South Korea’s financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), convened an emergency meeting with compliance officers from 21 domestic and foreign securities firms on the 13th to tighten market surveillance of short selling amid heightened volatility tied to Middle East tensions. Lee Seung-woo, the FSS deputy vice governor, told

The U.S. Trade Representative has opened Section 301 investigations into forced-labor practices with 60 trading partners, including South Korea. The move follows a U.S. federal court ruling last month that reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful, and the administration is pursuing this

An accompanying image shows former President Donald Trump hosting Netanyahu at the White House last month, illustrating the long-standing, high-level U.S.-Israel engagement cited in the briefing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his first press conference since the outbreak of a war involving Iran, saying the United States–

The South Korean province of Gangwon is ramping up tourism tied to the Joseon era figure Danjong, buoyed by the domestic success of the film The Man Who Lives with the King, which has drawn large crowds to Danjong’s exile site at Cheongnyeongpo and to his tomb at Neungin

A Netflix animated project built around K-pop culture, K-pop Demon Hunters, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Apfelhouns, is competing at the 98th Academy Awards. The film is nominated for two Oscar categories: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for the track Golden. While no Korean film is among

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 13th that it will jointly develop Physical AI with Krafton, the maker of PUBG: Battlegrounds. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue AI collaboration and establish a joint venture in the future. The agreement covers core research and development, validation scenarios, and

The Democratic Party of Korea announced its candidates for the Chungcheongbuk-do (Chungbuk) provincial governor race on the 13th, confirming four applicants as primary contenders. The finalists are Noh Young-min, former presidential secretary to the current administration; Song Ki-seop, former Jincheon County head; Shin Yong-han, vice chairman of the Local Era

KG Mobility (KGM) is intensifying its Southeast Asia push by strengthening its Vietnam KD (knock-down) partnership with the FUTA Group. The company said KD production of its Rexton and Musso models is slated to begin later this year at a dedicated KD plant in Hue, Vietnam. KGM Chairman Kwak Jae-sun

Ayatollah Seyyed Moztaba Hamenei, elected as Iran’s new supreme leader, made his first public address four days after taking office, signaling a hardening of Tehran’s posture amid ongoing hostilities. In a televised statement, he vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz blockade as a leverage against enemies and

A Seoul workshop aimed at helping early-stage Korean startups expand overseas took place on the 12th at the Korea Investment Accelerator (Han투AC) building in Gangnam, according to Korea Financial Holdings. The event, titled the “Synergy Club,” was organized with the involvement of Korea Investment Partners and Microsoft, with the goal