All 57 Candidates to Retake General Mechanical Engineer Practical Exam Due to Question Leak The Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation announced that all candidates will retake the General Mechanical Engineer practical exam to prevent any compromise of fairness following a question leak.According to the corporation, it was confirmed that the questions for the '2026 Second General Mechanical Engineer Practical Exam' were disclosed a day prior, on July 25, at the exam venue.The corporation identified that due to negligence by staff and examiners at one testing site, the exam papers July 27, 2026

Prosecutors Seek 7-Year Sentence for Jo Tae-yong in Appeal Over Emergency Martial Law Perjury Special prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence for Jo Tae-yong, the former head of the National Intelligence Service, in his appeal trial related to perjury during the emergency martial law situation on December 3. During the appeal hearing held on July 27 at the Seoul High Court, presided over by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, the prosecution reiterated its request for a seven-year sentence for Jo, who faces charges of dereliction of duty, violations of the National Intelligence Servic July 27, 2026

China Strongly Opposes U.S. Forced Labor Tariffs, Calls It Typical Protectionism The Chinese government has strongly opposed the U.S. administration's decision to impose additional tariffs on 60 countries, including South Korea and China, under the pretext of 'forced labor.'According to Yonhap News Agency, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a statement on July 27 expressing strong regret over the U.S. tariff imposition.On July 23, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced final measures to impose so-called 'forced labor tariffs' ranging from 10% to 12.5% on economi July 27, 2026

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Emphasizes Importance of Communication with China Ahead of APEC Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining dialogue with China, which is currently facing a stalemate in relations.According to Yonhap News, during a press conference held on July 27 at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Takaichi stated, "China is an important neighboring country," and emphasized that her administration's policy of promoting a comprehensive strategic reciprocal relationship has remained consistent since she took office.Takaichi particularl July 27, 2026

Yoon Suk Yeol Appeals Suspended Sentence for False Statements Yoon Suk Yeol has appealed a suspended prison sentence handed down for making false statements. On July 27, Yoon's legal team submitted an appeal to the Seoul Central District Court, which had ruled on the election law violation case. In a statement, the defense team expressed their disappointment with the ruling, stating, "We believe there are significant errors in the recognition of facts and application of law," and cited reasons for the appeal including factual misjudgment, legal misundersta July 27, 2026

National Assembly Speaker Urges Culture Minister to Ensure Transparency in Football Association Chojung-sik, the National Assembly Speaker, met with Choi Hwi-young, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to discuss the upcoming hearing regarding the Korea Football Association scheduled for July 30.According to Yonhap News, during their meeting on July 27 in the Speaker's office, they discussed government-wide cooperation in sports and cultural policies.The conversation highlighted the controversy surrounding the selection process for the national team coach, which has led to the upco July 27, 2026

Korean Baseball Star Park Chan-ho Invests $70 Million in Oakland Athletics Park Chan-ho, known as the 'Korean Express,' has achieved a new milestone as the first Korean investor in a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, following his title as the first Korean MLB player.On July 27, Park led an investment consortium named Team 61, which announced a strategic partnership with the Oakland Athletics at a press conference held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam, Seoul.Through this partnership, Team 61 will invest a total of $70 million in the Athletics. Of t July 27, 2026

President Lee Offers Condolences Over Wildfires in France and Spain 이재명 대통령이 프랑스와 스페인에서 발생한 대형 산불과 관련해 "예기치 못한 재난으로 어려움을 겪고 계신 모든 분들께 위로의 말씀을 전한다"고 말했다. 이 대통령은 27일 엑스(X·옛 트위터)를 통해 "프랑스와 스페인에서 계속되고 있는 산불로 큰 피해가 발생하고 있다는 소식에 안타까움을 금할 수 없다"며 이같이 밝혔다. 그러면서 "아울러 위험을 무릅쓰고 산불 진화와 구조 활동에 헌신하고 계신 구조대원과 관계자 여러분께 경의를 표한다"고 격려했다. 이어 "산불이 하루빨리 진화 July 27, 2026

Kia Union Secures Legal Right to Strike Following Mediation Halt The Kia Labor Union has gained the legal right to strike following a decision by the Central Labor Relations Commission to halt mediation.According to labor sources and the Kia union, the commission announced its decision to cease mediation regarding wage and collective bargaining negotiations on the afternoon of July 27. After approximately three hours of discussions, it determined that the significant differences between the two sides made further mediation impossible.Earlier, on July 23, the July 27, 2026

Government Plans $50 Billion Spending Restructuring for 2027 Budget The government is set to implement a $50 billion spending restructuring for next year. This follows a $27 billion restructuring last year, with the aim of reallocating the funds to artificial intelligence (AI), future industries, and public welfare.However, the inclusion of mandatory expenditures, such as pensions, welfare, and local government grants, which are legally mandated, raises questions about the feasibility of actual cuts. Without legislative amendments, significant reductions are unl July 27, 2026