New Smart City Development Underway in Saemangeum with $9 Billion Investment On September 11, the Saemangeum waterfront city site was bustling with construction activity, with heavy machinery and mounds of earth visible where a city for approximately 20,000 residents is planned. From the perspective of the North-South Road connecting Zones 1 to 3, landscaping and pipeline work were underway. Although 250 pine trees planted in 2024 were starting to take root, the area still lacked the appearance of a livable city.Saemangeum, which has attracted a $9 billion investment pla September 14, 2026

Lee Seong-joo Appointed as New President of MBC Under Revised Broadcasting Law 이성주 iMBC 경영이사가 MBC 신임 사장으로 최종 선임됐다. 14일 MBC는 주주총회를 열고 이성주 사장 내정자에 대한 신임 사장 선임안을 가결했다고 밝혔다. 앞서 MBC 대주주이자 관리·감독기구인 방송문화진흥회(이하 방문진)는 지난 13일 임시 이사회를 개최했다. 방문진은 이성주 내정자와 전동건 전 울산MBC 사장 등 2명의 후보를 두고 최종 면접과 표결을 진행한 끝에 이 내정자를 신임 사장으로 최종 낙점한 바 있다. 이번 사장 선출은 개정 방송법이 처음으로 적용된 사례라는 점에서 각계의 이목을 끌었다. 시민 150명 September 14, 2026

Government Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Calls for Immediate Cessation The government condemned the Houthi rebel attacks targeting civilians and economic facilities in southern Saudi Arabia on September 14, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties.In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, as well as actions that hinder the free and safe navigation of vessels, cannot be justified for any reason." The ministry urged an immediate halt to such attacks.It emphasized that ensuring free and safe navigation i September 14, 2026

Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong Acknowledges Ambiguity in Emotional Abuse Clause of Child Welfare Law Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong officially acknowledged the ambiguity surrounding the 'emotional abuse' clause of the Child Welfare Law, which has been identified as a major cause of the decline in teacher authority and indiscriminate reporting against educators. She expressed her commitment to actively collaborate on legal amendments.During a parliamentary question-and-answer session on the 14th, Jeong and Rep. Jeong Seong-guk of the People Power Party discussed the issues with September 14, 2026

KOSPI Volatility Drops from 4.89% in July to 1.80% in September Domestic stock market volatility has been rapidly decreasing recently. The average volatility of the KOSPI has fallen to around 1% in September, while the number of instances triggering the volatility interruption mechanism (VI) and the excess disclosures indicating price distortions in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have also decreased. This trend indicates a shift away from sharp fluctuations in both the index and individual stocks, as well as in the ETF market. According to the Korea Exchange September 14, 2026

Lake Views Drive Apartment Prices Higher in South Korea Apartment prices vary significantly even within the same living area, depending on whether they offer lake views. Factors such as the actual view from the unit, openness, and orientation are increasingly influencing residential value.According to industry reports, the criteria for selecting apartments now include not just location but also what residents can see from their homes. Within the same living area, the ability to view a lake or park from the living room window, as opposed to being bloc September 14, 2026

KOSPI Plummets Over 3% Amid Rate Hike Fears and Rising Oil Prices The KOSPI index fell more than 3%, pushed down to the 6600 level due to simultaneous selling by foreign and institutional investors. The decline followed the release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August, which heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, compounded by rising international oil prices and concerns over the pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development.On September 14, the Korea Exchange reported that the KOSPI closed at 6684.37, down 225.54 poi September 14, 2026

Coach Robert Moreno Plans to Use 4-4-2 Formation for Upcoming Matches Robert Moreno, the newly appointed interim coach of the South Korean national soccer team, announced plans to adopt a 4-4-2 formation based on the most commonly used system in the K League as the team prepares for four international matches in September and October.During a press conference on September 14 at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Moreno stated, "I started my work by analyzing data from over 1,700 South Korean players. The selection criteria for the national September 14, 2026

Ministry of SMEs Seeks Startups for Public Service Innovation Using Public Data The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on September 14 that it is seeking around 20 startups to tackle public service innovation projects using public data.The targeted startups will work on 22 projects selected from 18 institutions that the ministry identified last month for collaboration with startups.Selected startups will receive commercialization funding of up to 100 million won for technology validation (PoC) and prototype development through collaboration with public institutions. Th September 14, 2026

Education Ministry Faces Criticism Over Server Outage During College Admissions Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin announced on September 14 that the ministry will assist over 1,200 students who experienced issues with the Uway Apply server during the college admissions process. A task force will be established, led by the Director of the High School and Lifelong Education Policy Bureau, in collaboration with the Korean Council for University Education to ensure no student is disadvantaged. During a government Q&A session in the National Assembly, lawmaker Seo Beom-soo criti September 14, 2026