Naver Daily Trends TOP 10 — 2026-05-04

Today's TOP 10

1. SK Hynix Hits All-Time High

• Category: Economy/IT
• What happened?: On the morning of May 4, 2026, SK Hynix soared by 116,000 KRW (9.02%) to reach 1,400,200 KRW, a historic record. The surge is attributed to a rally in U.S. semiconductor stocks during the Labor Day holiday and high expectations for AI demand.
• Why it's trending?: As a key beneficiary of the HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) and AI chip cycle, SK Hynix’s record-breaking performance has driven the entire Korean stock market upward, capturing investors' attention.

2. 14 By-elections Confirmed — Parties Gear Up

• Category: Politics
• What happened?: With 9 sitting lawmakers resigning to run in the June 3 local elections, 14 by-elections have been officially set. Parties are preparing for an all-out battle, and these will be held concurrently with the local elections.
• Why it's trending?: The simultaneous resignation of 9 members is unprecedented, and the impact these races might have on local election sentiments has both politicians and voters watching closely.

3. Busan Buk-gap Gupo Market Becomes Political Hotspot

• Category: Politics
• What happened?: The Gupo Market area in Busan Buk-gap has emerged as the biggest battleground for the June 3 local elections. Politicians like Ha Jung-woo (a rookie candidate and former actor), Han Dong-hoon, and Park Min-sik are campaigning hard there, with their strategies becoming a major topic.
• Why it's trending?: The dramatic clash of high-profile figures in a single district has drawn intense media coverage, and memes like "Gupo-daek" are spreading across social media.

4. Japanese Trainee's Dual Contract and Disappearance — Travel Ban Imposed

• Category: Society/Entertainment
• What happened?: Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police have launched an investigation and issued a travel ban for a Japanese trainee, referred to as 'A', who vanished just before their group's debut. The agency filed a complaint after discovering that 'A' had signed a dual contract with another agency.
• Why it's trending?: Fans are disappointed by the sudden disappearance, and the controversy has sparked criticism regarding the management systems for K-pop trainees.

5. (G)I-DLE 8th Anniversary — Comeback Teased for July

• Category: Entertainment/K-POP
• What happened?: Girl group (G)I-DLE celebrated their 8th anniversary on May 2. Cube Entertainment officially announced a comeback for July, promising "new attempts" that have fans excited.
• Why it's trending?: The combination of their 8th-anniversary milestone and comeback news has ignited fan communities, with interest growing on whether (G)I-DLE will reach new heights in the competitive K-pop girl group scene.

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6. 82MAJOR’s MBC Music Core Performance

• Category: Entertainment/K-POP
• What happened?: Boy group 82MAJOR performed their 5th mini-album title track "Sign" on MBC's Show! Music Core on May 2. Members Nam Sung-mo, Park Seok-jun, Yoon Ye-chan, Cho Seong-il, Hwang Seong-bin, and Kim Do-kyun delivered an intense performance.
• Why it's trending?: 82MAJOR is gaining significant attention from K-pop fans as they continue their promotions on major music programs.

7. BTS and the Global Spotlight on Hanbok Culture

• Category: Entertainment/Culture
• What happened?: A report from the Seoul Economic Daily on May 2 highlighted a conference at the National Museum of Korea, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Korean Society of Costume, which focused on the creative reinterpretation of Hanbok and its global spread via BTS.
• Why it's trending?: BTS’s use of Hanbok is being recognized as an iconic case of globalizing traditional Korean culture, showcasing the continued expansion of K-culture.

8. National Pension Service Recruitment — AI Verification Strengthened

• Category: Society/Economy
• What happened?: The job posting for the first half of 2026 by the National Pension Service included a statement that they would "thoroughly verify the use of AI and plagiarism." This is the first time a public institution has officially stated plans to screen for AI-generated content in recruitment.
• Why it's trending?: This move is unprecedented for a public institution, drawing significant attention from job seekers and the AI industry.

9. Samsung Securities Hits 1 Trillion KRW in Net Profit and Announces Dividend

• Category: Economy
• What happened?: Samsung Securities announced a quarterly net profit exceeding 1 trillion KRW along with a major dividend policy, spiking interest in financial stocks.
• Why it's trending?: In an era of high interest rates and market volatility, the firm's strong performance and increased dividends have stimulated rebalancing demand among individual investors.

10. Spring Weather Boosts Outing Plans for Children's Day

• Category: Society/Life
• What happened?: With clear and mild spring weather expected after the rain on May 4, searches for outing plans have surged ahead of the Children’s Day holiday (May 5). Weather-related keywords have hit the top of portal search trends.
• Why it's trending?: The coincidence of a golden holiday and the peak spring season has led to anticipation of massive crowds at parks and resorts, along with concerns over potential travel and reservation chaos.

Highlights by Category

Politics/Economy/Society

• 14 By-elections confirmed: Following the resignation of 9 lawmakers, these will be held alongside the June 3 local elections.
• SK Hynix hits 1.4 million KRW: All-time high driven by AI chip cycle expectations.
• NPS declares AI screening: First public institution to officially verify AI-generated content in job applications.
• Samsung Securities exceeds 1 trillion KRW profit: Dividend policies stir interest in financial stocks.

Entertainment/K-POP/Culture

• (G)I-DLE 8th anniversary comeback: Fans excited for "new attempts" in July.
• Japanese trainee dual contract/disappearance: Public criticism grows over K-pop trainee management.
• 82MAJOR 'Sign' performance: Boy group gains momentum on music shows.
• BTS/Hanbok culture: Re-evaluating the global impact of BTS on traditional Korean attire.

Sports/Life

• Children's Day outing surge: Clear weather leads to massive travel/reservation interest.
• Busan local election campaigning heats up: Celebrity-politicians turning Gupo Market into a high-stakes campaign arena.

Trend Insights

① The June 3 Local Election is consuming all sectors Three of the top 10 items relate to elections. Media and social media are already in "election mode," and political influence will likely dominate for the next three weeks.

② Economy/IT is converging on "AI and Semiconductors" Issues like SK Hynix, NPS recruitment, and Samsung Securities all tie back to the AI/semiconductor cycle. AI has moved beyond a tech trend to become a meta-keyword for finance and hiring.

③ K-pop is a mix of "hope" and "scandals" The positive news of (G)I-DLE’s comeback and the negative news of the trainee's disappearance show the dual nature of the K-pop industry, where rapid growth often faces structural vulnerabilities.

Don't Miss These

• Hyun Bin & Jung Woo-sung's 'Made in Korea' Season 2: Disney+ has released images for the upcoming season, building high anticipation.
• K-pop Q2 Release Calendar: Forbes summarized the K-pop comeback schedule for the second quarter of 2026, featuring BIGBANG, Taemin, and TXT.
• Children's Day Travel Info: Real-time information on traffic and tourist hotspots for the May 5 holiday is trending.

Tomorrow's Key Points

1. SK Hynix and semiconductor stock trajectory: Post-holiday market behavior will determine if there's further upside or profit-taking.
2. By-election candidate registration: As official registrations start, deeper analysis and polling for the 14 districts will likely dominate the news.
3. Investigation into the missing trainee: Updates from the police and potential changes to the group's debut plans are top concerns for K-pop fans.