Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

But it wasn't just the staging that carried the night. At his final solo concert "Unpiltered" on Sunday at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, he made the stage entirely his own, moving seamlessly between steady vocals, strong stage presence and moments of choreography.

Although usually positioned behind the piano as part of rock band DAY6 and more accustomed to sharing the spotlight with his bandmates, he proved himself a compelling solo artist on Sunday night.

Marking his first solo concert in four years and two months since "Pilmography" in March 2022, his concert had been highly anticipated by fans, with all three shows, starting Friday, selling out during pre-reservation.

He followed with six more songs from the album — just him and a mic. No elaborate staging, no dancers, no distractions. And he didn't need anything else.

With his steady, charming vocals and expressive delivery, he moved seamlessly across a wide range of emotions, from melancholic and reflective to romantic and hopeful.

Wonpil made it clear from the very start that this concert would strip away expectations and show new sides of himself, a promise he kept until the very end.

"This concert is about showing myself just as I am," he told the crowd after performing "Already Grown Up," the second song of the setlist. "You'll probably see many new sides of me. Of course, there are parts of me 'My Day' already knows, but that's not all of who I am. I'm not always just smiling or cute. Tonight, I want to show you different sides of myself." My Day is the official name of the DAY6 fandom.

Still, Wonpil didn't leave behind the charm fans know him for.

Midway through the show, the artist leaned more into his idol roots, having once trained for a boy band. Joined by dancers, the stage came alive with choreography. Tracks like "So This is Love" (2021) featured cute, playful choreography that boosted the bright energy of songs.

Just before stepping off for a costume change after "Hold My Love," he left with a rose between his lips, effectively "killing" the crowd with his charm.

While fans were still recovering, the next segment moved into one of the night's highlights, returning Wonpil to his signature piano where he brought the crowd back to life.

Taking the stage alone felt natural for Wonpil, who has been deeply involved in songwriting for every DAY6 album since the band's debut in 2015, steadily establishing himself as a singer-songwriter. He officially launched his solo career in 2022 with his first full-length solo album, "Pilmography."

The mood then shifted with brighter tracks such as "A Writer in a Love Story" (2022), "Goodbye" (2022) and "Wish."

During the finale stage of "Highs and Lows," fireworks cascaded toward the stage as Wonpil showcased a powerful side of himself. Singing the lyric "Please save me," he revealed a more intense presence — though it was perhaps the audience who needed saving from his overwhelming charm.

The energy carried into the encores, where he returned for "Up All Night" (2022), telling fans, "I'll make sure you have no regrets tonight." Dressed in a sky-blue shirt and black pants, he danced, waved and engaged with the crowd to the fullest until the very end.

DAY6 is set to bring "The Decade," its 10th Anniversary Tour, to Macau on Saturday.

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

But it wasn't just the staging that carried the night. At his final solo concert "Unpiltered" on Sunday at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, he made the stage entirely his own, moving seamlessly between steady vocals, strong stage presence and moments of choreography.

Although usually positioned behind the piano as part of rock band DAY6 and more accustomed to sharing the spotlight with his bandmates, he proved himself a compelling solo artist on Sunday night.

Marking his first solo concert in four years and two months since "Pilmography" in March 2022, his concert had been highly anticipated by fans, with all three shows, starting Friday, selling out during pre-reservation.

He followed with six more songs from the album — just him and a mic. No elaborate staging, no dancers, no distractions. And he didn't need anything else.

With his steady, charming vocals and expressive delivery, he moved seamlessly across a wide range of emotions, from melancholic and reflective to romantic and hopeful.

Wonpil made it clear from the very start that this concert would strip away expectations and show new sides of himself, a promise he kept until the very end.

"This concert is about showing myself just as I am," he told the crowd after performing "Already Grown Up," the second song of the setlist. "You'll probably see many new sides of me. Of course, there are parts of me 'My Day' already knows, but that's not all of who I am. I'm not always just smiling or cute. Tonight, I want to show you different sides of myself." My Day is the official name of the DAY6 fandom.

Still, Wonpil didn't leave behind the charm fans know him for.

Midway through the show, the artist leaned more into his idol roots, having once trained for a boy band. Joined by dancers, the stage came alive with choreography. Tracks like "So This is Love" (2021) featured cute, playful choreography that boosted the bright energy of songs.

Just before stepping off for a costume change after "Hold My Love," he left with a rose between his lips, effectively "killing" the crowd with his charm.

While fans were still recovering, the next segment moved into one of the night's highlights, returning Wonpil to his signature piano where he brought the crowd back to life.

Taking the stage alone felt natural for Wonpil, who has been deeply involved in songwriting for every DAY6 album since the band's debut in 2015, steadily establishing himself as a singer-songwriter. He officially launched his solo career in 2022 with his first full-length solo album, "Pilmography."

The mood then shifted with brighter tracks such as "A Writer in a Love Story" (2022), "Goodbye" (2022) and "Wish."

During the finale stage of "Highs and Lows," fireworks cascaded toward the stage as Wonpil showcased a powerful side of himself. Singing the lyric "Please save me," he revealed a more intense presence — though it was perhaps the audience who needed saving from his overwhelming charm.

The energy carried into the encores, where he returned for "Up All Night" (2022), telling fans, "I'll make sure you have no regrets tonight." Dressed in a sky-blue shirt and black pants, he danced, waved and engaged with the crowd to the fullest until the very end.

DAY6 is set to bring "The Decade," its 10th anniversary tour, to Macau on Saturday.

This article is by Kim Kyung-mi and read by an artificial voice.

Samsung Electronics abruptly replaced the head of its TV business, tapping marketing veteran Lee Won-jin to lead its Visual Display business in a move that points to pressure to revive one of the core operations in its Device eXperience division on Monday.

The reshuffle came about six months after Samsung's last regular executive appointments and followed weak profitability in its TV and home appliance businesses.

The Visual Display business is responsible for the firm's TV, monitor and audio products.

Born in 1976, Lee earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in the United States and joined LG Electronics in 1991. Lee later held posts including consultant at Accenture Korea, president of Adobe Systems Korea and CEO and president of Google Korea before being recruited by Samsung Electronics in 2014 as head of the Service Business Team under the Visual Display business.

At the end of 2023, Lee stepped away from frontline business duties after serving as president and head of the Service Biz Team under Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience (MX) business, but drew attention by returning to the front lines of management a year later.

The appointment came about six months after Samsung Electronics carried out its regular presidential-level executive reshuffle in November last year, and was driven by weak performance in the Digital eXperience Division.

Samsung Electronics' Digital eXpereince Division posted 1.9 trillion won ($1.29 billion) in operating profit last year, down to about one-tenth of the 17.3 trillion won recorded four years earlier in 2021.

Yong Seok-woo, who had served as the head of the Visual Display division since late 2023, will move to an advisory role to the head of the DX Division.

The slump in the Digital Appliances business and the TV business under the Visual Display division, both of which fell into the red in the fourth quarter of last year, proved decisive. Combined, the Digital Appliances and Visual Display divisions posted an annual operating loss of 200 billion won last year.

Samsung described Lee as a specialist in content, services and marketing and said he is expected to lead a business turnaround and identify new growth areas.

"We hope [Lee] can further strengthen the competitiveness of its TV business by leading a business turnaround from a fresh perspective and discovering new future growth drivers based on his extensive record of business success and understanding of the market," Samsung Electronics said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Lee Jae-lim and read by an artificial voice.

[INTERVIEW]

Despite semiconductor heavyweights accounting for more than 40 percent of Kospi market value, it is Korean automakers and battery makers that have led the charge in outbound investment, rapidly establishing supply chain footholds across the United States, according to a senior executive at the Korean branch of a major commercial real estate services firm.

"Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. and European expansion is the most viable example, but the battery ecosystem around it — SK On, Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution — has moved with extraordinary speed," said Sydney Chun, head of the Global Korea Desk at Cushman & Wakefield Korea, in a recent interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Korean branch's office in central Seoul.

"Semiconductors, on the other hand, are investing heavily but are only at the starting stage. The capital expenditure and planning horizons are longer, and the technology requirements are more complex. Samsung's Taylor investment in Texas is a landmark, but a broader semiconductor supply chain — materials, equipment and packaging — is only beginning to follow."

Chun's team supports Korean conglomerates through the entire arc of global expansion from site selection, incentive negotiations and marketing representation to transaction brokerages for overseas offices. Most recently, the team secured a three-year master services agreement with Hyundai Motor in October 2025 under which C & W Korea is managing the restructuring of the automaker's entire global commercial real estate portfolio. The team is also close to finalizing the Washington office setup for a Korean shipbuilder — a move that follows Korea's $150 billion shipbuilding investment pledge to the United States.

The Washington trend is broader than a single deal.

"There's been a sharp increase in Korean companies wanting to set up offices there," Chun said. "Doing business in the U.S. now requires maintaining good relationships with the administration and making sure the standing of Korean businesses is visible — what our brands are, what kind of businesses we're running. That visibility is directly tied to securing tax incentives."

On the question of what is actually driving outbound investment, Chun was direct. The critical trigger is tariffs, not incentive programs.

A double-digit tariff on exports makes staying put economically unsustainable, turning localization from a strategic preference into a necessity. Nor is this a uniquely Korean story — European automakers, Japanese chipmakers and Taiwanese foundries are all navigating the same pressure to diversify their supply chains.

"Supply chains globally have become more fragile — whether from pandemics, geopolitical friction, logistics disruptions or trade policy whiplash. Every multinational, not just Korean ones, is wrestling with the same localization questions."

What distinguishes the current investment cycle from previous ones is the cluster dynamic.

"When Hyundai builds in Georgia, it's not an isolated assembly plant — it's an anchor that pulls dozens of Korean tier-one and tier-two suppliers with it," Chun said. "Battery makers, steel processors, logistics operators — they all follow because the finished product must be locally produced to be cost-competitive under the current trade regime. That's a fundamentally different investment model from anything we saw in previous cycles."

Cushman & Wakefield Korea also serves as the Korean-side marketing agent for iMarket Korea's Gradiant Technology Park, a 212-acre industrial complex in Taylor, Texas, built specifically to house semiconductor-related companies within Samsung Electronics' broader supply chain ecosystem. The team handles outreach to midsize Korean suppliers as prospective tenants, and Chun points to the Taylor cluster as a textbook example of how a single anchor investment organically generates a manufacturing hub around it.

When evaluating potential sit...

The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Britain is a constitutional monarchy. Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party won 339 seats in the May 3, 1979, general election, defeating Prime Minister James Callaghan's Labour Party, which secured 268 seats. The victory returned the Conservatives to power.

The day after the election, Thatcher's first official engagement was an audience with the monarch. Under British convention, the sovereign formally invites the leader of the majority party to form a government, and that invitation is accepted as a matter of honor. After completing this constitutional process, Thatcher entered Downing Street for the first time as prime minister on May 4, 1979.

There was no grand inauguration ceremony, nor a lengthy inaugural address. Instead, a brief exchange with reporters on her way to work, lasting barely a minute, came to be remembered as her first speech.

In those remarks, Thatcher invoked the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, urging unity where there is discord, truth where there is error, faith where there is doubt and hope where there is despair. She emphasized national unity and a shared sense of duty.

"I would like to say to all the people of Britain, no matter how you voted, that now the election is over, we must work together to serve this country, which we are proud to belong to," she said.

There were clear reasons for such an appeal. Britain was facing stagflation, marked by low growth and high inflation, as well as what was widely described as the "British disease." Militant trade unions were staging strikes that disrupted industries, while deep social divisions persisted.

Just weeks before the election, on March 30 that year, Conservative lawmaker Airey Neave was killed in a car-bomb attack carried out by the Irish National Liberation Army, underscoring the severity of political violence and polarization.

Quoting Neave, Thatcher concluded her brief remarks with a simple line: "Now we have work to do."

Thatcher's embrace of free market policies and conservative principles remains a subject of enduring debate. Yet she is widely remembered as a decisive leader who mobilized public resolve and pursued structural reforms during a period of crisis.

Her early message of unity and responsibility continues to resonate for countries confronting economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and demographic challenges today. The experience suggests that political leadership, grounded in clarity and collective purpose, can help societies navigate profound disruptions while maintaining democratic legitimacy and social cohesion in times of deep uncertainty.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

The author is the chair of the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Korea was officially recognized as an advanced economy in July 2021 when the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development unanimously reclassified it into the "developed country group." Yet even in such a country, around 1,600 children under the age of 18 are newly diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Despite the nation's fertility rate falling below 1.0 in 2018 and reaching 0.8 last year, the number of young patients has not declined.

The government has recently lowered the threshold for financial assistance for pediatric cancer treatment as a special measure. Eligibility has been expanded to households earning up to 120 percent of median income, and the maximum support has been raised to 30 million won ($20,370). While this is a timely step, significant blind spots remain.

As the country marks the 104th Children's Day this year, it is worth revisiting the familiar phrase that children are the future of the nation. Ensuring that children grow up healthy is a fundamental responsibility of society. For those suffering from serious illness, the need for compassion and support is even greater. Established in 2001, the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation exists to support children who confront pediatric cancer and rare diseases before they have even had the chance to fully step into society. The foundation has focused most of its donations on covering medical expenses and providing educational and emotional support, helping young patients build a path toward reintegration into society.

Although conditions have improved over time, Korea's culture of giving remains underdeveloped. In the United States, charitable giving is often regarded as a virtue rooted in Puritan traditions. In Korea, however, Confucian values have long emphasized family ties and inheritance. As a result, many people still prioritize wealth within their own families and lineage.

Government tax policy has also faced criticism for failing to encourage donations. In 2014, the system shifted from income deductions to tax credits, reducing incentives for high-value donors. This change led to a noticeable decline in large-scale donations. The contrast with countries such as the United States and Britain, where legal frameworks and generous incentives actively promote giving, is striking. In that sense, Korea's current system represents a step backward.

There are, however, signs of hope. Small donations among younger generations have been increasing rapidly. New practices have emerged, such as marking birthdays or wedding anniversaries with charitable contributions. Many regular donors faithfully transfer a portion of their monthly income, reflecting a deep sense of commitment. One couple, for example, has spent the past five years celebrating the end of the year by donating a share of their earnings and reaffirming their goals for the coming year. They say they hope for a world where people grow up accustomed to receiving love and, as adults, to sharing it.

More former patients are also taking part in supporting others. A young woman who once battled pediatric cancer now helps organize emotional support events hosted by the foundation, guiding fellow survivors who have successfully reintegrated into society. Another case involves a student who was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in middle school and, after enduring difficult treatment, is now enrolled at KAIST. His mother, who cared for him throughout his illness, now donates regularly to support other families.

A former osteosarcoma patient who graduated from Seoul Institute of the Arts now works as a vocal trainer running a music studio. Inspired by singers who visited him during his treatment, he now holds annual charity performances at the end of each year. These efforts offer reassurance to other families and help create a virtuous cycle of giving. They also reflect a broader shift driven by young people in Korea.

...

Lee Ha-kyung

The author is a senior columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.

U.S. chipmaker Intel led the semiconductor industry from the 1970s, dominating the personal computer era. Its technological prowess was once described as if it had "captured extraterrestrials to extract chip secrets." Yet the company's decline began when executives with backgrounds in marketing and finance rose to the top. Their focus on short-term performance, cost cutting and shareholder returns came at the expense of investment and research and development. As a result, Intel missed the shift from PC chips to mobile processors.

In 2016, then-CEO Brian Krzanich laid off 12,000 workers, about 10 percent of the workforce. Many of those dismissed were research and engineering talent who later joined rivals such as AMD. Critics even accused him of acting like "a spy for AMD." His successor, Bob Swan, reportedly declined an offer in 2017 and 2018 to acquire a 30 percent stake in OpenAI, citing a lack of immediate profitability.

Japan's semiconductor industry once dominated the global market in the 1980s, with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) share approaching 80 percent. However, the 1985 Plaza Accord led to a sharp appreciation of the yen, eroding price competitiveness. The U.S.-Japan semiconductor agreement further constrained the industry. Meanwhile, the United States provided technology and licensing support to latecomers such as Samsung Electronics, while TSMC also benefited.

Japan's decline was compounded by overconfidence. In the 1989 book "The Japan That Can Say No," co-authored by Shintaro Ishihara and Akio Morita, the authors argued that the United States could not produce advanced weapons without Japanese semiconductors and called for a shift from a secondary to a hegemonic power. Washington came to view Japan's semiconductor sector as a security threat and responded accordingly.

Japanese companies also missed critical investment timing. Despite their strength in memory chips, they failed to adapt as the market shifted to PCs, mobile devices, servers and artificial intelligence. Elpida Memory, formed by merging the DRAM businesses of NEC, Hitachi and Mitsubishi, collapsed in 2012 despite government support. A 2021 report by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry projected that Japan's global semiconductor market share could approach zero by 2030. Tokyo has since poured 3.3 trillion yen, about $27 billion, into the sector in a bid to recover competitiveness.

Against this backdrop, labor tensions in Korea's semiconductor sector are raising alarm. The labor union at Samsung Electronics is demanding bonuses equivalent to 15 percent of annual operating profit, which is expected to exceed 300 trillion won this year. That would amount to 45 trillion won, modeled after SK hynix, where bonuses reach 10 percent of operating profit, or about 600 million won per employee. A three-week strike beginning on May 21 has been announced, with potential losses estimated at 30 trillion won.

Semiconductors account for 23 percent of Korea's total exports and are embedded in major export products such as automobiles, smartphones and home appliances. Up to 80 percent of export items could be affected by disruptions in chip production. The impact on exports and the country's external credibility could be severe.

Semiconductor companies must continue investing heavily even during downturns to remain competitive. Expanding a single production line can cost as much as 50 trillion won, requiring firms to take on significant risks. Companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have become global leaders by enduring such challenges. Complacency, however, can lead to rapid decline, as seen in Intel and Japan.

Kim Jung-kwan, minister of trade, industry and resources, has also warned of this risk, emphasizing the need to balance current profits with future competitiveness. Global chipmakers typically prioritize allocating profits to R&D and capital investment. Sa...

More than two months into the Iran war, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil prices sharply higher and plunged the global economy into turmoil. Korea, heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude, has been hit particularly hard. The OECD quickly cut Korea's growth forecast from 2.1 percent to 1.7 percent, marking one of the steepest downgrades among major economies. JPMorgan also identified Korea as one of the countries most vulnerable to oil price volatility.

The disruption extends beyond crude oil. Imports of naphtha, often described as the "rice of industry," have been blocked, forcing petrochemical plants to halt or scale back production. Shortages have even spread to everyday items such as garbage bags and medical syringes.

The International Energy Agency has warned that energy supply conditions are unlikely to return to prewar levels even after the conflict ends. Korea's energy security now faces a new level of uncertainty. If a return to the previous system is no longer possible, a fundamental redesign of energy strategy is required.

The core principle of energy security is diversification. The more concentrated supply becomes in specific regions or routes, the greater the risk. Korea has made some progress. The share of Middle Eastern crude, which exceeded 90 percent in the mid-2000s, has declined to about 69 percent and more recently to around 56 percent as imports from the Americas and Africa increased. Yet this remains insufficient.

A "post-Hormuz" strategy is essential. Overland pipelines are emerging as alternatives. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed a pipeline linking Turkey and Iraq, while a long-distance route connecting Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman has also been discussed. Korea should consider participating in such projects from the early stages to secure stable supply. Expanding joint stockpiling programs, in which oil from producing countries is stored in domestic facilities, could also provide priority purchase rights in times of crisis.

Overseas resource development is another area requiring national focus. Securing resources abroad can effectively substitute for domestic reserves. Yet Korea's self-sufficiency rate in oil and gas stood at only 10.8 percent in 2024, down from 15.5 percent in 2015. Japan's rate, by contrast, reached 42.1 percent and aims to exceed 60 percent by 2040.

The gap reflects differences in policy consistency and expertise. Japan has steadily supported its resource development institutions regardless of political changes. The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security employs a large number of specialists, including geologists, engineers and investment professionals, many of whom build decades of experience in their fields. In Korea, resource development policies have fluctuated with political cycles, at times being promoted and at other times abandoned. This inconsistency has weakened institutional capacity.

The next test for energy security reform lies in the 12th Master Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, now under discussion. According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, electricity consumption in 2040 could increase by up to 70 terawatt-hours compared with the previous plan, equivalent to 1.4 times Seoul's annual consumption or the output of three to seven new nuclear reactors. The surge is driven by expanding artificial intelligence data centers and semiconductor clusters.

The key question is how to meet this demand. The government's current approach remains heavily focused on renewable energy. Its recent energy transition plan aims to raise the share of renewables to over 20 percent by 2030. However, it does not address the need for additional nuclear power.

Expanding renewable energy is necessary, but practical limitations remain. Korea's solar power deployment is already among the highest in the world, leaving limited room for further expansion. The intermittency of renewables also poses challenges for stabl...

Children try out toys at a shop in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 3, ahead of Children's Day on May 5. [YONHAP]

Children try out toys at a shop in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 3, ahead of Children's Day on May 5. [YONHAP]