Washington 'restricts intelligence sharing on North Korea,' raising security concerns in Seoul SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - The U.S. has reportedly restricted the sharing of certain intelligence related to North Korea, raising concerns in South Korea about possible frictions between the two allies and surveillance gaps in joint monitoring capabilities. According to multiple government sources, Washington has limited access to technical intelligence including satellite data on North Korean nuclear facilities since early this month. Some relevant military information such as imagery and activities detected by U.S. reconnaissance satellites has also reportedly not been shared for about a month. The development comes after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young brought up Kusong in North Pyongan Province as a new uranium enrichment site in North Korea, information that had not previously been officially confirmed by either government. Chung referred to it as one of three such facilities during a parliamentary session last month, in a rare public disclosure of sensitive details about North Korea. Although he said the information was based on open-source intelligence, Washington is thought to have regarded it as a potential leak of classified information and appears to have responded by restricting intelligence sharing with Seoul. Experts warn that if such restrictions continue, the intelligence gap between the two allies could widen, potentially weakening South Korea's ability to monitor North Korea's military activities and other provocations. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek, however, downplayed the concern recently, saying there have been "not many major limitations." He further clarified that the two countries continue to closely share critical information, particularly data related to North Korea's missile launches. In fact, intelligence was reportedly shared during the North's missile tests earlier this month. Nevertheless, the restrictions are likely to affect more sensitive intelligence, particularly satellite data on nuclear facilities, which is essential for tracking North Korea's military movements and nuclear development in real time. Until now, the U.S. has provided detailed monitoring of suspected nuclear sites, including reactors, uranium enrichment facilities, and storage areas for nuclear materials. While South Korea operates five reconnaissance satellites capable of monitoring specific targets at roughly two-hour intervals, analysts say this is not enough to ensure constant surveillance, making it difficult to track multiple locations or mobile missile launchers simultaneously. This may mean North Korea can evade South Korean surveillance. By comparison, the U.S. operates more than 200 military satellites, along with additional private-sector assets, offering far more comprehensive, high-resolution real-time coverage. 2026-04-28 10:21:36

Trump Reviews Iran Proposal but Keeps Nuclear Red Lines, White House Says President Donald Trump has been discussing Iran’s latest proposal related to ending the conflict with advisers, but is maintaining key “red lines,” including preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, according to reports. Bloomberg News reported that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on the 27th (local time) that Trump convened a national security team meeting at the White House to review Iran’s proposal. “The president’s red lines on Iran are very clear,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump would state his position soon. Her comments followed reports that Iran proposed an interim arrangement under which it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The proposal was also said to include postponing complicated issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, to later talks. Bloomberg, citing The Wall Street Journal, said Trump and his advisers are taking a cautious view of the proposal, particularly on the nuclear issue. The Journal previously reported that Trump was skeptical of what it described as Iran’s “three-step peace plan.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican and Trump ally, wrote on X that if the proposal is accurate, “Iran is playing games to buy time,” and said the president should hold to his existing position “for the country and the world.” Iran, meanwhile, said it would continue to strengthen cooperation with partners. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, visiting Russia, met with President Vladimir Putin and emphasized closer ties, saying, “The Iranian people have endured U.S. attacks and will overcome them.” Iran has also conveyed through mediators, including Pakistan, that ending the dispute would be possible if the United States lifts its maritime blockade and halts military action, according to reports. The United States, however, views the nuclear issue as central to any agreement. Trump has said the maritime blockade will remain unless Iran’s nuclear program is resolved. The United States is demanding that Iran halt its nuclear program for 20 years and remove all of its roughly 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. Iran previously proposed suspending uranium enrichment for five years, followed by allowing low-level enrichment for civilian use for an additional five years. It also proposed diluting its uranium stockpile, keeping half in Iran under international monitoring and transferring the other half to Russia. After Trump judged those steps insufficient, Iran offered a new approach that would push the nuclear issue to later negotiations, The New York Times reported. Still, some analysts say the gap between the two sides may be narrower than it appears. CNN, citing sources, reported that back-channel contacts are continuing and that the early stage of any potential deal is likely to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:21:09

Hyundai to Speed Hydrogen City Bus Rollout in Seoul Area, Targeting 400 in Five Years Hyundai Motor Co. said it is teaming up with major transit operators and related businesses in the Seoul metropolitan area to accelerate decarbonization in transportation. The automaker said it signed a business agreement on April 27 at its UX Studio Seoul in its Gangnam-daero building with Dowon Transportation, Samhwan Transportation, Sewoon Industry and Hyundai Motor Securities to jointly speed the rollout of hydrogen-powered city buses in the capital region. Participants included Hyundai Motor domestic sales chief Yeom Jae-seop, Dowon Transportation CEO Kim Jeong-hwan, Samhwan Transportation CEO Han Kang-su, Sewoon Industry CEO Ahn Gwang-heon and Hyundai Motor Securities planning and finance chief Yang Young-geun, the company said. The agreement aims to build a foundation for wider adoption by converting CNG fueling stations in the region into hydrogen refueling stations. It also targets introducing a total of 400 hydrogen fuel cell city buses on routes operated by Dowon and Samhwan within five years. Hyundai Motor said it will supply its Elec City hydrogen fuel cell buses to the two operators on schedule and support specialized maintenance training to help ensure smooth operations. The Elec City hydrogen fuel cell bus is equipped with a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system, a motor rated at 180 kW with maximum torque of 4,500 N·m, and a 78.4-kWh high-output lithium-ion battery. Based on an official efficiency rating, it can travel up to 751.2 kilometers on a single charge, supported by an efficiency-focused motor, a high-performance fuel cell system and what Hyundai Motor called best-in-class hydrogen tank capacity, making it suitable for power-intensive city routes. Dowon and Samhwan said they will replace aging CNG buses with the Elec City hydrogen fuel cell model and gradually expand hydrogen city bus operations. Sewoon Industry, a refueling business operator, said it will actively cooperate in converting existing CNG hubs in the capital region into hydrogen stations. It also plans to build 10 new hydrogen refueling stations in Seoul and Incheon by 2029. Hyundai Motor Securities said it will support the project with advice and investment as needed. Hyundai Motor said it expects the agreement to help expand hydrogen transportation and infrastructure and support South Korea’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution goal of cutting transport-sector greenhouse gas emissions by up to 37.8% from 2018 levels by 2030. “This agreement with transit operators, a refueling business and a financial institution is meaningful in that it offers a practical solution to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell buses,” a Hyundai Motor official said. “We will continue working to help strengthen the hydrogen ecosystem.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:16:09

Democratic Party’s Cheon Jun-ho Vows to Pursue Probe Into Alleged Prosecutorial Abuse Cheon Jun-ho, acting floor leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, said April 28 that his party will “dig to the end” into what it calls state violence uncovered through a National Assembly special committee investigating allegations of politically motivated, fabricated indictments under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. He also criticized the People Power Party’s decision to nominate Rep. Choo Kyung-ho as its Daegu mayoral candidate as a “Yoon-again nomination.” Speaking at a Democratic Party floor leadership meeting at the National Assembly, Cheon said the committee’s work was nearing its final stage and that the probe had revealed “the reality of state violence” by what he called the “Yoon Suk Yeol prosecution-led administration.” He said signs of fabrication were found without exception in cases including the Ssangbangwool remittances to North Korea, Daejang-dong, the Wirye new town development, the killing of a South Korean public official in the West Sea, and alleged statistics manipulation. Cheon said “fabricated indictments, sentence deals and manipulated recordings” were used for media campaigns that affected even the last presidential election. He said the Democratic Party would pursue accountability for what he described as abuses of state power to eliminate political opponents, adding that such acts trampled the Constitution and human rights. Cheon also pointed to the People Power Party’s April 26 nomination of Choo for the June 3 local elections, calling it “a clear Yoon-again nomination.” He said Choo is a defendant on trial on charges of playing an important role in an insurrection and is accused of obstructing a vote to lift martial law at the time. Cheon said the nomination made the People Power Party’s character clear and urged it to stop what he called “Yoon-again nominations.” He added that South Korea would overcome insurrection and move forward.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:15:18

Patriots Ministry Standardizes Gen. Hong Beom-do’s Birthplace and Birth Date as Pyongyang, Aug. 27, 1868 Different government and related institutions have used varying information for Gen. Hong Beom-do’s birthplace and birth date, but those details have now been standardized. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, led by Minister Kwon O-eul, said on 28 it will unify Hong’s birthplace and birth date based on expert advice and consultations with relevant organizations and will notify related institutions of the updated information. The ministry said there have been no definitive records such as a family register transcript or court ruling. After South Korea established diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union and its constituent republics in 1990 and new materials such as Hong’s diary and survey forms became known, institutions began using slightly different entries. After consulting historians, gathering views from the Hong Beom-do Memorial Foundation and the War Memorial of Korea, and coordinating with the Independence Hall of Korea and the National Memorial Museum of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, the ministry concluded it is most reliable and reasonable to list Hong’s birthplace as Pyongyang, South Pyongan Province, and his birth date as Aug. 27, 1868. The ministry said it will share the findings with related bodies, including the Defense Ministry and the Korea Military Academy, as well as the War Memorial of Korea and the Independence Hall of Korea, and guide them on making corrections. Kwon said correcting records related to Hong “clarifies historical facts and, at the same time, sets right the basic national respect owed to an independence hero.” He added that the government will continue careful verification of records on independence patriots so the public can fully remember their lives and achievements. The ministry also operates the “Gonghun Electronic Archives” to provide information on state honors for independence patriots, their merits and the “Independence Activist of the Month,” and it includes details on Hong’s contributions. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:14:26

LS Eco Advanced Materials Wins First Robot Winding Supply Deal With Global Parts Maker LS Eco Advanced Materials said April 28 it has won an order to supply robot motor windings to a global robot parts company, marking its first deal in the robotics sector. The company said the contract is its first step in expanding beyond its electric-vehicle-focused portfolio. It plans to begin deliveries this month and supply windings for thousands of actuators through the end of this year. LS Eco Advanced Materials said demand for actuator windings is expected to grow to more than about 1 million units a year by 2030, noting that a single robot can use dozens of actuators. An actuator is a drive system combining a motor, reducer and control unit that converts electrical signals into movement. Windings used in motors are a key component that converts electricity into force and affects output and precision. LS Eco Advanced Materials has supplied EV windings to Hyundai Motor and General Motors, among others, and said it has moved early to secure the market. The product to be supplied is a high-performance winding made with fine wire that the company said can deliver higher output and efficiency in motors of the same size. It said the technology is used in future mobility industries such as robots, EVs and urban air mobility. In South Korea, LS Cable & System first developed the product and has expanded competitiveness after entering a market previously dominated by Japanese and European companies, it said. The company said the expansion is expected to create synergies with LS Eco Energy’s rare-earth metals business. If mass production of rare-earth metals ramps up, it said, the group would be positioned to secure a non-China supply chain for key robot components at the same time. Hong Young-ho, CEO of LS Eco Advanced Materials, said the company will respond to expanded mass production “based on quality tailored to customer needs and stable supply capabilities,” and will “continue to expand global supply, centered on North America.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:13:41

NH NongHyup Bank Launches First Transition Loan to Back Low-Carbon Upgrades NH NongHyup Bank said Tuesday it has executed its first transition loan, financing environmental improvement investments for companies that need to shift to lower-carbon operations. The bank said the case shows how financial support can help fund equipment investments that improve environmental performance in the real economy. It plans to keep expanding green and transition lending in line with the group’s transition finance strategy. The loan supported funds to install a wastewater treatment facility at a livestock products distribution company in Goseong County, South Gyeongsang Province. The company will use the project to reduce pollution and move to more environmentally friendly facilities. NH NongHyup Bank said the loan was handled as transition lending after a suitability review under Korea’s green taxonomy, known as the K-Taxonomy, aimed at supporting a practical low-carbon shift. The bank has also moved to broaden climate finance, including signing a business agreement Monday with the Korea Technology Finance Corp. on an evaluation project based on the K-Taxonomy. It said it plans to expand support to transition finance and continue strengthening low-carbon transition and ESG-related financial support for companies.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:09:16

LG 2026 OLED TVs win Carbon Trust carbon footprint certification for sixth straight year LG Electronics said Tuesday that its 2026 TV lineup has received three ESG-related certifications in areas including carbon reduction, reduced plastic use and the use of recycled materials. The company said its 2026 OLED TVs recently earned a “carbon footprint” certification from the U.K.-based nonprofit Carbon Trust. LG said it has received the certification for six consecutive years since 2021. Carbon Trust evaluates a product’s carbon dioxide emissions and environmental impact across its full life cycle, from production and distribution to use and disposal, before granting the certification. It also awards a separate “carbon reduction” certification to products that cut emissions compared with previous models in the same class. LG said its 2026 OLED TV G6 models in 83-, 77- and 65-inch sizes received the carbon reduction certification. LG said all of its new OLED models released this year — W6, G6, C6 and B6 — also earned Intertek’s “resource efficiency” certification, which the company said supports the products’ sustainability claims. To receive the certification, products must pass strict reviews covering material-use efficiency — including design for recycling, reduced hazardous substances and ease of repair — as well as energy efficiency and the use of recycled materials, LG said. LG said OLED TVs require fewer parts than LCD TVs because they do not use a separate backlight. By applying lightweight composite fiber materials, LG said it reduced plastic use to about 40% of that used in major-brand LCD TVs of the same size. The company estimated that, for an equivalent number of units, plastic used to make the new OLED TVs would be about 15,000 tons less than for LCD TVs. LG said its premium LCD TV, Micro RGB Evo, also received the resource efficiency certification, citing its energy-efficient design. Lee Choong-hwan, head of LG Electronics’ Display Business Unit and a vice president, said, “LG OLED TVs will focus not only on outstanding picture quality and convenient AI features, but also on innovation from an ESG perspective, to build a sustainable future together with customers.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:05:07

South Korea to Issue 200 Billion Won in Retail Treasury Bonds in May The Ministry of Economy and Finance said April 28 it plans to issue 200 billion won ($200 billion won) in retail Treasury bonds in May. By maturity, the ministry will offer 5 billion won each in three-year coupon bonds and three-year compound-interest bonds. It will also supply 50 billion won in five-year bonds, 110 billion won in 10-year bonds and 30 billion won in 20-year bonds. Coupon rates will be based on the winning yields for government bonds of the same maturities sold in April. The three-year bond will carry a 3.450% coupon rate, the five-year 3.530%, the 10-year 3.715% and the 20-year 3.610%. Additional rates will be added to the five-year (0.3 percentage points), 10-year (1.05 percentage points) and 20-year (1.3 percentage points) bonds. No additional rate will be applied to the three-year bond, citing recent rate increases and returns on financial products. If held to maturity, the pretax return is expected to be about 10% for the three-year coupon bond and about 11% for the three-year compound-interest bond, about 21% for the five-year bond, about 59% for the 10-year bond and about 161% for the 20-year bond. Subscriptions will run from May 11 to May 15. Individual investors can apply in person or online through Mirae Asset Securities, the selling agent. The minimum subscription is 100,000 won, and the annual purchase limit is 200 million won per person. If total subscriptions are within the issuance cap, investors will receive full allocations. If subscriptions exceed the cap, up to 3 million won will be allocated equally, with the remaining amount distributed in proportion to subscription size. Allocation results will be provided on the next business day after the subscription period ends. In May, investors will also be able to redeem early retail Treasury bonds issued from June 2024 through April 2025. In that case, they will receive only principal and interest based on the coupon rate applied at purchase, and will not receive compound interest including the additional rate or benefits such as separate taxation on interest income.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:04:04

LG Sangrok Foundation to Host Three-Generation Family Walk at Hwadam Forest The LG Sangrok Foundation said April 28 it will host a family invitation event next month, themed “Hwadam Forest Walk for Three Generations,” on May 11 to mark Family Month. The foundation said the program is designed to help families spend time together in nature and talk while walking. “Hwadam” is also the pen name of the late Koo Bon-moo, who created the forest. Hwadam Forest has barrier-free deck paths with gentle slopes across the entire route, allowing access for strollers and wheelchairs, the foundation said. A monorail also operates to help visitors reach areas that are harder to walk. Participating families will be able to visit “Hwadamchae,” a cultural complex featuring exhibits on the forest’s nature and philosophy, take family photos with the forest as a backdrop, and attend an hourly “forest concert,” it said. The event will be free for up to 2,500 people from three-generation families who apply through advance reservations. “Hwadam Forest has aimed to be more than a place to view nature — a place where people stay together and communicate in nature,” an LG Sangrok Foundation official said. The official added the foundation hopes the event will give families “from grandparents to grandchildren” time to walk together and build memories.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:03:17