Stories from Seoul · South Korea

RM, a member of the K-pop group BTS, recalled that the group's members were in a "bad mental state" before their reunion.

A special prosecutor's investigation has confirmed that President Yoon Suk-yeol prepared for martial law around November 2023.

Bitcoin reached a new high on local exchanges, according to a Korean news report. No specific price or exchange was named. This surge is attributed to institutional investment, accelerating its rally. This rally indicates strong investor interest in the cryptocurrency.

Minister Kim stated that social dialogue is the only solution for distributing excess profits from large corporations. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy made these remarks.

South Korea's exports surged to a record $87.75 billion in May, a 53% increase year-on-year. This growth surpassed market expectations due to robust global demand. South Korea's exports in May surged 53.2% year-on-year, reaching $87.75 billion, surpassing market forecasts.

Artificial intelligence usage has increased to 44.5%, but only 7.9% of users have opted for paid subscriptions. AI adoption is increasing, but paid subscription growth is lagging behind. Generative AI usage has surged to 44.5%, but paid subscriptions remain low at 7.9%.

BIAMETRICS has received an award from the Ministry of Science and ICT for its achievements in industrial AI.

AGTech Holdings Limited's market capitalization reached $855.4 million as of May 31, 2026.

J Lee, the eldest son of Samsung's founder and its de facto leader, has been sentenced to prison for bribery. His sentence was cut from five years to two. The appeals court reduced J Y Lee's sentence from five years to two and a half years. The court also added two years to his sentence in October. South Korea's top court has issued a major judgment clearing J.Y. Lee, potentially paving the way for him to take a leadership role at Samsung. The court found insufficient evidence for previous charges related to stock manipulation and undervaluation. Lee has reportedly secured the top job at Samsung Electronics. This ruling allows Lee to focus on his leadership role. This allows Lee to fully focus on running the family firm. The court's decision could have implications for the future leadership of the Samsung conglomerate.

LG Uplus and IBK System have partnered to develop specialized AI financial services. This collaboration aims to enhance financial technology offerings in the digital era. The partnership was announced alongside discussions on China's draft financial law.