Frozen Loan Market: 'Can I Get a Loan with Two Months Left for Payment?' “Loans continue to be blocked, and I only have two months left for payment. Is there a consultant who can help me get a loan of up to 40 million won for a property valued at about 1 billion won?”As household loan regulations lead to banks exhausting their lending limits early each month, demand for 'loan consultants' is rising in online forums and real estate communities. This surge has also seen an increase in online operations by unregistered consultants, raising concerns about consumer protec July 28, 2026

Hite Jinro to Showcase Same-Day Brewed Terra at Jeonju Beer Festival Hite Jinro will present Terra, brewed the same day at its Jeonju factory, at the '2026 Jeonju Beer Festival.'On July 28, Hite Jinro announced its special sponsorship of the Jeonju Beer Festival, which will take place from August 6 to 8 at the Jeonbuk National University Sports Complex. The festival will run daily from 6 PM to 11 PM.Now in its 12th year, the Jeonju Beer Festival celebrates the local 'gamak' culture, where residents enjoy simple snacks and beer from neighborhood shops. A key featu July 28, 2026

KB Financial Partners with Google to Implement AI Solutions KB Financial Group is partnering with Google Cloud to enhance operational efficiency and customer service through artificial intelligence (AI). On July 28, KB Financial announced a strategic collaboration with Google Cloud. The two companies plan to expand their cooperation in areas such as AI-driven operational innovation, improving customer financial experiences, data-driven decision-making, and building an AI financial platform. KB Financial has developed a data analysis AI agent called 'K July 28, 2026

KAIST Joins Microsoft’s Global AI Safety Research Program KAIST has become the only institution in South Korea selected for Microsoft’s global artificial intelligence (AI) safety research program, aiming to develop next-generation AI security and reliability technologies.On July 28, KAIST announced that Professor Son Su-el from the Department of Computer Science has been chosen as a research support recipient for the EXTRA (External Red Team Alliance) program, operated by Microsoft’s AI Red Team.EXTRA is a newly launched global research support initiat July 28, 2026

Funding Rates Rise Nearly 1% in Six Months, Clouding Card Companies' Outlook Funding rates for card companies have risen by nearly 1 percentage point in six months, raising concerns about declining profitability in the second half of the year. While the first half of the year saw solid performance due to cost-cutting measures, analysts warn that rising funding costs and stricter household loan management could quickly diminish the ability to maintain these results.According to the Korea Credit Finance Association on July 28, the average funding rate for eight major card July 28, 2026

Education Budget Dispute: Finding Solutions Amidst Surplus Funds A tug-of-war is ongoing between the education sector and financial authorities over local education financial grants. While the term may be unfamiliar to many, the essence of these grants is straightforward: they are fixed budgets allocated by the central government to local education offices for the education of elementary, middle, and high school students. According to the current Local Education Financial Grants Act, the government is required to allocate 20.79% of the total domestic tax reve July 28, 2026

MakinaRocks Partners with Hanwha Systems to Expand AI in Manufacturing Physical AI company MakinaRocks is teaming up with Hanwha Systems to expand its AI transformation (AX) initiatives in the manufacturing sector.On July 27, MakinaRocks announced that it had signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hanwha Systems to enhance AX operations in domestic and international manufacturing sites.The agreement is based on the AX initiatives led by Hanwha Systems, which will provide domain knowledge and foundational technology for the manufacturing industry. July 28, 2026

Apple Regains Top Spot in Global Market Capitalization, Surpassing Nvidia Apple has reclaimed its position as the world's most valuable company, surpassing Nvidia after 15 months.On July 27, Apple shares closed at $336.91, up 1.17% from the previous trading day, bringing its market capitalization to $4.948 trillion. In contrast, Nvidia's stock fell nearly 5% to $196.51, reducing its market cap to $4.756 trillion.This shift in rankings is attributed to growing investor caution regarding the massive capital expenditures and profitability of big tech companies in the AI July 28, 2026

Korea Electric Power Corporation Launches Solar Project at Substation Sites 한국전력이 변전소 유휴부지를 활용해 태양광 발전설비를 설치하는 시범사업에 착수했다. 올해 안산 반월변전소 등 2곳을 시작으로 내년까지 5개 변전소에 총 4.8MW 규모의 설비를 구축한 뒤 2030년까지 전국 500곳으로 사업을 확대할 계획이다. 한국전력은 28일 경기 안산 반월변전소에서 켑코솔라와 변전소 유휴부지 에너지화 시범사업 추진을 위한 업무협약(MOU)을 체결했다고 밝혔다. 이번 사업은 태양광 발전설비 설치가 가능한 변전소 유휴부지를 한전이 발굴해 임대하고 켑코솔라가 해당 부지에 설비를 설치·운영하는 방 July 28, 2026

Han Yuwon Enhances Expertise of Direct Production Inspectors The Korea Small Business and Startups Agency announced on July 28 that it will conduct training to enhance the expertise of direct production inspectors until the end of next month.The direct production verification system is designed to confirm whether small businesses that win contracts through competitive bidding actually produce the products themselves. Since being designated as the agency responsible for the direct production verification system in 2022, Han Yuwon has issued direct producti July 28, 2026