Interview: Families of Crew Members from Korean Ship in Hormuz Share Four Months of Anxiety "The government initially stated that there were no Korean ships in the area, and only after we provided the ship's name did they confirm its safety. Since then, the responses have repeatedly suggested contacting the shipping company. I believe the government's understanding of the situation and response were inadequate." According to a report by Ajou Economics on the 29th, a family member of a crew member aboard a Korean ship that recently exited the Hormuz Strait expressed that their family w July 26, 2026

Lee Jae-yong Meets Sam Altman to Strengthen AI Infrastructure Cooperation, Anticipates 'Ten Years Without a Downturn' for K-Semiconductors Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, met in the U.S. in a significant move symbolizing the restructuring of the global artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor supply chain. As U.S.-South Korea cooperation on next-generation AI infrastructure becomes more visible, concerns about a peak-out in the domestic semiconductor industry are expected to ease considerably.According to industry sources on July 26, the collaboration between Samsung Electronics and O July 26, 2026

Lee Jae-yong Meets OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at Company Headquarters Lee Jae-yong, the chairman of Samsung Electronics, met with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at the company's headquarters in San Francisco, California. The two leaders are tightening their collaboration to build a next-generation AI semiconductor supply chain. According to industry sources on July 26, Lee visited OpenAI's headquarters on July 25 (local time) for a high-level meeting with Altman. This meeting followed the postponement of Altman's planned visit to South Korea in June, prompting Lee July 26, 2026

Cortis Surpasses 1 Billion Streams on Spotify Ahead of Debut Anniversary The group Cortis has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. As of July 24, Cortis achieved a total of 1,000,060,000 streams on the global audio and music streaming platform Spotify. This figure includes all tracks released to date, including their first two mini-albums and the song "Mention Me" from Sony Pictures Animation's 'GOAT.' After recording 900 million streams on Spotify on July 4, Cortis added another 100 million streams in less than a month. This marks the highest streaming count amon July 26, 2026

Developer Eleven Construction Returns to Profit Amid UN Base Project Eleven Construction, a leading domestic developer focused on the Yongsan UN Command site, has returned to profitability for the first time in three years. The company reported a consolidated net profit exceeding 180 billion won, driven by the performance of its key subsidiary, Yongsan Eleven. However, over 100 billion won in cash flowed out from operating activities. To translate this accounting rebound into real financial improvement, the company must recover funds from office-tel sales and res July 26, 2026

Trump Orders Halt to Airstrikes Against Iran After 13 Days President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. forces to halt airstrikes against Iran, bringing to an end a 13-day campaign of attacks. This decision comes amid concerns about the depletion of missile stockpiles in the Middle East and progress in negotiations through Oman, raising questions about whether the recent military conflict will shift to a diplomatic phase.According to Axios, on July 24, Trump received a report on planned airstrikes from the military but chose not to approve them, instructing July 26, 2026

Ruling Party Pushes for Criminal Procedure Law Reform Amid Internal Tensions The Democratic Party has initiated a push for a reform of the criminal procedure law that centers on the abolition of supplementary investigation rights, while the Justice Innovation Party is pressuring for a resolution by the end of the month, leading to ongoing tensions within the ruling coalition. The People Power Party has intensified its attacks, citing the resignation of Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho.According to political sources on July 26, the Democratic Party and its allies have ente July 26, 2026

Ukraine Attacks Iranian Vessel in Caspian Sea, One Crew Member Killed An Iranian vessel was attacked by Ukraine in the Caspian Sea, resulting in the death of one crew member and injuries to another.According to the Financial Times, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that an explosion occurred on the Iranian vessel due to the Ukrainian attack early on July 25.The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated, "Iran will not hesitate to defend itself," and called on European nations to hold Ukraine accountable if they are genuinely concerned about the escalation of conflict in July 26, 2026

Ruling Party Criticizes Opposition Leader for Election Fraud Claims The Democratic Party criticized Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, on July 26, stating that his claims of election fraud have gone too far. The party urged him to cease his allegations and cooperate in expediting a recount and the processing of the Special Investigation Act.Kim Seong-hwa, the party's floor spokesperson, stated in a written briefing that Jang had recently visited Daegu and publicly spread unfounded claims about the ability to manipulate voter turnout and vote count July 26, 2026

Yen Hits 40-Year Low as Won Strengthens Amid Diverging Trends The value of the yen has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years, while the won continues to strengthen, leading to a two-year low in the won-yen exchange rate. As the decoupling between the won and yen deepens, attention is focused on its impact on domestic companies' price competitiveness and the financial market.According to financial sources on July 24, the yen's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar was recorded at 163.785 yen, up 0.71 yen from the previous trading day as of 3:30 PM.O July 26, 2026