KOREA TODAY
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho submits resignation as prosecution reform enters its next phase
The presidential office has asked Jung to stay until follow-up personnel arrangements are made. His departure comes as the government shifts from passing prosecution-reform legislation to making the new criminal-justice structure work.
Hyundai Motor union escalates wage dispute to its first full strike in a decade
After the 16th bargaining round failed, the union scheduled four-hour stoppages on Aug. 19 and 20, a full eight-hour strike on Aug. 21 and further partial strikes next week.
Kim Keon-hee indicted over presidential residence relocation case
A special prosecutor sent the former first lady, lawmaker Yoon Han-hong and contractor chief Kim Tae-young to trial over allegations surrounding the Yoon administration's residence move.
Two Supreme Court justice nominees put a months-long appointment standoff to the test
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae nominated Son Bong-gi and Kim Seong-su after months of delay, using an unusual written submission to the president. The next gate is National Assembly consent.
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DAILY LEADS
Kim Min-seok takes over South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party after a preference-ballot win
Korea is reaching a ₩2,000 trillion household-debt threshold as rates turn upward
Lee puts a peace regime back at the center of Seoul’s North Korea policy
South Korea’s last legal boknal is ending an industry that had already begun to disappear
Korea doubles down on housing supply as affordability pressure mounts
ESSENTIAL STORIES
Geoje’s record rain leaves one dead as recovery begins after more than 600 mm in a day
The disaster was far broader than the original wire snapshot: Korean reporting documents a record-breaking deluge, a fatal landslide, nearly 2,000 emergency calls, 136 rescues and damage across schools, roads, utilities and homes.
Pentagon says it will implement Trump’s order to scale back U.S.-South Korea drills
Ulchi Freedom Shield is already under way, but Seoul still lacks a public account of what will actually be reduced. Korean coverage now shows the issue is firmly on the domestic security agenda, not merely a Washington talking point.
Samsung and SK hynix push first-half R&D spending to a record ₩33 trillion
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix invested about ₩33.4 trillion in R&D in the first half, with both companies sharply increasing spending as the AI memory boom intensifies competition.
Government weighs restoring ISA carryover and dropping the account-duration cap
After criticism of its tax-reform proposal, the government is considering letting unused ISA contribution limits roll forward again and effectively removing the proposed account-duration restriction.
Lee revives the four-year presidency debate, but the bigger proposal is about presidential power
A renewable four-year presidency is the headline. The more consequential part of Lee Jae Myung’s constitutional agenda is the attempt to redistribute powers that have long been concentrated in the presidency.
Busan Indie Connect opens with hundreds of games and a bigger job than simply entertaining fans
BIC 2026 opened at BEXCO with roughly 280 indie games, a conference and business matching. The festival’s real test is whether discovery turns into publishing, financing and distribution after the booths come down.
Record heat is becoming an economic crisis as well as a health emergency
Deaths, livestock losses and damaged crops are turning Korea’s extreme summer into a test of climate adaptation, food supply and protection for vulnerable workers.
KOSPI is back in a bull market — barely two weeks after its rout
The benchmark has rebounded roughly 22% from its July 30 low as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix recover, showing just how violently Korea’s AI-driven market can reverse direction.