Korea Construction Association Holds Policy Meeting With Chungcheong Members The Korea Construction Association said it held a policy meeting on the 27th at its Sejong office for member companies in Daejeon and North and South Chungcheong provinces. Attendees included association President Han Seung-gu; Choi Gil-hak, head of the Chungnam-Sejong chapter; Choi Tae-jin, head of the Seoul chapter; Jeong Hyeong-yeol, head of the Busan chapter; So Jae-cheol, head of the Jeonbuk chapter; Hwang Geun-sun, head of the Gyeonggi chapter; Choi Mun-gyu, head of the Daejeon chapter; Jang Hong-su, head of the Ulsan chapter; Yoo Jeong-seon, head of the Chungbuk chapter; Hwang In-il, head of the Gwangju chapter; Choi Sang-sun, head of the Gangwon chapter; and Kang Dong-guk, head of the Gyeongnam chapter, along with about 40 representatives from member companies in Daejeon, Chungbuk and Chungnam. Park Seong-yong, an attorney at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, gave a presentation on key considerations and advance preparations for family business succession at small and midsize construction firms. The association also briefed participants on major initiatives and heard concerns and key issues raised by the regional construction industry. Han said the association plans to visit member companies nationwide through regional meetings this year, starting with the Chungcheong area, following last year’s nationwide meetings. He said that with worsening conditions at home and abroad, regional members are facing particularly severe difficulties, and the association will strengthen its response to help address them. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:50:51

China’s DeepSeek Cuts Prices Up to 75% After Launching V4 AI Models China’s AI startup DeepSeek is moving quickly to win customers, rolling out steep price cuts immediately after unveiling its latest model, “DeepSeek V4.” DeepSeek introduced two preview versions on April 24: the high-performance, higher-priced “V4 Pro” and the lighter, lower-cost “V4 Flash.” According to China’s National Business Daily and other outlets, the company said April 25 it would offer V4 Pro at a 75% discount through May 5. On April 26, it also said it would cut the cost of “input cache hits” — when the same input is reused — across its product lineup to about one-tenth of the previous level. After the change, V4 Pro’s input cache-hit fee fell to 0.025 yuan per 1 million tokens (about 5.39 won), about one-fortieth of the earlier price. Even before the discount, the pricing was lower than OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5.5 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.7, the report said. The cuts had an immediate impact. Traffic surged after launch, and on April 25 alone, calls to V4 Pro totaled 13.6 billion tokens, about four times the previous day. V4 Flash reached 50.2 billion tokens, up about 86%. It remains unclear whether the momentum will last. V4 has not yet appeared in the weekly rankings of OpenRouter, a global AI model platform. Still, DeepSeek’s ultra-low pricing is widely seen as putting pressure on rivals. After news of the V4 discounts, shares of Chinese AI firm MiniMax fell as much as 10% intraday in Hong Kong on April 27 local time, while Zhipu AI dropped more than 3.5%. Hu Yanping, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told National Business Daily that the sharp reduction in token fees was aimed at attracting large numbers of corporate and developer customers. He said it would likely pull down price expectations for competing China-based models such as Kimi, MiniMax and Qwen. DeepSeek also upgraded performance. Both V4 Pro and V4 Flash support context windows of up to 1 million tokens, with improvements in code generation, reasoning and long-form processing. Some benchmarks have rated them as competitive with top global models. The models are described as well-suited for AI agent tasks beyond simple chatbots, though they are also known to require substantial computing resources. Unlike earlier DeepSeek models that relied on U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, V4 was designed to run on infrastructure based on Huawei’s in-house Ascend chips. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that the model’s release was delayed more than expected due to the shift to Huawei semiconductors, reflecting China’s push to strengthen AI self-reliance. On April 26, the social media account “Yuyuantantian,” affiliated with China Central Television, said “domestic computing power supported V4,” highlighting cooperation between DeepSeek and Huawei’s Ascend chip systems.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:49:55

Japan’s Hokkaido Hit by Magnitude 6.2 Quake as Aftershock Advisory Nears End Seismic activity off Japan’s northeast coast is again drawing attention after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Hokkaido early on the day an “aftershock advisory” issued following last week’s major quake was set to end. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake occurred at about 5:23 a.m. on April 27, centered in southern Tokachi in Hokkaido. It registered a maximum intensity of “upper 5” on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Urahoro. The intensity scale reflects how strongly shaking is felt in a given area, unlike magnitude, which measures the energy released. An upper-5 reading can disrupt most people’s actions and topple unsecured furniture. The quake’s depth was about 83 kilometers (52 miles). No major damage had been confirmed as of the agency’s report, and Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said it had found no abnormalities at the Tomari nuclear power plant. The tremor came exactly one week after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Sanriku on April 20. After that quake, the Japanese government and the meteorological agency said the likelihood of another strong quake was higher than usual and issued an “aftershock advisory” for 182 municipalities across seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba. The advisory is maintained for about a week, and the Hokkaido quake coincided with its scheduled end. The meteorological agency said the two quakes did not appear to be directly linked. “This earthquake does not appear to have a direct relationship with the April 20 earthquake,” it said at a news conference, adding that it was “not covered by the aftershock advisory.” The agency also warned that “for about the next week, caution is needed for earthquakes of a similar magnitude.” Japan introduced the aftershock advisory system after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, when a magnitude 7.3 quake struck two days earlier. The system has been in operation since December 2022. It is issued when a magnitude 7-class or larger quake occurs in designated offshore areas such as the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench, based on statistics showing the probability of a major quake within seven days rises from about 0.1% to about 1%. It is a probabilistic warning aimed at strengthening preparedness while maintaining daily life. Nikkei reported the latest advisory was the second, following one in December 2025, and said 182 areas expected to face shaking of at least “lower 6” intensity or a tsunami of 3 meters (about 10 feet) or higher were designated for disaster-response measures. The Pacific coast from Sanriku to Hokkaido sits on an active boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the landward plate, allowing stress to build until it is released in earthquakes. The Asahi Shimbun, citing a briefing by Tohoku University’s International Research Institute of Disaster Science, reported that earthquake swarms began around November last year off Sanriku and that a “slow slip” — gradual movement along the plate boundary — continued until just before the April 20 quake. Slow slip can ease deformation but can also add pressure to nearby faults. Tohoku University professor Fumiaki Tomita said the slow slip may have helped trigger the magnitude 7.7 quake, according to the report. Asahi also cited an analysis by a team led by Shizuoka Prefectural University specially appointed professor Kazuyoshi Nanjo, saying the “b-value,” a metric used to quantify earthquake patterns, has been particularly low offshore near Hokkaido. A low b-value is seen as a sign of stress accumulation and was reported to overlap with a decades-long “gap” zone where large quakes have not occurred. A similar tendency was observed off Sanriku before the 2011 disaster, the paper said. Asahi reported that Japan’s Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion said in December 2017 that it was “highly urgent” that a magnitude 8.8 or larger megaquake could occur in the region. The assessment was based on analyses of past tsunami deposits indicating such events recur on average every 340 to 380 years, and nearly 400 years have passed since the last one in the early 17th century. Asahi said two papers published in February supported that “urgency” with modern observational data, and that recent abstracts from universities and research institutions have included phrases such as “a state requiring caution continues” and “a recurrence may be imminent.” The newspaper said researchers refer to this centuries-long repetition of megaquakes as a “supercycle.” Asahi also cited a Tohoku University team’s five-year seafloor observations off Nemuro, saying the Pacific Plate and the upper plate were moving at nearly the same speed and direction and were strongly locked. The team said deformation accumulated since the early 17th-century megaquake may already have reached a level capable of producing a quake of similar size, concluding it should be considered “not strange no matter when it happens.” The report noted this is different in character from the “Nankai Trough megaquake,” a separate type of potential megaquake expected off Japan’s southeast coast. Even as warnings persist, public response remains a concern. Asahi said a Cabinet Office survey of 3,500 residents in advisory areas after the first advisory in December found 80% had seen the information, but only 8% said they had prepared to evacuate immediately. More than half took no action despite hearing the advisory, the paper said. Tohoku University professor Shosuke Sato, noting the start of the Golden Week holiday period, said there was no need to change travel plans but urged people to confirm evacuation sites at their destinations in advance. Misinformation also spread on social media, Asahi reported. It said that after the April 20 quake, videos filmed during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake circulated on X, formerly Twitter, with captions claiming they showed “the moment the quake hit,” and tsunami footage from the 2011 disaster was also shared as if it were current. Posts also circulated an image that appeared to be generated by AI alongside an unfounded claim that “the likelihood of an aftershock is highest around 3 p.m. on the 21st.” Asahi said accounts posting the videos were based not only in Japan but also in South Asia, Europe and China, and many posts appeared to be automatic translations of foreign languages. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry asked five major social media operators, including Google, Meta and X, on the day of the quake to take steps to prevent the spread of false information. Experts caution against treating any single quake as proof that a catastrophe is imminent, noting that earthquakes are inherently difficult to predict precisely in timing and size. Still, they say observational data indicate energy is building underground, and they urge people to begin preparedness now even without forecasting a specific date. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:48:19

South Korea: Elementary Student Faints After Neck Caught on Illegal Banner Cord An elementary school student in Pocheon, South Korea, fainted after his neck became caught on a banner cord while crossing a crosswalk, according to a local report. Gyeonggi Ilbo reported on April 27 that the incident happened about 4 p.m. on April 25 near the Jungang Intersection in Songu-ri, Soheul-eup, Pocheon. The 11-year-old boy, identified only as A, was crossing with friends when a thin banner string that was hard to see snagged his neck, knocking him to the ground. The sudden pressure caused him to lose consciousness. Pocheon City Council member Kim Hyeon-gyu, who witnessed the scene, called 119, the report said. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated, the report said. A Pocheon Fire Station official told Gyeonggi Ilbo that the boy had injuries including abrasions to his neck and showed temporary loss of consciousness. The official said the hospital was conducting tests to determine his condition. 2026-04-27 16:45:15

May Movie Releases: 'Mortal Kombat 2,' Michael Jackson Biopic, Korean Zombie Thriller and New Star Wars Film May theaters are preparing a lineup of genre films, from a video game-based action blockbuster to a music biopic, a Korean zombie suspense film and a new Star Wars title. First up is the video game-based action film 'Mortal Kombat 2,' set for release May 6. A sequel to 2021's 'Mortal Kombat,' it puts the franchise’s signature lethal tournament fights and fantasy action front and center. The previous film drew attention for its intense action and built-in fan base; the new installment signals an expanded universe with the addition of new characters including Johnny Cage. On May 13, the music biopic 'Michael' arrives. The film covers the life and music of pop star Michael Jackson, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role and Antoine Fuqua, who directed 'Training Day' and 'The Equalizer,' at the helm. It opened in North America on the 24th and has also drawn notice for its global box office performance in its first weekend. Among anticipated Korean films is director Yeon Sang-ho’s new movie 'The Colony,' opening May 21, with an IMAX release also confirmed. The cast includes Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo. It follows people trapped in a sealed space as they fight unidentified infected individuals. Yeon previously demonstrated the commercial potential of Korea’s zombie genre with 'Train to Busan,' and the new film has drawn strong interest from genre fans. Later in the month, the Star Wars film 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is scheduled for May 27. A theatrical feature based on the Disney+ series 'The Mandalorian,' it is directed and co-written by Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni also credited as a co-writer. The film expands the adventures of Din Djarin and Grogu onto the big screen, with attention on whether Star Wars will rally its fan base in theaters after a long gap. Also in the mix is 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' opening April 29. While not a May release, its timing is expected to directly affect early May box office competition. It is the first sequel in 20 years to the 2006 film 'The Devil Wears Prada,' with key cast members including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt returning. Attention is also on the box office performance of the animated film 'Super Mario Galaxy,' which opens the same day. Overall, May’s slate is not concentrated in a single genre but aimed at distinct audience segments: 'Mortal Kombat 2' for game and action fans, 'Michael' for music and biographical-film audiences, 'The Colony' for Korean genre-film viewers and 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' for Star Wars fans. If 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' sustains momentum into early May, theaters are expected to see closely spaced releases competing from late April through late May. 2026-04-27 16:38:26

Big Tech Earnings Week Seen as Key Test for U.S. Stock Rally U.S. markets are turning their attention to a heavy week of earnings from major technology companies, with results expected to help determine the next move for stocks. Tech shares have led gains even as tensions between the United States and Iran have added to uncertainty. MarketWatch reported April 26 that Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are scheduled to report results after the close April 29 (Korea time: the morning of April 30). Apple is set to report after the close the next day (Korea time: the morning of May 1). U.S. stocks have continued to rise despite instability in the Middle East. The Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Nasdaq have climbed for four straight weeks, extending runs of record highs. Analysts say Big Tech has been central to the rally. Tech stocks are widely viewed as relatively defensive. Even if growth concerns increase, solid earnings can support sentiment, and if geopolitical risks rise, the sector is seen as less exposed to the impact of higher oil prices. Garrett Melson, a portfolio strategist at Natixis Investment Managers Solutions, said tech stocks are set up to “win either way,” arguing that strong results can underpin confidence even if the U.S. economy slows. The largest technology names — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla and Meta, often called the “Magnificent Seven” — have remained core holdings for many investors on expectations of artificial intelligence-driven growth. Related exchange-traded funds have rebounded sharply in April, recovering much of their earlier losses. Kevin Shaye, chief strategist at BNY Wealth, said April trading reflected the view that tech valuations were attractive and that the fundamentals of the AI ecosystem remained positive even as war raised questions about a cyclical recovery. He said large-cap tech has again drawn buying and led the market, adding that the sector’s growth drivers are more structural than macroeconomic. MarketWatch said whether that optimism holds may depend on this week’s earnings. Matt Weller, head of research at StoneX, said the key issue this season is not the size of AI and data center spending itself, but the profitability of that investment. With Big Tech companies having poured large sums into data centers and AI infrastructure, he said investors want evidence it is translating into returns. The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, also due the same day, is another factor. Markets largely expect rates to be held at current levels, but uncertainty remains over the selection of a successor to Chair Jerome Powell and the direction of policy. MarketWatch said earnings that meet expectations could help extend the rally, while disappointing results could increase volatility.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:36:53

KOSPI Hits Record 6,600 as Retail Day Trading Pushes April Turnover Near 40% The rally to record highs is accelerating in South Korea’s stock market, and short-term trading is rising with it. The KOSPI on the 27th climbed past 6,600 for the first time, and April turnover is nearing 40% as investors rapidly rotate in and out of shares. According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI closed at 6,615.03, up 139.40 points, or 2.15%, from the previous session. The index also broke above 6,600 during the session, putting the 7,000 level within sight. By investor type, foreigners and institutions were net buyers, purchasing 890.5 billion won and 1.1015 trillion won, respectively. Retail investors were net sellers of 1.9763 trillion won, a sign of heavy profit-taking. In recent sessions, retail investors have often sold into strength and bought on dips. That pattern is reflected in turnover, a measure calculated by dividing trading volume by the number of listed shares. Higher turnover indicates more frequent changes in ownership — often associated with day trading. As of the 27th, April turnover stood at 37.63%, meaning about 3.7 out of every 10 listed shares changed hands over the month. It was below March’s 40.55% but above January’s 31.29% and February’s 34.08%. With three trading days left in the month, April could still surpass March. Daily data also point to brisk short-term trading. This month, turnover exceeded 2% on six sessions: the 2nd (2.47%), 16th (2.36%), 23rd (2.27%), 10th (2.10%), 17th (2.10%) and 15th (2.05%). Most of those sessions — except the 2nd and 17th — ended higher, suggesting momentum buying and profit-taking were both active during the upswing. Turnover jumped not only on the 2nd, when investor sentiment weakened after U.S. President Donald Trump made hard-line remarks toward Iran, but also on the 16th, when the index first broke above 6,200 after the outbreak of the Iran war. Similar moves were seen on the 23rd, when semiconductor strength lifted the index to around 6,470 and a fresh record, and on the 15th, when it settled above 6,000. The surge in turnover suggests a market increasingly driven by short-term trades. Faster rotation can also amplify risk, especially when paired with leveraged bets. Kim Seok-hwan, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities, warned that “the expansion of direct investment using leverage should be noted as it may be exposed to volatility risk going forward.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:36:19

Nexon, SOOP launch N-CONNECT preseason to link streamers, users and games SOOP is teaming up with Nexon to build a new ecosystem that connects streamers, users and games. SOOP said it will begin a preseason for “N-CONNECT,” a streamer-focused program, starting on the 27th. The rollout includes an account-linking service that connects the two companies’ activity data in real time. N-CONNECT is designed to tie together streamers’ content activity, user participation and in-game experiences. Centered on Nexon titles, it aims to expand viewing and participation so users and streamers can interact more naturally. Streamers who join will operate as “N-Connectors,” broadcasting Nexon games and engaging with viewers. Participants can receive content support funds, drops and special goods, with rewards structured around three pillars — activity, growth and impact — to encourage sustained participation. Any streamer who broadcasts on SOOP can take part. Streamers who log at least 10 hours in Nexon game categories will receive N-CONNECT special goods. SOOP and Nexon will also run promotional support to help general streamers grow. Benefits are also planned for users. Those who link their Nexon game accounts with SOOP accounts can receive rewards such as drops-event items and Nexon Cash. The companies said they will gradually expand in-game benefits and other participation events during the preseason. The N-CONNECT preseason will run for about five months, through September. SOOP and Nexon said they plan to refine the program based on participation data and feedback from users and streamers, then expand it into an official season. A SOOP official said the companies plan to keep strengthening a participation-based ecosystem that combines game content and live streaming, starting with N-CONNECT.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:33:14

LH Holds Briefing With Builders to Advance Small-Scale Housing Renewal Projects 한국토지주택공사(LH)는 민간 건설사와 소규모주택정비 관리지역의 사업 활성화를 위한 소통 간담회를 개최했다고 27일 밝혔다. LH는 이번 간담회에서 소규모주택정비 관리지역(서울시 모아타운)의 사업 장점과 인센티브를 소개하며, 우수 건설사의 참여를 유도했다고 설명했다. LH는 앞으로 시공사 선정이 필요한 관리지역 8곳(약 7300가구 규모)에 대한 선정 로드맵도 제시했다. LH는 올해 관악난곡, 서대문홍제, 강서화곡, 금천시흥2 등 4곳의 시공사를 선정할 계획이다. 내년에는 동작노량진, 성북종암, 종로구기, 인천가정 등 수도권 4곳의 시공사 선정을 완료할 예정이다. LH는 관리지역으로 지정되면 사업 면적을 최대 4만㎡까지 확대할 수 있어 규모의 경제를 기대할 수 있고, 설계·시공 통합발주가 가능해 속도와 효율을 높일 수 있다고 밝혔다. 또 주택도시기금의 저리 융자를 통해 초기 사업비를 안정적으로 조달할 수 있으며, 정비계획 수립 절차를 생략할 수 있어 사업 기간 단축에도 도움이 된다고 덧붙였다. 박현근 LH 수도권정비사업특별본부장은 “이번 간담회를 계기로 사업 규모 확대와 공공 지원책을 널리 알려, 역량을 갖춘 중·대형 건설사들이 적극적으로 참여할 수 있도록 노력하겠다”고 말했다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:30:15

Sony Raises PS5 Prices in South Korea as Memory Costs Surge Surging semiconductor demand tied to the spread of artificial intelligence has driven memory prices sharply higher, prompting a steep increase in Sony's PlayStation 5 console prices in South Korea. The so-called “chipflation” is spreading across consumer IT devices. Sony Interactive Entertainment Korea said on the 27th it will raise PS5 prices in the Korean market, with the new prices taking effect May 1. The PS5 Digital Edition will rise 43.48% to 858,000 won from 598,000 won. The PS5 Disc Edition, which supports physical discs, will increase 26.74% to 948,000 won from 748,000 won. The higher-end PS5 Pro will climb 16.1% to 1,298,000 won from 1,118,000 won. The adjustment follows moves in other markets. Earlier this month, Sony Interactive Entertainment raised PS5 prices by about $100 in major markets including the United States. At the time, SIE Vice President Isabelle Tomatis said, “Amid continued cost pressure across the global economic environment, a price adjustment was unavoidable.” Industry officials point to structural shifts in the memory-chip market. As demand for AI servers jumps, chipmakers are focusing production on high-bandwidth memory and higher-capacity products, while supplies of consumer DRAM and NAND flash are tightening, analysts say. Memory prices have been rising quickly. Counterpoint Research said first-quarter DRAM prices jumped more than 50% and NAND flash more than 90%. TrendForce forecast additional second-quarter increases of 90% to 95% for DRAM and 55% to 60% for NAND flash from the previous quarter. The trend is extending beyond game consoles. Prices for laptops and smartphones, which also rely heavily on memory components, are rising as well. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have recently raised laptop prices by as much as nearly 1 million won compared with previous models, and new smartphone launch prices are also moving higher. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 16:28:09