South Korea Proposes Five-Tier Public EV Charging Rates, Sets 391.9 Won for 200 kW+ The government is moving to break public electric-vehicle charging fees into five tiers from the current two, lowering rates for slower charging while raising ultra-fast rates to better reflect cost differences by charging speed. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said April 29 it will issue an administrative notice on a revised fee system and unit prices for public EV charging stations from April 30 through May 19. The ministry also said it will begin a separate legislative notice, running the same day through June 9, on revisions to subordinate regulations under the Clean Air Conservation Act covering management standards for electric and hydrogen charging facilities. Slower charging cheaper, ultra-fast higher under new fee tiers The centerpiece of the plan is to expand the public charging fee structure from two tiers — under 100 kilowatts and 100 kW or more — to five tiers. Current rates are 324.4 won per kilowatt-hour for under 100 kW and 347.2 won for 100 kW or more. Under the proposal, rates would be set at 294.3 won for under 30 kW; 306.0 won for 30 kW to under 50 kW; 324.4 won for 50 kW to under 100 kW; 347.2 won for 100 kW to under 200 kW; and 391.9 won for 200 kW or more. The revised rates would apply when drivers use public chargers installed and operated by the ministry, or chargers operated under agreements with the ministry, and pay with a ministry membership card. A discount program that applies from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends and holidays in spring and fall would keep the same discount levels, applied to the new unit prices. The ministry said the existing system has not adequately reflected differences between charger output and actual operating costs. It said it recalculated unit prices to incorporate operating expenses such as communications fees, maintenance, labor and depreciation. A ministry official said charging services in the field have become more segmented — including slow, mid-speed and fast charging — but the fee system has remained a two-tier structure for about four years and has not kept pace with market changes. On concerns that the 200 kW-and-above ultra-fast rate could raise consumer burdens, the official said not all drivers use 200 kW chargers at all times and that simply comparing ultra-fast charging fees with average gasoline or diesel prices is not appropriate given EV usage patterns. Mandatory price posting, stronger maintenance and disclosure rules The ministry is also pursuing tighter management of EV and hydrogen charging infrastructure through revisions to subordinate regulations under the Clean Air Conservation Act. Operators would be required to make charging fees visible on-site through signs or notices. For charging facilities at highway rest areas, the government plans to require external price signs, similar to those at gas stations, so drivers can check rates before charging. The proposal would also strengthen obligations for preventive maintenance and regular inspections to reduce breakdowns. Operators would have to maintain a system to respond to fault reports and user inquiries, and could face corrective orders for failing to meet management standards. A new disclosure requirement would require operators to post charging fees, detailed location information and real-time availability on the Korea Environment Corporation’s integrated online portal for zero-emission vehicles. The ministry said it expects the measure to address “hidden pricing” and encourage price competition in the private charging market. Separately, the ministry said it is reviewing a seasonal and time-of-use pricing system for public charging fees, linking electricity rates and consumer charging prices so charging can be cheaper when renewable power generation is high. No implementation date has been set. The ministry also plans to revise subsidy guidelines to prevent unnecessary charger replacements. If a charging facility that has not reached its eight-year service life is removed and replaced, subsidies would be provided only when there is a justified reason, such as an irreparable failure. It also plans to allow apartment managers to receive subsidies when they directly install and operate charging facilities, expanding user choice. Jeong Seon-hwa, the ministry’s director general for Green Transition Policy, said, “Reasonable charging fees and convenience in using charging facilities are key to expanding EV adoption,” adding that the government will work to build an optimal charging ecosystem starting with the fee overhaul and management standards. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 12:03:30

South Korea Launches 3,600-Ton Frigate Jeju, Delivery to Navy Set for June 2027 The South Korean Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a launching ceremony Tuesday for the frigate Jeju at SK Oceanplant in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province. The 3,600-ton ship is the fourth Ulsan-class Batch-III frigate and is intended to replace older frigates (FF) and patrol combat corvettes (PCC) now in service, officials said. After sea trials, Jeju is to be delivered to the Navy in June 2027 and then deployed following its commissioning process. About 150 people attended the ceremony, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Yeong-seung, Navy Chief of Staff Kim Kyeong-ryul, DAPA Defense Capability Acquisition Program Bureau chief Jeong Jae-jun, and SK Oceanplant CEO Kang Young-gyu. Jeju is 129 meters (423 feet) long, 14.8 meters (49 feet) wide and 38.9 meters (128 feet) high. It is equipped with a 5-inch gun, the Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS), anti-ship and missile-defense guided missiles, ship-to-ship guided missiles, tactical ship-to-surface guided missiles, and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes. Its integrated sensor mast carries infrared search-and-track equipment and a domestically developed multifunction phased-array radar. The four fixed radar panels provide 360-degree detection and tracking of air and surface targets and can engage multiple aerial targets at the same time, the Navy said. The ship uses a hybrid propulsion system to reduce noise and operates a domestically developed hull-mounted sonar (HMS) and a towed array sonar system (TASS), giving it enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability, officials said. Jin said the military must strengthen its commitment to self-reliant defense and its readiness posture. He said the armed forces are working to advance “AI-based manned-unmanned combined combat capability” by upgrading evolving K-defense industry technologies such as unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aircraft, in an effort to become “a strong military that can fight and win.” He said the effort would help support peace on the Korean Peninsula through strength, protect lives and property, and build a military “trusted by the people.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 12:00:11

Japan-Style Math App Mathmaji Launches Pilot Program at Indonesian Islamic Private School Mathmaji, which develops the Japan-style global math learning app “Mathmaji,” said on the 28th it will start a pilot program at an Islamic private school in Indonesia. It is the first time the app will be used at an elementary education facility in the country. The app will be introduced at Sekolah Qur'an Savaty in Makassar, South Sulawesi, which provides integrated education from daycare and kindergarten through elementary school. Students learn math through an original curriculum based on Japan’s national teaching guidelines while also studying “English to become stronger with numbers.” Because the app is displayed in English, the company expects it to help improve proficiency in both math and English. Mathmaji President Yasunori Hirose said he wants to use the program’s results as a basis for a full-scale entry into Indonesia’s elementary education market.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:57:48

Korea Customs Hosts Asia-Pacific Anti-Drug Enforcement Workshop With WCO The Korea Customs Service said Tuesday it is holding an Asia-Pacific drug enforcement experts workshop with the World Customs Organization through April 30 to strengthen international coordination against drug crime. Experts from customs authorities across the region, including Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, are taking part, along with international organizations and European customs attachés based in China, the agency said. Participants will discuss ways to deepen cooperation by sharing joint-operation models and results by country, the latest drug-smuggling trends, and practices for using drug-detection dogs and drug analysis techniques. The program includes a WCO capacity-building seminar and hands-on training on operating an information-sharing platform between countries. Customs officials said they expect the workshop to strengthen enforcement capabilities and improve the effectiveness of joint crackdowns. This year, the agency plans to expand cooperation beyond existing partners by working more closely with Golden Triangle countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to tighten border-level interdiction networks. The workshop will also serve as a pre-check for a Korea-Asia-Pacific joint anti-smuggling operation planned for the first half of this year, with the aim of refining cross-border coordination strategies, the agency said. Because drug crime is a major transnational offense that can undermine borders, a Customs Service official said the workshop will be used to raise cooperation among Asia-Pacific customs authorities and translate it into results.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:57:16

Ruling Party Panel Says Probe Found Prosecutorial Misconduct in Alleged Fabricated Indictments Democratic Party lawmakers serving on a National Assembly special committee investigating allegations of politically motivated, fabricated indictments under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration reported on their work April 29, a day before the panel is set to end its activities. They also said they would push for a special prosecutor to pursue accountability. At a morning news briefing at the National Assembly, the committee said its probe had brought to light what it described as prosecutorial fabrication and other illegal conduct, and it outlined what it called key findings so far. Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo said a review of investigative processes in the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case and the Daejang-dong case showed “fabrication” and “illegal acts.” She said the highlight of the April 28 hearing was testimony from former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae, who appeared and said, “I have never met or even seen Lee Jae-myung.” Seo said the Yoon Suk Yeol administration had mobilized state power to try to remove the organizations of President Lee Jae-myung and former President Moon Jae-in. She said matters that had proceeded secretly within the prosecution were revealed through the parliamentary probe, and pledged to keep working to uncover remaining facts. Rep. Lee Ju-hee described what she said the committee confirmed through its work, including what she called a pattern of “fabricated indictments” in which investigators select targets and use coercion and inducements to produce false statements. She added that cases examined by the committee showed alleged fabrication and concealment of evidence, contamination and bargaining over testimony, and clear violations of constitutional basic rights. Lee said the probe showed the prosecution’s ability to police itself had reached its limits, arguing that a special prosecutor is needed. She said the Democratic Party would use a special prosecutor to determine the full scope of alleged fabricated indictments and bring those responsible before a court of judgment. The committee also said it plans to file complaints against witnesses and participants it says committed perjury during hearings and the investigation. Rep. Lee Geon-tae, the committee’s secretary, said he plans to hold a briefing at 11 a.m. April 30 to explain planned perjury complaints. He said committee members are still sorting the cases and that details would be provided April 30.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:54:21

Vietnam’s Sun Group Breaks Ground on Phan Thiet Airport Civilian Facilities Vietnam real estate and resort developer Sun Group began construction April 27 on the civilian-use portion of Phan Thiet Airport in central Lam Dong Province. Total project costs are expected to exceed 3.9 trillion dong (about 23.5 billion yen), with completion projected in 2028. Phan Thiet Airport will be a joint military-civil facility. Sun Phan Thiet Airport Co., a Sun Group unit, is responsible for developing the civilian section. The company will build an airport meeting the International Civil Aviation Organization’s “4E” standard on about 75 hectares in the Mui Ne area. The passenger terminal, a 13-story domed structure with 18,000 square meters of floor space, will incorporate cultural elements of the Champa Kingdom, which is believed to have flourished from the 2nd to the 15th centuries. Sun Group aims to complete the civilian section within two years and to reach annual passenger capacity of 2 million by 2030. Phan Thiet Airport will be Lam Dong Province’s second airport after Lien Khuong Airport. Once it opens, travel times to Lam Dong are expected to be significantly reduced from major domestic cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, as well as key tourist destinations including Phu Quoc Island, boosting visitor numbers to the province.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:48:16

Annual film fest set to kick off in Jeonju, featuring over 200 films SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - The annual Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is set to kick off with a red-carpet event in the southwestern city on Wednesday. According to organizers, this year's festival, now in its 27th year, will run for 10 days until May 8 and feature some 236 films from 54 countries. The festival's curtain-raiser is American filmmaker Kent Jones' "Late Fame," which tells the story of a poet whose secluded life is suddenly thrown into the spotlight after young admirers rediscover his long-neglected work. A special retrospective event is also scheduled in honor of the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, who died in December last year after battling blood cancer. Around seven lesser-known films from his decades-long career will be screened. The festival, known for its lineup of offbeat and indie films, will close with director Kim Hyun-ji's "Namtaeryeong," a documentary that follows farmers who ride tractors to Seoul to demand the impeachment of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol after he abruptly declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, which ended in a brief overnight fiasco. 2026-04-29 11:38:29

Chernobyl at 40: Nuclear Power Recast as a Strategic Asset Amid Energy and AI Demand On April 26, 1986, the explosion of Unit 4 at the Soviet-era Chernobyl nuclear plant was more than an environmental disaster. The radioactive cloud darkened not only Europe’s soil but also public trust in nuclear power for a generation. In 2026, as the disaster reaches its 40th anniversary, the world is paradoxically turning back toward nuclear energy. Geopolitical instability in the Middle East continues to rattle energy markets, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed Europe’s energy-security vulnerabilities. At the same time, surging electricity demand tied to the artificial intelligence boom and the urgency of the climate crisis are driving a reassessment of nuclear power — from a symbol of fear to a strategic asset. “Chernobyl was an outlier” — engineers weigh what has changed For decades, Chernobyl served as the ultimate warning for opponents of nuclear power. More recently, expert debate has shifted from broad claims that “nuclear is dangerous” to closer analysis of which reactor designs are risky and under what conditions. Jacopo Buongiorno, a professor of nuclear engineering at MIT, described Chernobyl as “an outlier” caused by a flawed RBMK design without a containment structure and reckless actions. Sarah A. Pozzi, a University of Michigan professor and president of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, said no modern reactor approved under Western regulatory systems includes all of the defects present at the time. Some experts also point to changes in reactor physics. Steven Lyman, a University of Michigan professor, cited the Soviet graphite-moderated RBMK design as central to the Chernobyl disaster. He said modern water-moderated reactors cannot experience a Chernobyl-style meltdown, describing a physical safety mechanism in which overheating causes water coolant to boil off and naturally slows the nuclear reaction. Lyman added that, as the Fukushima accident showed, the principle does not eliminate risk but can reduce the severity of an accident. He said nuclear power matters as “scalable clean baseload power,” but high upfront costs remain the biggest obstacle. If small modular reactors, or SMRs, can bring initial costs down to a manageable level, he said, that barrier could be overcome. Nuclear’s return in numbers: “An answer for energy security” Nuclear power currently supplies about 10% of global electricity and about 25% of low-carbon power. More than 400 reactors are operating in 31 countries, and about 70 more are under construction. The United States, the world’s largest nuclear-power nation, operates 94 reactors and plans to quadruple capacity by 2050. Thomas DiNanno, a U.S. State Department deputy assistant secretary, recently said, “The world cannot power industry, meet AI demand, or secure its energy future without nuclear power.” China is building about 40 reactors, signaling it could surpass the United States. Even Germany, long a symbol of anti-nuclear sentiment, is showing signs of reconsideration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, referring to the past rise in reliance on fossil fuels, acknowledged that turning away from nuclear power was a “strategic mistake.” Warnings remain: “System complexity and human error” Not all experts share the optimism. R. Scott Kemp, director of MIT’s Nuclear Security and Policy Program, urged caution, noting that nuclear safety is based in large part on simulation models. “In a complex system like a reactor, it is difficult to fully predict every interaction,” he said. Kemp emphasized that human misjudgment has played a role in major accidents and warned that “a Chernobyl-type accident is absolutely possible even today.” Even if modern plants are safer, he said, unexpected accidents cannot be ruled out if human understanding of the system is incomplete. A new front: SMRs and South Korea’s challenge The next battleground in the nuclear market is SMRs. The factory-built, on-site “plug-and-play” approach promises lower costs and faster deployment. But the BBC and other foreign media have cautioned that SMRs’ commercial viability has not yet been fully proven. That is where South Korea is drawing attention. The country has a top-tier supply chain capable of building standardized reactors such as the APR-1400 on budget and on schedule. But domestic conditions are complicated, with lingering fears after Fukushima, local opposition known as NIMBY sentiment, and policy uncertainty still weighing on the sector. Experts including Lee Jeong-ik, a professor at KAIST, have said South Korea’s 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand still falls short of delivering a full revival of the nuclear industry. Forty years after Chernobyl, the international order around nuclear power has shifted. Nuclear energy is increasingly framed not as an automatic object of fear, but as a practical option tied to survival. With climate pressures, energy security and AI-driven electricity demand converging in 2026, the question being asked is no longer whether societies can afford to live with nuclear power, but whether they can afford to live without it. 2026-04-29 11:37:29

WSJ: Trump Tells Aides to Prepare to Extend Iran Maritime Blockade President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare to extend a maritime blockade on Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported April 28, citing sources. The report said Trump is leaning toward keeping economic pressure on Iran through the blockade as he seeks a decisive victory but lacks a clear exit strategy. According to the report, Trump favored maintaining economic pressure through the blockade and related measures in a series of recent meetings, including a Situation Room session on April 27. Sources said he also weighed options such as resuming airstrikes and quickly declaring an end to the war, but concluded those choices carried greater risk than the current blockade. Since a ceasefire with Iran on April 7, the United States has limited military action while intensifying economic pressure through the maritime blockade, restricting the movement of tankers and other vessels to and from Iran. Bloomberg News, citing commodities analytics firm Kpler, reported the day before that the blockade has caused crude inventories to build inside Iran, leaving only about 12 to 22 days of usable oil storage capacity. A senior U.S. official said the blockade is inflicting severe damage on Iran’s economy and that Iran’s leadership, under economic strain, has offered negotiations to the United States. Over the weekend, reports said Iran, through mediators, proposed a “three-stage peace plan”: first, a halt to U.S. military action; second, talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz; and third, discussions on Iran’s nuclear program. But sources said Trump and his national security team concluded that accepting such a proposal would weaken U.S. leverage to secure nuclear concessions from Iran. They said the administration is not willing to abandon its position that Iran must halt uranium enrichment for 20 years. In that context, the Journal said Trump is satisfied with keeping the maritime blockade in place indefinitely. Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social, “Iran just told us they are in a ‘state of collapse,’” adding, “They want us to open the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible while they try to resolve their leadership situation.” The Journal said that if the U.S. blockade continues, Iran could seek to pressure Washington by resuming strikes on energy facilities in the Middle East or attacking U.S. warships enforcing the blockade. It added that a prolonged blockade could also prolong high oil prices, potentially creating political headwinds for Trump and Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The report also said Trump is receiving conflicting advice from close associates about the next steps in the Iran war. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and others have urged maintaining pressure on Iran, while business figures have called for ending the war, warning that a prolonged conflict would deepen economic damage and could be politically costly in the coming midterm elections.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:36:21

China’s March Smartphone Shipments Fall 6.3%, Down for Fourth Straight Month China’s domestic smartphone shipments in March 2026 fell 6.3% from a year earlier to 20.087 million units, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a think tank under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The pace of decline narrowed by 6.3 percentage points from the previous month, but shipments fell for a fourth consecutive month. Total mobile phone shipments, including smartphones, dropped 7.1% to 21.15 million units. Domestic brands accounted for 84.1% of the total, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. Shipments of models compatible with fifth-generation, or 5G, networks rose 1.3% to 19.667 million units, returning to growth and making up 93.0% of the total. Mobile phone models launched domestically in March plunged 70.3% to 19, including a 68.8% drop in smartphone models to 15. The number of 5G-compatible models released fell 60.6% to 13. For January through March, domestic smartphone shipments fell 11.6% from a year earlier to 57.04 million units. Total mobile phone shipments, including smartphones, declined 12.7% to 60.805 million units, of which 5G-compatible models fell 9.1% to 55.468 million units. Over the same period, 79 mobile phone models were launched, down 30.1%. Smartphone models released fell 22.6% to 65, and 5G-compatible models dropped 23.8% to 48.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 11:33:00