KOSPI Rises Over 1% After Four Days of Decline, Driven by Institutional Buying The KOSPI halted a four-day decline, rebounding by more than 1%. With the possibility of a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in September largely priced in, institutional investors made net purchases exceeding 1.4 trillion won, responding to perceptions of an excessive drop following recent declines. Stocks in the semiconductor sector, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, led the index's rise.On September 16, the Korea Exchange reported that the KOSPI closed at 6, September 16, 2026

SK Hynix Partners with Intel to Produce Advanced Memory in the U.S. SK Hynix is collaborating with Intel to produce advanced memory chips in the United States. This initiative aims to quickly establish a local supply base to meet the surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors from global tech giants. According to industry sources and foreign media on September 16, SK Hynix is in discussions to lease some production lines at Intel's semiconductor manufacturing facility under construction in Ohio to produce memory chips. The company is also September 16, 2026

KakaoX CEO Appointee Kim Do-young: 'Establishing AI Identity Through Spin-off' Kakao is actively engaging with minority shareholders ahead of its planned spin-off. Following the announcement of the spin-off, concerns about the division ratio and potential damage to shareholder value have arisen, prompting the company to directly address these issues. Kim Do-young, the designated CEO of KakaoX and current head of Kakao Group's investment strategy, held an online meeting with minority shareholders on September 16, explaining that the spin-off aims to clarify the growth strat September 16, 2026

National Assembly Continues Confirmation Hearings Amid Dispute Over Ministerial Nominees The Democratic Party and the People Power Party continued their debate over the qualifications of five ministerial nominees during the second day of confirmation hearings on September 16. The People Power Party urged the withdrawal of nominations for Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, and Hong Ji-sun, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In contrast, the Democratic Party emphasized the expertise of both candidates, calling for cooperation in September 16, 2026

Education Officials Demand Review of Local Education Funding Reform As the government seeks to overhaul the calculation method for the 'Local Education Funding' that has been a cornerstone of secondary education finance for 55 years, education superintendents from across the country voiced their opposition at the National Assembly. They criticized attempts to reduce public education funding under the pretext of declining student numbers, calling it a bureaucratic approach that ignores the realities of the education sector and hinders future investment in educati September 16, 2026

Chinese Stock Market Rises After Five Days of Decline, Strong Performance in Optical Module Sector On September 16, the Chinese stock market rebounded after five consecutive days of decline. Analysts attribute this recovery to a technical rebound following the recent downturn. The Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.71% at 3,891.60, the Shenzhen Component Index rose 1.26% to 13,454.74, and the ChiNext Index increased by 1.96% to 3,311.47.The market had faced four days of losses due to rising interest rate risks in the U.S., soaring oil prices, and corrections in U.S. tech stocks. As the prol September 16, 2026

Kang Shin-cheol Responds to Son's Military Record Request: 'Check at the Unit' Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, faced criticism for his response during a confirmation hearing on September 16, where he suggested that inquiries about his son's military service records should be made directly at the unit. During the hearing before the National Assembly's Defense Committee, lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram raised concerns about a KakaoTalk profile picture of Kang's son, who served as an Army second lieutenant. Cheon claimed that the photo, taken with his 4-s September 16, 2026

Government Considers Purchase Price for Knowledge Industry Centers Converted to Housing The government is pursuing a plan to convert vacant knowledge industry centers into residential spaces to increase housing supply, making the determination of purchase prices a key issue. The prices vary significantly due to discounted sales, urgent sales, and auction results, and additional construction costs are required for the conversion. Experts argue that a price assessment reflecting current market value, along with costs for changing usage and remodeling, is necessary for actual supply t September 16, 2026

Canon Korea Launches EOS R8 Mark II with Enhanced Stabilization Canon Korea is set to release the successor to its compact full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R8, after more than three years. The new model retains the 24.2-megapixel resolution and 40 frames per second continuous shooting capabilities of its predecessor while enhancing in-body image stabilization and subject tracking features. It also introduces a function to convert a single photo into a three-dimensional (3D) image.On September 16, Canon Korea announced that the EOS R8 Mark II will be lau September 16, 2026

Korean Won Strengthens Against Dollar, Down 9% in Six Months The won-dollar exchange rate has dropped nearly 9% over the past six months, reflecting a strengthening of the Korean won. As the dollar's strength has eased since last year and domestic supply conditions have improved, the exchange rate, which once exceeded 1,500 won, has fallen to the mid-1,300s.On September 16, the exchange rate in the Seoul foreign exchange market was recorded at 1,368.6 won per dollar, an increase of 9.2 won from the previous day's closing price of 3:30 PM. This marks a sig September 16, 2026