KB No. 34 and Korea No. 17 SPACs Surge on First Day of KOSDAQ Listing KB No. 34 and Korea No. 17 SPACs have surged significantly on their first day of trading on the KOSDAQ, exceeding their initial public offering prices.According to the Korea Exchange, as of 9:15 a.m. on September 22, KB No. 34 SPAC was trading at 3,880 won, up 1,880 won (94.00%) from its IPO price of 2,000 won. At the same time, Korea No. 17 SPAC was trading at 4,585 won, an increase of 2,585 won (129.25%) from its IPO price.Both SPACs are special purpose acquisition companies, with KB Securitie September 22, 2026

Thai Badminton Player Tests Positive for Banned Substance at Asian Games Thai badminton player Pichamon Opatniputh has received a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned substance during doping tests at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.The International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on September 21 that a sample taken from Opatniputh tested positive for the banned substance furosemide.The ITA, which was tasked by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to manage doping tests and results for the event, conducted out-of-competition testing in Nagoya, Jap September 22, 2026

Naver Maps Sees 5.8-Fold Increase in Reservations for Japanese Restaurants More users are finding and reserving local Japanese restaurants through Naver Maps. Naver is enhancing its service by expanding information on Japanese restaurants and integrating local reservation services, allowing travelers to seamlessly explore and book dining options.Naver announced on September 22 that the number of users clicking the 'Tabelog Reservation' button to access the Tabelog reservation page has increased approximately 5.8 times from August of last year.Tabelog is a local restaur September 22, 2026

Singer Lee Gi-chan Performs at Pharmacies Amid Flu Season Singer Lee Gi-chan is making headlines for his recent performances at pharmacies. He shared updates on his social media, stating, "Pharmacy busking project! Thank you to the pharmacies that helped. Is this right?"He humorously added, "Flu vaccinations have started, so please welcome the 'cold'" while also sharing his busking schedule.In a video shared on social media, Lee was seen standing in the middle of a pharmacy holding a microphone, surrounded by shelves stocked with various medications. H September 22, 2026

U.S. Semiconductor Investment Rebounds, Boosting SK Hynix, Simtek, and Korea Circuit Domestic semiconductor stocks are experiencing a significant surge. This increase is attributed to a rebound in investment sentiment for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, following substantial gains in major U.S. semiconductor companies such as Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.As of 9:06 a.m. on the 22nd, Korea Circuit was trading at 63,500 won, up 10,800 won (21.03%) from the previous trading day.ISC also saw an increase of 14,900 won (7.48%), trading at 199,100 won. Other semiconductor-rela September 22, 2026

Gwangju Enhances Fire Prevention Measures Ahead of Chuseok As the Chuseok holiday approaches, an increase in visitors to cemeteries and hiking trails is expected, coinciding with dry weather conditions. The Gwangju Metropolitan City is strengthening its fire prevention and initial response systems.On September 22, Gwangju officials announced that they have deployed three firefighting helicopters ahead of Chuseok to mitigate the risk of wildfires. An additional seven helicopters will be gradually deployed after October 4 to ensure a rapid response in the September 22, 2026

POSCO DX Implements AI Agent 'Agentee-C' for Consulting Automation POSCO DX is applying artificial intelligence (AI) to its consulting processes for the introduction of AI agents. The company plans to automate preliminary steps in AI agent development, such as business diagnosis, requirements analysis, and documentation, to reduce consulting time by more than half and accelerate AX execution.On September 22, POSCO DX announced the development of its AI agent, 'Agentee-C,' which will support consulting processes. Agentee-C is designed to assist with tasks tradit September 22, 2026

Ruling Party Workshop Highlights Regional Development as Key to Growth On September 22, the Democratic Party's special committee on mega projects and regional growth support held a workshop to discuss legislation supporting the government's three major mega projects. The party emphasized that the new direction for South Korea's growth lies in regional development, highlighting the importance of building industrial infrastructure and improving living conditions in local areas.Lee Kwang-jae, the committee's senior vice chair, stated during the workshop at the Nationa September 22, 2026

Xi Jinping to Visit the U.S. with Unprecedented Protocol Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, with plans for extraordinary protocol and hospitality throughout his stay.According to a schedule released by the White House, President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are expected to arrive at Andrews Joint Base in Maryland on September 23. A U.S. official indicated that Xi's plane is anticipated to land around 4 p.m. local time, which is 5 a.m. on September 24 in South Korea. In a rare gesture, Pr September 22, 2026

Government Begins Three-Month Public Discussion on Nuclear Power's Role The South Korean government is set to engage in a three-month public discussion regarding the role of nuclear power in the 12th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand. This initiative will not simply ask for opinions on the construction of new nuclear plants but will focus on discussing the role of nuclear energy among various power sources to meet the increasing electricity demand driven by sectors such as semiconductors and electric vehicles.On September 22, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and September 22, 2026