SBS News

KEF: Performance Bonuses Should Be Excluded From Industrial Disputes, Labor Flexibility Needed for Mega-Special Zones Korea Employers Federation argued that high-level management decisions by companies, such as performance allocations linked to operating profits or the construction of new factories, should be excluded from the scope of labor disputes. SBS Aug 17, 2026 12:59 PM

Davich Optical Fined for Pressuring Franchisees over PB Sales Targets has been hit with nearly 1.5 billion won in penalties for pressuring its franchisees with private brand sales targets and threatening franchise termination if those goals were missed consecutively. SBS Aug 17, 2026 12:58 PM

AI Smartwatches for Police and Firefighters to Be Developed for Disaster Safety The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced today that they are launching a research and development project to develop smartwatches dedicated to the disaster safety communication network under the National Public Safety Emergency Response Research program. SBS Aug 17, 2026 12:56 PM

KakaoBank to Cancel 270,000 Treasury Shares to Enhance Shareholder Value KakaoBank announced today that it plans to cancel 270,000 of its treasury shares to enhance shareholder value. SBS Aug 17, 2026 12:55 PM

South Korean Oil Tanker Uses Suez Canal for First Time Amid Strait of Hormuz Threats This tanker loaded crude oil at the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia and passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. SBS Aug 17, 2026 11:43 AM

"Optical Fiber, a Key Material in the AI Era... South Korea Must Build High-Value Manufacturing Capabilities" The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade made the assertion in a report titled "Optical Fiber in the Spotlight in the AI Era: South Korea's Current Status and Tasks" released today . SBS Aug 17, 2026 11:39 AM

Visiting US, Kim Jeong-gwan Says "Various Issues in US Investments... Will Resolve Them Somehow" Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan, who is visiting the United States to discuss US investment projects, stated that various working-level issues are emerging at the final stage, but vowed to resolve them with the goal of making an announcement as early as the end of August. SBS Aug 17, 2026 11:32 AM

NAQS Cracks Down on False and Exaggerated Pest Control Fertilizer Ads on Coupang and YouTube The inspection was conducted between April and July against businesses distributing and selling fertilizers on major online platforms such as Naver, Coupang, 11st, as well as YouTube. SBS Aug 17, 2026 11:11 AM

Rising Semiconductor and Parts Costs Add Trillions of Won to Tech Industry's H1 Cost Burden Driven by the "chipflation" sparked by the global expansion of artificial intelligence investments and intensifying geopolitical risks, the raw material burden on the electronics industry surged like a snowball in the first half of this year. SBS Aug 17, 2026 10:25 AM

Credit Card Industry Resumes Homeplus Payments; Some Funds Seized by Provisional Attachments The credit card industry has lifted its suspension on credit card payments to Homeplus in line with the retailer's resumption of business. SBS Aug 17, 2026 10:24 AM