broaden cooperation in official development assistance, agreeing that faster digital change requires tapping private-sector capacity to create new value. Vice Minister Lim Ki-geun met on the 6th with Joe Cerrell, the foundation’s managing director for external relations, to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of international development cooperation. The meeting followed Bill Gates’ visit to South Korea in August last year. During that trip, Gates met with President Lee Jae-myung to discuss global health and ODA cooperation. Gates said South Korea is among the few countries to have transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor, and urged it to continue supporting efforts to improve the global health environment. Lim praised the foundation’s results in global health and sustainable development. He said its approach of using its funding to draw in private capital and technology helps boost the effectiveness of development assistance. Cerrell said he highly values South Korea’s rise from an ODA recipient to a donor and expressed hope that the government will increase ODA support to show stronger leadership. Lim responded that the focus should be on strategic use of resources and spreading measurable results. “Through cooperation among diverse development partners, including the public and private sectors, we can create new added value,” he said, adding that in the digital and artificial intelligence era, private innovation in technology and networks should be used to the fullest. Lim and Cerrell also reviewed the outcomes and significance of global cooperation projects between South Korea and the foundation, including the International Health Technology Research Fund (RIGHT Foundation). They agreed on the need to identify promising cooperation projects in other areas as well. The ministry said it will work with ODA lead agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, to review the full process from budget execution to performance management and reflect the results in drafting the next budget proposal. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:34:01

Han Byung-do reelected as DP floor leader SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - Three-term lawmaker Han Byung-do was reelected floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday, becoming the first in the party to win a second consecutive term in the post. Han, who was the sole candidate in the race, won by a majority in a vote that combined ballots from both lawmakers and party members. The exact vote tally was not disclosed under the party's internal election rules. Despite some debate within the party over how to proceed when there is only one candidate, the party decided to hold the vote. DP leader Chung Cheong-rae described Han as "a leader with a gentle personality, flexibility in leadership, and strong attention to detail." Ahead of the vote, Han pledged to support the current administration's agenda with decisive leadership and to work closely with fellow lawmakers on legislative priorities, pushing them through parliament by year's end. Assuming the post in January after then-floor leader Kim Byeong-gi abruptly stepped down amid various allegations, Han has been credited with stabilizing the party over the past four months before resigning on April 21 to run again. 2026-05-06 17:29:01

Shinhan Financial Says It Blocked $800,000 in Voice Phishing Losses in Two Weeks Using Linked FDS Shinhan Financial Group said Tuesday it prevented about 800 million won ($800,000) in customer losses within two weeks of launching its “one-stop joint response service” against voice phishing. The service is the first in South Korea’s financial industry to link fraud detection system (FDS) information across group affiliates, Shinhan said. It shares suspicious transaction data in real time among key units — banking, card, securities and insurance — to detect and respond to voice phishing early. The Financial Services Commission designated the program as an innovative financial service in September last year. Since full operations began April 10, Shinhan said it analyzed 1,111 suspicious cases over about two weeks and detected 41 abnormal transactions. Under the Financial Holding Company Act, sharing customer information among affiliates has been limited to internal management purposes, creating institutional constraints on real-time linkage of abnormal-transaction data for voice phishing prevention, the group said. Shinhan said it addressed those limits by integrating FDS operations that had been run separately by each company, allowing consolidated analysis of transaction flows across affiliates. Shinhan said it plans to strengthen industrywide safeguards by linking the service with the financial authorities’ AI-based voice phishing information-sharing and analysis platform, ASAP. A Shinhan official said the initiative is significant because it removes institutional barriers in fraud prevention and improves customer asset protection through group-level cooperation. The official said Shinhan will continue working with financial authorities and the broader financial sector to help build a safer financial environment. 2026-05-06 17:28:28

Elizabeth Arden Launches Two Green Tea Strawberry Basil Products for Spring and Summer Beauty brand Elizabeth Arden said Tuesday it is introducing two new products aimed at spring and summer: Green Tea Strawberry Basil Eau de Toilette and Green Tea Strawberry Basil Honey Drops Body Cream. The eau de toilette opens with wild strawberry, adds basil, moves into a woody birch note and finishes with the brand’s signature green tea scent. The fragrance was created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, a senior perfumer and vice president at Givaudan. “To add a natural, lively feel to green tea’s freshness, I layered strawberry and basil with a herb garden accord,” he said. The matching body cream features added cocoa butter. Elizabeth Arden said it uses a less-sticky formula with green tea and Honey Drops ingredients and applies Givaudan’s MoodScentz fragrance technology. The company said the cream provides moisturizing benefits for up to 24 hours. Amber Garrison, president of Elizabeth Arden’s fragrance division, said offering the eau de toilette and body cream together is intended to help consumers experience the scent in a more layered way. Elizabeth Arden traces its roots to 1910, when founder Elizabeth Arden opened the Red Door salon on Fifth Avenue in New York. The founder is also known for promoting sun protection, yoga and adequate hydration beginning in the 1920s. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:20:40

China-Iran Foreign Ministers Discuss Talks, Hint Hormuz Strait Could Reopen Soon China and Iran’s top diplomats met Tuesday in Beijing and stressed a peaceful resolution of the Iran issue through diplomacy. Iran signaled the Strait of Hormuz could reopen soon and said it expects China to play a mediating role. The talks came about a week before a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Iran war is expected to be a key agenda item. According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the Middle East is at “an important moment” to shift “from war to peace.” Wang said a comprehensive ceasefire is essential, a return to fighting is unacceptable, and continuing negotiations is most important. Wang reaffirmed China’s support for Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and praised Tehran’s stated willingness to seek a political solution through diplomatic channels. On the Strait of Hormuz, Wang said the international community shares an interest in restoring normal and safe passage and urged the parties involved to respond quickly to those demands. Araghchi said Iran will firmly defend its sovereignty and dignity while pursuing a “comprehensive and permanent” solution through peaceful negotiations. He said the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz “can be resolved soon,” and thanked China for efforts to prevent escalation and a breakdown. He added that Iran trusts China and hopes it will continue to play a positive role in promoting peace and ending the war. It was Araghchi’s first visit to China since the Iran war began. The two foreign ministers have stayed in close contact since the war started, including at least three phone calls to discuss easing tensions in the region. The meeting was held at China’s invitation and was widely seen as strategically significant because it came about a week before Trump’s visit to China. Amir Handani, a director at the U.S. think tank Quincy Institute, told CNBC that Iran and China are coordinating interests ahead of the U.S.-China summit and that the timing was intentional. He said China wants stability in the Middle East to keep trade and energy supplies flowing and would not want inflation shocks and the risk of recession from a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Li Mingjiang, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao that Araghchi’s trip could give China an opportunity to play a role in easing the conflict. He said China would try to apply more indirect pressure on Iran through diplomacy, while Iran would seek to confirm China’s positions on certain issues and its willingness to support Iran. The Iran war has also emerged as a central issue for the upcoming U.S.-China summit. On Monday, Trump said he would discuss Iran with Xi and said Xi had been favorable on the issue. Trump also said China showed the United States “a very respectful attitude” during the war. Bloomberg interpreted Trump’s remarks as an effort to ease U.S.-China tensions over the Iran war ahead of the summit. With negotiations to end the war recently stalled, the United States has publicly raised the idea of a larger Chinese role, citing China’s position as Iran’s biggest trading partner and a major buyer of its crude oil, as well as Beijing’s close ties with key Middle East countries. Some foreign media have reported that China’s influence was also a factor behind a two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire mediated by Pakistan last month. On May 4, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China in a Fox News interview to play a constructive role regarding the risk of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has also increased economic pressure on China. On April 24, it sanctioned China’s Hengli Group, a major refiner, for importing Iranian oil. China responded by issuing its first “sanctions blocking order,” instructing Chinese companies not to comply with U.S. sanctions. The move was seen as signaling that China would take part in efforts to resolve the Iran issue while drawing a line against unilateral U.S. pressure.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:19:03

Woori Bank Launches Samsung Card Savings Account With Rates Up to 10% A new card-linked savings product offering rates as high as 10% a year has hit the market, adding to competition among financial firms rolling out cross-industry partnership products. Woori Bank said Tuesday it launched the “Samsung Card Woori Savings,” which offers preferential rates of up to 10% annually depending on Samsung Card usage and other conditions. The 12-month, flexible-deposit product is limited to one account per person, with monthly deposits capped at 500,000 won. The base rate is 2.5% a year, and customers can add up to 7.5 percentage points in preferential rates for a maximum of 10%. The product is designed to link spending and saving by applying different preferential rates based on card payment volume, so higher card use can translate into a higher savings rate. Preferential rates vary by whether the customer is a new Samsung Card member and by cumulative spending. New cardholders receive an additional 2 percentage points with cumulative spending of at least 6 million won but less than 9 million won, or 4 percentage points with spending of 9 million won or more. Existing Samsung Card users receive an additional 2 percentage points with cumulative spending of at least 10 million won but less than 15 million won, or 4 percentage points with spending of 15 million won or more. In both cases, the spending-recognition period runs from the start of the month the savings account is opened through the month before maturity. Customers can also earn an additional 2.5 percentage points if their card bill is debited from a Woori Bank account in their name and automatic transfers are withdrawn at least six times a month. Another 1.0 percentage point applies to customers who have not held Woori Bank deposits or savings products in the previous six months. The product will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to 20,000 accounts. “This is a new type of savings product that connects customers’ everyday spending to financial benefits,” said Lee Young, head of Woori Bank’s retail deposit products team. “We will continue to expand innovative products that provide tangible benefits through a range of partnerships.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 17:18:05