Convenience Stores Bustle Amid Nationwide Heatwave as Ice Cream and Cold Drinks Fly Off Shelves "It's so hot outside that I came to buy ice cups and ice cream," said Kim, a 28-year-old tourist, wiping sweat from his brow at a convenience store near Gwanghwamun in Seoul. As the summer vacation season draws travelers like Kim to the city, many are seeking refuge from the sweltering heat in convenience stores, where summer products like ice cups, ice cream, and cold drinks are flying off the shelves.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a heat wave warning was issued the previ July 27, 2026

Yoon Suk Yeol Receives Suspended Sentence in Election Law Case Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of South Korea, has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison, with a 3-year suspended sentence, for violating election laws during the 20th presidential election. If the sentence is upheld, the People Power Party will be required to return 39.7 billion won in election funds received during the campaign.According to Yonhap News Agency, the 21st Criminal Division of the Uijeongbu District Court, led by Judge Jo Soon-pyo, found Yoon guilty of making false July 27, 2026

Portal Operator AXZ Changes Name to Daum The operator of the portal 'Daum,' AXZ, has announced a name change to 'Daum.'On July 20, AXZ held an extraordinary general meeting where it approved the name change to 'Daum Co., Ltd.' The company plans to gradually introduce new features and services based on artificial intelligence (AI) while preserving the familiar user experience and brand assets associated with Daum.Since its launch in 1995, Daum has provided services such as search, news, email, cafes, and blogs, and currently operates di July 27, 2026

Labor and Small Business Groups Challenge Minimum Wage Increase Labor and small business groups have both raised objections regarding next year's minimum wage. The labor sector is protesting the exclusion of special employment and platform workers from the protection scope, while small business owners argue that even a 3.7% increase is too burdensome.However, experts suggest that the likelihood of a review is low, as there has been no precedent for objections being accepted since the minimum wage system was implemented.On July 27, the Small Business Associat July 27, 2026

Hyundai to Provide 33 Genesis Vehicles for Korea-Central Asia Summit Hyundai Motor Company will support the successful hosting of the Korea-Central Asia Summit by providing official vehicles. On July 27, Hyundai announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the preparatory planning team for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit. The summit is scheduled to take place on September 16 in South Korea. This summit will be the only multilateral meeting held in South Korea this year, bringing together leaders from South Korea and five Central Asian cou July 27, 2026

2026 Global Art Fair Connects the World Through Art in Seoul The '2026 Global Art Fair: Shanghai-Yantai-Seoul International Exchange Exhibition' concluded its final leg at the Dongjak Art Gallery in Seoul from July 23 to 25.This exhibition in Seoul marked the culmination of an international tour that began in Shanghai on July 3 and continued through Yantai, Shandong Province, from July 6 to 9.Works from domestic artists, as well as those from China, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam, captivated visitors.Interest in the exhibition surged starting July 22, when July 27, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group Holds Joint Entrance Ceremony for Youth Training Program 'HINT' Hyundai Motor Group announced that it held a joint entrance ceremony for the first cohort of its youth talent development program, 'HINT (HMG Incubation of New Talent),' at its training center in Gyeongju on July 27.HINT is part of the 'K-New Deal Academy,' a youth vocational training initiative promoted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in collaboration with domestic companies. The program aims to enhance the job skills of young people and as July 27, 2026

Broadcast Commission Warns Against Exaggerated Promotions for Galaxy Z8 Series The Broadcasting and Communications Commission (BCC) warned on July 27 about potential user harm due to exaggerated promotions by some mobile phone retailers during the pre-order period for the Galaxy Z8 series, including excessive promises of subsidies and giveaways.The BCC emphasized the importance of verifying the sales entity and contract details when pre-ordering to prevent user harm. According to the Korea Association of Information and Communication Technology (KAIT), which has implemente July 27, 2026

Investor Loses Half of Assets in Aggressive Leverage Bet on Semiconductor Stocks A retail investor who engaged in aggressive leveraged investments based on a rising semiconductor market revealed that their asset value has plummeted by more than half in just a month.Recently, a post titled 'My Life is Ruined by Hynix Leverage' appeared on an online community.The author of the post, identified as A, stated that they began investing with 200 million won (approximately $150,000) last October and grew their assets to 400 million won (about $300,000) by March of this year through July 27, 2026

Samsung Card Reports 7.5% Drop in First-Half Net Profit Samsung Card's net profit for the first half of the year decreased due to one-time labor costs and rising financial expenses. On July 27, Samsung Card announced that its net profit for the first half of the year was 310.5 billion won, a 7.5% decline compared to the same period last year. Total transaction volume for the first half reached 96.5 trillion won, marking a 9.0% increase from the previous year. The growth was attributed to enhanced product competitiveness through expanded partnerships July 27, 2026