South Korea Welcomes Uzbekistan President with State Honors In honor of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit, the South Korean flag and the Uzbekistan flag will be displayed side by side on the media facade of Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. A welcome message in both Korean and Uzbek will be posted on the outdoor electronic display at the Government Seoul Office. The Blue House announced on September 14 that it has organized special ceremonial events to mark President Mirziyoyev's state visit. The official welcome ceremony and s September 14, 2026

Yanggu County Receives Awards for Life Donation and Reading Culture Yanggu County is being recognized for its efforts in life donation and reading culture. On September 14, the Yanggu County Health Center received a Minister's Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for its contributions to promoting organ donation. Additionally, Yanggu County is set to receive the 'Reading Municipality Award' on September 15.According to Yanggu County, the Health Center was honored at the 9th Life Donation Week ceremony held at the L Tower in Seoul. The award was given fo September 14, 2026

Seoul's Housing Market Sees 85-to-1 Demand, While Gangwon and Chungnam Struggle The disparity in the housing subscription market between Seoul and regional areas is widening. Last month, the average competition ratio for general supply in Seoul reached 84.8-to-1, while Gangwon and Chungnam recorded only 0.02-to-1. While Seoul experiences competition rates in the dozens to hundreds, some regions are seeing applications fall significantly short of available units.According to an analysis of data from the Korea Real Estate Agency's subscription home, a total of 19,154 applicat September 14, 2026

Kim Seong-soo Apologizes for Controversy Over Brother-in-Law's Apartment Kim Seong-soo, the nominee for the Supreme Court, officially apologized for allegations that he lived in a brother-in-law's apartment in Gangnam at below-market rates to evade gift taxes, stating, "I am in the process of paying the taxes." During a National Assembly hearing on September 14, Kim responded to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Chae Hyun-il regarding the gift tax controversy, saying, "I recently learned during the preparation for the hearing that this could be considered a September 14, 2026

National University Hospitals Fail to Meet Disability Employment Quotas, Paying 23 Billion Won in Penalties National university hospitals, which are expected to lead public healthcare, are falling into a chronic moral hazard by financially compensating for their social responsibility of employing people with disabilities. Over the past four years, most of the 14 national university (dental) hospitals have failed to meet the legally mandated disability employment quotas, resulting in a staggering total of 23 billion won in penalties. According to data submitted to Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Part September 14, 2026

Technology Theft: 300 Cases Annually; Lee So-young Proposes Mandatory NDAs To fundamentally address the frequent issue of 'technology theft' in industrial settings, the mandatory implementation of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is being proposed. On September 14, according to the National Assembly, Lee So-young, the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated in written responses during her confirmation hearing that she would push for the mandatory use of NDAs during negotiation stages to prevent technology theft. Technology theft typically occurs when large co September 14, 2026

Inje Autumn Flower Festival to Open on September 24 The 2026 Inje Autumn Flower Festival will take place from September 24 to October 11 in the Yongdae Tourist Area of Inje County, Gangwon Province. This year, a garden commemorating the 100th anniversary of poet Park In-hwan will be established, enhancing the flower viewing experience with forest activities and visits to nearby attractions.According to Inje County on September 14, the festival grounds will feature four distinct areas utilizing flower fields, waterfront walking paths, and pine for September 14, 2026

Italy-Korea Sports Day Celebrated at Italian Embassy in Seoul The Italian Embassy in South Korea successfully hosted the "3rd World Italy Sports Day" on September 13 at its residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan, Seoul. This event, organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to promote the internationalization of Italian sports and related industries, fostering dialogue and mutual understanding between Italy and South Korea through sports.During the opening ceremony, Yook Dong-han, the mayor of Chuncheon, delivered a speech. Chuncheon will host t September 14, 2026

LG AI Research Institute Unveils Specialized AI for Manufacturing, Finance, and Science LG AI Research Institute is introducing 'Expert AI' tailored to solve problems in industrial settings. The initiative aims to create AI that works effectively in real-world environments by combining LG Group's industrial data and expertise.At the 'LG AI Talk Concert 2026' held on September 14 at LG Science Park in Magok, Gangseo, Seoul, Im Woo-hyung, co-head of the LG AI Research Institute, stated, "The ultimate goal of Exaone is to develop Expert AI that addresses real-world issues." He added t September 14, 2026

Despite Stock Market Gains, Valuation Issues Persist for Korean Companies Although the stock market has risen compared to a year ago, the undervaluation of domestic listed companies remains largely unresolved. In the securities market, the number of companies with a price-to-book ratio (PBR) below 1 has stagnated, while those with a PBR below 0.5 have increased. In contrast, the KOSDAQ market has seen a significant rise in the number of companies with a PBR below 1, expanding the base of undervalued firms.According to the Korea Exchange on September 14, the number of September 14, 2026