KOREA TODAY
Landslide alert raised across central and southwest Korea
Daejeon, Sejong, the Chungcheong provinces and North Jeolla were moved to the caution level as heavy rain approaches
Old-age pension payments set to become more automatic
Reports say eligible recipients will no longer need to apply in the same way, while rural Gangwon residents over 75 are also getting a cash-delivery option
Korea opens public deliberation on university admissions reform
The debate is weighing limits of the current CSAT system against concern that essay and written-response alternatives could create new burdens
THIS WEEK IN KOREA
The essential events and decisions ahead
WEEK 35 >
MONTH IN REVIEW
The stories that changed Korea this month
AUG 2026 >
PRACTICAL GUIDES
Clear answers for living and working in Korea
EXPLORE >
EVENTS IN KOREA
Concerts, exhibitions, festivals and events across Korea
EXPLORE EVENTS >RECENT STORIES
DAILY LEADS
Lee asks chief justice to nominate a new Supreme Court candidate
Bank of Korea raises base rate to 3% after back-to-back hikes
Nine Koreans remain out of contact after deadly Nepal flood
Korea’s 2027 budget points to a bigger bet on AI, industry and regional growth
Jeju missing-person case triggers nationwide police review after presumed body is found
Second special prosecutor wraps 180-day probe with 58 indictments
ESSENTIAL STORIES
Korea plans 43.3 trillion won youth support package for 2027
The government says it will expand youth-related spending by more than 50 percent next year, with support spanning jobs, housing and asset building.
SKT, Kakao and KT picked for nationwide free AI services
The government selected three consortiums to build public-facing AI services intended for nationwide use, turning a policy push into a concrete deployment program.
Muan chosen as candidate site for Gwangju military airport move
The relocation plan is tied to redevelopment of the current Gwangju air base site, but several formal steps remain before a move can happen.
Court opens JTBC rehabilitation as broadcaster moves toward sale
A court has allowed the cash-strapped broadcaster to begin rehabilitation proceedings, while JTBC says a sale is part of its plan to restore financial stability.
SK Hynix starts Indiana HBM plant with 2029 production target
The more than $4 billion project is designed to put advanced HBM production closer to major US AI customers as the company expects memory tightness to last through 2030.
Former 707 commander Kim Hyun-tae gets 12 years over Assembly blockade
A Seoul court imposed prison terms on several military officers over their roles in the Dec. 3 martial-law operation, stressing that unlawful orders do not erase individual responsibility.
Korea proposes regional industrial power discounts of up to 10%
A new KEPCO design would cut industrial electricity prices more outside the capital region, reviving a debate over where the boundary should fall.
Korea maps regional growth engines for its 5+3 development strategy
The government has assigned priority industries to regional blocs and plans to concentrate fiscal, financial, tax and regulatory support around them.
Coupang challenges FTC surprise inspections as legal fight escalates
The retailer blocked repeated field-inspection attempts over advance-notice rules, prompting a lawsuit, a threatened criminal complaint and a proposed law change.
Jeju false closures push Korea toward wider missing-person audits and police reform
The case has moved beyond one officer: regional forces are reviewing thousands of closed files, commanders face scrutiny and the government is considering new controls as police powers expand.
Education chiefs mobilize against Korea’s plan to rewrite local school funding
The dispute has become a direct fight over who should bear the risk when student numbers fall: local school systems want the tax-linked formula preserved, while university leaders welcome a shift toward higher education if funding is stable.
Chinese graduate student found dead after Daegu disappearance; murder suspect arrested
Police found the woman at a suspect’s residence in Gyeongsan and arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of murder. Investigators are now reconstructing the days between her disappearance and the discovery.
Samsung tumbles 8.7% as ₩110 trillion shareholder-return plan disappoints investors
The selloff spilled into the wider market, sending the KOSPI down about 3% and exposing how heavily the index depends on its largest company.
President accepts Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho's resignation ahead of October prosecution overhaul
The ministry will operate under its vice minister while the government chooses a successor before two new investigative bodies are due to launch.
Korea checks imports after formaldehyde-treated cabbage scandal in China
Chinese authorities are investigating reports that formaldehyde was used to preserve cabbage freshness, while Korea's food regulator is checking whether affected produce entered the country.
Korea adds 292,000 wage jobs, but youth employment keeps shrinking
Overall wage employment posted its strongest increase in two years, while jobs for people in their 20s and younger remained weak.
Government and ruling party move to soften one-home residency tax rules
Officials agreed to broaden exceptions for owners who cannot live in their sole home, while the ruling party pressed to remove residency distinctions from the comprehensive real-estate tax.
Basic-pension cuts linked to National Pension payments nearly triple in four years
The amount withheld under Korea’s pension-linkage rule exceeded ₩80 billion last year, renewing criticism that longer National Pension contributions can reduce basic-pension benefits.
Hyundai Motor union suspends planned partial strike as wage talks resume
The union has held off a planned August 24 partial strike after labor and management agreed to return to negotiations.
Nvidia signals AI server price increases of more than 15%
The planned increases, reported for systems shipping from early next year, underline how rising memory costs are moving through the AI infrastructure supply chain.