Lee Jae Myung Floats Possible Sugar Tax, Sparking Health vs. Inflation Debate President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday raised the possibility of introducing a “sugar levy,” often called a sugar tax, to curb sugar consumption, prompting competing arguments over public health benefits and concerns about higher prices. Lee shared an article on X, formerly Twitter, titled “A sweet addiction stronger than drugs; 80% support introducing a sugar tax,” and asked for public input. “Like tobacco, what about curbing sugar use with a sugar levy and reinvesting the revenue to strength January 28, 2026

LG Household & Health Care Reports 2025 Operating Profit Down 62.8% LG Household & Health Care said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that its 2025 consolidated revenue fell 6.7% from a year earlier to 6.3555 trillion won, while operating profit dropped 62.8% to 170.7 billion won. Fourth-quarter revenue declined 8.5% to 1.4728 trillion won, and the company posted an operating loss of 72.7 billion won, swinging to a loss from a year earlier. The company said results weakened as it booked large one-time costs tied to an aggressive overhaul of distributi January 28, 2026

U.N. Command Says South Korea’s Proposed DMZ Law Violates Armistice The U.N. Command said a ruling party-backed bill on the “peaceful use” of the Demilitarized Zone conflicts with the Korean War armistice. A U.N. Command official told reporters on Tuesday afternoon at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel on the Yongsan base that if the DMZ bill passes, it would “directly violate” the armistice and would be tantamount to the South Korean government declaring it is not subject to the agreement. The official said jurisdiction over the DMZ south of the Military D January 28, 2026

Fire Reported in Cheonan’s Seobuk District; Residents Warned About Smoke A fire broke out in Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province’s Seobuk District. Cheonan city sent an emergency text alert on Tuesday saying a fire was reported at about 5:17 p.m. at 661-2 Seonghwan-ri, Seonghwan-eup, Seobuk District. The city urged nearby residents to watch for smoke inhalation and asked drivers to take alternate routes. * This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026

Forum Urges Sustainable Use of Pyeongchang Olympic Legacy for Winter Sports Tourism The 'K-Winter Sports Tourism Global Competitiveness Forum' was held on Jan. 27 at the Athens Hall of the Olympic Parktel in Seoul to discuss the future of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics legacy and ways to boost winter sports tourism. Discussions centered on how to use key Olympic facilities — including Pyeongchang Alpensia and the Jeongseon Alpine Ski Center — as sustainable assets embedded in local communities and industry, rather than limiting debate to whether they should be dismantled January 28, 2026

South Korean parties agree to pass 90 noncontroversial bills, revise filibuster rules Rival parties agreed to pass 90 noncontroversial bills at a National Assembly plenary session on Jan. 29, and to also take up a revision to the National Assembly Act that would change rules for filibusters. Cheon Jun-ho, the Democratic Party’s senior deputy floor leader for operations, and Yoo Sang-bum, the People Power Party’s counterpart, announced the agreement after meeting Tuesday at the National Assembly. Cheon told reporters that of 175 bills on the plenary agenda, the parties January 28, 2026

Lee Jae Myung urges expanded defense, energy cooperation with Qatar in meeting with emir’s envoy President Lee Jae Myung asked Qatar to expand cooperation with South Korea in areas including defense, the defense industry and energy, his office said Tuesday. Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Nam Jun said in a written briefing that Lee met in the morning with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, a special envoy of Qatar’s emir. Lee said the envoy’s swift visit after last week’s phone call with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani showed “the two countries’ firm commitment to cooperation. January 28, 2026

KOSPI's bull run pushes South Korea to world's 10th-largest stock market SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI continued its bull run, closing at 5,170.81, while the junior KOSDAQ also finished above the 1,100 level at 1,133.52. The weeks-long rally that began at the start of the new year has lifted South Korea's stock market to a valuation of $3.25 trillion, surpassing Germany's $3.22 trillion and making it the world's 10th-largest stock market, just behind Taiwan, according to Bloomberg's compiled data. Wednesda January 28, 2026

KSD: 25 Listed Companies Changed Par Value Last Year, Down 12 From Prior Year The Korea Securities Depository said on Tuesday that 25 listed companies, including Young Poong Co., changed their shares’ par value last year, down 12 from the previous year. By market, five companies on the Korea Exchange’s main board and 20 on the Kosdaq carried out par value changes, down two and 10, respectively. Par value changes include stock splits and reverse stock splits. By type, 13 companies conducted stock splits, often aimed at improving trading liquidity, while 12 carried January 28, 2026

HiteJinro’s Filite Hits Record 2025 Shipments; Cass Tops Brand Hall of Fame Again HiteJinro’s Filite posts record 2025 shipments HiteJinro said Tuesday that 2025 annual shipments of Filite, the top brand in South Korea’s malt-based sparkling beer category, reached about 340 million cans (based on 350 milliliters), the highest on record. Cumulative sales totaled 2.66 billion cans, nearing 2.7 billion. According to Nielsen Korea data through December 2025, Filite kept its No. 1 position, widening its lead over the No. 2 brand by more than fourfold. It ranked first in sa January 28, 2026