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  Scent of soil and legacy at the 40th Icheon ceramic festival SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - The air at the festival entrance is thick with the scent of wet soil and fresh grass. Families, elderly couples, and travelers with cameras walk together along a 900-meter stretch of workshops. The most significant change to the Icheon ceramic festival this year is the expansion of space. The three villages of Ye’s Park are now connected into a single route. Visitors wander through the entire village as part of a stay-and-experience cultural model. April 30, 2026
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  At War 60 Days: Trump again crying wolf? Seoul dismisses US troop pullout worries SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - Washington has hardly been shy about prioritizing a home-first defense strategy over the Indo-Pacific, with repeated signals of potential rollbacks in U.S. force deployments in both Europe and South Korea — a direction embedded in its National Defense Strategy. Those warnings have only grown louder as allies have shown limited appetite to back Washington in its confrontation with Iran. Seoul, however, is drawing a firm line against speculation. Sout April 30, 2026
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  BTS Busan concert sells out in presale as global tour demand surges SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - BTS’ upcoming Busan concert has sold out during the fan club presale, highlighting strong demand for the group’s global tour, BigHit Music said Thursday. Tickets for the BTS Busan concert, part of the “BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Busan,” scheduled for June 12 and 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, were fully sold out during the membership presale, which opened on Thursday via NOL Ticket, South Korea's popular onlin April 30, 2026
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  At War 60 Days: Korea learns to wean off Gulf crude and naphtha SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - A return to unfettered access through the Strait of Hormuz — and to the cartel-defined Gulf order that once governed energy flows — is increasingly unlikely, even if Middle East tensions ease. For South Korea and other import-dependent economies, the emerging reality is one where security premiums outweigh the old calculus of cost and efficiency. Seoul is already adapting. South Korea has secured 74.62 million barrels of crude for May, roughly April 30, 2026
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  Top court upholds guilty verdicts for all protesters in violent court intrusion case SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - Some 18 die-hard supporters of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol including far-right YouTubers, were handed prison terms or suspended sentences on Thursday, as the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's rulings on charges of trespassing, causing a disturbance, and other offences. Some 59 people were convicted after breaking into the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo in January last year in a protest against Yoon's arrest over his botched mar April 30, 2026
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  LG Chem swings to Q1 operating loss amid EV slowdown, chemical headwinds SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - LG Chem, South Korea's largest chemical maker, reported a first-quarter operating loss of 49.7 billion won ($33.4 million), swinging from a profit a year earlier, as weakening demand across its core businesses and raw material cost volatility eroded margins. The company posted consolidated revenue of 12.25 trillion won for the January-March period, down 2.6 percent from a year ago, but up 6.2 percent from the preceding quarter, according to a regulatory f April 30, 2026
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  Korean Economy/Business Calendar SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - May 6 (Wed) Apr. 2026 Consumer Price Index (Preliminary) - Ministry of Data and Statistics May 8 (Fri) Mar. 2026 Balance of Payments (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea May 13 (Wed) Apr. 2026 Employment Trends - Ministry of Data and Statistics Mar. 2026 Money and Liquidity - Bank of Korea May 15 (Fri) Apr. 2026 Export/Import Prices + Trade Indices (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea May 19 (Tue) Q1 2026 Household Credit (Preliminary) - Bank of Korea April 30, 2026
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  LG Energy Solution posts second straight loss, bets on ESS pivot SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution reported its second consecutive quarterly operating loss in the first three months of 2026, hit by shrinking U.S. battery subsidies and weak electric vehicle demand. The nation's largest battery maker posted a consolidated operating loss of 207.8 billion won ($139.7 million) for the January to March period, reversing an operating profit of 374.7 billion won a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday. Revenue slipped April 30, 2026
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  KOSPI tests 6,700 milestone amid heavy tug-of-war SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - South Korea's main index is set to end weekly session at fresh historic high, breaking above the 6,700 mark for the first time as foreign buying fended off local profit-taking. The KOSPI rose 0.4 percent to 6,713.16 as of 11:20 a.m. Thursday, testing above 6,700 mark for the first time. Foreign investors bought 332.7 billion won($224 million), while institutions and retail investors sold 214.9 billion won and 90.4 billion won, respectively. The marke April 30, 2026
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  S. Korea sees record inbound tourism driven by resurgent Chinese and Japanese markets SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - South Korea welcomed a record-breaking number of inbound visitors this month, with the majority of travelers arriving from China and Japan, alongside significant contributions from Taiwan and the United States, data released by the state tourism agency showed Thursday. This surge marks a pivotal moment for the nation's tourism sector, signaling a transition from post-pandemic recovery into a period of historic expansion. According to the latest report f April 30, 2026