US Moves to Revamp Visa Rules to Support Korean Investment, but Enforcement Concerns Persist The U.S. government is moving to revamp its visa system to better support South Korean companies investing in the United States, citing the need to move training and operations staff in and out on time. But officials and investors say the push to attract foreign capital still clashes with a hard-line immigration enforcement posture. Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, said May 5 (local time) at the SelectUSA investment promotion event in National Harbor, Maryland, that Washington is "making major changes" to the visa system to address concerns raised by the South Korean government and companies. He said South Korean capital and know-how can be put to work in the United States only if personnel can travel for training and operations, and that current visa rules do not adequately reflect that demand. The effort follows a case last September in Georgia in which more than 300 South Korean business consultants and workers were detained at a Hyundai Motor plant site. The incident became a diplomatic issue between the two allies, and a U.S.-South Korea visa working group was launched afterward. In December, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul also opened a dedicated visa window for South Korean companies. Landau, while stressing that the United States is strictly enforcing immigration and visa laws, said "these systems should not become unnecessary obstacles" to foreign investment. With South Korea having pledged $350 billion (about 515 trillion won) in U.S. investment during tariff negotiations, visa issues have emerged as a key factor in carrying out those plans, not a side concern. Still, reaction on the ground has been cool. Middle East Eye, a London-based online outlet focused on the Middle East, reported comments from U.S. southern state officials responsible for investment recruitment who attended the same event. They said it is difficult to reassure foreign companies while a strong anti-immigration stance continues. "There is no good answer," one official was quoted as saying. "We have to explain to foreign investors that they are safe and protected, but the reality is not." Another said the United States still looks like the most attractive market, "but inside it looks like the house is on fire." SelectUSA is the U.S. government’s flagship investment promotion event, launched in 2013. The U.S. Commerce Department says the program has supported more than $400 billion (about 588 trillion won) in investment and more than 270,000 jobs. With investment promotion and strict immigration enforcement moving in parallel, a central question is whether visa changes can ease uncertainty for companies trying to invest and operate in the United States.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 09:18:53

KAIST researchers develop silicon-based hardware for complex optimization problems SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a silicon-based hardware platform designed to solve complex combinatorial optimization problems, the institute said Wednesday. A joint research team led by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Professors Choi Yang-kyu and Kim Sang-hyun from the School of Electrical Engineering succeeded in implementing an oscillatory Ising machine using standard silicon semiconductor processes. The system uses multiple vibrating elements, or oscillators, that interact with each other to naturally reach an energy-stable state representing the optimal solution. Combinatorial optimization involves finding the most efficient answer among a vast number of possibilities. These problems are central to logistics, financial portfolio management, and semiconductor circuit design, but they often overwhelm traditional computing architectures as the scale of data increases. The researchers addressed technical hurdles in previous Ising machines, such as frequency deviations between oscillators and limited connectivity. They introduced a new approach where both the oscillators and the couplers, which control interaction strength, are implemented using single silicon transistors. By using the floating body characteristics of transistors, the team created oscillators that can have their frequencies precisely adjusted via gate voltage. This method reduces synchronization errors and allows for multi-bit coupling, which enables the system to reflect the specific weights and importance of various conditions in a complex problem. The hardware was successfully tested on the Max-Cut problem, a representative optimization task used to maximize connections when dividing a network into two groups. Because the technology uses standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes, it can be mass-produced using existing South Korean semiconductor production lines without additional equipment investment. "This research is Ising machine hardware that has secured both scalability and precision by implementing both oscillators and couplers with silicon devices," Professor Choi Yang-kyu said. "It is expected to be applied to various industrial fields requiring large-scale combinatorial optimization, such as semiconductor design automation, communication network optimization, and resource distribution." The study, co-authored by doctoral student Yoon Seong-yun and Dr. Kim Joon-pyo, was published in the journal Science Advances on March 27, 2026. (Reference Information) Journal/Source: Science Advances Title: Scalable Ising machine composed entirely of Si transistors Link/DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adz2384 2026-05-06 09:18:30

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix jump about 10% to fresh record highs Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix surged to new record highs as expectations for an AI-driven investment cycle and foreign inflows reinforced a semiconductor-led rally. According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics was trading at 258,000 won as of 9:07 a.m., up 25,500 won, or 10.97%, from the previous session. SK Hynix rose 135,000 won, or 9.33%, to 1,582,000 won. It climbed as much as 10.64% intraday, briefly topping 1.6 million won. SK Square, SK Hynix’s holding company, jumped 15.94% to 1,149,000 won. Samsung Electronics’ preferred shares also advanced, up 9.08% to 185,000 won. Analysts cited optimism about the chip cycle and global market momentum. Strength in U.S. technology shares over the Children’s Day holiday was seen as feeding into sentiment in South Korea. Expectations that expanding AI investment will lift memory demand have also kept talk of a semiconductor “supercycle” alive. On May 5 (local time), U.S. stocks rose, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both closing at record highs, according to the report. Falling international oil prices also added to a supportive backdrop. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 258.32 points, or 1.03%, to finish at 25,326.126. Chip-related shares broadly advanced after reports said Apple began talks with Intel and Samsung Electronics to diversify its chip production. . 2026-05-06 09:15:15

South Korea Launches Two-Track Plan to Boost Tourism Demand and Stabilize Industry Funding The government is rolling out a two-track strategy to support South Korea’s tourism ecosystem, which has been hit by high oil prices and weak domestic demand. The plan aims to draw more foreign visitors to regional destinations to create new demand, while providing large-scale loans to cash-strapped tourism businesses to stabilize the industry’s supply chain. ◆ Steering foreign visitors to the regions with tailored transport options The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, led by Minister Choi Hwi-young, and the Korea Tourism Organization, headed by President Park Sung-hyuk, are running a regional tourism promotion campaign with global online travel agency Klook through June 3. To address what officials have cited as the biggest barrier — transportation convenience — the campaign expands booking access through Klook’s app and website. Foreign travelers can check real-time train schedules and seat availability across all Korail routes and make reservations. The service supports about 20 languages, 40 currencies and simplified payment options. During the campaign, Korail will release a limited-edition Railplus card. The tourism organization will provide a 6,000-won discount coupon, and Klook will offer a free travel eSIM. Starting in June, the government will also expand online booking channels for express and intercity buses. Foreign bus ridership in the second half of last year totaled 1.058 million, up 28.3% from 825,000 a year earlier, but travelers reported inconvenience due to low awareness of booking platforms. ◆ 437.5 billion won to stabilize the supply chain Alongside demand measures, the ministry is accelerating financial support to help the industry maintain basic capacity. The move is intended to limit damage to tourism businesses facing higher costs as elevated oil prices persist, including due to the fallout from the war in the Middle East. Of 200 billion won secured through a supplementary budget, the ministry will add 100 billion won to first-half loans from the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund. That raises planned first-half lending to 437.5 billion won from 337.5 billion won, effective immediately starting May 6. For the second half, the ministry plans to provide 370 billion won in loans by adding 70 billion won in remaining supplementary funds to the previously planned 300 billion won. ◆ Separate 30 billion won allocation for tourism startups The ministry is also offering targeted support for early-stage companies to promote longer-term innovation in the tourism industry. It set aside 30 billion won in separate “tourism startup loans” for small and midsize tourism businesses that are less than seven years old. The loans will be available through an always-on loan support center, with limits of 3 billion won for new construction, 1 billion won for renovations and 300 million won for operating funds. The ministry said it expects the financing to help innovative firms secure funding, establish themselves in the market and create quality jobs.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 09:12:15

Coupang Chairman Kim Bum-seok Says Data Breach Recovery Will Take Time Coupang founder and Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Bum-seok said the company will need time for a full recovery from last year’s personal data breach, though the impact from customer departures has eased. He said compensation costs and temporary inefficiencies in the logistics network weighed on first-quarter results. Speaking on a first-quarter earnings conference call held on May 6 (Korea time), Kim said product commerce revenue growth hit its low point in January, then improved each month year over year, with the pace of improvement accelerating in February and March. Coupang Inc. reported first-quarter revenue of 12.4597 trillion won, up 8% from 11.4876 trillion won a year earlier. It posted an operating loss of 354.5 billion won, about 52% of its 2025 full-year operating profit of 679.0 billion won. It was the first time Coupang’s quarterly revenue growth fell to a single-digit rate. Kim cited compensation tied to the data breach and temporary logistics inefficiencies as key drivers of the operating loss. In January, Coupang issued purchase vouchers worth 50,000 won per person to 33.7 million people in connection with the breach, for a total cost of 1.6850 trillion won. Kim said Coupang’s facility expansion and supply-chain planning are adjusted to demand trends based on predictable customer patterns. When external factors such as the data breach disrupt those patterns, he said, actual demand can fall short of planned demand, leaving the company to carry idle capacity and inventory costs during that period. Still, Kim said the recovery trend is continuing. “It will take time for year-over-year growth rates to fully reflect a fundamental recovery,” he said, adding that the January-to-March revenue growth trend is running ahead of past trends and that year-over-year comparisons will keep improving through the year. Kim said the company will continue to expand. “Beyond recovery, efforts to build the business are continuing,” he said, adding that automation and artificial intelligence across services, including logistics and delivery networks, are improving service levels while reducing costs. He said the changes are expected to contribute significantly to better customer experience and wider margins.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 09:09:15

UPDATE: Korea's inflation hits 21-month high, markets rally on *Updated with additional information and market response SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) — South Korea’s inflation accelerated to a 21-month high in April as a monthlong blockade of the Strait of Hormuz drove up imported fuel costs and price pressure from gas pumps to dining tables. According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MDAS) on Wednesday, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.5 percent from March and 2.6 percent from a year earlier, up from 2.2 percent in March. It was the fastest annual gain since July 2024, when inflation stood at 2.7 percent. The latest data reinforced concerns at the Bank of Korea that inflation could drift toward the 3 percent range if Middle East tensions persist and supply disruptions continue to pressure energy imports. The surge was led largely by petroleum-linked industrial goods. Industrial product prices rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier, accelerating from 2.7 percent in March. Petroleum prices alone soared 21.9 percent on year and 7.9 percent from the previous month, contributing 0.84 percentage point to headline inflation. The increase reflected both the impact of the Middle East war and a low base from last year. Dubai crude averaged $105.7 per barrel in April, compared with $67.7 a year earlier. Domestic gasoline prices rose to 1,986 won per liter from 1,647 won a year earlier, while diesel prices climbed to 1,979 won from 1,513 won. Among individual items, gasoline prices jumped 21.1 percent from a year earlier, while diesel prices surged 30.8 percent. Kerosene prices climbed 18.7 percent. Transportation recorded the steepest increase among major spending categories, rising 9.7 percent from a year earlier and 3.4 percent from March, contributing nearly one percentage point to overall inflation. Rising energy costs also spilled over into travel-related services. International airfare prices climbed 15.9 percent from a year earlier, while overseas package tour prices rose 11.5 percent, reflecting higher transportation and fuel-related costs amid prolonged instability in Middle Eastern shipping routes. Service-sector inflation remained elevated. Personal services prices rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier, with dining-out prices up 2.6 percent and other personal services up 3.5 percent. Agricultural prices continued to stabilize after last year’s weather-driven spikes. Agricultural, livestock and fisheries products fell 0.5 percent from a year earlier, while fresh food prices dropped 6.1 percent. Vegetable prices plunged 12.7 percent, led by declines in onions, radishes and napa cabbage. Still, some food items continued to rise sharply. Rice prices surged 14.4 percent from a year earlier, while pork, eggs and imported beef also posted gains. The Living Necessities Price Index, which tracks frequently purchased goods and services, climbed 2.9 percent on year in April, up from 2.3 percent in March. Excluding food, the index jumped 3.9 percent, underscoring the growing burden of energy-related costs on households. Core inflation remained relatively stable. Both the index excluding food and energy and the index excluding agricultural products and petroleum rose 2.2 percent from a year earlier, unchanged from March, highlighting how heavily the headline figure was driven by oil prices. “With uncertainty remaining due to the Middle East war and increased volatility in global oil prices, the government will make all-out efforts to stabilize prices felt by consumers,” the Ministry of Finance and Economy said in a statement. “We will prioritize petroleum products while closely managing items closely tied to people’s livelihoods through the price task force.” Markets largely shrugged off the ominous inflation data. As of 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, the benchmark KOSPI was up 5.6 percent to break the unchartered 7,300 mark, while the Korean won recovered to pre-war levels around 1,450 against the U.S. dollar. Government bond yields, in contrast, continued to weaken, with the three-year Treasury yield rising 2.6 basis points to 3.641 percent and the 10-year yield climbing 2.3 basis points to 3.955 percent during the morning session - amid Wednesday’s sharp rise in consumer prices, combined with earlier signals from Bank of Korea (BOK) Deputy Governor Ryoo Sang dai regarding a potential interest rate hike. 2026-05-06 09:06:21

BTS’ ‘SWIM’ Holds Top 3 on Billboard Global Charts for Sixth Week BTS extended its run near the top of Billboard’s global charts, keeping a top-three position for a sixth straight week. According to Billboard’s latest rankings released May 5 for the May 9 charts, “SWIM,” the title track from the group’s fifth full-length album “ARIRANG,” ranked No. 2 on both the Global (Excl. U.S.) and Global 200 charts. On the Global 200, it rose one spot from the previous week. The momentum has not been limited to the title track. Thirteen vocal tracks from the album — excluding the track featuring the bell sound of the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok — have remained on both global charts for six weeks, indicating continued listening across the full release. On Billboard’s main charts, “ARIRANG” placed No. 5 on the Billboard 200, staying in the top tier for six consecutive weeks. The album previously became the first by a Korean artist to rank No. 1 for three straight weeks. “SWIM” also held at No. 32 on the Hot 100 for a sixth week. The album and single posted steady results across other rankings. “ARIRANG” ranked No. 4 on Top Album Sales, No. 11 on Top Streaming Albums and No. 5 on Vinyl Albums. “SWIM” placed No. 16 on Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on Adult Contemporary, and also ranked No. 12 on Pop Airplay, No. 14 on Adult Pop Airplay and No. 24 on Radio Songs. The group’s current tour has also boosted interest in older material. “Pied Piper,” a 2017 track performed on the North American tour, re-entered the World Digital Song Sales chart at No. 9. BTS began its “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN NORTH AMERICA” on April 25 in Tampa and is playing 31 shows across 12 cities. The group met about 100,000 concertgoers on May 2-3 at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso and is set to continue the tour from May 7 at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City. Catalog interest has remained strong as well. The choreography version of the 2020 “Dynamite” music video recently surpassed 300 million views on YouTube, with the main video and related clips continuing to draw views. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 09:06:17

Innocean Opens Bengaluru Office to Expand in India’s Fast-Growing Ad Market Hyundai Motor Group affiliate Innocean said it is stepping up its push into the global advertising market by establishing a base in Bengaluru, India, as it looks for growth outside a shrinking domestic market. Innocean said May 6 it has opened a local office in Bengaluru — often called India’s Silicon Valley — and will expand its role into a tech-based business solutions hub that combines data, AI and content. Bengaluru is one of India’s key growth centers, home to tech companies, startups and global capability centers. Innocean India said it will build a hybrid business model at the new office by pairing data- and AI-driven performance and predictive analytics with content and platform planning. It also plans to strengthen its role as an offshoring service hub for the company’s global network. India is drawing attention as a new growth market for global advertising. With a population of more than 1.42 billion this year, it is one of the world’s largest consumer markets. Advertising-spend forecasts for major global markets show India’s ad market reached $13.8 billion (about 20.3895 trillion won) last year and is expected to grow 8% this year and 9.7% next year. By contrast, South Korea’s ad market has been contracting. According to the 2024 survey on the domestic broadcasting industry released last year by the Korea Communications Commission, broadcast advertising revenue totaled 2.3073 trillion won, down 183.2 billion won (7.4%) from a year earlier. Innocean India said it plans to expand client touchpoints and strengthen marketing execution, focusing on high-growth industries. Innocean established its India unit in 2005, its first overseas subsidiary, to secure opportunities including Bollywood. As of last year, non-affiliate clients accounted for a share in the 30% range, and the company said it has built a growth structure based on competitiveness in external markets. Chief Executive Officer Kim Jeong-a said the launch of the Bengaluru base is “not simply a regional expansion, but an important turning point for Innocean as it evolves beyond an agency into new business areas.” 2026-05-06 09:03:00

SK hynix tops 1.6 million won, Samsung Electronics hits 250,000 in premarket trade Shares of SK hynix and Samsung Electronics surged in premarket trading, extending a broader rally in chip stocks. According to Nextrade (NXT), SK hynix was trading at 1,609,000 won as of 8:48 a.m. on the 6th, up 11.2% from the previous session. Samsung Electronics rose 7.53% to 250,000 won. The gains were attributed to expectations for improving global semiconductor conditions. Overnight, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 4.23% to a record high. The MSCI Korea ETF jumped 6.04%, and the MSCI Emerging Markets ETF rose 2.03%, signaling continued appetite for risk assets. On the back of that momentum, the Kospi is expected to attempt a move above the 7,000 level. In the previous session on the 4th, the Kospi closed at 6,936.99, up 338.12 points (5.12%), helped by net buying from foreign and institutional investors. SK hynix led that advance, ending up 12.52% at 1,447,000 won. Samsung Electronics gained 5.44% and, during the session, set a new high for the year, surpassing 230,000 won (April 30).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 09:01:19

Dating Show Sparks Ethics Debate After Delaying Disclosure of Children A dating reality show can build its story around feelings, but critics say it should not do so by withholding basic facts about participants' lives. MBC Every1 and E Channel's "Love Dorm School: Divorced and Never-Dated" has drawn questions about production ethics after it held introductions without disclosing whether divorced participants have children. In the episode aired May 5, the divorced women introduced themselves, sharing their ages, jobs and views on dating. Their occupations included an English academy director, hair designer, beauty shop owner, nurse, home-shopping host and editorial designer. The introductions shifted the interest levels of the men, who are portrayed as having no dating experience. The segment did not include whether participants have children or the reasons for their divorces. Producers may have concluded that delaying those details would help cast members get to know each other without preconceptions. In similar shows, relationships have often cooled sharply after a participant reveals they have children, and the program may have sought to avoid reducing someone to a single condition. Still, the article argues that the rationale does not settle the ethical question. Whether someone has children is not routine biographical detail, it said, but a key factor in relationships that could lead to marriage. Because the show centers on divorced women seeking to date again and men with no dating experience, the article said the information should be shared before feelings deepen, not saved as a twist. The article said dating programs often delay core disclosures in the name of "emotional storytelling," but emotions should not be built by obscuring reality. A late reveal may create drama for viewers, it said, while placing pressure on participants who must reconcile growing feelings with practical decisions. It also said parents on the show risk having a central part of their lives treated as a test or plot device. Delaying disclosure may encourage people to see each other as individuals rather than checklists, the article said, but it can also postpone necessary judgment until after emotions take hold. It said the risk is higher for the "never-dated" men, who may be more likely to treat early feelings as absolute and underestimate the responsibilities involved. The article cited the sentiment "I'll raise them with love" as something that can sound appealing, while noting that parenting and family relationships cannot be handled by emotion alone. The article stressed that dating someone with children is not impossible and that having children is not disqualifying. Precisely for that reason, it said, the issue should be handled with greater care. Children are not a weakness or a "reversal" for television, it said, but a deeply connected part of a person's life and a factor that requires real responsibility and consideration from a partner. When and how that information is shared reflects how producers treat participants, not just an editing choice. It also described the show's premise as risky from the start: placing people who have experienced the end of love together with those who have not experienced its beginning, and watching the gap. That structure, it said, calls for stronger safeguards. In that context, delaying disclosure about children functions less as protection and more as a device to heighten emotional swings, the article said. The article said the appeal of dating shows should not depend on hiding information. Deeper stories can emerge, it argued, when participants choose despite knowing each other's realities. Disclosing whether someone has children does not erase emotion, it said; it can instead show the real choices people make, including approaching, hesitating or stepping back honestly. Producer Kim Jae-hoon has said he wanted to make a program that breaks prejudice. The article said doing that requires design that helps viewers see people in full even with the facts, not by concealing them. If the show aims to move beyond bias, it said, it should not treat participants' realities as obstacles to the story. Whether someone has children is not a "dopamine" bomb, it said, but part of a life and information that deserves respect in any decision about a relationship. It concluded that programs that help people understand one another differ from those that turn people into dramatic consumption, and said the show must prove it knows the difference. 2026-05-06 08:57:17