South Korea, U.S. Hold Third Visa Working Group Talks; B-1 Adds 'Specialized Trainers' Category South Korean and U.S. government delegations held a third round of consultations under the “South Korea-U.S. Business Travel and Visa Working Group.” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting was held in Seoul on Jan. 28. The South Korean delegation was led by Kim Seon Young, director general for bilateral economic diplomacy, and the U.S. side included Jonathan Fritz, senior deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs. The U.S. side said a “Specialized Trainers” i January 28, 2026

President Lee Calls for Broad Review of Capital Markets, Orders Exchange Reform President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea should take a broad look at its capital markets and also ordered reforms at the exchange.* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026

South Korea’s presidential office says it is seeking calm tariff solution, cites Kim-Lutnick channel Breaking: Cheong Wa Dae says it is calmly seeking solutions on tariffs; Kim Jeonggwan-Lutnick channel is important* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026

South Korea Expands Youth Internships, but Participants Say Impact Is Limited South Korea’s “youth intern” program at public institutions, introduced to give young people work experience and serve as a bridge to full-time jobs, is drawing criticism that it is not delivering meaningful employment benefits in practice. The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Wednesday the government plans to expand youth intern hiring this year to 24,000, up 3,000 from last year. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said the government will “actively support” youn January 28, 2026

South Korea’s Blue House Says U.S. Frustrated by Delay in Korea-U.S. Special Law Breaking: The Blue House said the United States appears frustrated that investment projects have been delayed due to a holdup in a special law related to the United States.* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026

South Korea’s Blue House Says U.S. Complaints Stem From Legislative Delays Breaking: The Blue House said U.S. dissatisfaction is “100%” due to delays in legislation and said it will explain its efforts to move the bills forward.* This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026

South Korean Lawmakers Clash Over Trump’s Proposed Tariff Hike and Ratification Claims Lawmakers traded blame Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s sudden plan to raise tariffs on South Korea, with the People Power Party arguing the government failed to secure National Assembly approval for follow-up steps in U.S. tariff negotiations after Prime Minister Kim Min Seok’s trip to Washington. The Democratic Party countered that Trump’s approach to diplomacy and trade is unconventional and said a unified political response is needed to strengthen South Korea’s negotiating pos January 28, 2026

Court Convicts Kim Keon Hee of Influence-Peddling, Acquits Her in Stock Manipulation Case A South Korean court on Tuesday said it recognized Kim Keon Hee’s political influence but ruled that her status alone could not expand criminal liability. The court found her partly guilty over receiving money and valuables linked to the Unification Church, but acquitted her of conspiracy allegations tied to the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case and an opinion-poll controversy involving Myung Tae-kyun, citing insufficient evidence. The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Divisio January 28, 2026

Bodyfriend Lunar New Year Deals, Ceragem Wins 4 Good Design Awards, New Products From Yuhan-Kimberly, Hanssem and Ace Bed Bodyfriend launches Lunar New Year promotion, 'The Standard of Gifts' Bodyfriend said Tuesday it is launching its Lunar New Year “The Standard of Gifts” promotion for customers who rent or buy its health care robots, offering benefits worth up to 2.52 million won. The company said customers who rent or purchase eligible products can combine three offers — a special Lunar New Year gift benefit, an upfront-payment discount program and a co-branded credit-card statement discount — for total January 28, 2026

SK hynix posts record 2025 profit, topping Samsung Electronics for first time Riding a boom in AI semiconductors, SK hynix posted record annual revenue and operating profit last year, and its operating profit topped Samsung Electronics’ annual operating profit for the first time. SK hynix said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it posted 97.1467 trillion won ($97,146.7 billion) in revenue and 47.2063 trillion won ($47,206.3 billion) in operating profit. Net profit was 42.9479 trillion won ($42,947.9 billion). Revenue rose 46.7% from a year earlier and operatin January 28, 2026