KOSPI Rises Over 1% Despite Weakness in U.S. Semiconductor Stocks Domestic stocks rebounded in early trading despite weakness in U.S. semiconductor shares. Following a sharp decline the previous day, bargain-hunting activity helped the KOSPI recover above the 6,100 mark.As of 9:04 a.m. on July 29, the KOSPI was up 99.40 points (1.65%) at 6,123.06. The index started at 6,089.11, up 65.45 points (1.09%), and continued to expand its gains.In the securities market, foreign and institutional investors were net buyers, purchasing 10.2 billion won and 50.4 billion wo July 29, 2026

Sihung Mayor Im Byeong-taek Celebrates Shincheon-dong Parking Initiative Award Im Byeong-taek, the mayor of Sihung, congratulated the Shincheon-dong Residents' Council for winning the top prize at the Gyeonggi Province Residents' Council Excellence Case Competition. He emphasized that this achievement reflects grassroots governance, where residents actively solve everyday issues.On July 28, Im shared on his social media that the Shincheon-dong Residents' Council received the award for their project titled "Changing Daily Life through Governance: Shincheon-dong Shared Parki July 29, 2026

Celltrion to Announce New Drug Pipeline Results, Including Obesity Treatment and ADCs Celltrion plans to sequentially announce the development results of its next-generation obesity treatment and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) pipeline starting this year. The non-clinical results for the obesity treatment candidate will be disclosed by the end of this year, while initial clinical results for the ADC candidate currently in Phase 1 trials are expected to be revealed in the first half of next year.On July 29, Celltrion shared these drug development plans during an internal research a July 29, 2026

LG Display to Secure Over $800 Million from LCD Sale, Focus on OLED and R&D LG Display is on track to secure over 1 trillion won (approximately $800 million) as it finalizes the sale of part of its operations in China. The cash influx from asset liquidation will be directed towards investments in next-generation organic light-emitting diode (OLED) facilities and enhancing its automotive competitiveness. According to industry sources on July 28, LG Display is set to complete the transfer of its vehicle liquid crystal display (LCD) module business from its Nanjing subs July 29, 2026

Lotte Hotels Revamps Membership Program to Attract 5 Million Members Lotte Hotels & Resorts is overhauling its free membership program, Lotte Hotel Rewards, to attract more loyal customers. The company plans to ease upgrade requirements and introduce a new top-tier membership level to enhance user convenience.Starting in September, Lotte Hotels & Resorts will implement an expanded membership program that offers enhanced benefits and services. Recently, the company integrated its hotel and resort websites, establishing a member base of approximately 4.7 million, w July 29, 2026

Market Preview: U.S. Semiconductor Stocks Remain Weak as Focus Shifts to SK Hynix Earnings U.S. semiconductor stocks have plummeted, raising questions about whether the KOSPI, which fell over 10% the previous day, can rebound. Market participants are closely watching SK Hynix's second-quarter earnings and the outlook presented during its conference call as key indicators for potential bargain buying.On July 28, the Nasdaq Composite Index, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, closed down 0.22% on the New York Stock Exchange. Semiconductor stocks continued to struggle, with July 29, 2026

Song Young-gil Criticizes Jo Jung-sik's Remarks on Lee Jae-myung's Re-election Song Young-gil, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, criticized National Assembly Speaker Jo Jung-sik's statement that 'the re-election of President Lee Jae-myung depends on the choice of the sovereign,' calling it 'inappropriate' and suggesting that it would be difficult to gain agreement within the ruling party.In an appearance on MBC's News Today on July 29, Song stated, 'Jo's remarks are misleading.' He added, 'President Lee has clearly stated that the current president is July 29, 2026

Kim Jong Un Celebrates Victory Day with War Veterans Kim Jong Un met with war veterans and distinguished contributors to the Korean War on July 28 during a ceremony marking the 73rd anniversary of the armistice agreement. According to the Korean Central News Agency on July 29, Kim stated, "It is a great joy for our party, state, and people that the victorious generation, which has engraved the heroic status and reputation of our homeland in history, stands before us today as the embodiment and witness of miraculous victory." He expressed his w July 29, 2026

China Achieves Domestic Production of Key DUV Lithography Equipment China has reportedly succeeded in the domestic production of deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment, a critical tool in semiconductor manufacturing. This development follows the successful listing of CXMT (Changxin Memory Technologies), the country's largest DRAM producer, and has generated positive momentum in the Chinese semiconductor industry. However, the news has had a severe negative impact on the stock prices of South Korean semiconductor firms, with Samsung Electronics dropping 13. July 29, 2026

Meritz Securities Lowers Hanmi Pharmaceutical's Target Price by 8.7% Meritz Securities announced on July 29 that it has lowered its target price for Hanmi Pharmaceutical from 69,000 won to 63,000 won, a decrease of 8.7%, citing slower-than-expected recovery for Beijing Hanmi. However, the firm maintained a 'buy' rating, considering the upcoming domestic launch of the obesity treatment GLP-1 new drug in the second half of the year and the momentum in new drug development.Kim Jun-young, a researcher at Meritz Securities, stated, "We are adjusting the target price t July 29, 2026